Page 159 of The Path to Loving Him
Bennett’s smile grows wider. “Holy shit, something is going on between the two of you.”
“No, there’s not.” I wave him off. “Now tell me about the team. Did they like?—”
“Oh no, there’s no way you’re shaking this off.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “I’m not telling you jack shit until you tell me what’s going on with Coach Rowley.”
“I told you, Bennett. Nothing.”
“I don’t believe you.” He presses his finger to the table. “And on this special day, a day that we should commemorate, you’re going to lie to me?”
I roll my eyes. “You know what? You’re right; we should commemorate it. We should be celebrating. So why don’t we do just that?”
Bennett stubbornly holds his place. “Nope, not happening. Spill the beans and then we can talk baseball.”
I groan in frustration because I know there is no way I’m breaking this kid until I give him the truth. “Fine,” I say on a huff. “There might be a little thing, but I don’t even know what it is.”
“I fucking knew it,” he says, his hand slapping the table. “I saw it when you two were watching me warm up, and then just now, I was convinced something was going on. So . . . what is it, are you dating?”
“No, not dating.”
He lifts a brow. “Are you . . . doing other things?”
I wince because I mean, yeah.
“Oh God.” He shudders. “Fuck, maybe I don’t want to know.”
“It’s not like that,” I say.
“It’s not? Okay, then what is it?”
“I told you, I don’t know. It’s complicated.”
His lips purse for a second. “Complicated? How so?”
“He . . . he’s a great guy, but he has different responsibilities than when he was coaching you. His sister passed away this year, and well, she left her daughter in his custody.”
“Oh shit, really? How old?”
“I think four. She’s so cute. Loves horses, kind of quirky in the best way possible, and he’s amazing with her. She’s his number one priority, which makes having anything to do with him on a romantic level difficult. He’s not in a position to put his attention toward a relationship.”
“Do you want a relationship with him?”
“I’ve thought about it, which is weird because I wasn’t really in the market for anything like that. If I was honest, I never really thought I would be, not after everything that happened with Nathan.”
Bennett’s jaw ticks at the mention of Nathan’s name. “Don’t let that fuck control your life. He doesn’t deserve that kind of space in your head. Fuck no.”
“I know. I’m just trying to weed through it all. And yes, I like Ryland a lot, more than I probably should, but like I said, it’s complicated. We coach together, and he has his niece. I don’t think he has time for a new relationship.”
“Have you talked to him about it, or are all of these assumptions?”
I rub my hand over my forehead. “God, I don’t want to talk to you about this because . . . I’ve done things.”
He chuckles. “You can tell me, just . . . don’t give me details. We’re both adults, and you’re my best friend. You should be able to talk to me about anything.”
“Yeah, I know.” I let out a sigh. “When I interviewed for the teaching coaching job, I didn’t think I got it. I saw Ryland in thebar that night, and unfortunately for you, I always thought he was incredibly hot.” Bennett winces, lightening the mood. “So figuring I’d never see him again, I took a shot, and well, we had a one-night stand.”
“Wow, sis.” He sips his drink. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“Neither did I, but Bower was the backbone behind it all.” From the mention of Bower’s name, Bennett’s mouth twitches. “Anyway, fast-forward, I found this nice apartment to stay in, and it turns out he’s the landlord. Things got a little wild, and well, we did it a few more times.”
