down to Finn’s level. “How about you let me have a chat with Ronan first, then I’ll wave you over when I’m done and you can meet him. Whaddya reckon? That sound okay?”
The chin wobble stopped as Finn gave a solemn nod. “Okay.”
“I bet Mommy and Daddy”—Cole was proud of the way it came out without so much of a hint of what he was feeling toward Tad and his untimely appearance—“could go and meet some other players with you in the meantime?”
The game was hardly a huge stadium event where players went straight to their locker rooms and the ground was off-limits to everyone. The players here were mingling on the field with members of the public, chatting, signing autographs, and posing for selfies with fans.
Finn looked up at his father. “Could we do that, Daddy?”
Tad smiled and held out his hand. “Of course, bud. Let’s go.”
Cole knew it was wrong to resent the other man. He was Finn’s father, and, apart from some initial wariness, he’d been fine with Cole. But in this moment, for reasons he didn’t want to explore too closely, he resented the hell out of him…
It took a few moments to get Ronan alone. He was popular with the crowd and really popular with the ladies. They wanted endless selfies, and, clearly not being a stupid guy, he obliged them all. Objectively, Cole supposed, he was a good-looking dude. He was tall and built, as were most professional footballers, his hair shaved all over to a number one, giving him a lean, kinda hungry energy. His little band of groupies had seemed to appreciate it, as they’d all asked to rub his head.
“My lucky charm,” he joked as he’d let them.
“Hey, Ronan,” Cole said, holding out his hand when it was finally his turn, resting his cane against his leg. “I’m—”
“You want to rub my head, too?” he said with a laugh, clearly cracking himself up, then stopping suddenly as realization dawned. “Oh my god. Cole Hauser?” Ronan’s face registered surprise, then creased into joy as he shook Cole’s hand vigorously. “I know who you are, man. I’ve followed your career since I was a kid.”
Cole gave a half laugh at the backhanded compliment. He could tell Ronan hadn’t meant anything by it, but hell if he didn’t feel fucking ancient all of a sudden.
“I was so bummed about the accident.” Ronan’s gaze flicked briefly to the cane, then back again. “Please tell me we’re going to be seeing you back on the pitch ASAP. I’m super stoked to see you playing for the Smoke.”
“Unfortunately not. I think my surgeon would kill me with his bare hands if I undid all his good work the first time I got tackled again.”
That’s what it had boiled down to in the end. The surgeon flat-out telling him he could walk or he could play football until his next big hit, but he couldn’t do both.
“Oh, man.” Ronan’s face fell. He was obviously devastated on Cole’s behalf, myriad emotions flitting across the younger guy’s features. Cole recognized each one, but, surprisingly, he didn’t feel them as acutely as he had. “That sucks.”
“Yeah.” It did suck. But it didn’t feel so bad anymore.
Ronan looked uncomfortable at the calm admission. Like he didn’t understand why Cole was so accepting of this terrible rugby-less fate. It probably seemed like a fate worse than death to a guy with the world at his feet, so Ronan changed the subject. “Man…what are you doing all the way over in the U.S. of A?”
“I’m here on…vacation.”
“Yeah? Well, hey.” He clapped a hand on Cole’s shoulder and urged him forward with him. “You should come and meet the guys. They’ll go nuts knowing you’re here.”
Cole halted after a couple of paces and steadied himself, causing Ronan to also put on the brakes. “In a minute,” he said. “I was hoping to talk to you privately for a moment.”
“You want to talk to me?” Ronan’s brow crinkled. “What about?”
“About your career.”
“My…career?” he said, his expression still puzzled.
“Yeah…you know. Where do you see yourself going?”
Cole saw the moment Ronan Dempsey registered that this wasn’t just two rugby players shooting the breeze. He stood a little taller. “Is this…a hypothetical?”
He lifted a shoulder in a careless shrug. “Sure.”
Ronan narrowed his eyes. “And in this hypothetical, is this you asking, or…?”
“It’s me.” Cole nodded. “For the moment.”
“I see.”
Cole wasn’t sure if Ronan did, but he was getting there. A group of women approached, all keen for selfies and