Page 19 of Playing with Temptation

Nate took a seat on the other side of Kendra and massaged the tension in his neck. He stayed quiet, responding only to direct questions from Greer and Kendra as they caught up.

The baby monitor alerted Greer that Noah and Allie were up from their naps. She excused herself and stepped away.

Nate released a long breath when Greer left the room.

“Harder facing them than you expected?” Kendra leaned closer, her tone compassionate and her expression thoughtful.

“I was so focused on how this whole thing impacted my life, my career…” Nate raked his fingers through his hair, trying to quell the guilt gnawing at his gut as he imagined how disappointed Jake and Mariah must have been at his remarks about their father. Wade was their hero. “I didn’t think about how my words must have hurt Greer and the kids or Tyree’s mom—Ms. Eleanor. People I know and respect.”

“That’s why you’re here, to smooth things out.” Kendra’s voice was reassuring as she placed a hand on his knee to still it. “If they weren’t interested in repairing the relationship, they wouldn’t have invited you to stay overnight.”

Nate found comfort in the warmth from Kendra’s hand seeping into his skin through the layer of fabric between them. She’d always had a calming effect on him; the perfect balance to his fiery personality.

“Take a deep breath and relax. Be honest with Wade about why you said what you did, and about how you feel, knowing you’ve hurt him.”

Nate heaved a sigh. He didn’t come here to grovel. He hadn’t asked for this situation, and nothing he said that night was news to anyone inside the Marauders organization.

He boarded that plane expecting it would all be so simple. He’d lay out the facts and apologize for talking publicly about team business—even if he hadn’t intended to.

Experiencing Greer’s anguish firsthand…suddenly it didn’t feel so simple.

“Nate, good of you to come all this way.”

Nate and Kendra turned toward Wade. He stood in the doorway, each arm draped around a child. His thin smile hovered at the surface, not reaching his wary brown eyes.

“Thanks for seeing me, Wade, and for inviting us to stay.” Nate stood, his gut churning as he crossed the room to shake his quarterback’s hand. He stooped so his towering frame was closer to the children’s height. “Jake, Mariah, you’ve both gotten so big.”

Neither child responded. They stared at him blankly. Mariah drew closer to her father like Nate was the Big Bad Wolf, rather than her beloved “Uncle Nate.” Her reaction hit him like a body slam on Astroturf.

“Say hello to Uncle Nate and Ms. Kendra.” Wade squeezed their shoulders.

They mumbled their hellos. Mariah’s eyes brimmed with heartache; Jake’s glowed with animus.

Wade dispatched the kids to wash their hands and faces before their after-school snack. Then he crossed the room and pulled Kendra into a bear hug, inducing a fleeting moment of envy that heated Nate’s face. Wade’s Texas accent deepened. “Lemme borrow Nate for a bit.”

“Of course.” Kendra waved a hand.

Wade flashed his trademark smile. The one plastered on no less than half a dozen glossy magazines each year. “Greer will be down with the kids in a sec. And don’t worry, I promise to bring ’im back in one piece.”

* * *

“Have a seat.” Wade closed the doors to his office. The walls were covered with well-worn shiplap. Mounted antlers hung over the roaring fireplace and rainbow trout replicas flanked either side. Faux animal rugs accented the space.

“Beer?” Wade opened a large wooden console that concealed a drink cooler.

“Thanks.” Nate sank into the metal-studded brown leather couch broken in over the years.

Wade pulled out two domestic beers, popped the tops and handed him one. He sank onto a large cushioned chair. “All right, Nate. You traveled twenty-four hundred miles so we could talk man-to-man. You got my undivided attention.”

Nate took a long drag of his beer, then set the bottle on a coaster hewn from tree bark.

“I can’t tell you how sorry I am about this. Not just to you, but to Greer and the kids. Didn’t mean for any of this to happen. It’s not my style. You know that.”

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