"Did anyone see where my wife went?" I asked the question that a day ago, I never thought I'd be asking. Honestly, it tasted odd, but in a good way.
I found her sitting with Darius and his long-term girlfriend Nisha. T.J. had parked his ass with them, too.
Maya caught my eye and flashed a radiant smile that made me want to slide my hand in hers and steal her away to some place where it'd be just the two of us.
But I didn't.
Instead, I took a seat beside her, and my hand found hers all on its own. Chemistry was doing its natural thing, lighting a fire on muscle memory.
"You gonna move down to the city or keep Maya here all to yourself?" Darius asked, shoveling in the barbecue.
Well, this was my spot. My backyard was the place I came with a beer or a cup of coffee while I waited for the deer to come through.
Still, I took a moment to consider Darius' question before replying, my eyes wandering over the landscape beyond the backyard. The flow of the water and the occasional rustle of leaves gave me a peace I didn't find anywhere else.
"Not leaving this place," I admitted, letting go of Maya's hand so I could eat. "But Maya and I will figure things out together. We're still new, you know?"
I loved this property. It wasn't the smaller house I grew up in down the way. This was the house Dad always meant to build but never got to.
Pictures of my parents flickered through my mind like they always did if I let it happen. They had always been my biggest support from the sidelines since the first time I ever stepped on the field. But their voices went silent right before I got drafted into the national league. The single-most stable thing in my life was gone in an instant. One second, they were planning their dream home; the next, a totally avoidable car accident robbed them of seeing their only kid's dream of playing pro happen.
Eventually, the Stallions became my surrogate family.
"I don't really do outside," Maya said, wrinkling her nose. "I mean, it's stunning here, but I'm a city girl."
"What do you mean, you don't do outside?" I asked.
"I prefer air conditioning and heat and filtered water."
"You never camp?" I asked. "Hike?"
"God, no. Why would I sleep outside when there's so many more comfortable places inside?" she asked, grimacing. "Or walk where there're no bathrooms?"
"I know I couldn't do the mountains," Nisha agreed. "Not with all the bugs and stuff." She shivered.
"There are rabbits and birds and squirrels," T.J. said, glancing around. "They're cute."
"Ladies love shit like that," Darius added.
"What do you know about what ladies love?" Nisha asked, poking Darius in the ribs.
"Oh, I think I've got a good idea," he said, lifting his eyebrows.
"Nope. Those cute little things get eaten bybiggerthings," Nisha said, pointing her fork in T.J.'s direction.
Maya's smile faltered slightly, her gaze flicking toward the dense tree line. "I mean… Denver's not that far if we found a place there. It's closer to the team."
T.J. opened his mouth and started to say, "Oh, he's got?—"
"It's safe up here. We've got bug spray for the tiny stuff and nothing big comes near the house." I reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"Usually," Darius so unhelpfully added. "It's safe, usually."
"Stay inside to be sure," Nisha advised.
I wanted to keep the mood light, to ease the tension obviously building in Maya.
"We have deer over at the creek." I pointed to the direction where the deer came through. "It's peaceful to watch them in the early morning when the sun's rising over that ridge right there."
