Chapter 39
THIRTY-NINE
As Kinsley stepped through the entryway into the living room, I shoved my shaking hands into my pockets, trying not to stare too hard at her.
Nausea swirled in my stomach with each of her steps, taking in the mess the crew had left behind.
Not that it would have helped—I’d poured so much time and money into this place over the past month, trying to get it back to working order, but it was still a disaster zone.
Kinsley walked through the room, her pace unhurried, taking in the demolished walls and the half-finished flooring.
What the fuck was I thinking, bringing her here?
But when Kinsley said she wanted to live together, this place was the only place I wanted to go.
We’d started here—where I’d clung to Kinsley’s memory even on the worst days.
What did she think about it? God, she probably hated it.
Here I was, asking her to start a life with me, and my home barely had plumbing.
It would take weeks—if not months—to get this home ready for us, especially Anna.
It didn’t look like much work had been done, but the room had transformed.
The remnants of the walls we’d ripped out were gone, a giant steel beam now supported the roof of the house, all to make the space more open.
Instead of a wall greeting you when you walked inside, your eye went to the double glass sliding doors along the back wall, the yard visible from the entire first floor.
But she wouldn’t know any of that, wouldn’t know that this mess was progress, one step closer to making it our home.
She hummed as she walked through the room, into what I hoped would become the dining room.
We’d need a large table, one big enough to fit the rest of the team and their partners.
Right now, there were only dust and paint samples, all in different shades of blue.
“Nothing is final,” I stammered. “Those were just ideas.”
Again, that noncommittal hum.
Past the dining room, the kitchen had started to come together.
Well, it at least had flooring and white, shaker style cabinets.
A large island sat in the middle of the room, capped wires hanging from the ceiling where pendant lights would eventually go.
Kinsley stood at the island, surveying the space without a single word.
Her eyes snagged on the double doors at the back of the house, the ones that led to the spacious backyard.
The property was less than an acre, but most of it was behind us, a wide patch of grass that led to the edge of the surrounding forest.
When my realtor first showed me the house, I’d fallen in love with the property, the sense of solitude inside a bustling neighborhood.
The sight was so different from where I’d grown up, with the high fences and forced waves to neighbors.
It was comfortable and peaceful, a place I’d happily hang my hat at the end of the day.
My pulse raced as Kinsley stepped toward the doors, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared out at the yard. “We should get a swing set.”
“What?”
She beamed back at me. “A swing set. Anna would love it once she’s old enough.”
“Does that—do you like it?”
She shook her head but couldn’t hide her grin. “I love it here, Jace. I always have. And you’ve done so much to it…” Kinsley stepped toward me, and I welcomed her into my arms. “You made us a home.”
“Not yet,” I grumbled. “There’s still so much to do. The design needs to be finalized, order paint—”
Kinsley silenced me with a kiss. “We’ll figure all of that out. But this place, what you created…it’s more than I could have ever wished for.”
“Does that mean you want to live here with me?”
“Try and stop me,” Kinsley said, stealing another kiss from my lips. “We need to christen every one of these rooms. When there’s furniture, I mean.”
That snapped my mind back into focus. I pulled back and took her hand. “There’s something else you need to see.”
I dragged her through the open space and up the stairs.
We breezed past the primary suite to the other bedrooms down the hall.
There were three rooms besides ours, and I’d decided long ago what they would be.
When we reached the first door, I placed my hands on Kinsley’s shoulders.
“Close your eyes.” Kinsley arched her brow at me.
“Trust me, mama. I think it’s a good surprise. ”
She groaned but did as I asked, closing her eyes as I twisted the door’s handle. Pressing on her lower back, I led Kinsley inside. “Okay, open them.”
Kinsley gasped as she took in the space, the one I’d picked out for Anna.
The painters had finished it earlier in the week, taking out the aged wood paneling in exchange for pale lavender paint that now covered the walls.
On the far side, Hadley had helped paint a mural of the clouds and the sunrise, the warmth of the tones making the room seem even cozier.
Kinsley’s eyes immediately went to the painting.
“It reminds me of the sunrise when we stood next to the lake.”
My throat bobbed. “That’s what I asked for. Hadley did it for us.”
“It’s perfect.” Kinsley’s voice cracked and her eyes watered as she turned to me. “Anna’s never had her own room before.”
