Page 54 of Keeping the Single Dad
I should have been nervous as I’d waited outside the bathroom for Lana to tell me the news, but I hadn’t been. A strange sense of calm had come over me. Clearly, she was relieved with the outcome. I understood. Lana was so young. She also an elite athlete. She didn’t want to be tied down with a baby and a family. For me, it had ignited a hopeful possibility I hadn’t considered. Another child. A sibling for Brodie. A chance at a future with Lana Sinclair. Whatever Lana had wanted, I would have supported her. For one afternoon my life had looked different and it should have worried me, but it had made my heart sing with the possibilities.
“I’ll tell you tomorrow. It’s bedtime now.”
“I had fun at Auntie Rachel’s house.” In the dim light, his beautiful eyes gleamed with expectation. “I like it here in England. I want to stay.”
Warmth filled my chest, and I pulled him tighter. Thank God. If Brodie was happy then it was all worth it. I could put up with all of it: the aches and pains, the team full of arrogant kids who thought I was washed up, the absolute fuck-wad of a captain, the thugs in the stadium shouting shit at me because I let a goal in. I could even put up with these confusing feelings for Lana, a woman that was driving me wild with need. Not just need but longing, too. I wanted her to be mine. As unlikely as a relationship between the two of us was, I couldn’t deny that I’d fallen for her.
If Brodie was happy then I’d put up with anything. I’d walk through hell and back to put a smile on his face.
“That’s great.” I kissed the top of his head. “I love you, Brodie.”
His heart beat a steady rhythm against my chest. “Love you too, Dad.”
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Chapter 30
Lana
Karenpulledherrecordingdevice out of her briefcase and twisted it in the linoleum. She smiled blandly. “I’m not turning this on yet. This is all off the record.”
I took a sip of lava-hot tea and tried not to grimace. A rubbish truck rattled down the street outside and rain hammered against the glass. This wasn’t a part of town I frequented, but we’d agreed to meet somewhere low key and far away from the stadium. I couldn’t risk anyone seeing me with Karen since the story on Sean had broken. I’d seen him stomping around in the gym. By all accounts, he wasn’t a happy bunny. Guilt made my throat tight, but I swallowed past the feeling.
Better Sean than my dad.
Karen pressed her lips and tapped a nail on her notebook. “My editor wants more.”
She spoke as though this outcome was obvious. Perhaps, it was. Perhaps, this was the plan all along. Keep stringing the threat out. When would it end? Ice laced my chest.
I wrapped my hands around my mug, searching for some small warming comfort. I kept my voice as level as I could. Better not to show weakness. “Tough luck. I don’t know anything else. The men’s team talk amongst themselves. They don’t tell me anything.”
“What about Zack Sutheran? There’s a rumor he likes to powder his nose…”
My chest clenched tighter. It was one thing talking about Sean. It was another ruining the career of a guy I hardly knew. “I don’t know anything about that.”
She cleared her throat. “Aiden Thwaite? He’s quiet. What’s he up to?”
I straightened in the chair. Absolutely not. Aiden was dating my teammate Sophie. He didn’t talk much, but he was a great guy and he made Sophie happy.
“There’s nothing. You won’t get anything else out of me.” I leaned in and lowered my voice. “I’d stop all this bullshit if I were you. This is blackmail.”
A chill silence stretched between us. A waitress passed by with a tray laden with fish and chips. The vinegary scent made my stomach turn.
Karen sighed and her face relaxed. “That’s a shame. Looks like we’ll have to go back to the original article.”
Alarm went through me. “You can’t do that. I gave you Sean.”
“It’s not enough.”
“What do you want from me? I can’t feed you secrets for the rest of my life. You got your article.”
She stood and smoothed her skirt.
I leaped up with her. “My dad is in recovery. Addiction is a disease, you know. Something like this will hurt him. Don’t you care about that? If you have a conscience, you wouldn’t do this.”
She flashed a bleak, tight-lipped smile. “A conscience is a luxury I can’t afford. My family need to eat. This is the way the world works. You chose a career in the spotlight.”
“No. I didn’t. I just want to play football.” My breath came in shallow, quick gasps. I couldn’t let her walk out of here and do this. “You’re not sorry. Not in the slightest. You’ll ruin a man to sell papers.”
