Page 6 of A Surprise for the Holidays
“Oh. Wow.” Bailey cocked his head, feeling an overwhelming wave of compassion for the older man. That would be ahugechange to his life which, now that Bailey really thought about it, had already undergone some massive shifts in the past six months. “How are you doing with that?”
“It’s…an adjustment.” Jacobs shrugged. “Ava’s handling it a lot better than I’d anticipated” —which made Bailey wonderwhat kind of life she’d left behind— “but I’m still expecting the novelty to wear off for her soon.”
“Well, if you need anything, even just to vent to someone about how frustrating kids can be without fear of judgement, you’ve got my number.” The offer left Bailey’s mouth before he’d been able to filter the impulse. Jacobs was staring at him like he’d grown a second head. Too late to rescind the words, he pressed on, smirking a little. “Like I said, my siblings have got kids and, with what my brother’s going through, I know the single dad thing isn’t easy. It’s probably even harder when it’s so unexpected and new, and you don’t have the years of bonding to back it up.”
Jacobs being Jacobs, he grunted and nodded, then appeared to give himself a little shake. “Right. So, you came in here with a question?”
Just like that, it was almost as though Bailey hadn’t seen any of the struggle in his coach’s eyes or heard the weariness in his voice. He was back to being the gruff, dickish coach Bailey had thought he’d known, and that was disheartening.
But he’s struggling,Bailey couldn’t help thinking.
That thought stayed with him for the rest of the day.
Chapter 5
Bailey
“The fuck are you doing here?” Jacobs asked him three days later, and Bailey supposed the question was a valid one.
Nevertheless, standing on the man’s front doorstep, he was going to forge ahead with his plan.
Ever since accidentally meeting Ava in his coach’s office, the thought that August Jacobs was having a hard time of life right then would not stop circling in his head. It was pretty obvious the highly strung Brit was a bit of a loner, and Bailey knew from his siblings’ experiences that parenthood was stressful atthe best of times. Add to that the likelihood that Jacobs was probably mourning the loss of his career (because Bailey knew he would also be devastated when he had to retire), and being in a foreign country away from his family and the life he was familiar with…
Yeah, Jacobs needed more company than just a five-year-old.
Plus, Christmas was only a month and a bit away, and Bailey would bet his bottom dollar that Jacobs hadn’t given any thought to how having a five-year-old might change any of his original Christmas plans. (Which, Bailey thought uncharitably, probably involved a lot of booze and loneliness and not much else.)
Bailey held up the large shopping bags he’d been carrying and smiled what he hoped was a charming smile. “Thought the little princess might appreciate some toys and books and stuff.”
Jacobs’ jaw dropped and he seemed genuinely dumbfounded for a moment. “You…bought my kid toys and shit?”
“Actually, I had my sister express mail me some of her daughter’s hand-me-downs.” Bailey fought the urge to facepalm at the admission as he registered his surroundings.
The house Jacobs had bought himself in Burleigh, only minutes’ walk from the beach, was likely worth a few million dollars; probably a drop in the bucket considering the money he’d once been paid to play in the Premier League. What would he think of hand-me-down toys?
Surprisingly, though, his coach’s expression gentled and he stepped backwards, sweeping out an arm to usher Bailey inside. “That’s really thoughtful,” he said as Bailey stepped through, adding a soft, “thank you” before closing the door.
Will wonders never cease?Bailey mused, then looked around the entryway he’d stepped into. The house was open-plan, with bright white walls and grey-toned timber flooring. The furniturewas all modern and new, but as much as it looked like a pristine display home, it lacked warmth and personality.
That was until he followed Jacobs through into the combined kitchen-dining-living area and found Ava sprawled out on a brightly coloured rug with dolls and doll-sized clothes scattered around her. It almost looked like a cyclone had come through the house and focused only on that point.
Thatwas where the life and personality could be found.
Bailey grinned. “We meet again, Princess Ava,” he greeted jovially, and she beamed back at him with the effortless enthusiasm of, well, a five-year-old.
“Bailey!” she cried happily, leaping to her feet and racing over, surprising him with a hug around his waist. “Hi!” She turned to look past him to her dad and declared, “See? I’ve already made a friend.”
Jacobs sighed. “We’ve been talking about her starting school here in January. It’s…not going well,” he added, sounding wrung-out and defeated.
Bailey’s heart went out to the little girl and, still surprisingly, to her father.
“School here’s awesome,” he told Ava, really amping up the enthusiasm in his tone. “I had a bunch of fun in” —he paused to do a quick calculation of her age— “grade one.”
Narrowing her little eyes, she looked even more like Jacobs as she regarded him with blatant scepticism. “Really?”
“Yep. I made heaps of friends, and we played soccer at big lunch.”
She scrunched her little nose up. “It’s not called soccer, it’s called football.”
