to push back the dread she felt. “I…I had no idea.”
“Not something I advertise,” he admitted. He watched Gia close and she understood that look—the searching squint of his eyes, the assumption he made but wouldn’t voice. “I get by on my own,” he explained.
“You do,” Kona agreed, slapping Kai’s back. “Wouldn’t let me call in a single scout when he was in college or even make any introductions.” He smiled wide, giving Kai such a look of pride that Gia’s throat tightened.
Kai stared at Kona, his expression mixed. There was a smile there, something Gia recognized as his clear admiration, but there was something more. Something she remembered seeing years before when Luka would look at Kona; when Kona would have the attention of a crowd and Luka became background. He never seemed jealous of his twin, but there was a resignation that seemed to come over him, like he knew that Kona would always be center stage. Kai wore a similar expression now, watching Kona brag about him, watching as the man looked at Gia like he knew her, like there was something he wanted to say but couldn’t find the words.
The air around Gia felt thick, and she knew whatever she said would sound stupid and forced. But there’d be no way to make any sense of this awkwardness right now. There was too much attention on all of them. There were too many questions that needed to be answered.
“Well,” she started, putting on the GM mask again, “it seems talent runs in your family.” Next to her, Reese shifted, reminding Gia why they’d made the trip to Philly in the first place and she blessed the woman for the distraction she gave her. “Kona, have you met Reese Noble?”
“No, I haven’t,” he started, offering a hand to the woman. “You got quite a leg on you.”
“Thanks. Got a second one to match. They come in twos, apparently.”
Gia managed to pretend to laugh, joining with Kona and Reese as Kai went on frowning. He used the distraction of their laughter to move behind them, coming to stand at Gia’s side, doing nothing to ease her already frazzled mood.
Kona’s smile was warm, soothing when he turned to face her, head tilting in such a reminiscent way that Gia squeezed her eyes shut to keep the flash of that nearly twenty-year memory out of her head.
“Gia, let me take you two out, please.” He motioned between her and Kai, then nodded at Reese. “You, too, Noble. I’d love to find out how you’re liking my hometown, maybe see if you wouldn’t want to come by CPU and talk to our team.”
He went on speaking to Gia’s placekicker, mentioning his team at CPU and Gia thought she heard him talking about his son. She wasn’t sure. The only thing she could focus on was the look Kai gave her as he stood next to her, his focus on her profile. His expression was solemn, worried, a look that made his mouth hard and pinched his features.
The flight together had been awkward, punctuated by infrequent brushes of his hand against her leg and his breath on her neck when he moved to the side to let Wilson into his seat. But Kai hadn’t spoken much to her. He hadn’t done much but look at her, give Gia the indication that he still waited for her to shake the hesitation and fear that kept them apart.
The looks had been all heat, passion, a longing Gia hadn’t felt for many years—something that reminded her of a hungry man willing to wait, just a little longer, for the decadent meal he knew was coming.
Now though, the look had changed. Now there was worry. Now there was confusion.
Now there was hurt.
“So?” Kona said, looking back at Kai and Gia. “Dinner?”
“Sure, brah,” Kai answered his cousin, nudging Gia who gave them both a flippant nod.
“I’d love to, Kona, but I have plans tonight,” Reese answered, and Gia understood immediately the grin she couldn’t keep off her face. Noble wasn’t remotely smooth. Gia knew that Ryder was waiting for her back at the hotel.
“I gotcha,” Kona said, offering Reese his hand to shake again. Gia returned the nod Reese sent her way, but she didn’t move much more than that. Not when Kai touched her back, pausing like he was waiting on her to tell her placekicker goodbye before he led her toward the door. Behind her, she heard Kona telling Reese to get in touch with