Page 79 of In The Game

His head hangs between his shoulders and he nods, gazing back up at Arthur. “I understand… but there’s nothing you could say to make me not want this with you. I’m not giving up.”

“So your plan is to wear me down?” I joke.

“If I have to.” There’s no humor in his voice.

“You realize you’re coming on a bit strong, right?”

“I’m being transparent. Last time, I avoided telling you how I felt because I didn’t want to come ontoo strong. That didn’t work in either of our favors, so this time I’m laying it all out. You will never have to wonder how I’m feeling because I’m going to tell you, oftentimes before you even ask. I’d love it if you gave me the same courtesy. If I come on strong, it’s because I feel strongly. We don’t have the luxury of playing games anymore. And frankly, I’m too old for that shit.”

When I woke up this morning, I didn’t think we would be having this talk. But the honesty policy he’s instituting has me optimistic.There’s hope.

“I’ll do my best to agree to that.” I lean back. “Thank you for making us sit down and have this conversation, I think I needed to know where we were at mentally before I could move forward. I was quick to dismiss your struggle with this when we were arguing, and I apologize for that… Seeing you again brought up a lot of feelings, mostly anger, and I reacted rather than listened. I can’t imagine not knowing Arthur, and I’m sorry if I made it seem like you couldn’t have a relationship with him. I want him to know his dad, I would never stand in the way of that.”

His arms wrap around my shoulders, and he holds me.

“I’m all in with you. I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not backing off… So get ready.”

My lips curl into a smirk. “Ready, huh?”

“Yeah, we’ve got a lot of making up to do. I’ve been waiting a long time for you to come back into my life. No matter what happens, you and Arthur will always be the most important people in my life.”

My face feels flush. He’s so forward with his feelings. As terrifying as it is, I like his no-bullshit approach—and that we have no more secrets.

“Okay,” I agree. “Let’s get to know each other.”

He licks his bottom lip and smiles. I hate when he looks at me like that, it puts all those dirty thoughts back in my mind again.

By the time we finish talking, we’re ready for lunch. We meet Arthur as he runs toward us, and Barrett catches him, lifting his little body onto his shoulders. It looks frightening being up that high, but Arthur seems to delight in it, no fear of heights, unlike his mother.

“You’re very good with kids. Do you have nephews or nieces?”

“I have a brother, Paul, but he doesn’t have any kids. I do a lot of coaching with Camp Conway, it’s my favorite part of the summer.”

“Oh, yeah? I did some research after your little meeting with Method. You’ve created a very successful camp.” It’s impressive what he’s built in a few short years.

“This summer’s session begins next Thursday. I want you to come with me to check it out. I’ll show you how we operate. It’s pretty cool.”

It sounds important to him. “I can probably get away for a few hours.”

“Perfect. I promise you’ll leave smiling...” He flashes that flirty grin at me and smiles bigger when it causes me to blush.

Yeah, I bet you will.

THIRTY

“You came on the best day.”

“Thanks for inviting me.” Barrett texted me earlier this week and put on the pressure for me to accompany him to Camp Conway.

He wants to show me the operations, and apparently, today is the day I really needed to be here. I look around the giant indoor arena. There’s dryland training “ice” on half and turf on the other. Boys and girls of all ages, from mites to juniors, sit on the floor in their own groups. Some parents present, some not. I don’t think I realized how many kids this supported. And the sheer number of volunteers—holy shit. There’s gotta be at least seventy adults running around getting organized.

Someone marches up with a clipboard. “Coach, we’re ready, but we’re missing a couple of players.”

As he chats with a couple of the volunteers, I gesture to the seats off to the side. He nods at me and smiles before turning back to the other adults. I find a place to sit and from my chair, I observe him delegate teams of people. It’s kinda hot.

“Which one’s yours?” a voice chimes in next to me, must be one of the moms.

“Oh, my son doesn’t play hockey. I’m just here to watch.”

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