Page 57 of 5 Golden Flings

“Absolutely.” Standing up, Michelle indicated he should follow her. Pressing the green accept button, Noah held the phone up to his ear. “Hey man, give me a second,” and then trailed the cute blonde down the hallway and into a smaller, vacant office. He didn’t even turn around as the door clicked shut behind him.

Striding across the space, Noah spread his feet wide and stared out across the vista before him. Did every room in this damn place have a million-dollar view?

“Don’t sugar coat it. Give it to me straight.”

Matt said, “I tried man, but they weren’t happy with the report from the doctors.”

“They’re requesting to release me.” It wasn’t a question. Honestly, it wasn’t a surprise either.

“Yes, the want to release you. I’m so sorry, man. They need depth heading into the playoffs if they want a chance. I’ll start making phone calls as soon as we hang up though. You know there’ve been a couple teams already sniffing around.”

“Don’t.” The word he’d been afraid to say for months felt almost like a relief. Which surprised the hell out of him.

Matt, ever the supportive friend when he needed it, said, “I know you have a lot going on right now, but this isn’t the end.”

Noah stared across the wide-open expanse of lake and trees. People scurried about below, paddling kayaks, trimming the bushes…just generally living their lives. Something he’d taken for granted. “Maybe it should be the end.”

He could practically hear Matt’s head shaking in disappointment. “It doesn’t hurt for me to make the calls. See what the options are. Take the week, enjoy some time with your grandparents. Enjoy the party. We’ll talk in a few days.”

CHAPTER 3

Autumn stood justinside the doorway, hesitant to do or say anything. Noah, oblivious that she’d come inside despite her knock on the door and the click when it opened, ended the call and simply stood there.

The weight of the room seemed to press down on his broad shoulders. A huge part of her wanted to close the space between them and offer him whatever comfort she could.

The rest of her realized that would be the last thing he’d want from her.

Noah’s chest rose and fell on a deep, deliberate breath. He pinched the bridge of his nose, hard, in a gesture she knew all too well. It was his tell.

And she couldn’t help herself.

Maybe it was the sound of her shoes dragging across the carpet, or maybe some other tell-tale noise that tipped him off, but before Autumn could reach him, Noah whirled to face her.

Sadness dragged at the corners of his mouth even as anger and exhaustion dulled his eyes.

His words were rough and pointed. “What do you want?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Then you shouldn’t have. What happened to knocking?”

Logically, Autumn realized he was lashing out because he was clearly upset and she was standing before him, an easy target. But the accusation in his voice still stung. It really shouldn’t have, but it did.

Autumn took a deep, centering breath of her own before she said, “I knocked. And interrupted to tell you we’re done with the meeting. Your grandparents asked me to let you know they’re going to enjoy the grounds for a little while.”

“Great.” His growl of impatience had Autumn’s eyebrows shooting straight up. “What am I supposed to do until they’re done?”

That phone call must have been a doozy. He’d never shared specific details with her, but she knew his home life hadn’t been great. Everyone knew his father was an asshole. Harry and Ed, his mother’s parents, had been Noah’s safe space. Autumn had only ever known him to be kind and careful with them.

Of course, she could hardly claim to know the man now. People changed, and not always for the better. Maybe becoming a bigshot football star had left him jaded and self-centered.

Not that it was her place to comment.

Biting back the sarcastic retort Autumn wanted to give him, she pasted a tight smile across her lips. “You’re welcome to use this office if you need, or you can take advantage of the grounds as well. The walking trails are gorgeous this time of year and the weather is pretty nice at the moment for mid-December.”

Noah’s blue eyes softened. With a sigh, he dropped into the chair waiting behind the desk. “I’m sorry. You’re an easy target for a shitty day, but that isn’t fair.”

Okay, maybe he wasn’t so different from the boy she remembered. Autumn’s hands clenched into tight fists at her side, not because she was still frustrated, but because oldinstinct had her palms tingling with the need to reach out and touch him.

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