Page 19 of Well Aware

“We haven’t lost…”

My brows rose. “We’re going to.”

She shrugged. “There’s still a chance.”

Ice water sloshed, and I forced myself not to look across the room and watch Magnolia get out of the ice bath half-clothed.

Today was a short practice, as it typically was on days following games. After the short practices that they generally used to work out their muscle soreness, they saw the necessary support staff for any aches, pains, or the like. Then they watched film.

They were due to watch film with Eddie in the next thirty minutes.

“There might be,” I agreed. “But it’d have to be some miracle beyond miracles.”

She patted my hand. “No matter what, you’re done after this.”

“Done?”

I looked over at Nettie, Eddie’s sister, and our star forward who’d played fantastically yesterday.

You’d never know that she had a baby just a few months ago.

She looked strong and healthy, badass and so damn fierce that I was in awe of her sometimes.

I was also jealous as hell of her and Boone’s relationship.

At forty-two, I was more than ready to settle down.

I wanted the kids, the house, the perfect life that everyone always dreamed of.

For twenty years while I was in the military, I’d seen all my buddies pair off right and left. Some of their relationships lasted. Some didn’t.

But the ones that didn’t had caused me to be very cautious about marrying until I could fully be at home where they didn’t have to worry about me twenty-four-seven.

But when I came home, I’d gotten caught up in life.

And it’d just never happened to me.

Maybe I was destined to be forever alone? I didn’t know.

What I did know was that it made my heart ache to see Boone and Nettie together, living the life that I wanted to live.

Though if anyone deserved that life, it was them.

They’d had an uphill battle to fight since the day that they met, thanks to Boone’s mother.

“Could I get you to do me a favor?”

I focused back in on Nettie. “Sure.”

“Could you take Margie out to meet Boone? He was able to get off work early, and he wants to spend some time with her.”

“Sure,” I said. “When’s he coming?”

“Now, I think.” She squeezed my bicep. “Thank you.”

I jerked my chin at her as she walked across the room to the locker room and disappeared inside.

Eddie watched her go and said, “Give my niece my love.”