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Gavin shook his head. “Soccer player. He plays for Bay City United. He was also on the US soccer team in the 2016 Summer Olympics.”
Except for baseball and the occasional New England Rebels football game, she didn’t follow professional sports. If he watched enough soccer to know the players who’d competed for the United States in the Olympics, he did more than watch an occasional game. She’d have to brush up on the sport. Maybe she could enlist Reese’s aid.
“Viv stays away from athletes,” he continued. “She turned down both Drew McKenzie and CJ Major.”
Now those were two names she recognized. Star players on the New England Rebels football team, they’d both appeared on numerous commercials and genuinely sounded like nice men. Drew McKenzie was married now, but if either he or CJ had asked her out prior to meeting Gavin, she would’ve agreed.
“Sometimes the type of person you’re attracted to changes,” she suggested. “And nothing against soccer or Jeffrey Moore, but he doesn’t fall in the same category as Drew and CJ. Maybe your sister just didn’t want to be involved with someone so well-known. Neither of them can probably go anywhere without being recognized. Trust me, being with someone so recognizable can get annoying. And the media loves to use their pictures and whoever they’re with on magazine covers.”
She’d inherited her dad’s Sherbrooke blue eyes and light hair, but otherwise she took more after her mom, so most people didn’t immediately recognize her as a Sherbrooke. It also helped she’d gone out of her way to stay off the media’s radar. Her brother Curt and several of her cousins, especially Trent and Jake thanks to their reputations before they both married, weren’t as fortunate, and people recognized them everywhere. She loved her family, but on occasion, going anywhere with them wasn’t worth the hassle.
“Last year Vivian dated Anderson Brady for a few months, and before him she was with Malcolm Stewart,” he explained, referring to two well-known A-list actors. “The attention doesn’t bother her. But ever since sophomore year of college, she doesn’t get involved with athletes. Or she hasn’t until now.”
If Vivian had sworn off an entire group of men, something significant must have occurred in college. Although curious, Leah didn’t ask for specifics because it wasn’t any of her business.
“Every August, Vivian comes for Piper’s birthday. This year she’s going to try to get here a littler earlier since Erin will be here. She told me to make sure you’re around when she visits. She wants to fill you in on all my most embarrassing moments.”
Leah rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “I can hardly wait.”
Chapter Eleven
If a person’s mood could be improved by simply touching another human being, every soul inside the airport having a bad day should shake Gavin’s hand. Happiness radiated off him tonight. It had actually been there since they woke up this morning. While they shared their first cups of coffee of the day, Leah thought his mood couldn’t get any more jubilant.
She’d been wrong.
If this morning he’d been as excited and happy as a child about to meet Santa Claus, tonight his mood reflected that of a child about to meet Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny all at once. Leah didn’t think she’d ever been quite as happy as he was in her entire life, and she’d had some wonderful and exciting experiences over the past thirty-two years.
The arm around her waist tightened as they entered the airport. As usual, it was bustling with activity. Gavin guided them through the crowd toward the large screens listing the arrivals and departures. The airport was a great place to people watch, so while he checked for information regarding Erin’s flight, she focused on everyone around them.
“First they charge me twenty-five dollars to check my bag, and then they lose it,” a woman to Leah’s right said to her companion. The couple had two preteens with them, both of whom wore earbuds and were staring down at their cell phones, completely ignoring their parents. “I’m starting to wish we’d gone camping again instead of coming here,” the woman grumbled.
Too bad Gavin couldn’t transfer some of his happiness, because this woman needed a large helping of it.
“Before we pick up the rental car, I need a coffee,” the unhappy traveler said.
“There is a snack stand over there,” her companion replied.
Leah watched the family head toward the stand. Considering the woman’s attitude, the evening facing her companions looked unpleasant, and Leah was glad she wasn’t part of the small group.
“Looks like their flight is expected to arrive on time,” Gavin said, and the word their in his statement immediately caught her attention.
Children could fly without an adult. When she traveled on commercial airlines rather than private charter flights, she occasionally saw a child alone. An airline employee usually escorted them on and off the plane and then a family member met them somewhere in the airport. Since Erin was coming directly from Florida and her mom lived in Rhode Island, she’d assumed Erin was traveling alone while Amber returned home.
She let him lead her away from the screens and toward one of the busy coffee shops inside the airport. “Is Erin’s mom with her?”
“Both Amber and her fiancé are with Erin. We don’t let her travel alone. Todd, Amber’s fiancé, has family in the city. They’re going to visit with them before returning to Providence on Sunday.” They entered the coffee shop and headed straight for the last empty table. After pulling out a chair, Gavin waited for her to sit. “What would you like?”
“Whatever you’re having,” Leah replied, her thoughts focused solely on what he’d shared. She had prepared to meet Erin today, not Amber. While meeting new people never bothered her—actually, she enjoyed it—the thought of meeting the woman Gavin had at one time loved enough to have a child with set her nerves on edge.
It doesn’t matter if she likes me. Even as she thought it, Leah realized the statement was only partially true. While Amber’s feeling regarding her wouldn’t affect her and Gavin’s relationship, it could cause problems between her and Gavin’s daughter. Growing up, she’d had enough friends with divorced par
ents to know that the other parent often influenced a child’s opinion of a new boyfriend or girlfriend. If Amber didn’t like her, her opinion could easily rub off on Erin, causing some very uncomfortable situations during future visits.
Gavin set a covered paper cup and a blueberry scone in front of her. “You look deep in thought. Everything okay?” Rather than sit across from her, he pulled out the chair next to her.
“Yep.” Afraid he’d see the truth, she uncovered the cup without meeting his eyes. “Just lost in thought.”
He did the same and added two packets of sugar to the mocha-colored liquid in the cup. “Did you get a hold of your cousin?”
