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That’s what I was afraid of.
I don’t know where I expected Blake to take me, but his house definitely wasn’t it. While I’ve been here a few times in the past, for the most part, we hung out with the guys either at the facilities or at our favorite bar close to the stadium. If they managed to drag me there, that is.
Pulling in front of a big, two-story colonial house in a suburban part of Austin, I get out of the car just as Blake comes swaggering from his garage. Before the sound of the garage door closing stops echoing, the front door bursts open and a small figure rushes out, throwing his arms around Blake’s legs.
“Daddy!” Levi yells, his voice muffled as he burrows his head into Blake’s legs. “You’re late.”
“I know.” Blake ruffles his son’s unruly hair. “I’m sorry, buddy. I got side-tracked at work, but look who I brought to see you.”
Levi doesn’t make any attempt at letting go as he peeks from around his father. That is until he spots me. “Miguel!”
His whole face lights up, a smile flashing on his face. Levi lets go of his dad and rushes toward me, his small body crashing into mine with the force of a linebacker.
“Hey, there, champ.” I place my hand on his shoulder to steady him. “Did you practice your tackling skills recently?”
“Duh! I have to practice if I wanna be good like Daddy,” he rushes out, but before I can answer, he just continues chatting away. “Where have you been? We haven’t seen you inages! Dad told me you went home to visit your family, but I said he was being silly because we’re your family.”
His words throw me off for a second. Did I hang out with Blake and his boys? Sure, but there was something on his face that I couldn’t place. My eyes meet Blake’s, but he just shakes his head silently.
Levi nudges me. “So, where were you?”
I turn toward him and crouch down so we’re at the same level. “I was, in fact, visiting my family.”
“Where is your family?”
“They live in a small town down south. It’s called Bluebonnet Creek.”
His little brows pull together. “Like the flower?”
I let out a chuckle. “Yes, like the flower. I’m sorry I didn’t call more. I was a little busy.”
His little arms clutch me tighter. “But you’re here now? You’re not going anywhere?”
Your life is in Austin, and mine is here.
“Miguel? You’re staying?”
There it is again. That look.
What the hell was going on here?
Levi was a good kid, a happy kid. But today, he seemed worried. Not just that, there was a weird mix of desperation and anxiousness surrounding him that I didn’t understand at all.
I place my hand on top of his head and ruffle his hair. “Yeah, buddy, I’m staying here.”
“Good.” A bright smile that I’m way more familiar with flashes on his face. His fingers wrap around mine, and he tugs me toward the house. “Come, I wanna show you the new Lego set I built with Dad.”
“Hey, buddy, how about we give Miguel some space?” Blake asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“It’s fine. I don’t mind going with him.”
“Yas!” Levi fist pumps. “Can we, Daddy? Can we?”
Blake lets out a long sigh. “Fine, but just for a little while. Then we’ll sit down and have lunch, okay?”
His warning glare turns from his son to me, silently telling me he didn’t miss what I was doing and that I couldn’t postpone our conversation forever. But I’d take any reprieve I could.
“Fine,” Levi drawls out. “Come, Miguel. There was this Spider Man set Dad got me recently, and it’s really big. But Daniel tells me it’s lame.”
