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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

BODHI

“ T o Bodhi.” Dex lifts his beer as we’re situated around a few tables in the back of Jay’s Bar following tonight’s event. Thank God Oliver Magallan has it in good with the owners here. They never turn us away when we need a back room to hang out in while having a few beers. Even tonight when we have two teams squeezed into the space. “For living to tell the tale about almost dying at the hands of his coach.”

There’s a collective laugh around the room as glasses and bottles are lifted and everyone chants, “Here, here!”

Corrigan leans over and kisses my cheek and then her hand grasps mine resting on her thigh.

“We don’t call him Pickle Pants for nothing,” Griffin tells the group. “He’s a slippery lil’ sucker.” He raises his arms. “But hey! At least it’s out now, huh? No more secrets!”

I steal a glance at Corrigan, letting her call the shots since it’s her dad we’re talking about. As much as I’m willing to go to bat for her, I also will never be the reason she has a strained relationship with her father. Even after tonight, I know I need to make sure she talks to him, if not for his sake, then for hers. She nods and then happily announces, “No more secrets. I’m dating Bodhi Roche!”

Several of the WAGs with us tonight clap and call out, “YAAAS GIRL!”

“GET IT GIRL!”

“THAT’S RIGHT!”

“WOOOT!”

“Well, I think I can speak for us all,” Harrison says, “when I say we are glad you’re here, Corrigan, and welcome you officially to the Anaheim family. I don’t think you’ll be going anywhere aaaaany time soon if Pickle Pants has anything to say about it.”

There’s a collective agreement around the tables and then Ella, Scarlett, and Corrigan do this little secret handshake finger wiggle thing that I’ve never seen before but apparently it’s a thing.

Corri laughs and I can’t help but smile. I love seeing her happy.

Fuck, I just love her.

“Thank you, Harrison,” she says with a nod. “I’m very happy to be here.”

August leans forward, looking down the table at me. “So, what’s this going to do for tomorrow’s game?”

“Nothing at all.” Milo shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders. “We’re still going to kick your asses just as planned.”

August spits out his beer in laughter. “Oh really? It’s like that?”

Milo and Hawken both nod. “Yep.”

“Care to make a wager on those big balls, Landric?” We all look down the table to the opposite end to find Barrett watching Milo with one brow raised.

“What have you got in mind, Cunningham?”

Bear rubs his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “The losing team has to wear winning team’s jersey and have a picture taken for all of social media to see.”

“Oooh.” Carrissa’s eyes bulge and her smile widens. “This guy is a heavy hitter. I like it.”

“I’ll add to that wager,” Milo says with a nod. “The losing team also must make a team donation of a collective 1 million to the charity of the winning team’s choice.”

Barrett slams his hand down on the table. “Done!”

Milo and Barrett shake hands as the rest of us raise our glasses in agreement.

“Hey Carissa,” Ella says with a smirk on her face and twinkle in her eye. “Remind me to tell you about a really fun competition your guys can have. Just for you wives of course.”

Rory laughs. “And maybe we should tell you about the competition we made these asshats have while in Key West at the end of last season.”

Tatum roars with laughter. “Oh, my God, best day of my life.”

“Wait.” Dex’s brows furrow. “I thought the day you met me and we…you know…I thought that was the best day of your life.”

She pats his face endearingly, saying, “You’re right, honey. Totally right.” But then she turns back to me Ella and shakes her head, whispering, “Not even close.”

CORRIGAN

It’s just after dawn when I enter Dad’s house with two glasses of coffee and a couple pastries from his favorite bakery around the corner. I’m not in the kitchen more than ten minutes gathering plates and napkins for us both before Dad walks in and sees me sitting at the table.

“Corrigan? When did you get here?”

“Few minutes ago,” I tell him. “I brought coffee and pastries from Louise’s Bakery. The kind you like.” I gesture to the seat next to me. “Sit.”

I see the trepidation in his eyes. He can’t tell if he’s about to be ripped a new ass crack or if I’m here to make nice. I suppose up until a few minutes ago, even I wasn’t sure.

I’m still not.

But I have to say what needs to be said.

I watch Dad while he sits and reaches for the coffee I brought him and then I take a sip of mine as he sips his.

“Mmm. Thank you for this.”

“You’re welcome.”

I hold back a moment, hoping that maybe Dad will start this much needed conversation but he doesn’t. So, in his place, I simply state, “I love him, Dad.”

And then I wait.

He bows his head and takes another slow sip of his coffee, turning my words over in his head before he responds. “Tell me everything.”

