Page 31 of Offside Possession

“How?”

“Man, I know you. I’ve known you. I could see the signs last year, after you left LA and played in San Jose.” I opened and shut my mouth, unable to find the right words.

“And you thought I was a good match for your baby sister? I’m about to be unemployed.”

“I call bullshit.” He snorted, tipping his chin towards the little shop in the airport, grabbing a magnet and hat. “Knowing you, you’ve invested in restaurants and shit all over Houston.”

“Jesus, man.”

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

“You’re not.”

“You like it here.”

“And that’s okay with you? That I like it here way too fucking much to return to Forge Creek?”

“As long as Stella’s happy, what more could her family want?” I swallowed hard. We were quiet as he paid and pointed behind him. “I gotta head back to Colorado.”

“I gotta…” I pointed towards the terminal where the team and Stella were waiting.

“Go. I gotta catch my flight.” I frowned.

“Wait, did you fly out here just to talk to me?” He nodded and chuckled.

“Guilty. Just don’t tell her. She’ll bitch me out.”

“This mean I have your blessing?”

“Hell ya, man, you got my blessing. You’ve always been like a brother to me even if we’ve been thousands of miles apart and only caught up once a year. Now it will be official. Just don’t take too long. And please, for the love of god, no big crazy wedding, yeah? Save me from that.” His pleas fell on deaf ears when I barked with laughter.

“It’s cute you think I could ever tell your sister no.”

“Well…” His lips twitched and his eyes softened. “If those are my problems in life, guess it’s not too bad of one to have, right?”

“Right.” We hugged and patted one another on the back before he started to walk away.

“Sam!” I called out and watched him look over his shoulder. “Thank you,” I said, meaning every goddamn syllable.

I wasn’t sure what had driven him to do what he did, but it all suddenly made sense—the pestering, the pushing for us to hang out, for me to show her around town, hell, to even think Stell and I would work, but thank fuck he’d been the pain in the ass he was.

Because without him, I wouldn’t have Stella in my life.

EPILOGUE

STELLA

“Wait, what do you mean, you’re going to stay in Vegas for a little longer?” I asked Rainy, wondering what the hell she was on. My sister was a workaholic through and through. She never took time off. Her little getaway was normal, three to four days in a city far from home where she wouldn’t be able to bump into anyone from our small Colorado town of Forge Creek to let her hair down and live a little.

“I can’t really go into too much detail, but…” Her voice dropped in tone and words slowed like she had been caught by surprise.

“Rainy, you there?” I asked, flipping through the channels on the TV in the hotel room. “You okay?”

“Mhmm… yup, I’m very, very good.” Her breathing changed, and my eyes widened.

“Did you meet someone?”

“You could say that.”