April joined them as they chatted with the kids, and she patted him on the arm. Natalie and her mom still weren’t completely easy with each other, but that would smooth out with time. If today was any indication, he would be joining Natalie at family gatherings again soon enough. His whole life stretched out before him, and he liked what he saw. Soon, they’d be getting married again and sharing only one house. They could figure out the details together.
He spotted Emmits Merriam’s athletic director talking with Logan, and he leaned down to kiss Natalie on the cheek. “There’s someone I need to thank. When you finish talking with the boys, come find me.”
Her blue eyes seemed to glow with inner light when he gazed into them, and he allowed himself to become lost in them for a moment. When he walked off, he could hardly even feel the turf under his feet.
“Hey, Tom,” he called out to the director and then jogged over to close the gap between them. “I’m so glad you came. I just can’t thank you enough for letting us use your facilities. I hope we can arrange it again next year.”
While Tom Hudson had played division three football back in the day, he still had a striking physique for a man in his early fifties. “Absolutely, Blake. I was just telling Logan how much this makes me wish Emmits Merriam had a football team. But you know. Funds.” The man shrugged. “You can hold your camp here anytime. Maybe you can even do it more than once a year since it’s obviously a huge success. Then I can sneak over and watch the drills—which I have to admit I’ve done a few times this week.”
So this man had never been able to get football out of his blood either? Blake felt a new kinship with him. “You should have joined us. It would have been fun to have you involved. How about we throw the ball around a bit later? The guys were talking about playing a pick-up game since some of the kids asked about it.”
“We haven’t decided who will be the quarterbacks,” Logan joked. “We have an abundance of them. What position did you play, Tom?”
“Wide receiver. I still throw the ball around with my sons and grandsons. I probably wouldn’t embarrass myself too much.”
“Good,” Blake said. “We’ll find you after we finish up the autograph session.” He looked over to the corner of the field where Kelly was setting up the station.
“It’s great of you guys to sign autographs,” Tom said. “I hate to ask, but do you think I could ask for one for my grandsons? They’re five and seven and huge Raiders fans.”
“Of course,” he said easily. “Anything you need. I owe you and your staff for all the help you’ve given us. Your facilities were awesome.”
“They really were,” Logan said. “You have a great school here from what I can tell.”
“Thanks,” Tom said, puffing out his chest. “We try. I’ll let you guys get back to the kids. See you in a bit.”
Blake and Logan jogged over to the autograph station to join the others. The boys were already converging on it in droves, jabbering and giggling, high on fruit punch, sliced oranges, and all the other semi-healthy treats set up on the buffet tables on the sidelines.
It felt a little weird for Blake as he scrawled his name on old Raiders merchandise, but he forced himself not to dwell on the past. Natalie was his future. And so was this camp. Everything was finally falling into place.
After they gave autographs to everyone who wanted them, Blake talked to a few parents who had hung around to chat. Then he was surprised to catch sight of Raymond Sandburg, a major player in Special Olympics—a man he’d met at many a fundraiser. He excused himself and walked over to greet him, noting that Natalie was still talking to some of the boys, Jordan by her side like the good friend he was.
“Raymond,” he said, shaking the man’s hand. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“I told Kelly to keep it a secret. All of us at Special Olympics were so excited about this camp. We decided someone needed to visit, and I nominated myself.”
“I’m glad,” he told him. “I’m really happy to be doing more work with you all now that I have the time.”
“Likewise. Your brother would be beyond proud of you, Blake. What you bring to this sport, what you bring to these kids…it’s special.”
His throat thickened, and he knew a simple cough wouldn’t clear it. “Thanks. That means a lot.”
“The job offer at headquarters is still open,” he said, raising a thick, bushy eyebrow, “but I think I finally understand your hesitation about relocating. You and you ex-wife seem to be on good terms again.”
He glanced over at Natalie, who was laughing as Jordan and Grant led a group of the boys in the Electric Slide. “Yes. She has a wonderful job here.”
“Let’s see what we can do,” Raymond said. “We know how important this organization is to you after all your years of support, and your ability to take on a larger role would mean the world to us. Just this week, we’ve had over a thousand calls at headquarters from parents who have read about your camp in the news. Flag football is just taking off in our organization, and as you’ve seen, there’s a huge need.”
“Yes,” he answered, feeling a peace settle deep inside him.