Page 97 of Yard Sale

“Love you too.”

Ending the call, I took the stairs two at a time, and I could hear music playing just beyond the door. The apartment we were renting was above a garage that neither of us was using, but it made the hallway sound strangely hollow as I made my way up.

My heart skipped a few beats in my chest the way it always did when I was about to get my hands on Tiago. We’d officially been together for six months now, but coming home to him never got tiring.

Sweeping through the front door, I dropped my keys in the little bowl on the curio table, where Tiago had his white cane, and then I kicked off my shoes and moved into the kitchen just as he turned off the music.

He turned and smiled at me as I hovered in the doorway. “Well?”

My socked feet slid across the tile as I made my way into his arms. It took me a second to remember what he was waiting to hear. Not about Leon, but about our next destination. “Normandy for three weeks, then we’ll be taking a very large yacht and stopping in Norway and Finland before flying into Switzerland.”

“Oh,” Tiago breathed, his hands moving to my waist. “I’ve never done a yacht before.”

“Me either.” I felt oddly giddy as he spun me and pinned me to the counter. “I’ll be given the next assignment after that. He’s thinking rural Scotland for a few weeks.”

“Mm. I’ve always wanted to see the Highlands.”

“Is that where the Highlands are?” I asked as his mouth quickly devoured mine.

He smiled into the kiss. “No idea.” He pressed his lips along my jaw before pulling back and resting his elbows beside the cutting board he’d just been using. “Are we going to have time to make it back for Quinn and Ferris?”

“Yep. I made sure to pencil that in. Also, I got an email from Vanya about Micah’s birthday party. And…something about a new school or…?”

“He just passed his first semester of college,” Tiago said with a quiet laugh. “Vanya’s going to make a big fucking deal about everything Micah does. I’m surprised he doesn’t have a group chat for when Micah has an easy morning shit.”

I wrinkled my nose as Tiago turned back to cutting up vegetables for our roast. “Well, I know you miss them, so I penciled that in too. I have more news.”

“More than that?”

“Yep.” I took a breath, then relayed every word my dad had given me.

There was a long silence, and then he said in the deepest, most growling voice I’d ever heard him use, “Good. Fuck him.”

For that, I wanted to kiss him, but I took a moment to just appreciate the way he looked—terrifying with the knife in his hand, a look of brutal satisfaction on his face. I breathed out a sigh. “I love you, Tiago.”

He glanced over his left shoulder at me so I knew he was looking at me. “I love you.”

“Mm. Love hearing that.”

Tiago’s face softened, and he went back to being my gentle giant D-man. “Good. I, ah…I should tell you I talked to Tucker today. He said the meeting with the GM and the owner went okay. They’re not willing to push me into retirement, but if I decide to come back, they’re going to trade me.”

“What! Those fuckers,” I spat.

He set his knife down and shook his head. “No, my heart. That’s the nature of the game. If I’m cleared to go back next season—and I really don’t think I will be—I won’t be playing at the top of my game. I’m not worth my salary anymore.”

“You’re worth a thousand of them,” I said viciously.

He yanked me close again. “You—” He kissed me. “—are biased.”

“Yes. Love apparently will do that to me.” I sighed and then hopped up on the edge of the counter next to the sink. “What do you want to do?”

Tiago was quiet for a moment, then shrugged. “Retire, I think. But it comes with such a fucking fuss. There’s a ceremony and a party and then press tours, and half the time, ESPN will do some kind of historical piece on me, which means cameras following me around. I want to travel a while and not have to think about it.”

I swung my leg out and grazed his hip with my toes. “Another season’s salary doesn’t hurt either.”

He turned a playful glower on me. “Mon coeur.” He shifted closer, then grabbed the hem of the long black maxi skirt I was wearing and rucked it up to my thighs. His hand slid over my skin, fingertips a featherlight touch. “I have invested. I don’t need their salary. But I’m also not sure I’m ready to say goodbye forever. Not yet.”

My heart ached for him. “I know, honey. I’m sorry.”