“Thanks. You are too. I knew I liked you when I met you, even if I couldn’t stand your father.”
“Ha, now I like you even more. Talk soon.”
“No doubt. Bye,” August says before he hangs up.
“Who was that?” Mac asks, coming over to sit on the couch beside me.
“That was August, and he found me a job.” I make sure to pay attention to her face as she takes in this new information.
“Really? What kind of a job is he getting you?” Her voice is tentative, like she’s not sure what this means for us.
“Don’t worry, baby. I’m not going anywhere. He got me a job here in Tampa coaching the Tampa University men’s swim team.” I’m smiling wide.
Coaching never really occurred to me when I ended my career as a swimmer. I thought I would want to be as far away from the sport as I could get, at least until the wound of losing the one thing I truly loved healed. And it has now. I think I’ll actually enjoy it.
“That’s great. As long as this is something you would enjoy doing.” Mac’s face lights up even more now. I think she’s glad to know that it’s in Tampa. As if I could ever leave her.
“Yeah, I think it would be. When my career ended, I didn’t think I could coach, but then I talked to Jase about what it’s been like for him to be here with you all, and he made me realize how rewarding it could be.”
“I don’t know about that. I mean, Hendrix sure does like to yell at him a lot,” she says with a laugh.
“She does. But yeah, I’m waiting for this guy Dylan to call me.But I’m hoping to get to check out the university sooner rather than later. We’ll just have to wait and see what they say. I might have found another job.”
“I love this for you. I think you’ll be a good coach. You’re a good writer, though, and you won’t be doing that anymore,” she points out.
“Yeah, I’m not sure I’m sorry about that. I liked that it separated me from my father. Everyone expected me to become some kind of sports broadcaster or commentator, and I could have, but I went another way.”
She moves over and pulls me into her arms. “I’m glad you did, because who knows if you and I would have ever met if you hadn’t been so rude to me that day in the pressroom.”
I laugh before giving her lips a quick kiss. “Yeah, I think about that night all the time. They wanted me to ask you questions about what you thought about being in Tampa or how you liked playing for the Blaze, but I couldn’t do it. And then I realized you were quite the little ballbuster, and I had to take you on.” I reach over and pull her onto my lap.
“I’m so glad you decided to take me on in more ways than one.”
I wiggle my eyebrows at her.
She laughs and shouts, “No!”
“That’s not the reaction I’m used to getting when I make that gesture at you. What is happening?”
“I’m sorry, but we have somewhere we have to be. We don’t have time for that,” she says, still giggling at me.
“Where are we going?” I ask her, pretending to be annoyed.
“We’re going down to the beach to that Mexican restaurant I took you to. It’s a team bonding night. I set it up. The whole team has the restaurant, so we’re going to have a fun night. People are bringing their families too. I thought it would be fun to bring you.” She shrugs like it’s a casual thing.
“You’re bringing me because you consider me family?” I ask her.
“Yeah, I think I do,” she admits, as if the weight of her words are finally registering to her. “You are the only one who seems to care about me and my career. I’ve never had someone support me like this—who wasn’t a teammate,” she quickly clarifies.
I know Cassie would probably burn the world down or cut off my cock if I managed to hurt Mac.
“I love you too, Mac.” I kiss her lips. “You are the first person who hasn’t looked at me as someone who could get them closer to my father. You look at me like youseeme.”
“I do. I see you. And in fact, I hate football, so you don’t have to worry about me using you to get to your dad. I love you, Danny. I know you’re always the one saying it more, but I do.”
“I know you do, Mackenzie Dixon.” I pull her into my arms and kiss her passionately. All I have to do is run my tongue along her bottom lip, and she lets me in. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and it doesn’t matter how many times I say it to her or anyone else, it will never stop being true.
When we break apart, we’re both breathless. “Are you sure we don’t have time for a quick one?” I tease her.
