Page 44 of Waiting for Friday Night

“However you want me to deal with Shania, I’ll do it. I’m her biological father, but I understand that I’ve got to build a relationship with her. You’ve got to trust my judgment with her as well. That’s no problem at all.”

Her body stiffened and she felt like she was standing on a tightrope. She could feel there was more after that statement. “And the rules when it comes to your relationship with me.”

“Again, do you want the truth, or do you want me to say what you want to hear? What Gregory wants me to say?”

Halle’s breathing shallowed. The look in his eye, challenging and bold, pushed right up against what she needed to say. He was challenging her. Daring her to ignore the spark between them and hide what she really felt and thought. She could either go against herself and resist the challenge, or risk things by allowing him to take the lid off a box that needed to stay closed.

“Say what you need to say,” she replied in a calm voice. Even though her heart beat quickly and she fought the urge to hold her breath.

The satisfaction in his eye both irritated and thrilled her. He slid a few inches closer. “Am I attracted to you? Yes. I’ve always been attracted to you. First, I kept my attraction to myself because I know you don’t like athletes. Then I kept it to myself when Shania came to play for me because I don’t get involved with the parents of my players. Do I give a damn about Gregory’s feelings? Not one bit. If this situation wasn’t already confusing enough, I would say you being the mother of my child means my interest in pursuing you is fate, but I won’t. Not while you’re with Gregory and not if you don’t want to go there. So, I’ll keep the way I feel about you in check. We’ll figure this out with Shania and be there for her. But believe me when I say this. When you end things with Gregory, and if you give me the go-ahead, I’m not going to hesitate to try and be the man in your life.”

Fourteen

“That’s not going to happen.”

The words Halle had thrown out after his confession played in his head like a radio jingle. She’d shut him down so fast he hadn’t known how to react. After all of the rejections he’d experienced in life: the English teacher who thought he wasn’t good enough; the high school coach who thought he wasn’t important enough; the college coach who’d assumed he wasn’t strong enough; the teammates after he’d been drafted who expected a seventh-round pick to struggle to keep up. No matter how much he thought he was used to rejection, Halle’s rejection had hit differently.

He understood. She was still with Gregory. They were getting to know each other because of Shania. There were a lot of complications. He’d put himself out there and she’d rejected him. He would have to focus on Shania and building a relationship with her. There would be no relationship building with Halle outside of being mutual parents.

Which was what he reminded himself as he entered Books and Vibes later that week to get a book for Shania. He’d seen her flipping through the first book in the series after practice while she’d waited on Halle to pick her up and mentioned the second book was releasing this week. He’d decided to get it for her as a surprise before visiting her and Halle later that day.

Instead of going out in public to meet with Shania, he and Halle agreed that he should come to her house, or they come to his. News had spread like wildfire through Peachtree Cove after cousins’ day at the park. The players on the team asked if it was true. Instead of ignoring their question he’d answered them straight on. Yes, it was true. No, it didn’t make a difference in how he coached. If they had a problem then come to him and give him and Shania privacy regarding their relationship.

A request that was a hope and a prayer if he ever asked for one. He knew he couldn’t deny the gossips from discussing the situation. But on his football field, his personal life was off-limits.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Coach Q,” Patricia Norris said from behind the counter. She and her husband, Van, owned the bookstore that was also a coffee shop. “What can I help you with?”

“I’m looking for a book.” He pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and read off the title.

Her eyes sparkled with knowing. “Oh, that must be for Shania, huh? She loves that series. We got a few copies in this week. They’re in back on the romance shelf.”

Quinton didn’t bother to ask how Patricia knew the book was for Shania. He wasn’t a frequent customer of Books and Vibes. He may have come in once to pick up coffee, but he wasn’t the hang out in a bookstore and coffee house kind of guy.

“Thanks.” He nodded and headed in the direction she pointed toward the back of the store.

Two steps in that direction and he stopped. Gregory came his way. The book Quinton was there for already in his hand. He raised a brow when he saw Quinton.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Gregory said in a voice that was pleasant enough to anyone listening, but irked Quinton. What, was he not allowed in bookstores?

“I came to buy a book.”

Gregory raised a brow. “Which one?”

Quinton pointed to the book in Gregory’s hand. “That one. I was getting it for Shania.”

Gregory nodded slowly. “Ah...trying to get on her good side.”

Quinton pressed his lips together. “Just trying to build a relationship with my daughter.”

The congenial expression melted away as irritation flared in Gregory’s face. He adjusted his glasses. “I understand. You made a donation and thought you were done. Now you’ve got to step up. Must be challenging.”

“Being a decent father may be challenging for some, but not me.” And he didn’t appreciate Gregory implying that it might be.

Gregory tilted his head to the side. “I guess that is part of the DNA of an athlete. You all can’t wait to prove yourself.”

Time to end this conversation before he got ready to pop off. “Get to your point, Gregory.”

If Gregory had a problem with him then he needed to get it out of his system. Quinton meant what he said; he wouldn’t step to Halle as long as they were dating. He wasn’t one to break up others’ relationships, but he also wasn’t going anywhere. He was a part of Halle’s life, and if Gregory was going to remain a part of her life, then they had to figure out how to get along.

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