Trade Deadline - Avon Gale Page 0,68
of things sometimes, too.” Daniel made a helpless motion with one hand. “But we didn’t want to complicate the situation once we’d had the talk about how we weren’t in love anymore, you know? There was no ‘friends with benefits’ for us, especially not with the kids involved. Separating seemed like the next logical step. The best decision for everyone involved.”
Micah’s eyes moved over his face. “But?”
Daniel couldn’t help his laugh. “Nothing, that’s the thing. There’s no reason I should be upset about her dating someone else. I’m genuinely happy for her. I want her to move on. I want her to find love again. I have.”
Micah smiled and reached up to touch his cheek. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Daniel pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose, to the light dusting of freckles across the bridge. “At the same time, it’s also... I don’t know. The end of an era, I guess?”
“I get it,” Micah said, his head bobbing. “It’s a chapter closed, or maybe the end of one story before another begins. If you’re moving on and she’s moving on, it feels very...final.” He moved his hand to rest his knuckles against Daniel’s sternum. “I’ve never been in your exact situation—you guys were married for a long time—but in my experience, there’s always something bittersweet about seeing an ex with someone new, especially if you didn’t part on bad terms and maybe it was just a matter of things not being right anymore.”
“Exactly.” Daniel sighed. “I was thinking about it last night, and I couldn’t decide how I felt. I guess I just needed to parse through all those emotions.”
Micah leaned into him, his fingers dropping to play with the hem of Daniel’s fleece pullover. “You scared me for a minute there. I adore Tabby, you know I do, but you’re mine now. I want to keep you.”
“And I most definitely want to be kept by you.” Daniel slipped a palm beneath Micah’s thin T-shirt to the small of his back. The skin there was warm and soft, and his questing touch drew a shiver from Micah. Daniel chuckled and dipped his head to kiss the base of Micah’s throat. “But maybe we should continue this later. I think I smell something burning.”
Micah yanked himself away with a yelp of alarm. “The chicken!”
Daniel watched fondly as Micah scrambled to move a pot off the burner.
“Shit, I thought I’d turned that down.” He lifted the lid and poked at the contents. “I think it’ll be okay.”
He was right, although Daniel’s mind was still on the topic they’d been discussing. It would be okay. He and Tabby would always be friends and co-parents. Daniel had to believe that wouldn’t change, no matter what happened in their romantic lives. There might be a bit of an adjustment period for everyone involved, but, well...changes didn’t have to be a bad thing, right?
He helped Micah finish their meal and they settled at the small table in the dining area off the kitchen with plates of chicken tacos and the pitcher of peach margaritas between them.
“This is delicious,” Daniel told Micah after taking a big bite. The meat was tender and savory with just a bit of a kick. He’d never had pineapple salsa before, but he loved the spicy, citrusy sweet flavor combination and the crunch of the cabbage.
Micah beamed at him. “Good thing only the chicken at the bottom of the pot got a little charred.”
“It’s perfect. You can’t even tell.” Daniel took another bite. “By the way,” he added once he’d finished his first taco. “I’m going to tell the kids about us next weekend. It’s time, I think. Honestly, I don’t imagine it’ll be any kind of issue. They already love you, and I want them to know how much I care about you. This is where I want to be, right here with you.”
Micah’s hazel eyes went soft. He reached across the table to grab Daniel’s hand. “That’s what I want, too.”
“Then you’re okay with me telling them?”
“Of course.”
“Good.”
Daniel happily dove back into his food. Despite his uncertainty about his future with the Thunder, at least he and Micah were solid. They were on the same page and they wanted the same things. There was comfort in that knowledge.
After lunch, they retreated to the patio to finish the pitcher of margaritas. Micah had already hung the dolphin wind chime, and between the melodious tinkling and the cool winter breeze, Daniel was feeling pretty relaxed as he lounged in one of the