It was nice. It took a minute, but eventually it seemed as if they all forgot I was the boss, and instead treated me as if I were one of their own.
“I’ll take the credit for you coming,” Kennedy says with an edge of humor. “But I have a feeling I wasn’t the one who got you here.”
She discreetly tips her head to the side, and I follow to find Emmett making his way out to us. Hat pulled low over his eyes. Hands casually tucked in his denim pockets.
“Hey,” he says, attention locked on me. “You doing okay?”
“Yeah. I’m great.”
“I’m going to go help Isaiah clean up,” Kennedy says, starting in the direction of the house.
“Can I do anything?” I offer.
“Nope. No. You two just enjoy... the party.”
She departs, leaving Emmet and me alone at the edge of the yard. The setting sun casts this warm glow against his face, and I’m thankful no one is too close by to watch me admire him. I truly don’t think he understands just how handsome he is.
“Walk with me?” he asks, nodding toward the walkway around the edge of the lake.
Hesitating, I scan the yard. A sunset stroll with him sounds equal parts lovely and like a terrible idea. But a substantial amount of the rest of the staff has gone home and, well... I want to spend time with him.
“Okay,” I answer quietly.
We walk for a minute or two in silence, putting space between us and our coworkers, while also keeping distance between us. There must be at least four feet of walkway to separate us. Which is for the best. Whenever we’re shoulder to shoulder these days, Emmett’s fingers find their way to mine.
To ensure that doesn’t happen, I cross my arms over my chest as well, really adding to the distance thing.
“It’s beautiful out here,” Emmett says, breaking the silence. “You don’t get this in the city. Of course, we have the lake, but not this kind of quiet.”
It really is stunning. The sun sparkles off the water and the trees line the walking path. Then you add this hot older guy at my side, and yeah. The view is a bit breathtaking.
“Would you ever want to get out of the city and move to the suburbs?” I ask.
He breathes a small laugh. “Not anytime soon. Maybe I’m doing it all backward, but I spent most of my twenties and all of my thirties in the suburbs. Well, it was more like the country, Isuppose. In fact, there’s a lake with a similar feel to this behind the house where I raised Miller in Colorado. But I guess now I’m making up for the parts I skipped by trying to be a bit selfish. Having the job I want. Living in the city I love.”
Those last two sentences might not intentionally be directed at me, but we both know the future of where he works and lives rests solely onmyshoulders.
“Would you ever...” I hesitate. “Live in adifferentcity? Maybe work for a different team?”
I know it’s a silly question as soon as it’s out of my mouth. Of course, the answer is no, but the man kissed me stupidonetime and now I’m over here imagining any plausible scenario where I wouldn’t be his boss.
Which is also ridiculous for more than one reason. He already told me he didn’t have it in him to move on from the woman he loved twenty years ago. I should really believe him.
Emmett eyes me, probably wondering what kind of ludicrous daydream I’m creating in my head, so I pull my focus away and instead watch the sun lower a little more.
“Never mi—”
“No,” Emmett answers simply. “If you would’ve asked me that a few years ago, I probably would’ve had another answer for you, but things are different now. My daughter is here, settled down for the first time in her adult life. Max is here. The Rhodes boys are here. I wouldn’t leave now.”
Of course. Why did I even ask that?
“But I’ll be just fine with whatever happens at the end of the season,” he continues, and it’s then I realize he thinks I’m asking because I’ve dangled his contract renewal over his head and not because I have a big, irresponsible crush on the guy. “If I couldn’t work for the Warriors, I’d maybe move back down to the college level, but I’d stay local.”
What?
Does he not realize what he just said?
My heart breaks a bit at his answer because I don’t think he even sees it. It’s so ingrained in him to just take care of everyone else.
