Page 35 of The Home Game

“No,” Matty said. “I dunno. I just figured I’d put it up for sale and figure that part out later.”

Antoni shook his head. “Right, okay. So that answers one thing, I guess. You really wouldn’t mind staying there though?”

“Nope. I love the place. Just hate how empty it is and it’s stupid for one person to live in that huge of a house.”

“I get that.” Antoni laughed softly. “It sure wouldn’t be empty once we’re there though.”

Matty beamed. “I love that! It’ll be so nice to hear kids laughing and having fun there.”

“Yeah, but what about the crying and the screaming and the puking and—”

“Look, I have a couple younger siblings and a lot of cousins. I know it’s not all sunshine and roses. And your kids have been through a lot already.”

“They have.”

“So, I know it’s not gonna be easy. But I can handle being around some screaming and crying and yeah, even the puking. I’ve been through it all before with my teammates’ kids. Besides, I play hockey. If I can’t handle some loud noises, gross smells, and bodily fluids ending up everywhere, buddy, I am in the wrong sport.”

Antoni laughed softly. “Fair enough.”

“I know I blurted my offer out the other day but I’ve really thought this through since then. And I haven’t changed my mind.”

Antoni set his sandwich down with a frown. “It’s just crazy. We don’t even know each other.”

“True.” Matty gave him a sympathetic smile. “But I like what I see so far.”

“You seem like a great guy too. It’s just … I have to be sure I can trust you. If it was just me … that would be one thing. But those kids …”

“Get a background check done on me if you’re worried.” Matty smiled reassuringly at Antoni. “I swear, I’ve got nothing to hide. I’ve never been arrested. I was married once, divorced. No kids. I wanted kids but … well, like I said, it didn’t happen.”

“I just don’t get it. Why would you do all this for us?” Antoni asked. “Let us invade your space that way?”

Matty looked down at his cup. This was hard to talk about but maybe if he did, Antoni would understand. “Because I’m lonely.”

“Oh.”

Matty offered him a weak smile. “I hate being in that big-ass house by myself. It’s too quiet. I tried filling it up with teammates. I let some rookies stay with me for a while but they all got places of their own eventually. I tried letting some guys I knew through hockey stay there for a while but they just wanted to throw parties and I mean, I like a good team party but a couple of them were getting into stuff that … yeah, I’m not risking my career for that shit.”

“Okay, I get that.” Antoni nodded slowly. “Wouldn’t it cramp your, um, love life though? I’m sure you date. You probably want to bring women back and …”

Matty looked away. “You’d be surprised. I don’t—I don’t get up to that sort of thing as much as you might think.”

“No?”

He shook his head. “But maybe I’d cramp your style?”

“My style?” Antoni laughed hollowly. “Sure. I haven’t hooked up or had a date since I got the news about Bethany and Corey. Who has time for that when there are kids to feed and a baby teething and lesson plans to write and—” He bit off the rant with a tired smile. “Anyway, it’s just not my priority now.”

“That’s tough, man.” Matty shot him a sympathetic smile.

Antoni sighed. “I’ll survive. Not saying I don’t miss it sometimes, but yeah, you don’t have to worry about that. I have my priorities right now and they’re 100% on the kids.”

“You’re a good guardian,” Matty said, because he wasn’t making the mistake of calling Antoni their dad again. Even if none of the kids were around. He still felt awful he’d upset Alexis that way.

“I do my best. Even if it doesn’t feel like it some days.” Antoni fiddled with his coffee.

“No, you are though,” Matty insisted. “And I think that moving into my place is you doing your best for them and you.”

“It makes me feel like a failure.”

---