“I hope you’re right.”
“Have a bit of faith, will you?”
Nick gets to his feet and lets out a sharp whistle, calling an end to training.After sending everyone into the locker room — lecture and all — he comes back over and drops onto the stands beside me.
“Done for the day?”he asks.
“Free as the wind.”
“Any plans for tonight?”
“I told Ryan I’d stop by his place to see Jamie, and then I’ll head home.I’m so tired; I’m still recovering from the wedding, and that workout really wiped me out,” I say, touching my sore shoulder.
“Problems?”Nick asks, pointing to the spot where I’m touching.
“Just a tough landing.”
“Did you ask them to take a look?”
“I’m grand,” I reply, standing up.“I just need to catch up.”
He stands up too.
“Are you coming to Ryan’s too?”
“I’ll come by tomorrow morning.I’m having dinner at Coach Madigan’s tonight.”
Coach Madigan is Casey’s dad and the former coach of the O’Connor brothers when they were younger.There is bad blood between them.
“Good luck,” I say before going down the steps and leaving the centre.
Chris opensthe door while talking on the phone and gestures for me to come in as she ends the call.I close the door behind me and take a few steps into the living room, where I see someone standing with their back to me, holding my niece.
Shit.
He turns slowly, and when our eyes meet, we both feel embarrassed.
“Oh.Hello,” he says.
“Hello, Doctor…” I reply awkwardly.
We fall silent, searching for a way out of this mess.I knew this moment would come eventually, but I didn’t expect it to happen tonight.
“Here I am!”Chris walks back into the living room.She looks at both of us and asks, “Something wrong?”
“What?”The Doctor recovers immediately.
“I’m getting a weird feeling…”
“I’m sorry for barging in.I told Ryan I’d stop by.”
“Ryan didn’t mention it, but you don’t even have to say it — you are family.”
“I just came to say a quick hello.I wanted to see the little one,” I say, turning back to the Doctor, who is still holding her.“And where is the man of the house?”
“He went to get dinner with Evan.I was just on the phone with him, warning him we have two extra guests.”
“What?No, I?—”
