Chapter 1
FISHER
PRESENT DAY
“That’s it for today,” I call out to Noah.
“Thank God,” he mutters, walking over to his bag.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I eye my best friend up and down. “Is your endurance that sucky? Do I need to push you even harder?”
“Shut up,” he gripes, shoving my shoulder. “I’m running on fumes today. The wedding is less than a month away and somehow, we’re still having to make decisions.”
Shaking my head, I join him on the bench while he slowly sips from his water bottle. “I don’t envy you that. If I ever get married, I hope I can avoid the whole wedding thing. I’d rather get married at the courthouse or just elope.”
He recaps the bottle and takes off his hat, running his fingers through his sweaty hair.
“Trust me, for the right person you’ll do whatever the hell she wants.
What gets me is, we’re not even doing anything that big.
Her parents suck, so do mine, so they’re not even invited.
It’s mostly just friends. But it’s constantly, what flower do you want?
Oh, sorry that one isn’t in season, how about one of these ten other options?
Why didn’t you give us those choices in the first place? ”
I laugh and reach for the ball basket so I can clean up the court.
“Wait,” Noah says, his voice suddenly serious. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
I sigh. “I already told you I was happy to be your best man. You don’t have to keep asking. I won’t change my mind.”
He shakes his head. “It’s not that. It’s … fuck.” He blows out a breath and then blurts, “I’m thinking about retiring.”
I’m not sure what it says about me that my first reaction is to laugh, but when his face falls, I quickly stop. “Oh, God. You’re serious?”
Noah’s not quite thirty yet, and at the level he’s playing I’d expect him to get a few more good years, and maybe even some okay ones after that.
“I’m not for certain on anything yet, but it’s in the back of my mind.
Sabrina and I want to start trying for a baby soon because she recently found out she might have trouble conceiving so we don’t want to wait around and I …
I don’t want to miss out on things like I did with Maddie.
” Maddie, his ten-year-old daughter, is his whole world.
“I know it’s not like I was an absentee parent or anything, but tennis was my primary focus, and looking back I hate that I wasn’t there for so many of her early milestones.
She might’ve been traveling with me, but I was on the court all the time.
” He shrugs and stuffs his baseball cap in his bag.
“I just want things to be different this time. When Sabrina gets pregnant, whether that’s soon or not, it’s something I’m considering. ”
As much as this news sucks, I can’t say I don’t understand where he’s coming from. Family is important and after the death of his first wife to cancer it makes even more sense for him to want to prioritize that.
“You have to do whatever is best for you,” I finally say. “I’ll never be mad at you for that.”
“Thanks, man. I just wanted to give you the heads up. You deserve it.”
“I appreciate it.” I extend my hand to him, but he waves it off, standing instead and pulling me into a hug.
Even though Sabrina has been in his life just shy of three years, sometimes it still takes me by surprise how affectionate he has become.
“Elias has mentioned wanting a new coach, or to add someone to his team so it’s something to consider.”
Elias Johnson is one of the best US male tennis players next to Noah. They’re usually neck and neck in rank and points and even though top players usually shy away from playing doubles, the former rivals have found a camaraderie playing together.
He also happens to be the brother of my ex, but he doesn’t know we were ever together. Not even Noah knows, since him and Elias hated each other back then.
“Maybe I’ll talk to him about it,” I say to appease Noah, but in reality I don’t see how that would ever work.
Elias’s sister, Ebba, tends to travel with him and while it’s not like she’s glued to his side, it would put us in closer proximity than we are now, and I can’t imagine she’d like that considering she hates my guts.
Not that I blame her. I don’t. At all.
It still haunts me that I was so focused on Noah’s match that I didn’t realize she kept calling and texting. I would’ve been at the hospital with her in a heartbeat the second I saw them and I was, only it was too late, and she shut me out.
“You should.” He grabs another basket and follows me around, helping clean up.
“He’s a good player, but don’t tell him I said that.
” He grins, his eyes squinted against the sun.
He’s getting a few wrinkles around his eyes, as am I.
Even though it’s been years, I can practically hear Ebba telling me to put on sunscreen, a fact I usually ignored, but now am faithful in applying.
When the court is cleared, Noah shoulders his bag and I grab up my own stuff.
Holding the gate open for me, he says, “Two more weeks until Vegas and then another week before my wedding. I can’t wait.”
It’s the Vegas part I’m nervous about.
Just him, Sabrina, me, Elias and his girlfriend Whimsy, and Ebba are going for the joint bachelor and bachelorette trip.
It’ll be the first time I’ve been in close proximity to Ebba for more than a few minutes in a long time.
I want to talk to her. To do my best to make things right.
But I don’t know if she’ll let me.