“To help me figure out what I want to do when I retire.”
Paisley looks at Addie. Then back at me.
Addie snickers, then shoves more omelet in her mouth. “This is really good, thank you,” she says with her mouth full.
I fucking love this woman.
I still haven’t told her so, but I do.
I love her laugh. I love how bloodthirsty she is when we’re playingCroaking Creatures, whether in the same room or while on the phone before or after one of her games. I love the way she’s letting me in a little more every day.
I love that she’s wearing dresses to work more often before she changes into her uniform, and that the team wins nearly every time she does. I love the way she tears up seven minutes intoA League of Their Own.
I love the way she smells. The noises she makes when I’m eating her pussy. The way she feels coming around my cock.
Paisley points her fork at me. “You always said you’d coach hockey when you couldn’t play anymore.”
“So did Nick. So did Zeus. So did Manning. Want me to go on?”
“Nick’s still working for the Thrusters.”
“Nick’s a hobby farmer who needs a part-time day job to keep him busy enough that he doesn’t think to buy an elephant for his hobby farm.”
“Isn’t buying an elephant for a hobby farm illegal?”
“I’m sorry—have you met Nick Murphy?”
Addie giggles.
“You can’t sit around playingCroaking Creaturesall day,” Paisley says.
“Actually, I could. They’ve had a good response to my requested upgrades and want to know if I have more ideas.”
“Ooh, I know,” Addie says. “You could be aCroaking Creaturespodcaster.”
Paisley sits straighter. “And you could sing your commentary instead of saying it.”
They take turns one-upping each other with increasingly funnier ideas while I start my own omelet. By the time I take the stool next to Addie’s to eat, she’s done, and Paisley’s close.
I’ve lost track of what they’re laughing about, and that’s absolutely fine.
The fact that they’re both here, laughing together, has my heart in its happy place.
For today.
For now.
There’s a part of me still worried that I’ll fuck this up somehow. That I’ll push too far. Too hard. Too fast.
That I’ll push Addie away.
Training camp starts in a few days.
I’m about to get very busy. And I don’t know how that will go.
The Fireballs are sitting right on the edge of the playoffs. Regular season ends about the time I start traveling, but they could play for another month or more after that if they make the postseason. And if they do, odds are pretty high Addie and I will be on opposite travel schedules.
But only for a month or so.
