It Started With a Kiss (Insta-Spark)

“Beth told me your age when she was asking me to step in,” I confessed. Then I waggled my eyebrows. “An older man. I love older men.”

He laughed at my teasing. Leaning forward, he kissed the end of my nose. “You are adorable.”

I rolled my eyes.

Sitting back, he crossed his legs, watching me with an amused expression. “My parents live about twenty minutes from here. My dad, Sean, is a patent lawyer and my mom, Julie, runs her own daycare.”

“You’re close to them?”

“I am. My family plays a big part in my life.”

“That’s lovely.”

He lifted my hand and kissed the knuckles, his gaze intense. “They are gonna love you.”

Then he continued as if what he said wasn’t as deep and meaningful as it seemed.

“I had a fairly normal childhood and teen years. I wasn’t perfect, by any means, and we had our share of fights, but they were, and are, great parents.” He paused. “I wasn’t always as close with my dad as I am now. He wasn’t around a lot when I was younger, and I acted out some.”

“Oh?”

“He was a football player with the CFL. So he was away a lot with games, and when he was home, he was at practice or meetings, and often participating in some sort of media event. Even in the off-season, he was busy. He did player stuff plus went to school and worked.”

“Wow. That seems impressive. Although I don’t know a lot about sports. Should I have recognized the name Spencer?”

He laughed. “No, it’s fine. It was years ago. Your dad might recognize the name if he liked football.”

“I’ll have to ask him. Why did he work if he played professionally?”

“Players in the CFL aren’t paid the way NFL players are. You have to work and play to make a living—especially back then. Plus, he was going to school, so he was a busy man. My mom was the glue that held us together.” He shifted a little in his seat. “I missed him a lot and I acted out.”

“I think that’s probably normal.”

“I suppose. Still I feel bad when I think about how I behaved at times.”

“I’m sure your parents understood.”

“They, particularly my mom, were really patient. She was always there for me. When I was eight, late in the season, my dad took a hard hit. He blew out his knee and had to retire—it was a career ending injury.”

“How awful!”

“Yes and no. He was sad for a while, but he liked being home more. He found a great job with a respected firm and has been there ever since. I loved having him around; well, we all did, but I really loved it. I settled down and not long after, found my own place in life.”

“Your dad never wanted you to become an athlete like him?”

He shook his head. “No. I liked sports and I enjoyed playing at school, but I never had the drive he did. He told me later he was glad I never had.”

“Why?”

Daniel paused, looking sad. “His body is old beyond its years. He walks with a limp because of his knee, his hips cause him pain, and the baby finger on his left hand was broken so often, it sticks out at a right angle. Professional sports are tough on the body.”

“Oh dear.”

“We work out together, and he sees therapists. He tries to stay ahead of it and look after himself. Some of the newer technology helps him a lot. Seeing how it’s affected him, I’m glad I stuck to animals.” He winked at me. “Lifting cats, dogs, and the occasional woodland Sprite is far easier on the body than a three-hundred-pound man driving you into the hard ground constantly.”

I laughed at his analogy. “How did your parents meet?”

“My mom went to a football game with some friends. She didn’t know much about sports, and after the game was over, they bumped into some players at a bar. She had no idea who he was and paid no attention to him. But my dad noticed her, and by the end of the evening, they were a couple.”