Page 29 of You're The One
She tips her head from side to side. “I can see it getting old quickly. Anyway. Deal-breakers?”
“What, are you in a rush?”
“Well, our time is probably limited. It’s not like we’re going to get many chances to talk without mics on or cameras in our faces.”
She’s right. Water and thousand-dollar media equipment don’t exactly mix. They’re filming from a boat a few yards away.
I exhale, glance at the horizon. “I don’t know. Maybe if she doesn’t want kids?”
“You want kids?” She looks over at me, her voice missing its usual bite, curiosity lacing it instead.
“I think so.”
She nods. “I can see that. You’d be a good dad.”
“Wow. That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“Don’t get used to it,” she mutters. “What else… Oh, does she have to be able to move to Chicago?”
“I guess that’s not a deal-breaker. I only have so many years of playing left, so if she’s okay with a few years of long distance, I guess I could be, too.”
“You would?” She says it like she doesn’t quite believe me. “And you’d be faithful?”
“Of course I would,” I can’t help but snap. “What kind of asshole do you think I am?”
She doesn’t answer. Just gives a tiny shrug.
Infuriating woman.
“Moving should be a mutual decision. I don’t expect anyone to uproot their life just because we’re in love,” I explain.
“All right.” She shifts, moving carefully back into a kneeling position. “I can’t think of anything else. This is a good base. Anything to add?”
“Not right now.” I study her, realizing this might be the first real conversation we’ve ever had. I search my mental inventory of our interactions and… yep, I can’t recall another time we’ve had a somewhat meaningful, civil talk.
“Okay. Let me work my magic,” she calls over her shoulder, laughter in her voice as she paddles away. She bumps into Summer’s board, muttering something I can’t make out over the water and the chatter of the other women.
My brows pull together. I didn’t expect her to be this gung-ho. And now I’m slightly concerned about what “working her magic” looks like.
ELEVEN
WhyamI taking this so seriously?
Sure, I’ve only been in the house one night, and I already know I’ll need a distraction, but helping Dominic? Yeah, not exactly something I thought I’d be volunteering for.
It could be fun though… And who says I have to set him up with his perfect match? He didn’t say I had to be agoodmatchmaker. Maybe I’ll pick girls who are the opposite of what he’s looking for. Although, to be fair, he hasn’t given me much to work with. A woman who wants kids and has her shit together.
That disqualifies me, at least.
I’m not sure how I feel about the kid thing, but the rest? Goals? What are those? I leave that to my brother. Ryan has enough for both of us.
“Ladies, make your way back to the beach,” Bodhi calls from one of the boats.
We all start paddling in, Summer leading the charge, grinning as she times it perfectly to ride a wave all the way to shore.
Victoria’s not as lucky. A crash of whitewater slams into her board, flipping her into the surf.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you drown,” Dominic says beside me, his voice smug and his smile cocky.
