It wasn’t an eloquent speech but delivered in the undiluted matter-of-fact point-of-view of a nine-year-old, it packed a powerful punch. They fucking saw the whole damn picture—their mom, dad, and…me.
“Yeah.” I swallowed around a lump in my throat. “I’d like that.”
We kicked at the water and stared at the horizon. Chase probably looked like my mini-me in his sunglasses and his uber relaxed pose. The thought made me smile…and it made me want to cry.
Fuck me.I didn’t want to go.
Days slipped by in a flurry of barbecues, lakeside jogs, hikes in the forest, and a couple of jaunts to explore Elmwood, Pinecrest, and Fallbrook. The kids were with their mom a lot, which gave Cooper and me more time alone. I found myself memorizing odd details—the smell of his sheets, his coffee mug next to mine, the sound of his laughter, and the crinkly lines at his eyes.
I could take photos of the lake, the forest, the house, the kids, the friends I’d met, but some things didn’t translate. And maybe it was supposed to be that way.
It was a bittersweet thought, and I had a lot of those lately. I didn’t like endings.
The final flag football game was gearing up to be a big community event—sort of like kick-off day, without the deejay. The funny thing was…no one had any real skills to demonstrate. They still dropped the ball, ran so slow a ninety-year-old with a cane could un-Velcro their flags, and don’t get me started on strategy. They couldn’t collectively stick to a play to save their lives. And yet…we’d had a blast.
I was going to miss the science info-dumps, rogue games of tag, and the quirky segues. I was going to miss Dex and the other volunteer coaches. This was a world away from training camp with professional athletes who were primed and ready to kick ass and take no prisoners on the field. It was wholesome and life-affirming, I was sad it was over.
I was also a little irked at having to share this with my agent.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked Ger, but this place was real to me, and I didn’t love the idea of turning it into a PR stunt.
“Silas, can we get another shot of you with the team?” A photographer asked, herding me toward the middle of the group. “Thanks! Look this way, kids. Say cheese!”
Ger shoved his hands into his pockets, grinning from ear to ear in his designer casual wear, his expensive watch glinting in the midday sun. His flight had arrived last night, but he’d optedto stay in Burlington and make the drive to the Four Forest area this morning. We’d met for lunch and discussed my itinerary for the next week.
Not that there was much to discuss. I was leaving tomorrow, bright and early. I had a hotel lined up in Boston, a meeting on Monday, and at some point, I needed to find somewhere to live before training camp started. Ger knew all that, but the PR move also gave him a chance to check on me and possibly make sure I made it to Boston.
“This is awesome, man. I can’t believe how freaking cool this is,” he gushed.
“I told you so.”
“And these kids love you.”
I tossed a football in the air and shrugged. “What can I say? I’m lovable.”
“Yeah, right.” Ger snorted. “So…who is she? Introduce me.”
She? It took a second for me to interpret his meaning. I spotted Cooper at the fringe of the crowd and as always, my heart flipped in my chest.
“It’s not like that,” I lied.
Ger furrowed his brow. “You sure? That wasn’t the impression. Well…that’s okay, man. Probably for the best. Boston’s calling. You ready?”
“I guess so.”
Ger’s gaze caught on Dex and stayed there for a beat. “Mmm. Good. Uh…hey, I don’t know if Alli contacted you, but I heard she’s supposed to be in Boston with Liam for aTrilogy Alpha Teamevent and?—”
“I know.”
“Are you going to see her? No worries either way, but it’ll go in the good press column for sure.”
I scoffed. “Do you ever stop working?”
Ger seemed taken aback for a beat, but he answered quickly and probably truthfully. “Nope.”
“You should come here sometime—go hiking, do some bird-watching. Good for the soul.” I clapped his shoulder and walked away to say my good-byes to the parents and kids.
A camera followed me from group to group. I smiled, took a million pics, and secretly wished life was simpler. I would have liked nothing more than to meet Coop at his truck and drive home…to the house by the lake.
