Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
I winked. “That’s not a no.”
“Take good care of my dad, Wilder.”
“You got it. And I’ll see you soon.”
“I can’t wait to see when that is, since you seem to show up when I least expect it.”
* * *
“So, which one are you interested in?” Harry gestured to the field.
I pointed. “Number twenty-two, Leo Goncalo. He’s a walk-on, didn’t even play in high school or in an organized league. Only experience was playing with his friends on weekends. But he hit the genetic lottery for size and speed, and he has the balls of a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.”
Harry lifted his hand to his forehead, shielding his eyes from the sun to watch the action on the field. “Other people interested in him?”
I nodded. “That’s why I asked his dad to meet me today. Dad’s a tax lawyer, but he’s acting as his agent, too. Not smart, if you ask me, but trust is an issue when too many people are suddenly knocking at your door, so I get it. When agents and scouts started lining up two deep at my high school games, all talking shit about the other teams, I had no idea who to trust, either.”
“I bet.”
“Leo already has offers, and I don’t even have a team yet to extend an offer to join. So my chances aren’t great, but I wanted to let them know I’m interested and what my plans are if the vote comes through next week.”
Rutgers scored, and the crowd went crazy. It reminded me of my college days. After that, we were both glued to the field, cheering Leo on. At halftime, we went up to the club lounge and had a beer.
“So tell me,” Harry said. “Are you interested in my daughter, or you just like taking bored old men out?”
I smiled. “I like Sloane, yes. But I would’ve invited you even if she wasn’t your daughter.”
“Why is that?”
I shrugged. “My dad taught me to always do right by the people who put their life on the line to protect us. Buy a cop a beer at the bar, pick up the restaurant check for an army private home on leave.”
Harry nodded. “I like your dad.”
“We had a tough go for a while after he and my mom divorced, but he’s always given me good advice, especially on what’s important in life.”
Harry sipped his beer, which seemed like a difficult task with the way his hand shook. He noticed me looking. “My daughter’s always trying to get me to use a straw. But it’s hard to look tough sipping beer out of a straw, don’t you think?”
I laughed. “Probably.”
“She’s bought me a dozen special cups—ones with discreet lids inside, handles that rotate to support the tremors—but I prefer the fill-three-quarters method.”
I shrugged. “Whatever works.”
Harry set his beer on the bar. “I never liked that Josh.”
“Who?”
“Sloane’s ex.”
“Oh.”
“Didn’t like him from the beginning. A few months after they started dating, Sloane told me she wanted me to get to know him better. So I took him to the gun range for some target practice one afternoon, a place where a lot of cops go. Dumbass thought it was a good place to talk about gun control.” Harry shook his head. “He’s lucky I didn’t bring my gun to the church with the shit he pulled.”
“It’s gotta be tough for Sloane to work for a bridal magazine after that.”
Harry nodded. “That day meant a lot to her. My wife got sick when Sloane was only five. Ovarian cancer. She fought it for two years like a trooper, but in the end it was everywhere. Lily stopped treatment so she could enjoy the last few months she had left. I took leave from work and thought we’d travel and do things before it was her time. But Lily just wanted to be home with her family. Her kids and me were everything to her. I asked her to at least come up with one special thing she wanted to do. She took a week and thought about it and then told me she wanted to marry me all over again.”
I felt an ache in my chest. “Wow.”
Harry looked away as he continued. “So I threw her the biggest, best second wedding I could plan in two weeks. Even got Sloane a matching white dress to wear on the big day. She stood up at the altar as the maid of honor, and my boys were my best men. It was the happiest day of our lives, even more special than the first time we did it because we were older and wiser, and it meant something that we’d still choose each other after all our ups and downs. It was magical. Sloane smiled from ear to ear all night, and she couldn’t stop talking about it when it was over. But pretty soon after, things went downhill. Fast. My Lily died three weeks later. We all took it hard, but Sloane was real bad. The boys had each other and me—but it wasn’t the same with her being the only girl.” Harry took a deep breath. “Anyway, after that, whenever Sloane was feeling down, she’d throw herself a pretend wedding—even married the dog a few times, which her brothers still tease her about.”