I had been able to put together bits and pieces from some of the stuff he’d told me over the years, but I didn’t know everything. Or how it all fit together.
Strangely, when he mentioned his daughter, I had imagined a preteen or a middle-schooler from the way he spoke about her. I definitely hadn’t thought he referred to a smoking hot 20-something.
“So, what did you want to talk about, James? I assume that you didn’t want to see me to commiserate about the joys of raising girls.” His sharp blue eyes studied me, looking like he was bracing for a blow.
“Yeah, it wasn’t. I always appreciate your interest and advice, though. I actually wanted to talk to you about next season.”
Richard tensed. “Okay, go ahead. What about it?” His jaw was tight.
“This season was bad, Richard. That last game was a disaster. I’ve been getting other offers, as you know.” I was always open with Richard. I hadn’t hidden any of the interest in me from him, especially not after his support with Harper. “The thing is. I want a ring, man, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen here.”
Richard leaned forward on his desk, placing his elbows at the edge and lacing his fingers together. “So, are you here to tell me that you’ve accepted one of the other offers?”
“No, but I’m thinking about i
t, if I’m being honest. I thought I’d come talk to you about making a counteroffer.” There it was. My cards were on the table. The ball was in his court.
Richard visibly relaxed. “So you’re asking for more money, but you’re staying with the team?”
“That’s about it the size of it, yeah. If you can make it worth my while, I would be willing to stay.” The truth was that I didn’t want to leave. Miami was my home, and it was Harper’s home, but if getting a ring and more money meant leaving, then at the very least, I had to consider it.
Two years ago, I would have been in here in a fucking heartbeat to throw my new team in Richard’s face before putting the Dolphins and Miami in my rearview mirror. I would probably have convinced Ryder to be sitting right there next to me, too.
Things had changed, though. God, how much things had changed. Harper’s well-being had to come first. I had made many sacrifices for her since she came into my life, and I would continue doing so until my dying day.
First, I had traded in my brand new Italian sports car for the Rover on the day that I decided that I wasn’t giving her up for adoption. Then, I had called up my realtor and bade farewell to my dream bachelor pad, buying a house in the fucking suburbs the very next week.
That was without even touching on the drastic and radical changes to my lifestyle. Mrs. W. helped out a lot, so I could still party and do my thing, but I never brought a girl home. And I never went on the rager trips to Vegas or out on the cruise ships.
Okay, maybe not never, but it didn’t happen that often anymore. When I’d stepped up, I thought I knew what I was signing up for. Any parent out there could have told me I had no fucking idea what it would really be like. No one ever knew until they experienced it for themselves.
So, I was winging it, and I wasn’t doing it badly. Not in my opinion, anyway. In my mind, it all boiled down to one thing. Whatever was best for Harper came first. Always. I hadn’t promised her that the first time I’d held her, as most fathers did, but I made that promise somewhere along the line.
To be fair, the first time I held her was about 10 minutes after I found out she existed. I was still in shock. I’d had to wrestle a crying infant from her car seat. I was a complete stranger to her. I didn’t have one single baby product in my home or any idea of what might comfort her. Hell, I didn’t even know where to locate that shit at the time.
Richard had been one of the people who’d helped me with that particular problem. It was one of the many reasons why I was sitting here talking to him about it.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make you happy, James. I still have to look over the numbers, but I’m positive we can work something out.”
“Thanks, Richard. I appreciate it. So does Harper, even though she doesn’t know it yet.”
He nodded. “No problem, son. Let me crunch some numbers, and I’ll get back to you.” Richard’s eyes flickered to the clock on the wall behind me. It was time I got going.
We said our goodbyes, and I was nearly out the door when Richard’s voice called out to me. “James, I know that it wasn’t your fault, but never kiss my daughter again. Okay?” There was a gleam in his eyes that I had never seen before.
I nodded. “Sure, man.”
His office door clicked shut behind me, and I released a deep breath. The conversation had gone well, especially considering that it started with Richard’s daughter making out with me.
Speak of the devil. She was fuming into her phone, gesturing wildly as she leaned her tight ass on the hood of a cherry red hybrid. Her eyes widened as she saw me jogging towards her.
“I have to go, Heather. I’ll talk to you soon.” She clicked off her call and braced her arms on the hood.
“That was quite a scene in there,” I said by way of greeting, and extended my hand to her. “I’m James, by the way. I thought you deserved my name after a kiss that hot.”
Her face remained set in stone. Usually, girls went crazy for the smirk I’d just given her. Yet, she seemed unaffected. Her grip was surprisingly firm as she took my hand, holding my gaze without faltering. “Good for you, James. And don’t flatter yourself. That had nothing to do with you.”
It wasn’t like I expected every girl I met to worship at my feet. I knew that a real man worshipped at the feet of his woman. I had just never had a woman whose feet I could worship at, with the exception of Harper, of course. But it would have been nice if Gabrielle would at least acknowledge me a little. “I’m happy to lend you my lips any time you need them.”