Page 126 of Playing to Win
Clearly, I have a total thing for him and believe he’s adorable no matter what.
“You want to come with us?” Oh, this is dangerous, but we could write it off to my dad wanting to meet him. Dad always enjoyed meeting Knox’s teammates so that tracks.
Ace’s eyes light up. “You wouldn’t mind? People wouldn’t…say anything? About us together?”
I slowly shake my head. “We’ll go somewhere far away from campus. Not like anyone is going to catch us.”
“You don’t mind if I go?”
“Why would I mind? I want you to meet my parents.”
“I want to meet them. And not because your dad is who he is. I want to get to know them because well…you know.” He smiles.
I smile too.
I know. Because we’re basically together and this is the next step. An important step. Introducing Ace to the family.
Oh my God. This feels serious.
Glancing around, I take a few steps closer to him, my voice low so no one can hear us. “I’ll text you after the game and tell you where to meet us, okay?”
“Perfect.” He’s grinning. He looks very pleased with himself. Extra confident. It’s a good look for him. “I’ll see ya later, Red.”
A whistle blows, and without warning, Ace slaps my ass before he jogs out onto the field, leaving me standing there in shock. What was that?
God, hope no one noticed.
THIRTY-NINE
ACE
I wasnervous as fuck thinking about meeting Owen Maguire the entire drive to the restaurant, where I was meeting Ruby and her parents, but he’s proven to be a pretty cool dude. We spent the entirety of dinner talking about football and stats and Knox and Cam. How they’re doing in the NFL. He asked if I have professional aspirations and I said of course.
He praised my game play and I basked in his words. Did my best to impress his wife by minding my manners and doing my best to be polite. All while Ruby watched me with amusement lighting her gaze. Like she thought me trying to be good was hilarious.
I’ve never really met parents before, beyond talking to them before I picked up a prom date or whatever, and that was a long time ago. I’ve never stayed with a woman long enough to get the parental introduction and I was just fine with it.
When Ruby mentioned going to dinner with her parents, I was desperate to go. Ready to ask if I could if she didn’t invite me herself.
We’re mostly done with our dinner and making idle conversation when Mr. Maguire’s gaze narrows, sliding from me to Ruby and back to me again.
“You two are friends then?”
Ruby and her mom go silent, exchanging secret looks.
This is my cue to step it up and say what Ruby really is to me.
“I like your daughter a lot, sir.”
“As friends?” Owen asks again, his brows shooting up.
“Well, yeah. I like her as a friend, but it’s—more than that.”
“We’re together, Daddy.” Ruby scoots closer to me, curling her arm through mine. “It’s just—complicated.”
“How so?”
“No one can know we’re together until the season is over,” Ruby says.
