“I wish it weren’t true. Ashley has a history of straying as it is, and last year his performance suffered while they worked things out off the field.”
“Shit, you’d think it was only the guys who strayed.”
“The schedule is tough on marriages. You can ask my grandmother when you see her how much shit she put up with over the years. And Granddad wasn’t traveling every other week.”
“Do you think that’s why your father wanted nothing to do with it?”
“Partially. But my father didn’t have the same passion for the game.”
We were only five minutes late when we pulled up in front of my grandmother’s favorite restaurant.
“Huh. I’m surprised she didn’t pick Italian.”
“No, she prefers her own cooking and is never satisfied with any Italian restaurants. Seafood is her go-to.”
I held Kendra’s hand and led her to the table whereNonna was already seated. She stood and beamed at Kendra, pulling her into a hug before greeting me.
“Thank you for meeting me. And yes, I know that this isn’t convenient for either of you. I don’t care, family is always more important than the game.”
Kendra nodded. “It’s been a bit hellish. But things are coming together.”
“Take it from me, it’s never over. The game, the season—it’s a cycle. Even if the team wins it all, it starts over the next day. The only thing important to the fans and the media is who is winningtoday.”
“Well, there wasn’t a game today, but we look good for the first pre-season game. It should be a good year.”
“The season is long.” Nonna looked between the two of us before continuing. “I love that you found someone as passionate about this team as you are. But I worry that the two of you might lose focus.”
Before she finished her thought, the waitress arrived and took our drink order. Nonna also placed an order for a dozen oysters. I glanced over at Kendra to make sure the thought of oysters hadn’t caused her to turn green.
“Do you like oysters?” I asked.
“Love them.”
“Back to what I was saying. My marriage was often stretched and challenged because of the stress of owning this team. And I’m hoping that you can learn from us, and not have to hit the same bumps I did with your grandfather. Are you making time for each other?”
I nodded. “We spent the weekend in Stowe.”
“Good. Dinner together every night?”
Kendra looked sheepish. Last night she had canceledbecause she needed to let in a repairman at her apartment. When I had offered to bring dinner to her place, she said that she was getting takeout with her sister. I understood why she didn’t want to hoist our relationship on Kylie while she was coping with the roller coaster of her relationship with Luc.
“Most nights,” I said.
“That’s good. Because dinner in the suite gets a little old.” She paused and directed her following statement to Kendra. “He can watch the game from his penthouse. He doesn’t need to be at every single one.”
She nodded in agreement. “We’ve already discussed that in depth.”
“Granddad walked away because he knew you could handle it. Not so you can give your life to a team that will never love you as much as you love it. This town loves harder than any place in the world when you’re winning. But they’re brutal when you lose. Understanding what part of that is within your control is the only path to sanity.”
Listening to her now, I had a different perspective on the battles that they had over the years. She had always been pushing my grandfather to find balance, something he’d only found since I had taken over.
“Don’t you wait until you retire to enjoy life.”
“We both love what we do,” Kendra said.
“Loving what you do and living it at the expense of other loves—that’s when it changes from being a job to an obsession.”
“And we’re both workaholics,” I said.
