Page 9 of Tangled with the Tight End

The man’s entire demeanor changes as he accepts Gino’s hand and turns on his heel, listening to what his son wants to do next.

Father and son walking together. Smiling at each other. The man’s shoulders are more relaxed than when he came in. They laugh at something, and the man pulls him to his side and ruffles his hair.

With the next step, the man’s hips shift as he walks, and my gut twists. Holy fuck. The man has swagger for days. He was just hiding it because of the corncob stuck up his ass.

Forget about him. I grab the next customer’s order. The door jingles again as the man reopens the door. His face is relaxed, making his face appear fuller. “By the way, your cookies are delicious. Gino shared his melted snowman cookie, and it was the best cookie I’ve ever eaten.”

I sink against the cabinet as he disappears. Fuck me. The man who walked out the door was larger than life and handsome as sin. And I don’t even know his name. Girl, you don’t need to know his name. If you did, he’d be your next mistake, and you aren’t making any more mistakes.

four

GABRIEL

My brother’shouse is warm and comfortable, but it’s not just the popping fireplace and the scent of crackling wood that give it a cozy feeling. It’s everything they’ve done, from the decorative throw pillows to the family photos on the walls. The oversized living room furniture made with plush fabric makes the memory of my buttery-soft Italian leather sofa and recliners feel stiff by comparison. To top it all off, my nephew’s toys are tossed around the room.

Granted, some things in Evergreen Lake are not warm and comfortable. The girl who runs the Lips & Hips Bistro still grates on my nerves. I don’t need someone implying that I don’t know how to raise my son. I’ve already beat my head with it enough as it is.

But when he called me Daddy versus, ‘Yes, Sir,’ for the first time as we were leaving, I about dropped to my knees, which moved me to compliment her on her culinary skills. Call it a weak moment on my part.

“You look great.” Eden holds my upper arms after hugging me. “I’m so happy you could come for the holidays.” She groans as her cheeks tinge pink. “I don’t mean I’m glad you were injured.”

“Or that my wife skipped town, leaving me alone with no one to celebrate with?”

Her face scrunches from her forehead to her nose. “Yeah, something like that.”

“I’m teasing.” I draw her back to my chest and squeeze. “I’m glad my brother found someone awesome like you.”

“Thank you,” she murmurs and pats my back. “You’ll find someone better than Sloane.”

“I couldn’t find someone much worse.” I chuckle and release her, stepping back and watching my brother walk into the room with his son on his hip. When the boys see each other, they wave, and Angelo wiggles against my brother, trying to get down.

The second Sloane discovered the severity of my injury, she’d been out the door faster than Devin Grant runs down the football field anticipating a pass from Gunner. And left Gino behind. Apparently, her new boyfriend doesn’t like other people’s kids but somehow doesn’t mind fucking other guy’s wives.

She steps back and surveys me from head to toe. “How’re you feeling?”

“Good.” I stretch my knee and shift my leg up and down. “It feels good. Even after a two-hour workout this morning. When the cast came off two weeks ago, the muscles were weak, but I’m building them back up as I increase my stamina.”

Sloane’s boyfriend’s team is the second to the last game of the season, and I’d love to be back on the field to smoke past the asshole. Hell, maybe it’s not his fault. Sloane could’ve told him we were separated and forgot to give me the memo.

“That’s great.” She beams.

“I’m hoping to get back onto the field this year.”

Marco raises an eyebrow. “Is that possible?”

“Babe….” Eden wraps an arm around his waist. “I’m sure the doctors know what they’re talking about.”

“Are you sure it’s safe? I was expecting you to be out for the season and possibly done for good.”

I gawk at Marco. Why didn’t he say anything when he was at the lodge yesterday? His doubt in my abilities has thrown me for a loop. We’ve always been close, and for him to put me on the shelf already is a blow to my confidence.

“That’s up to the doctors and trainers.” I shrug. “But I’m feeling closer to normal every day. I think I’ll be back on the field by the end of the season.” I straighten my back. Positive thinking, determination, and grit. “I know I’ll be back on the field by the end of the season.”

“That’s great news.” Eden looks up at my brother. “Isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s great news.” My brother drops his arm from Eden’s shoulders and pats my back. “I’m just glad you’re not wallowing over Sloane leaving.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “I don’t wallow. Things between us were never great. We barely knew each other, and she ended up pregnant. Before I knew it, Gino was born, and a year later, I was traded to KC, but they stayed behind.”

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