Free Juked by M.E. Carter Page A

There’s no guarantees, ya know?” I nod. “They just did it because they knew I loved it, and it made me happy.”
    I love knowing he comes from a really solid family background with what sounds like amazing parents. So many of my friends had absentee parents or even abusive homes. It’s nice to talk to someone who seems to have stability in their past.
    “If you weren’t playing soccer, what would you be doing?” I ask.
    “You mean what was my major?” I nod. “Business.”
    I furrow my brow. “Business? I can’t see you being a business major.”
    “I think a lot of college athletes are, especially those of us who are scouted for the pros early on. It’s a good idea to know how to manage your money and things like that. Plus, once we retire, lots of companies don’t mind picking us up because of the status. Knowing what I’m doing in a business sense will give me a leg up on the competition someday.”
    “Always worried about the competition, aren’t you?” I deadpan.
    “Are you telling me there’s some competition for your affections I don’t know about?”
    That wasn’t at all what I thought he was going to say. “Yes, because there are so many men out there knocking down the doors of women with babies. I’m surprised I’m even sitting here right now.” I meant it as a joke, but Daniel doesn’t look amused.
    “Don’t sell yourself short,” he says. “Raising your nephew isn’t a negative at all. If anything, it highlights that you’re caring and generous and loyal. If a man can’t see that, you’re looking at the wrong man.”
    Our waiter reappears to take our order. I fumble my way through it as I quickly decide what I want, still taken aback at the turn of this conversation. But Daniel’s right. Just because Chance and I are a package deal now, doesn’t mean I’m not still the total package. Sometimes it takes someone else to point it out.
    “Your family sounds really great,” I say, fiddling with the condensation on my glass after the waiter leaves. “Sounds like you guys are really tight.”
    He has a strange look on his face. “For the most part, we are.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “My brothers and sisters and I are really close and we’re all close with our mama.”
    “But?”
    “I don’t talk to my dad.”
    I cock my head, sure I didn’t hear him correctly. “Your dad?” He nods. “The guy who coached all your soccer teams and encouraged you to pursue it?”
    “Yeah. I mean, I give him credit for helping me get where I am today. He was a good father, ya know?”
    I listen closely. I have the most overwhelming feeling he doesn’t talk about this part of his life often.
    “As soon as I graduated, he left. Just left my mom after thirty years of marriage or something crazy like that. Said he hadn’t been happy for years and went to go live with his girlfriend.”
    My jaw drops. “His what?”
    Daniel shakes his head like he still can’t believe it himself. “I know, right? Apparently he was seeing her the entire time I was in high school, knowing he was going to leave as soon as I was out of school. Talk about a kick in the balls to know the man you admired was a liar and a cheat.”
    I sit back and cross my arms. “That sucks for you guys, but your poor mom… wow.”
    “Obviously I wasn’t there when he dropped that bomb on her, but from what I gathered, she was as blindsided as the rest of us.” He rubs his lip with his forefinger, deep in thought. “She handled it with such grace, ya know? To find out my dad was having an affair. Then to find out he was leaving her for a girl my sister’s age. But I never once saw her cry and she never once broke under the stress of it all.” He looks at me. “She faced it head-on, forced his hand in divorce court and won alimony, and that was that.”
    I smile. “She sounds amazing. I’m not sure I would be as strong under those circumstances.”
    “You don’t, do you?” he asks as he sits back, stretching