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“You don’t—I thought—she told me—oh, fuck. Shoot, I mean. I’m sorry, but I?—”
“Gotcha, sucker.” Aiden pulls out a NERF gun from behind his back. He shoots me square in the chest five times and grins as I stare at him, flabbergasted. “That’s what you get for not having field goals in the final game of the regular season and making me lose the championship.”
“I’m glad we’re all being so mature about this.” Maven stands next to me and puts her hands on her hips. “Where the hell did you get a NERF gun, Dad?”
“Maggie bought it for me,” he says sheepishly. “She says I work too hard, and this is my way to let off some steam. Shawn and I have this game where we randomly attack each other; in the hallway. In the parking lot. I tried to bring it to UPS Field once, and spent an hour with Titans security. We have a running tally of who’s hit the other the most times.”
“You are a literal cancer doctor and this is how you use your free time?” Maven shakes her head, and I have to bite back a laugh. “Good grief.”
Aiden holds out his hand, and I shake it. “I don’t give a shit about how you two started your relationship or what rules you did or didn’t break. I only have three questions for you. Do you make my daughter happy?”
I glance down at Maven, and she looks up at me. She bobs her head, encouraging me along, and I swallow.
“Yes sir. I think I do.”
“Do you love her?” Aiden asks.
“More than anything in this world,” I say easily.
“Do you promise to always communicate with her? Even if it gets hard and that love starts to fade, will you be man enough to not string her along when you both know things are beyond repair?”
I consider his question.
I haven’t thought about a world where Maven and I aren’t together, but it’s possible. As much as we want to say it’s a sure thing, life happens. Shit can hit the fan. People fall out of love every single day. While I hope it’s never us, it could be, and I fucking hate the idea of us not being together.
I know he’s also asking because he’s divorced. I’m a single dad, and I don’t speak to my daughter’s mother. There’s broken trust all over the place in this room, and he doesn’t want to see his own daughter put through the gauntlet like that.
I wouldn’t either.
“Yes,” I say, even though it’s difficult. “If letting her go is what would make her happy, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
“Good man. Welcome to the family.”
“That’s it?” I look around, and my shoulders relax. “I thought there would be more of an initiation.”
“Nope. Not on my end. You can deal with your coach, though. He’s still got a stick up his ass.”
“What was that about a stick up my ass?” Shawn asks. He walks into the room and crosses his arms over his chest when his gaze meets mine. “Lansfield.”
“Coach. Er. Shawn. Uh. I don’t know what the protocol is in this situation. Are we bros or…”
“This is going to be fun.” Lacey pats Shawn’s shoulder and sits next to Maggie. “Can you make it quick, sweetie? Dinner is ready, and I’m starving.”
Shawn turns his attention to her, and his smile is so different from anything I’ve seen from him before. It’s private, like they can communicate just through the twitch of their lips, because Lacey returns it. An entire conversation passes between them, and I wonder if Maven and I do that, too.
As if she’s reading my mind, Maven pokes my side. She tilts her head to the left, a question there.
You okay?she asks.
Perfect,I say back with a smile, and she smiles, too.
“You’re part of this family, and I’m going to be nice to you,” Shawn says. “I can still be pissed at you on the field, but off of it, when we’re here with the people we love, we’re friends.”
“Wow.” I clutch my chest. “That was so sweet of you, Coach.”
“Don’t get used to it. Where’s June? I thought you’d bring her with you.”
“Ah.” I shrug, not liking all this attention on me. “She’s with my friend, Maverick. I didn’t want to impose, and she?—”
