“I can handle it. Don’t get me wrong, it’ll be nice to set my own schedule and not run myself ragged through football season. Evan and Zoe have taken on a huge share of the load. They’d been planning on it for years, this was sooner than they had intended. But you… you never wanted this.”
Finn gripped his hands on the bar, clenching his jaw. Trying to keep it light, he nodded. “I never planned on anything after football.”
“You’re a good lookin’ guy with a hell of a career under his belt. You could do whatever you want. You have, what, two teams waiting on your call for assistant coaching positions? Have you even scheduled yet? Hell, with your history, your personality and knowledge of the game, you could work at any of the sports networks. But if you ostrich for too long, they’ll lose interest and you’ll lose the opportunity.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever thought about doing anything but playing. And, well, I like what I’m doing now.”
“As the neighborhood bartender that listens to old men wail about the woes of the world?”
Finn recognized this conversation wasn’t ending anytime soon, certainly not tonight. He moved to the other side of the bar and took a stool next to Pops. “I don’t know that I want to be on TV or behind the sidelines. Hell, I only played in the NFL because that’s how grown-ups get to play serious ball.”
“And get paid.”
He nudged his dad with his knee. “And bank a ridiculous wad of cash doing what I love.”
“Was it worth it? I watch you walk on that knee, run on that knee, do squats and burpees and push-ups in the backyard until you go pale.”
“Not my first injury. Just the worst.”
“Did it break your heart?” Pops raised his glass, his eyebrows raising in question.
“What?”
Raising his eyebrows again like Finn needed to catch-up quick, he reiterated, “Realizing you’d never play competitively again?”
“Fuck yeah. But I’ve got this great family. A dad that cares about what I want. A brother and sister that rag on me for being… well, for being their jackass big brother, but I know they’ve got my back no matter what. And…” He debated not saying it, but did anyway. “And I had a hell of a mom that watched every game I ever played. Parents that made sure I always had a home to come home to. That refused to let me stew and regret.”
A half smile, Scott nodded, the red puffiness around his eyes confirming what Finn had suspected. Pops coped amazingly well, but Finn knew he kept a lot of it to himself. “I miss her.”
“Me too.” Finn rested his elbows on the bar, rubbing his hands through his hair. “She knew we’d be a mess without her. Think that’s why she gathered us all back home together. She’d been patient while we spread our wings, but she wasn’t about to let us grow apart.”
Appearing from the kitchen, no doubt having been listening in the whole time instead of finishing her closing routine, Zoe leaned against the doorway and folded her arms. She didn’t say a word, just listened.
Scott took another pull on the vodka. “Occur to you that we’re still living day to day? We packed up her stuff like we were supposed to. Cleaned out her closet, kept what we could, donated what we should. Despite all that, she’s still in the house, and we’re not moving on.”
Finn nodded. “I’m not sure she’s leaving anytime soon.”
“Nah, she’s got her work cut out for her, getting you kids settled.”
“Hey. I’m doing fine.”
Leaned against the doorway to the kitchen, Zoe snorted from her post. She had always been his nosy little sister, and he had no doubt she would continue that role until they were gray and confused in the nursing home together.
He shot her a glare. “No?”
“No,” she snorted again, arms more wrapped around her middle than crossed now. “I’m not sure what to make of you these days. You go to work here five to seven nights a week, beat your knee to crap every day, then taking an embarrassingly long shower.”
He flipped her off.
“No really.” She crossed and uncrossed her feet. “You look like you’re doing all peachy on the outside, but that’s what you always do when things get tough. You put on your game face and won’t let the rest of us see what’s going on underneath. I’m worried.”
“About what?”
Pops nudged his knee, then drained his drink by half. “What really happened with Trace this time around? You didn’t seem to make much effort to take her out like you used to; I hardly even saw her once you got back.”
Now would be a great time for a last-minute customer.
Brenda had brought them all together at the end for a damn good reason. She was the heart and soul of their little family, and wouldn’t rest easy until she knew they were going to keep each other in line. Took them a while, they’d lived so far away for so long, but they were in it together.
