A guy my age walked by me on the way to the door. He was holding a little girl around two years old in one arm, and a young boy that must’ve been part of the tournament held his other hand.

He did a double take. “Aiden?” He jerked like he was going to hold his hand out but they were both claimed. “Been a while.”

His name came to me along with an image of him sixteen years ago. A muscular teen with determination in his eyes and headgear protecting his ears. “Craig, how’ve you been?”

He shrugged and tipped his head toward the kids that were staring at me, his smile rueful.

“Who dat?” the little girl asked.

“An old wrestling buddy of Daddy’s,” Craig answered. “You have a kid in the tournament?”

I couldn’t identify the flip my stomach did. Most of my discussions outside of work centered on light chats about King Oil, and if they went deeper, then the person I was talking with knew I didn’t have kids. “No. My niece is wrestling.”

“Who’s that?”

“Matt McDonough’s daughter. You remember him? He was a few years ahead of us.” Matt had been in a lower weight class, but whether he’d been eligible to wrestle or not based on his behavior had been more memorable than his time on the mat.

“Violet, right?” Craig barked out a laugh. “She’s a bloodthirsty one. I told Mattie that she’s going to show us what he could’ve done if he hadn’t been suspended so often.”

I chuckled. Matt’s wild teen years had made him a laid-back adult, for the most part, and he’d be proud to hear that about his daughter’s talent. “She’s quite a girl.”

“You might have time to catch her. I think she had one more match. Jason’s youngest was on the mat when I left.” Craig’s little girl twisted in his arms and whined. He edged toward the door. “Been a long day for her. Maybe I’ll see you here again?”

Tendrils of longing trailed through me. I’d gotten to know Craig as more than an opponent. The guy had wrestled out of Miles City, but we’d seen each other enough for him to feel like a friend, or the closest thing I’d had to a friend outside of my brothers. Seeing him surrounded by kids after enjoying a day of watching what they could do… Those were feelings best left unexamined. I had obligations Craig didn’t. “See you.”