Page 71 of Line Change

I force myself to get to my feet and head into my bedroom. I don’t have time to dwell on everything; I need to take a nap before tonight’s game. A game Sutton promised she’d be at. A thrill runs through my body knowing she’ll be there in my jersey again. I cannot wait.

“Hey, man,” Elias greets me when I step into the locker room a few hours later.

I tip my chin to him before making my way over to my stall.

“How are things going with the wife?” Wes asks when I take a seat on the bench.

“She’s fine.” I lean down and take off my shoes. “Why?”

“No reason. Just curious. You two admit to each other that you’re in love yet?”

“Weston,” I hiss, glancing around, but the room is still fairly empty. But also what the hell is he talking about? I’m not in love with Sutton. I mean I have feelings for her, have for a long time, but it’s not love. Right? It can’t be. Nope. He’s just stirring the pot. Trying to get a rise out of me.

“What? Did you not figure that out yet? Am I ruining the surprise?” Wes asks.

I glare at my defense partner before turning my back on him. He just laughs.

“Leave him alone,” Hunter, ever the captain, admonishes. “He’ll figure it out when he’s ready.”

“Bloody hell.” Him too? Shaking my head, I focus on putting my pads on. Sometimes, I wish they were like my old teammates—friendly enough but not in each other’s business—because I do not need this from them right now.

“You okay?” Elias whispers a few minutes later when Hunter and Wes disappear into the hallway to warm up.

“No.” I stare at my stick that I’m in the process of taping.

“What’s going on? Is it Sutton?”

“She’s fine. It’s just …” I tear off the tape and set the roll next to me then twirl the stick in my hand.

“You know Hunter and Wes care about you. They just want you to be happy.”

“I know. It’s not that.” I huff out a breath. “My mum’s talking about selling the family farm.”

“Oh-kay. And that’s a bad thing?”

I shrug. “Neither of my sisters want to run it. Mum wants to retire. So she’s talking about selling. But it’s been in our family for generations. And I—” I swallow. “She’s going to hire someone to help manage everything, but I have this feeling that she’s going to eventually want to sell all of it, and even if she doesn’t, she’s not going to be alive forever.” I hold up a hand. “I know it’s morbid, but it’s the truth. Someone else is going to have to take it over at some point. Even if it’s just managing the paperwork and the employees. My middle sister and her husband already have his family’s farm to run, and they can’t take on a second place. So, unless my youngest sister suddenly decides she doesn’t want to be a chef, the only one left is me. I guess I could manage it from here, but it’d be much easier if I was there.” I sneak a peek over at him to find him staring at me, his mouth hanging open.

He blinks a few times before snapping out of his daze. “Well, if that’s what you want to do, we’ll support you.” He frowns. “But it’s not, is it?”

I shake my head. “Doesn’t matter.”

“It does. If you don’t want to take on that responsibility, what’s stopping you from staying here, finishing your career, and when the time comes, selling it?” He asks like it’s that simple. It’s not. I can’t fault him for not understanding though.

“It’d be selfish to stay when my family needs me.”

“Do they really need you, or do you just not want them to sell?” My gaze drifts down to the floor, and I fiddle with the stick still in my hands. “That’s what I thought. You’re allowed to be selfish and go after what you want, who you want. You don’t have to sacrifice your happiness.”

His words give me pause, and I tilt my head, studying him. Is something going on with him? Before I can ask, Wes and Hunter walk back over.

“You ready for this game? Nashville’s been particularly vicious lately,” Wes says, taking a seat next to me.

“Nothing we can’t handle,” I tell him as I go back to getting ready, all the while turning over in my head what Elias said.

I hear him, and I get where he’s coming from, but I don’t know if I can do what he’s suggesting without feeling guilty. Guilty that I’m letting my dead father down. That I’m letting my mum and sisters down. At least I’ve bought myself more time. Time to figure out how to be in two places at once. How I can stay here with Sutton and also go back home to take over the farm.

Chapter twenty-six

Sutton