“What would you like to know?”

Finally, his eyes meet mine. “For starters, I’d like to know how you met.”

Reaching for the box of pastries, I tell him, “Actually that was all your fault.”

“My fault?”

“I sent you a text message months ago about leaving leftover spaghetti for you in the fridge. Remember that?”

“Vaguely.”

“Well, the text you got was actually my second attempt. My first attempt never got to you because I sent it to the wrong number.”

His brows furrow. “Okay…”

“And then that wrong number answered me. And we texted back and forth about food.” I rip a piece of the orange cranberry scone I picked for myself off and toss it into my mouth. “We talked back and forth via text for days having no idea who each other was.”

“You never told him your name? He never told you his?”

“I told him my name was Corri.” I shrug. “Everybody calls me Corri. You call me Corri. Plus, it meant I wasn’t giving my full name…you know, in case he was a creeper.”

Dad actually chuckles at that comment. “Smart girl.”

“Dad, I didn’t know Bodhi was Bodhi until the night we decided to meet for the first time. He told me his name was Alan, which is his?—”

“Middle name,” he says, nodding.

“Yeah. The night we met, he gave me zero indication that he knew who I was, and why would he? I spent the last few years in London so he wouldn’t know who I am.”

“But you knew who he was.”

I cock my head. “Dad, am I your daughter or am I your daughter? Of course, I knew who he was immediately. I could’ve rattled his stats off to him faster than he probably could’ve told me himself.”

“That’s the truth.” He laughs again and I breathe a little easier hoping that maybe I’m getting somewhere with him. Maybe I’m lightening the tension.

“This is where it gets…I don’t know, awkward,” I warn him.

Dad’s face goes still. “Did he hurt you? Did he say something to you?”

“No, no, no. Nothing like that Dad, but in our conversations he was very vulnerable and I was a safe space for him. He trusted me and I wasn’t about to betray his trust just because I recognized him. So, I kept the secret to myself. He had no idea for weeks that he was falling for his coach’s daughter.”

“When did he figure it out? When did you tell him?”

“I didn’t tell him,” I murmur, bowing my head. “We walked into Harold’s together that day, remember? And the team was there?”

Dad’s jaw drops. “Corrigan Hicks. Are you telling me he saw us together that day and that’s the first time he learned about who you were?”

I nod slowly. “I’m not proud of it, Dad. I should’ve told him. I know I should’ve told him. I took that responsibility and I apologized profusely because I felt horrible.”

“So, you didn’t really lose a patient that day? You were just upset about lying to Bodhi?”

“Oh, no, I really did lose a patient. All this hit at the same time and it was a hot mess and I was a dumpster fire but,” I add, raising my head to meet Dad’s gaze, “he stuck by me through all of it. He held me while I cried my eyes out over that little boy, Dad. He sat on the couch all night long because I fell asleep with my head on his chest. He helped me unpack my apartment so it wouldn’t be a mess if you stopped over.” I reach over and lay my hand over his. “He loves me, Dad. He cares about me and I care about him.”

I sit up a little taller having gotten that all off my chest. “I love you, Dad. I do, but I’m an adult now and I’m very good at making my own decisions. I’m responsible and I’m a good judge of character.” I bob my head. “Except for Leo, of course, because you taught me those traits. And so, I’m here this morning to tell you that I love Bodhi Roche. And we’re together now. And we’re serious. And you don’t have to love that I’m with him. It’s okay if you don’t. But you do have to respect my decisions as an adult, because I’m not your little girl anymore.”

Tears well up in his eyes and his nose crinkles the way it does when he’s trying not to cry, but then he whispers, “Corri you will always be my little girl.”

“I suppose that’s true.” I give him a soft smile.

“I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time last night,” he finally says. “And I’m sorry I insinuated you were a…a…”

I raise my brows. “A whore?”

“Yeah. That.” He cringes shamefully. “I guess I didn’t exactly have the best night last night. But seeing someone attached to my little girl like that was…” He shakes his head. “I wasn’t ready for it.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry we threw you for a loop, but I’m happy Dad. Bodhi makes me really happy.”

He finally reaches for his favorite double chocolate chip muffin from the box of pastries and takes a bite. “He treats you well? Because if that little shit ever does something to hurt you…”

Relaxing a bit more now, I smile at my dad. “If he ever hurts me, you’ll be the first to know…er…” I cock my head and cringe slightly. “Okay second to know.”

We both look at each other and in tandem shrug and say, “Layken.”