Page 65 of The Closed Off Captain

“I know.” His words are solemn, but I’m pretty sure he’s having a hard time not smiling. His phone rings, and he pulls it out, frowning at whoever’s calling. He catches my eye and gives me a head bob, and I know he wants me to follow him. “I’ve gotto take this, Mom. I’ll be out in a little bit.” I follow him quietly. He closes the bedroom door behind him. “It’s Mrs. Prenderson.”

My eyes widen in surprise. “Okay. I’ll give you privacy; let me know how it goes.” I turn back to the door, but a hand on my wrist stops me.

“When are you ever going to learn that you’re the last one I want privacy from?” His voice is low, and I stare at him in shock. His phone rings again, startling both of us. “Don’t leave.”

I find myself committing before I think it through. “I won’t.”

With his eyes on me, he answers the call. “Mrs. Prenderson, hi.” He walks over to the bed and sits down. He seems totally engrossed in the call, but when I move, his eyes are on me. I decide to just sit on the other side of the bed. I don’t really have anywhere else to sit. I pull out my phone and check my email. I need to stay on top of my work this weekend, or I’ll get buried next week. Gunner is quiet for so long, I kind of forget he’s even there. Well, as much as you can forget a six-foot–four professional athlete. He says a few things after a while, but I don’t listen in. I've got my own work to focus on. When he hangs up, it takes me a moment to realize it.

“How’d it go?”

He moves so that his body is against the headboard and his long legs are on the bed. He blows out a breath. “She’s worried about Jenny.”

I give him a skeptical look. “Worried abouther?”

He’s quiet a moment, like he’s thinking about his words. I give him time to process. “She told me that Jenny started dating a guy last year that’s bad news. She’s pretty sure he’s abusive to her.”

“If you’re trying to make me feel sorry for her, after what she’s put you through, it’s not going to happen.”

He chuckles, and the sound of it fills me with warmth. “I’m not. I’m just telling you what she told me.”

“So, she’s dating a jerk. What else?”

“Not a lot else. She just told me her concerns, and I listened.”

“Of course you did, because you’re so nice,” I mutter.

He glances over at me with that soft smile again. “Hate to break it to you, Chloe, but you’re just as nice.”

I laugh in surprise. “No, I’m really not.”

He puts his head back against the headboard. “You’re strong and determined and confident; I’ll give you that. But you have a heart of gold underneath that tough exterior and,” he pauses and looks at me. “You’re a total softie.”

Chapter 30

Chloe

I don’t know what to do with his words, so I do what I do best when I'm stressed—I work. I go back to my phone and see where things are at with the referee mess. I’m in the middle of reading a report about him when the phone disappears from my hand. “Gunner, what are you doing?”

“Come on, Miss Workaholic, you haven’t had any down time today, and it’s Saturday.”

“You do realize I work every Saturday, right? You do most Saturdays too.”

I stand up and reach for my phone, but he pulls it out of my reach. “Coftman.”

“You need a break, and I know just the thing to do.” He leaves the room, and I trail behind.

“I need my phone.”

He rounds the corner, and I follow. “Hey, Mom, Chloe wants to learn to play Mahjong.”

Before I can say a word, she turns bright eyes on me. “Oh, yes. Let’s do it now.” She faces Gunner. “I want to teach my future daughter-in-law how to play. Let me just grab my set.” She leaves the yarn she was working with on the couch and disappears.

“Coftman!” I hiss at him.

He faces me with a calm look. “Relax. You said you wanted to learn how to play. My mom wants to teach her future daughter-in-law how to play.” His eyes dance, and I reach out for myphone again, yanking it from his hand. Mrs. Coftman enters the room with the game in hand. “We’ll play in the kitchen.”

“You’re a bad person,” I whisper as I walk past him; he only grins.

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