She nods. “Yeah. I am.”
“Proud of you.”
Her lips twitch. “I don’t think I’ve ever had someone tell me they were proud of me so freely.”
“You?Themost badass woman I’ve ever met?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t deserve that moniker. I’m scared of answering a call from my own dad.”
“Doesn’t change what I said.”
“But you’re right. I do need to speak to him.”
That’s Finley. Brave, even when it costs her something.
Dinner is slow and perfect. We talk about what we’ll do when we get back. Who she hopes White trades for in the off-season. Where I’m going to live once I move out of the Yeti’s apartment—I laughed when she mentioned the apartment across from Larsen is available to rent.
When she asks me what I’m planning to do when we get back, I consider deflecting. I know what I wanted to do for so long thatI feel adrift right now. But I do have a few feelers out with old friends who have moved on but remained in the sports world. So I tell her about the most exciting one, an opportunity to be a hockey analyst, and in classic Finley form, she dives into the pros and cons without a second thought.
We walk back toward the hotel with the Eiffel Tower glowing in the distance. When her phone rings for the third time, Finley stops beneath a streetlamp to answer it.
“I’ll be right back,” she says.
“I’ll be right here.”
She steps a few paces away, straightening her spine, like she’s about to be interviewed. I watch her chew the inside of her cheek, the only outward sign that she’s nervous. The woman, who coaches a professional hockey team, is now standing on a sidewalk trying to work up the courage to talk to her own dad.
Whatever happens in that conversation, I already know one thing: even if they decide to cut ties—which I really hope they don’t—she’ll always have me.
And maybe a dark-haired, blue-eyed kid or two to keep us company.
Chapter 48
Finley
“You’rehere!”Callanyellsas we walk into his backyard for his Labor Day party. The man is slightly tipsy already, and I can’t help but laugh at his enthusiastic welcome.
Beckett is disappointed we can’t go to the party Larsen and Li invited him to—apparently, the three of them became besties at some point while scheming how to save my job—but my suspension only ended a few months ago, and going to a players’ party at a downtown bar felt like it might be flirting with my probation.
And, of course, Beckett would hear none of it when I suggested we split up for the night.
Luckily, Callan can provide the same golden-retriever energy Beckett secretly loves about Larsen.
“Of course we are,” I say, returning Callan’s hug somewhat stiffly.
“How was your trip to visit Finley’s dad?” Callan asks. Before Beckett started his new job a few weeks ago, he was down for justabout anything to keep himself entertained, and Callan’s group of current and retired pro athletes became an integral part of that.
I think he was getting coffee with people more than once a day at one point.
“Great,” Beckett replies, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. Callan assured us he was only inviting people he trusts completely, but even months later, it’s still weird socializing with people we know professionally and being open about our relationship.
In fact, it’s a bit surreal to think of the woman I was when I first met Callan. Beckett and I were still in full denial about what these feelings were between us. I was working so hard to control everything happening around me—fighting the impossible fight toward perfection.
“I wasn’t asking you, Kane.” Callan shoots him a mock glare. “It’s not even vacation for you. It’s just your life when you’re retired.”
My gaze meets Beckett’s, and he winks. “Not retired anymore, unfortunately. I’m starting to miss being unemployed.”
I miss him being around all the time, too, but I’m glad he found something he’s excited about. Not all his options were in Denver, but I’m still secretly pleased he was hired by Colorado Sports Network to be part of the regional broadcast team for the Yeti. Even though it meant we had to sign a variety of relationship disclosure forms, and he’s not allowed to comment on my coaching decisions. Fortunately, his co-analyst was happy to take on that role.
