“It’s not. Is it?” My father—right to the point.
“Of course not. I mean, I don’t think so. But . . . I don’t know for sure. Maybe?” I have been so staunch about my line in the sand—that I would never give Jayden special treatment—but it’s possible I drive him harder because of my personal feelings.
My father surprises me again with a light chuckle.
“I’m glad you’re amused,” I snap. “I got sent home from Little Rock. You know, to think about my actions.”
“And have you? Thought about them?” he asks.
“It’s literallyallI think about. They’re going to fire me. Or ship me off to Double A. Or fire me.”
He laughs again.
“Kid, they aren’t going to fire you. You want this to be about proving yourself regardless of your gender, but I gotta tell you, your gender makes terminating you a PR nightmare. So, I wouldn’t worry about that. They aren’t going to tout how progressive they are, then go back on it a month and a half into this thing. Now, they probably won’t let you work with Jay anymore, and they might force you two to cool it.”
“I can’t pretend I don’t love him, Dad.”
“No, I know. But perhaps if you can make it less?—”
“I swear to God, if you sayobvious.”
“Well, I was.”
I groan. I’m sure my father is confused at my distaste for that word.
“Here’s the important thing, Colby. I want you to listen to this and take it to heart.” His voice cracks a bit, so I sit up and press my phone tight against my ear.
“Yeah,” I say, bracing myself.
“You deserve to be there, doing that job. Not because you’re the first woman they’ve had do it. But because you’re the best person for the job.”
My eyes pool with renewed tears, happier ones, and I clutch my chest as one slides down my cheek.
“Thanks, Dad. I love you.”
“I love you, too. And hey, Colby?”
“Hmm?” I respond. My father is quiet for a few long seconds, so I hold my breath, giving him time.
“I meant what I said about you and Jay. I shouldn’t have . . . he’s not his brother . . . or his dad. He’s . . .”
“He knows, Dad. He knows,” I say, letting my dad off the hook. He loves Jayden like a son. He believes in him. In my heart, I know Jayden knows, too.
I let my dad go back to his practice, and I start a new round of pacing around my hotel room, my steps a little lighter. I’m still not entirely on board with my dad’s theory that I won’t get fired or demoted, but my soul feels good having talked to him about Jayden. It feels good to set the truth free, even if it’s only among family.
My stomach growls again, so I grab my keys and phone, committing to heading to Earl’s for a burger or maybe a basket of fries. But when I open the door, Jayden is filling the frame, his arm poised for a knock. I jump back, startled, and he does the same.
“You’re here?” I glance at the clock on my nightstand. There’s no way he finished the game and got to me in this short of time.
“Yeah, I said the same about you. You’re here, and you shouldn’t be.”
He steps into my room and closes the door behind him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want to ruin your game,” I say.
“Fuck the game,” he fires back.
My eyes blink wildly. Those are words that neither of us would ever dream of saying. This game . . . it’s our steady. It’s the rule of law.
