Page 66 of Second Chance with the Single Dad Goalie
Resisting the urge to throw a pillow at him, he pushes off the door frame and steps inside. "Mind if I join you?"
I wave a hand toward the couch. "It’s a free country. Knock yourself out."
He huffs a small laugh, crosses the room, and sinks onto the couch beside me, stretching his legs out. The firelight casts warm shadows over his face, softening the sharp angles of his jaw. The only sounds in the room are the low crackling of the fire and the occasional hum of the heater.
"So," he says, stretching his arm across the back of the couch, "why aren’t you sleeping?"
I arch a brow. "Only if you tell me why you aren’t."
His lips twitch. "Oh, I was asleep," he says. "Got up to get water, went to the kitchen, and then…" He gestures lazily toward me. "Saw you sitting here."
"Fascinating," I deadpan.
He chuckles, his voice low. "That’s my deepest, darkest secret. What’s yours?"
“I just…, couldn’t sleep,” I sigh, shifting slightly.
“Hmmm.”
I glance over. “What?”
He shrugs. “Nothing.”
I tilt my head. “No, really. What?”
“Just thinking.”
“About?”
“Never mind.”
Blake studies me for a second like he’s debating whether to push, but then he sighs, clearly letting it go. Instead, he says,
"I came across your article. The recent one, I think. No, you had various recent ones."
I glance at him, surprised. "You did?"
"Yeah." He nods.
“Which one?”
“The one about the hidden spots in Autumn Cove. I really liked it."
A small smile tugs at my lips. "Oh? You don’t have to say that just to be nice, you know."
He huffs out a quiet laugh. "I’m not. I mean it. You made those places sound so incredible. I have to say, you almost convinced me to check out that little book café by the marina.”
I smirk. “Almost?”
“Well, I actually did go.”
My eyes widen slightly. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.” He leans back against the couch, stretching his legs out. “I had some time after practice, so I stopped by. It’s been a while since I've been there. Well…, not since you…
I frown slightly. “Since me?”
He exhales a soft chuckle, shaking his head. “Have you forgotten? You used to drag me there with whatever change you get.”
