The little girl tugged on her dad’s arm. “What are you guys talking about?”
Her dad smiled down at her. “Grant Vaughn just gave us tickets for next week’s game.”
The girl jumped up and down. “Really?”
Grant leaned across the table so his face was on her level. “Yep. But you have to cheer really loud when you come. Deal?”
Her smile widened. “Deal.”
The dad gave him their last name and thanked Grant one more time before the family walked off. Free tickets weren’t much, but Grant was happy that it meant so much to them. The idea of doing something special for them gave him a warm feeling in his chest.
He’d even successfully forgotten about the mystery girl for a couple minutes. That was, until he looked over at Finn. The line in front of him was empty, and the girl was gone.
Finn smiled at him. “That was pretty cool of you, man. Giving them those tickets. I’m sure that family appreciates it.”
Grant rubbed the back of his neck as a small smile touched his lips. “Yeah, well, after hearing that I was that girl’s favorite player, I didn’t really have a choice, did I?”
“You always have a choice.” He slapped Grant’s back. “But focus on those kinds of fans and making them happy, and you’ll be fine.”
Grant’s smile fell. He could read between the lines. Finn was once again telling him not to get involved with fans. Not that the captain was very good at following his own advice.
There was obviously something going on between Finn and the gorgeous redhead. The connection they had with one another was obvious, even in that small exchange. Grant was surprised by the sadness that came with the realization.
He didn’t know that girl, but he had wanted to.
Too bad that his captain was dating her, and she was completely off-limits.
Grant
Grant was lesseager to get to City Bar after finding out that the girl he wanted to talk to was dating Finn, but he’d already agreed to go. Plus, a drink to celebrate the Storm’s win might not be so bad right now. He and Vinny swung by the team house to get proper showers before driving to the bar.
Grant was thankful for the house that the owners of the team provided for players who lived out of town. Living there meant he didn’t have to pay double rent for the months he spent in Florida—for his apartment back home and here—though he didn’t always love the lack of privacy that came with living with three other guys in the four-bedroom place. Sure, he got his own bedroom, but it felt like the other guys were always there.
Sometimes it was so unbearable he had to go out to a local park or coffee shop just to breathe.
Getting dressed only took minutes—a Storm tee, jeans, and Chucks seemed like the perfect thing to wear to a bar—and they drove over in record time. His hair was still wet when he and Vinny walked inside. Some fans cheered when they saw them.
Grant smiled and waved. Fans lifted their drinks to toast them, but quickly returned to their conversations with the people sitting at their tables.
“Shall we?” Grant jerked his head at the bar.
Vinny nodded. “You know it.”
The hot-headed defender ordered two shots, both for himself, while Grant just got a beer. Most of the players took it easy when it came to drinking—especially during the season. They relied on their bodies being in peak shape so that they were able to play their best.
Vinny...well, he happened to be the anomaly. He would drink heavily all night, wake up bright and early without even the slightest headache, and be ready to give it his all for the group workout—assuming someone didn’t piss him off about whatever random thing made him feel explosive that day.
The defender kicked back both shots, slammed the small glasses on the table, and walked over to a table filled with fans.
Grant grabbed his pint and faced the rest of the bar. Though not everyone was there for the after party, a large number of the people mingling were wearing green and black—the Storm’s colors. He wished he had the confidence to walk over to a table full of strangers and talk like Vinny, but Grant still felt so new. He worried about what to say. He didn’t know the team history and stats like the die-hard fans here did.
Hell, he’d been completely oblivious to the Silas drama at the beginning of the season. Grant didn’t realize that Silas used to play for the Storm until he’d overheard it in the locker room after one of their first practices. Now at the bar with fans, he was worried he would say—or do—the wrong thing and look like an idiot.
Grant’s gaze moved around the room until they landed on a small booth off in a corner. On one side were Miriam and Silas. On the other were Finn and the gorgeous redhead. They were talking excitedly and laughing like they were all the best of friends.
“It’s weird to see Finn and Silas acting like they didn’t have a grudge for the first part of the season, isn’t it?”
Grant turned his head to find Bastian standing beside him. The veteran player lifted his glass of water at Grant.
