Page 212 of Challenge Me

I looked at his somber expression, then took his hand. “I know you want to protect him, but that means teaching him how to fail too.”

“I know.”

After squeezing his fingers, I released him and leaned back in the bleachers. Amir tousled Dominic’s hair when he returned to the rest of the team, but the kid still looked like he’d been kicked. He’d only been with Oli and Dean for a year, so my best friend was in his fix-it-or-die-trying stage.

Their other two, Morgan and Logan, were bickering down by the fence. Twin shit, I guess. They reminded me a lot of me and Oli when we were younger. Since they joined the family as infants six years ago, they were far more adjusted than Dominic, but I knew Oli would figure it all out. He always did.

“Amir was born for coaching,” he said.

I smiled as I watched him give what looked like a pep talk to his team of seven-year-olds. “Yeah, he was. I’m glad he decided to do it.”

“If he hadn’t, I don’t think Dom would’ve joined the team. I’ll have to thank him again.”

“He doesn’t need you to. You’re family, man. Besides, can’t you tell he loves it?”

He chuckled. “It’s like he’s young again. Speaking of . . .” He turned to me. “You’re thirty-six, my guy. When are you two popping one out?”

I snorted. “We’ve got Mal.”

“And in two years, she’ll be an adult. It doesn’t count.”

“Of course it counts. She’s my kid.”

“That’s not what I mean. You could foster.”

Looking around, I spotted a mom rocking an infant and a dad bouncing around with a toddler on his shoulders. “I don’t know. As much as I love the idea, I’ve seen how hard it was when you couldn’t keep some of those kids. I don’t have the calling for it like you do.”

“Then adopt. Or get a surrogate like Kai and Sen did with their two.”

“Spread my genes? That sounds like a terrible idea.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Your shit behavior was nurture, not nature.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Is that what you’re scared of?”

Meeting his green eyes, I pushed my lips out. “Not really. But what if I screw them up?”

“That’s not it either.”

“What if I die, then?”

“You can’t always think like that. I could die too. So could Dean. And if we did, you’d take over for me. That’s what it means to have a village. Neither of us had that.”

“You’re right, but I’m sort of old now.”

“What else do you have planned for the rest of your life?”

“Well, that’s not a great argument for having kids.”

With a laugh, he hooked his arm through mine. “I bet if you asked him, he’d say yes immediately.”

“What’s the bet?”

“Five hundred.”

I scoffed. “I’m not made of money like you, Dr. Kennedy.”