Shit. I ran my hand over my face. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Kins. I should have asked first.”
“No, not like that.” Kinsley shook her head. “I meant that in a good way. Anna’s never had a room, and now…” She motioned around the space. “This one is better than anything I could have done. She’s going to love growing up here.”
Pride made my spine straighten, unable to keep the grin off my face. “You think so?”
“How could she not, Jace?” She turned in my arms and wrapped herself around my chest. “I can’t wait to show her.”
“It’s going to be a few more weeks, at least. I want to make sure everything is working and cleaned up before she comes.”
Kinsley stared at me, nothing but adoration and love filling her gaze. “We’ll wait as long as it takes. Just as long as we get to call this place home.”
"I like the sound of that,” I chuckled, brushing my fingers through her hair. “But you need to know, Kins—it doesn’t matter to me where we live. Home is wherever you and Anna are. Everything else is just extra.”
Over the next two weeks, Kinsley and I had been inseparable.
Now that we’d said I love you, it was as if those last barriers between us had crumbled into dust. The only downside was my travel days, but those weren’t as lonely when I came home to my family.
We talked every night, and Kinsley tuned into all my games.
She was there for me afterwards, whether I was riding the high of a win or trying to let go of a loss.
Luckily for us, the Hawks were on a winning streak, and we had no plans of stopping soon.
But the team was also counting down the days until the All-Star break, the one time we had off during the season.
Four days with my girls, no other plans than making some decisions for the house.
Barring any complications, we’d be in by the end of summer.
Cam sat in the chair by my side, his leg shaking as he stared at the screen mounted on the clubhouse wall. Some former ball players were discussing our upcoming game, going over our stats and the odds of another win. “How are you holding up?”
“About the game?” he asked, his eyes never leaving the screen. “Fucking ready, man. Want to get out there already, see my girl up in the box.”
“Same here,” I said as I settled more into the chair, grabbing my phone from the armrest. Only a message filled the screen, and the attached picture made me smile.
Anna beamed from her place in the middle of the group, all the girls surrounding her in their matching Hawks jerseys.
Anna’s was a little too long, but she didn’t care, looking the part to cheer me on for the game.
Cam peeked over my shoulder, smiling at the same photo. “God, she’s cute. How the hell did she come from you?”
“I could ask the same question about Emilia. Girl’s too smart to be your kid.”
“Ha, ha,” Cam deadpanned, staring back up at the screen. His eyes widened as someone joined the group. “Fuck, Lyons. Is that your dad?”
My jaw dropped as I followed his gaze, the camera panning to the field—our field.
My dad stood on the foul line, smirking as if he were the king of the world.
That bastard. When I refused to give in to his demands, he found his own way in.
He spoke into the microphone, but I tuned him out, unable to hear much outside of the ringing in my ears.
My phone chimed in my fist, and another message from Kinsley joined the others.
The color drained from my face. My dad was here—the same day as Kinsley and Anna. They were tucked safely up in the box we’d rented for the game, but it was still too close for me. My dad had sullied too much in my life already; there was no way I’d let him get to my girls.
I stood and stormed to the door, about to rush out to the field when Benny blocked my path. His hand found my shoulder, gripping it tightly. “Don’t make a scene, kid. If you do, he wins.”
Shaking my head, I backed up. “Fuck, I know, I know. But Kinsley and Anna are here, and if he gets to them—” My fists balled up again. “I’m not letting him mess with them. I’ll kill him first.”
“It won’t get to that,” Benny assured me, continuing to block the door with his wide frame. “But we need you out there, Jace. Get your head in the game.”
Easy for him to say. Right now, the only thing on my mind was dragging my dad out of here before he could ruin anything else.
Old anger raced through my veins, years of belligerent phone calls and shouting matches pushing me over the edge.
But as red threatened my vision, Benny came closer.
“Don’t let him win, Jace. Don’t throw away everything for a bitter old man. ”
That snapped me back into the present, into the room with the rest of my team—the men who had rallied around me since I returned, who treated me more like family than my flesh and blood.
These people deserved my loyalty, and if I stormed out onto the field right now, I’d be no better than two years ago. “Fuck, you’re right. I’m sorry—”
“Don’t,” Benny snapped. “Just get out there, Jace. Make your girls proud.”