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“She’s happy?”
Bryan had to grin. “Disgustingly so.”
“That Santangelo boy, is he treating my girl right?”
“I think so, but you could try asking her that yourself.”
His father crossed the room and lowered himself to the arm of the dingy old couch. “She doesn’t want to talk to her old man. Hell, Bryan, she probably won’t even let me walk her down the aisle.”
“Oh, I think you might be surprised. She misses you.”
His father lifted his head, the shrewd green eyes so like his own narrowing. “What about you? Have you missed me?”
Living life in the public eye for so long had taught Bryan how to lie. Ready answers just sprang onto his lips. No, I’m not dating her. Yes, everything’s great with the team. I haven’t heard any rumors.
But for once, the truth was all he could come up with. “Yes. I’ve missed you, Dad.”
His father smiled—genuinely smiled—and some of the years fell away from his face like stone crumbling to reveal the treasure beneath. That treasure was the man he’d admired so much growing up. The one who’d tossed a football with him for hours, long after his arms must’ve hurt. The one who’d asked him to be strong for his sisters after their mother left.
“I’ve missed you, too, son.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve been following your career. You’ve done so well for yourself.”
“Thanks. I’m a free agent now, though.”
The smile fell away from his father’s face. “I knew the decline in your stats would become a problem. Dammit, Bryan.”
Bryan’s spine stiffened. “My stats went down due to my knee injury. I had surgery—”
“How are your prospects? Better than they seemed at the end of last season, I hope. You’ll end up back on the field somewhere, won’t you?”
The way he said somewhere made it seem like there had to be some team willing to deal with Bryan and all of his issues. Christ. Went to show how stupid he was to think maybe his pop cared more about him than being the father of a star in the NFL.
“That’s the plan,” Bryan said under his breath.
It was the only plan, and this conversation proved why he needed to get back to his life in Maryland as fast as possible. The bucolic home scene he’d been building up in his mind in Haven didn’t exist. His father would leave soon enough, but before he did, he would make plenty of offhand comments to keep Bryan in the spot he belonged.
Football star. Nothing more, nothing less.
It wouldn’t hurt so much if Bryan wasn’t so sure that his father was right. And that left him few options.
If his team didn’t want him, he’d find another team. He’d do whatever necessary, because that life was all he knew. All he was.
“Well then.” His dad shook his head, evidently willing to let the subject drop. “I’m cleaning out your old room and boxing your things up. Since you’re here, you could go through them.” He turned toward Jill and smiled with all of the warmth he hadn’t shown Bryan once the subject of football had reared its head. “You’re all grown up now, aren’t you, Jillian?”
Jill smiled shyly and stepped forward, her hands clasped in front of her. “Sir, it’s been a long time.”
The obvious affection on her face stirred something deep in Bryan’s chest. He’d never known another woman like her. She was so warm and eager to love, everything from abandoned kittens to the distant fathers of her best friend.
She even cared about him, for fuck’s sake, and that was a goddamn miracle after how dismissive he’d been to her over the years. He’d shut her out of his life deliberately, not wanting to get too close for fear of exactly this happening. She was like a fire that sucked all the oxygen out of the room.
And then when she glanced at him, her blue eyes dark with understanding, all that air came rushing back, expanding his ribcage until he thought his lungs would burst.
Three hours later, after sorting through boxes of old clothes and news clippings and football trophies, they left hand-in-hand. Bryan had tucked his old football jersey and pants under his arm, and Jill carried something for Vic. He hadn’t explained Jill’s presence to his pop, and he hadn’t asked. If his father thought it strange that they walked out with their hands linked, he didn’t say it.
No one figured he would stick around long enough to matter to anyone in this town, his father included. He was the love ’em and leave ’em type, so what did it matter that he only seemed to get that in return?
Jill might be different. But he wouldn’t make her promises he was doomed to break. Five dates was all he had to give. And after tonight, they’d be one more date closer to the end of their arrangement.
If he were a better man, he’d end it now, before she could get used to having him around. But he needed to hold her and touch her and kiss her, needed to forget all of this bullshit for a few hours.
