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He kisses Evy’s cheek before smooching Harper, and my biggest fear is I won’t find this kind of love. Logan hands Evy to me, and I do my best baby talk while holding her head. Dane sticks his long finger into her stomach, and she coos. Of course, she coos for Dane.
What girl doesn’t?
“She’s adorable,” Dane says as his eyes light up.
Logan’s eyes shine with pride as he stares at his baby girl. “Isn’t she? A year ago, we were having ragers, and now we’re having adult cookouts. Is the basketball for Evy?”
Dane blushes from embarrassment. “Sorry I didn’t bring her a gift. This is for Caleb.”
At that moment, Hagan, who plays baseball, and his fiancée Adalee, who was a Stallion gymnast, join in.
Reed shakes his head, “How can I make Caleb a hockey phenom when you all are encouraging him to play baseball and basketball?” He glances at Logan. “Logan’s the only one not pressuring him to play football.”
Harper blows her water into the hot summer air, laughing hysterically.
Reed asks, “What?”
Harper points to the other side of the yard, where Caleb and another little guy are playing football.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Reed barks.
Brooke slides her arm around his waist. “Maybe he’ll be the first D1 athlete who plays four sports.”
I laugh. “Let him play everything and see which sport he falls in love with.”
Reed looks disgusted. “You do remember that my dad is the NHL commissioner, right? And Brooke’s dad is the Stallions hockey coach.”
Dane pipes in. "I'm sorry, but it really sucks being the son of a former All-Star NBA player. Reed, what if you knew your dad was a hotshot professional player when you were growing up?" His voice is heavy with underlying resentment.
We all fall into a hush, not wanting to add to the weight already on Dane's shoulders. His dad played here and in the NBA, leaving big shoes for Dane to fill.
He continues, "There's just so much pressure to live up to his legacy and his accomplishments. High school is already tough enough but add in the constant comparing and contrasting of our skills and accomplishments—it's suffocating. You may not want that for Caleb. If he plays a different sport, he can find his own way."
We sit there, stunned and a little speechless. It's the most I've ever heard Dane openly talk about his fears and insecurities to anyone but me. It’s not an easy subject for him to discuss and I wonder if his dad was hounding him about being number one in the draft. Dane’s dad went twelfth in the draft and honestly, I think his dad wants Dane to surpass his numbers. If Dane doesn’t, he’ll consider himself a failure.
After a moment, Harper breaks the silence with a soft, "I'm sorry, Dane. We had no idea." All we can do is offer our support and understanding.
“Stallions forever,” Logan chants. “I can tell you from my short experience in the NFL, it’s nothing like college. Guys live all over the city or surrounding towns and they don’t spend time together outside of practice. Some of the single ones do but it’s nothing like the friendships you develop in college. Let’s make a promise to be there for each other, through the highs and lows. It will make the lows seem higher.”
Everyone vows but Dane won’t be in Kentucky because there are no professional basketball teams here. I swallow my fears.
“Girls, let's go inside and make some strawberry daiquiris. Guys are staying sober today. Right?” Brooke asks and they nod in the affirmative.
I never have to worry about Dane anyway. He never has more than one or two drinks.
“It’s not often Harper gets a break and we’re going to let the guys be in charge of the kids today,” Brooke says, seeming anxious to start the day based on her broad smile.
We stand around the island as the blender crushes the ice and strawberries. Adalee doesn’t drink because her dad became an alcoholic when her mom passed away. So, Harper pours her a virgin daiquiri.
“Hey, can you make another virgin?” I request.
“Sure, for you?”
“No, for Dane. He loves ICEEs, so he’ll love this.”
Little grins tug at their mouths. She hands me a blue cup, and I grab an extra-wide striped straw and take it out to him.
Dane has his hands shoved into his athletic shorts, which he’s wearing shorter these days. I’m a fan. He rocks from his heels to his toes, which is a nervous habit for him. He’s known these guys for over a year. What does he have to be nervous about?
