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He let out a long breath, and I waited. “My father left shortly after I was born. Just took off and wanted a new life, I guess. They were young, and she got pregnant when she was only nineteen years old. My mom used her name on my birth certificate because she was fully prepared to raise me on her own, which she did. He kept in touch with my mother and would check in a couple of times a year, and then he eventually stopped reaching out. He remarried a few years later and had a new family. Last I heard, he had a son and a daughter. I’ve never met them and have no idea where they live. Where he lives.”
I turned to face him, placing a hand on his cheek. “Wow. He sounds like a selfish asshole.”
“Probably a fair description.”
“Do you want to meet his other children?”
“I used to wonder about it. I don’t even know if they know about me. But at the end of the day, I don’t know him or them, nor do I consider them my family. The man left my mom to fend for both of us on her own. He never paid child support because she didn’t put his name down on the birth certificate. She said he used to send money now and then to try to help out. My mom worked really hard to make ends meet when I was growing up. That’s why I was pretty horrified that I’d gotten you fired. I’d never intentionally take someone’s livelihood from them.”
“I know that now that I actually know you. Your mom sounds like such a rock star. So, she struggled financially?”
“Oh, yeah. I didn’t grow up with a lot, as far as material items, but there was a shit ton of love in that house. We lived on peanut butter sandwiches and macaroni and cheese. But we always had a good time together. We’d play cards and board games, and there was always a lot of love in our home. That’s probably why I overreacted when you walked into that bathroom. I’d been on edge ever since she got diagnosed. She’s kind of it for me as far as family goes.”
My heart ached for a young Lincoln and his mother, who were clearly on their own.
“I know how scary it is,” I said, leaning my head against his chest. The sound of his heartbeat soothed me. “I told you that my father was diagnosed with colon cancer when I was in college. It was the reason I came back to San Francisco when I graduated. I’d interned for a big magazine back east that had offered me a position, but I knew I needed to be close to home. It was a scary couple of years.”
“He’s okay now?”
I nodded. “He is. And hopefully, it stays that way. Every time the poor guy even coughs, we all get nervous.”
Lincoln chuckled. “I get that. I did my research when my mom got sick. Wanted to be sure we got her the best care possible. I’m always on her about eating right and getting rest. She pushes herself. Never misses any of my games.”
“She loves you.”
“She does. And she deserves a break. She’s lived her entire life for me. I want her to do things for herself, you know?”
“Yeah. My aunt Beth lost her battle to pancreatic cancer when my cousins were young, and Uncle Jack just focused on them. Making sure they were okay. But now they’re grown, and we all worry about him. I think my cousins would be okay with him dating now, well, aside from Dilly.” I laughed, and he shot me a puzzled look. “She’s just super protective over him, and I don’t know that anyone would be good enough for him in her eyes.”
“I get that. My mom’s dated a few guys, nothing serious. But I didn’t find a single one of those dudes to be nearly good enough for her.”
I shook my head. “I get it. You’re protective over the people you love. It’s a good quality to have.”
We sat there quietly, listening to the waves for a few minutes.
“Tell me why you love your job. Where do you see it going?” he asked.
“I’ve always loved sports. I spent my childhood and teen years trying hard to beat my brothers at everything. So, choosing a career in the sports industry was a no-brainer. But I also have a love for knowledge. Information. Learning about people and what makes them tick.”
“You are a nosy little one,” he teased.
I elbowed him in the stomach, and he tightened his grip on me. “I majored in journalism, and I interned atStrive Forwardmagazine, and my mentor was this super cool woman, Audrey. She would tell me how much power there was in the written word. The ability to communicate with hundreds to thousands to millions of people. The ability to make people fall in love with a sport, a person, or a place. The ability to change people’s perception about an individual if they’ve been presented unfairly. It was a way to use your voice for good. And I found it inspiring, I guess. But I also know there’s another side. The side of the bloodsuckers,” I said with a chuckle. “But I always wanted to be fair. Tell the truth. And I was drawn to you because no one really knew your story.”
“Jesus. I’m not above saying when I’m wrong, and I was very wrong about you. I shouldn’t have called anyone a bloodsucker. Years of being stalked and hounded by the press put a bad taste in my mouth. But it wasn’t a fair assessment. It’s just like anything—there is good and bad everywhere. There are good football players, and then there are people that are out there for the money and the fame. So, I apologize for the way we met, even if I don’t regret it.”
“And why is that?” I tipped my head back and studied him.
“Because you wouldn’t have come home. We wouldn’t be sitting here right now, after the best sex of my life—butt-ass naked on the shore.”
“Was it the best sex you’ve ever had?” I asked.
“Fuck yeah. It was for me.” He raised a brow.
I smiled. “It was for me, too. I wasn’t going to show all my cards so easily, but since you did, I’ll admit it, too.”
“And you wanted to do it just once. I told you, once would never be enough.”
“You were right,” I said as he flipped me over onto my back, and I broke out in a fit of hysterical laughter. “This one time, you were right.”
