“Want me to stick around?” I yelled to the pair. Their long brown hair, the exact shade of mine, flew in the wind and joy radiated off Quinn.Good. That girl deserves all the happiness.
“Uncle Gid. What about dinner?” my favorite person asked in a high voice.
“What about it?”
“You staying? I can show you my doll house.”
Cheryl smirked and shrugged. “I brought home pasta. You can stay.”
“It’s decided.” I joined them at the swings and pushed Quinn higher. She squealed with each push and for a brief moment, all negative or worrying thoughts didn’t matter. The joy carried over through dinner—that was, until my agent called me with a stick already in his ass.Typical Billy.
“Titan. How’s the leg doing?”
“Fine,” I replied through gritted teeth. He interrupted my dinner and asked the exact same question every goddamn time.No progress on my leg. Still hurts like a bitch. Still worried my career is over. Still limping like a fuck-stick. Still an asshole.
“Good, good. I wanted to run some things by you. Got a second?” He spoke with too much enthusiasm in his voice. It exhausted me. I ignored his question and cut to the chase.
“Billy—why the hell am I coaching with some chick?”
His laugh reflected all his years of smoking. “Why the hell were you an asshole who lashed out at his teammate?”
“You’re really bringing that up? I didn’t do it.”Dick.
“You asked a question. I gave you an answer. Your coach thought you needed to find your love of the game again. The kids will lose their shit, Gid. Think how much your little niece loves you. These kids think you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.”
The kids were the best part of being a professional athlete—but Billy was missing the point. “Why am I paired with someone? Also, a girl who sounds about fifteen years old. I don’t need a partner.”
“Her name is Fiona Davis. She was recommended by someone close with Los Soles.”
“They she probably did this as a favor or some political bullshit. You know, I bet she’s some crazed fan.” I let out a long string of curse words. I did not need this. “I want her gone.”
“Tough tits, man. Chief wanted to pair you up. Not sure why they picked her, but it is what it is. Could be worse—think about that.”
“That’s shit advice and a shit answer.”
“Life’s not full of sunshine and rainbows, buttercup.” He laughed at his own joke and I wished he was there so I could deck him. “Now, quit your bitching and let me ask you my questions.”
“Fine.” I snuck a glance back at my sister, but she was making a goofy face at Quinn to get her to eat. “What is it?”
“Sponsors. Agua Chill wants to do a photo shoot and a commercial—you up for it?”
I pulled at the back of my neck. Was I up for it?Fuck yeah.I needed money, especially if my ACL didn’t pull through. And these days I wasn’t sure it would. “Sure. Sign me up and let me know.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re in an agreeable mood. Let’s continue that. I need you to do a visit at the children’s hospital, speak at an assembly at a middle school and I’ll bring the photographers.”
“Billy. No photographers.” I seethed. “I’ll do thosewithoutthe goddamn press. Not everything I do is for show.Jesus.”
“Whatever, Gid, just doing what you’ve asked me in the past.”
We hung up and two things bothered me. Sure—Billy had stuck by me when a big endorsement had fallen through two years ago and he’d always supported my charity work. He had done more good than bad, but he was pissing me off today. The first was his constant jabs at me. I knew I could be an asshole. Sometimes I was. But I always insisted on doing the hospital visits without photos. Those were my favorite moments.
The second was about the coaching. I hadn’t lashed out at a teammate. I had called out Tate Monaghan for using a cork bat and the swine had spun it to make me look like a deranged, injured has-been. No one had taken my side.Now I’m stuck rehabbing from a torn ACL, on the verge of becoming an unwanted free agent, and paired up with some whiney chick for four months.
This had to be karma for something, because the stars were not aligning for me.
Chapter Three
Fiona
