Page 83 of Make Me Swoon

I shake his hand and listen as he introduces himself as an agent for a local agency. He’s the same one that represents Niall and Finn and I already know that I’ll be signing with him if he makes me an offer.

I try to focus on his words as he goes on about what he and his company can do for me, but I can’t focus. I’m still too wired from the fight and I just want to be with my girls right now.

“Sounds good. Can I call you tomorrow?” I ask him.

He seems a little taken aback but nods and shakes my hand again. I have a repeat of the same conversation four more times as I make my way back to the locker room and when I finally push open the door and lock eyes with Phoenix, I forget all about them.

“You did it!” Faith says as she runs and jumps into my arms.

“Congratulations,” Phoenix says as she comes over to give me a hug.

“Thanks. Are you ready to go home?” I ask her and her eyebrows raise in surprise.

“Don’t you have to stick around and talk business?”

“No, I’ll deal with it tomorrow. Right now, I just want to go home and be with my family.”

Faith wraps her arms around my neck and I kiss her cheek as I head over to grab my duffel bag. I’ll take a shower at home. Maybe I can convince Phoenix to join me.

It still takes us close to an hour to make our way out to the car. By then, Faith has fallen asleep on my shoulder and I can tell that Phoenix is getting tired too.

“Did you have fun?” I ask her after I’ve buckled Faith in and started the car.

The lot is mostly empty, so at least we don’t have to battle traffic as we head for home.

“Yeah, it was a lot more nerve-racking than I thought it would be to see you up there, but you were incredible.”

I smile at her praise as I take her hand in mine and bring her fingers to my lips.

“Any idea who you’ll sign with yet?” she asks me and we spend the rest of the car ride home talking about agents and other fights.

I’m excited to have won and to be heading into the next stage of my career, but the high from the fight is starting to fade as we park outside of our home.

“I’ll carry her in and get her tucked into bed,” Phoenix whispers to me as she unbuckles Faith from her booster seat.

“I can help,” I offer.

“No, I’ve got it. I know that you want a shower and probably something to eat.”

She knows me well.

“I was actually hoping that you would shower with me,” I whisper against her neck and she laughs.

“Oh yeah? Do you need me to wash your back?” she asks and I pull back to see her grinning at me.

“Among other things,” I say as I grab my duffel bag and unlock the front door for us.

“Get yourself something to eat. I’ll tuck her in and get the water warmed up for you,” Phoenix whispers as she heads up the stairs and I grin as I watch my girls go.

I head into the kitchen and open the fridge. I’m just planning on grabbing something quick to eat so I can get upstairs, but when I open the fridge, I freeze.

There, sitting on the top shelf, is an entire container of lasagna. I look over to the stairs and see Phoenix is still standing there with Faith in her arms. She gives me a small smile and I smile back even as my throat gets scratchy.

She remembered.

I’ll be honest, when I first saw Phoenix, I was done for. I never once stopped to think about how my brother, David, would have felt about her and I probably should have since I was bringing her around his daughter.

This though. He would have loved this and I know in that moment that he would have loved and approved of Phoenix too.

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