Page 9 of A Surprise for the Holidays
“Bailey. My name is Bailey. I hate being called by my last name. It feels…I dunno. Impersonal. Like…like I’m back at school or something.”
“Bailey,” AJ repeated, testing the name out on his tongue. It felt strange to be calling one of his team by their first name:he called everyone by their surnames. But this wasn’t the pitch, this was his home, and if…Bailey…was going to be spending Christmas with him and Ava, it only made sense to call him by his given name. “Right. Well, I make no promises on the pitch, but…I’ll try to remember that when we’re not working.”
Bailey beamed at him. If he had been a dog, AJ imagined he’d be wagging his tail.
“Cheers. I appreciate it.” His striker cocked his head and cheekily asked, “Does that mean I can call you August instead of Coach or Jacobs?”
As much as AJ disliked his more formal-sounding given name, his stomach did a weird flip-flop when Bailey said it out loud. Clearing his throat, he replied, “I prefer AJ, actually. August makes me feel like my mum’s just found my stash of lads’ mags.”
Bailey blinked at him in confusion before an appealing blush spread over his cheeks. “Oh. Right. Forgot you grew up without the internet.”
“Oi,” AJ cringed, suddenly reminded that there was a good thirteen years between them, “way to make me feel old, mate.”
“Sorry.” His striker did look appropriately apologetic, widening his eyes and giving him that kicked puppy expression again. Then he shook himself and brightened. “So. AJ, huh? I like it.”
AJ never would have thought that he needed, much less wanted, the young prick’s approval, but hearing it made him feel oddly happy. It was likely the fact that he’d gone months without any real social connections, so now he was desperate to have some positive, casual interactions with anyone who came along. Even Bailey fucking Peters.
“Anyway,” Bailey continued, oblivious to the twisted, altogether bizarre path AJ’s thoughts were taking, “you weresaying you do actually love the awesome team you’re coaching, especially your extremely talented captain?”
AJ snorted. “Don’t push it, Pe—Bailey.”
Bailey simply grinned at him. And, oddly, AJ felt some of the tension he’d been carrying just melt away.
Chapter 7
August
“The bed wetting’s nothing to worry about,” AJ’s sister, Abbey, assured him over the marginally distorted phone line. “She’s only five.”
“But,” AJ scrubbed a hand over his face and looked across the room to where his daughter was happily playing with the dolls Bailey had brought her. More had appeared over the past week, sneaking into his office and his house as though the plastic demons were multiplying on their own. It was actually quite sweet the way the younger man was spoiling his daughter. “IGoogled and it said it’s not as common for girls as boys at her age.”
“Yeah, well, that doesn’t mean it’s not still normal at that age,” Abbey debated gently. It was why he’d reached out to her: he could always rely on her to stay calm and rational. Despite the eight years between them, she was the sibling he was closest to. She was kind of a second mum to him, not that he would ever say as much out loud. He didn’t need the bollocking that confession would earn him. “Besides, she’s going through a lot right now. She might not be outwardly stressing, but I’d bet fifty quid that all of that upheaval and change of routine is causing the accidents.” She lowered her voice to almost a whisper. “I wet the bed a couple of times when I was doing my A-Levels.”
He rolled his eyes, even though she couldn’t see him. “You were also, what, six months pregnant at the time?”
He’d already been at the Academy on scholarship when his then seventeen-year-old sister had announced her unplanned pregnancy. According to her, he had missed months of their mother’s fussing and their dad’s glowering at any of the neighbours who dared act as though it was some sort of scandal. He really did have the best family ever.
Jesus, that meant Ruth —named after her grandmother and AJ’s mother— was almost thirty now.
Older than Bailey, even.
Why did that thought suddenly make him uncomfortable?
“Exactly. All that stress and worry shows up in weird ways. Bodies suck, Age.”
Snorting, AJ realised he was fighting a losing battle. “Fine. So, you’re saying I shouldn’t worry, then?”
After the tenth consecutive night of his daughter waking him up with wet pyjamas and sheets, he had to admit that he was getting a bit concerned. Hence, he had taken to Googling, whichhad led him to online parenting forums and dear God he hoped he wouldn’t have half the trouble that some of those people had!
“No, you shouldn’t worry. It’ll come good when she’s settled, I promise.”
“Fuck, I hope so. The lack of sleep’s knocking us both about.”
Abbey made a sound of commiseration. “It’s been a long time, but I remember those days. It does get easier, Age. I promise.”
A lump lodged itself at the back of his throat and his eyes burned with tears he didn’t want to shed. Fuck, but he could use one of his big sister’s hugs. “You sure you and Johnno don’t want to come here for Christmas? I can still pay for the flights, and there’s more than enough space in my house.”
“He can’t get the time off work,” she said in a tone that suggested she was sick of repeating herself, “and Ruth’s due to pop any day now.”
