Baden (Pittsburgh Titans 1)

Gage leans toward me and lowers his voice. “I don’t know this personally, but word is that he really didn’t have a relationship with his brother. I think there was some bad blood between them when Stone got sent down to the minors.”

“That was just bad luck, though.” His trajectory got sidetracked by an injury that landed him bouncing between the minors and the professional league while Brooks’s star continued to rise higher and higher.

Stone has been playing to near perfection since being called up. Maybe he’s trying to prove something to his brother’s ghost.

Maybe he can’t handle that Brooks is dead if there were hard feelings between them.

Going back to my experience with Riggs, there’s probably a bunch of shit brewing with him, and he’s got no outlet for it. He’s on a new team with people he doesn’t know.

“Maybe I should reach out to him.”

“I would suggest something small,” Gage says with a stoic expression. “Maybe a gathering of just a few players for dinner or something.”

“That’s a good idea. You up to help play Papa Bear with me?” I ask.

“Sure thing,” he says.

I stand from the chair, picking up my peppermint tea, which is still too hot to sip. “I’ll get with Sophie and we’ll figure out a good night soon. But for now, I need to take these meds and go to bed so this crud will go away.”

Gage stands too, and we walk to the elevator. “How’s it going with Sophie?”

It’s no secret to the team who Sophie is. I’ve mentioned her enough to other players, especially after we stayed behind in Phoenix to give our victim impact statements. They knew I flew with her, and I’m sure conclusions have been drawn.

But this is the first time one of the players has asked me point-blank the status of my relationship with her, and I find myself happy to tell someone the truth.

“She’s amazing,” I say as Gage presses the elevator button. “I still can’t understand how something so awful happened, and yet it led me to one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”

Gage’s smile curves deep. “So it’s that way between you two, huh?”

“Yeah,” I reply as we step in. “It’s that way and more.”

“I’m happy for you, man.” Gage reaches forward and hits the button for the third floor. Same floor as me.

“What about you? Anyone special?”

Gage shakes his head. “Nah. Right one hasn’t come along, I guess.”

“It will happen when you least expect it,” I assure him. “Trust me on that.”

?

After Gage and I part ways, I go about trying to cure myself of this crud. I can feel it settling into my chest, so I drink some of the peppermint tea while I run a hot shower. Before stepping in, I down some Tylenol and Mucinex without bothering to see if they can be taken together, but I’m too tired to bother looking.

The shower makes me feel better, and I’m exhausted by the time I crawl into bed. The last thing I do before sleep is send Sophie a message.

I know you’re asleep, but I can’t wait to see you in a few days.

I want to add the words I love you, but that’s not something you should say for the first time via text message. It has to be done in person, preferably in a romantic setting. Maybe after we make love? Or over morning coffee—in a spontaneous declaration she won’t see coming.

Yeah, something like that.

Catch her off guard, although I trust Sophie enough… I’m confident she’ll say it back no matter when I decide to tell her.

CHAPTER 26

Baden

My phone alarm brings me out of a dead sleep, and I slap at it with extreme precision, managing to shut it off without pressing snooze.

I’m not a snooze kind of guy. When it’s time to get up, it’s time to get up.

Of course, I hesitantly open one eye and take stock of how I feel.

Last night, I was pretty crummy when I went to sleep, and I allowed myself the luxury of sleeping in this morning until eight thirty as the team has nothing on the practice agenda except a light skate this afternoon.

Overall, I don’t feel like death warmed over anymore. My sinuses are a little stuffed, but I’m well rested. Maybe the Mucinex was the miracle drug.

I snag my phone, intending to call Sophie, when someone knocks on my door.

With a regrettable sigh, I toss the phone onto the bed and swing my legs out. I always sleep in shorts, but I have no clue who’s standing there, so I grab a T-shirt from my suitcase. I have it over my head and pulled down before I look through the peephole.

I open the door. Gage stands there looking distressed.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“You feeling okay?”

I frown, because I know damn well he didn’t come down here to ask me that. He could’ve easily texted. “Yeah… why?”