Baden (Pittsburgh Titans 1)

Baden takes his last bite of salad, and as he’s chewing gives a quick peek at his watch. He swallows, wipes his mouth, and looks at me apologetically. “I’m really sorry, but I’m going to have to head out.”

He has to meet Drake over at the arena and work on convincing him to join the team.

Baden leans to the side and fishes his wallet out of his jeans, then lifts his hand and signals the waitress. When she arrives, he asks for the bill.

“Thank you for lunch.” I push my salad plate away and cross my forearms on the table. “And thank you for making me come out. I needed that push.”

“I’ll keep pushing,” he replies with a smile. “But you’ll need some help along the way. I got your back.”

I stare, amazed at this man who has lost so much because of what he did for me, and still, he wants to do more. It’s confusing, but I can’t help but feel this is supposed to be happening. As if fate has put us on a path together.

“I wish I could have your back in some way,” I admit as we wait for the check.

“How about you help me look for a place to live when I get some free time?” He’s throwing me a bit of a bone. I know he doesn’t need me to do this, but I’m more than glad to help.

“Tell you what,” I drawl, struck by inspiration. “Give me some parameters of what you’re looking for, how far you want to be from the arena or airport, and I’ll start pulling together listings you might like.”

“Really?” he asks, genuinely pleased. It’s a lot of work that I’m taking off him.

“Of course,” I assure with a wave of my hand.

“That would be awesome. I can’t wait to get out of this hotel. It’s nice and all, but I live in hotels enough as it is when we travel, and I can’t stand it. It makes me feel unsettled.”

And then inspiration strikes me that perhaps I have more to offer. “Listen… this may be weird, but if you don’t want to stay here, I have a spare bedroom with an incredibly comfortable bed. Sure, the stairs squeak, but it’s otherwise peaceful, and I’m a good cook. You won’t have to suffer fast food or room service, and you won’t feel so rushed to find a place. And before you try to decline because you think you’d be an imposition, I’d really like to help in some way. It would mean a lot if you let me help you while you look for a permanent place.”

The waitress arrives with the bill, and Baden doesn’t bother looking at it, merely handing her his credit card.

Tapping a finger to his chin, he appears to be pondering. “You’ll cook, huh?”

“You’ll be well fed.”

“Do you do laundry?” he asks.

I wrinkle my nose. “Most certainly not.”

“But you’ll still help me find a place to live?”

“I’m all over it.” It’s what I plan on doing the rest of the afternoon.

Baden’s honeyed eyes seem to glow, his smile evidence that he’s touched by my offer now that all teasing is aside. “That’s a really sweet offer, and I’m not a stupid man. I accept.”

I beam, from the inside out, holding my hand across the table. “Roomies?”

His hand grips mine, assuredly strong yet gentle. “Roomies.”

I’m glad I can do something for Baden, and I think it’s going to be a testament to our friendship. But I can’t deny that when our hands touched, a thrill of something unidentifiable shot through me.

Something I haven’t felt in a long time, but it stems from him being an attractive man who I’ve obviously got complex feelings for, and me being a woman who is very much alone.

While it’s clear this friendship will be solid, I’m very aware that—at least on my end—I might be interested in something more. This is a shame, because I’m not confident I’m appealing to Baden. He’s so self-assured and has been like a phoenix rising from the ashes, making an incredible comeback after the trauma he endured.

I’m nothing like that. I’ve been weak and unable to push past my fears. While I don’t think I’m a charity case, because Baden’s genuinely a good man, I’m not convinced he could ever see me as more than a friend.

CHAPTER 8

Baden

I pull into the staff parking deck under the arena, which shares part of the basement level with the locker rooms and the rink itself given the sunken bowl design. I need to get my coaching hat on.

I had it firmly in place this morning when I arrived at seven a.m. It was a fast-paced morning where all the coaches met to discuss practice schedules, line assignments, and potential switches. Most importantly, Matt Keller made sure we understood his coaching philosophy. He’s big on expectations and goals, solidifying team culture and motivation tactics. These all fall squarely in line with my values, and the other coaches’ as well, but saying it and doing it are two different things. I’ll reserve judgment for now.