Page 56 of Snap

A few of the guys cheered, but Stringer Davis asked, "Don't you always?" He'd drink his fill and disappear with the first woman who caught his eye. He was known for his ‘string’ of flings. Hence his nickname.

Carson smiled. Rubie was right, he really was in his element. The black-haired woman who moved to stand beside him looked overwhelmed. She wasn't much older than Rubie.

I wondered if the pair got along.

"No," Carson replied, "the way you guys drink, I'd be a millionaire within a week."

Rubie snorted. Her hand tightened around mine. I followed her gaze. She was looking at the woman beside her father.

I guessed the answer was no. At least, not yet. If Rubie's father was going to accept me in her life, then I suspected she was going to have to do the same with his choice of partner. I made a mental note not to get into the middle of it.

The bar wasn't far from the stadium. By the time we got there, a band was already playing, glasses were clinking and the mood was already high.

The crowd erupted in cheers, even though many were wearing the opposition's colours. They might have been responsible for a boo or two, but it was all good-natured and fun.

Carson pointed Rubie and I over to a table with a 'reserved' sign sitting in the middle. She sat down beside him. I sat on the other side of her. The other woman, whom Carson introduced as Skye, sat on his other side. Several of the guys from the team sat with us, but the rest spread throughout the bar.

I noticed Bam looking at me. When I turned my face toward him he gave me two thumbs up and mouthed something that looked like, "VIP table."

I smirked at him.

He grinned, put an arm around Grace's shoulders and turned away.

"Good game today," Carson said approvingly.

"Yeah." I swallowed hard. "About the first half?—"

He waved away my words with a flick of his hand. "Just don't play like that again and you'll be fine."

No pressure.

"I'll try not to, sir." I said.

"Call me Carson," he said. "So, what's this going on between you and my daughter?"

My mouth went dry. I knew sooner or later he'd ask, but did I have the answers?

"I want to be with her," I replied evenly.

His expression was guarded, protective. "Rubie filled me in on everything. The photo, the rumours about that woman. The fact you didn't tell her you're a Rapid."

She might be on the way to forgiving me, but I suspected I had more bridges to mend with him.

"With all due respect," I said slowly, "what happened is between Rubie and I. I apologised for not telling her everything. She accepted my apology."

Carson nodded. "You can stick up for yourself. I like that, kid. If you don't do wrong by my daughter, then I won't need to worry about hiring someone to put you in a shallow grave."

I laughed right up until I realised he wasn't laughing with me.

"You won't have any reason to do that," I assured him. "Besides, if I do anything wrong, Rubie will do that herself."

Now Carson smiled.

Rubie grinned. "Don't you forget it," she said.

"Well, I won't now," I said. I smiled wryly.

"Well," Carson said to Rubie, "you'll be wanting them to win the Down Under Bowl now, so you can lose our bet."

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