# CHAPTER 2: Surprise Visitors and a Wanted Complication
Hello everyone, it’s me again! How are you all doing? I hope you’re ready for another emotional ride, because Chapter 2 of “All In With Me” takes us from the sharp sting of regret straight into the warm, complicated heart of Patton James. Today, I’ll walk with you through every play, every confession, and every surprise knock at the door. So, let’s get started.
The chapter opens with Patton and Will finishing a run, trading the kind of banter that only close friends can share. Patton wins the sprint, and lunch is on Will. At a quiet local pub, Patton avoids alcohol because of the big game, but he can’t avoid the thoughts that have been chasing him. Ever since Becca’s letter arrived, his mind has been stuck on Taylor. He admits she’s everywhere—her memory lingers in his linens, in his dreams, in every quiet moment. Will pushes him to call her, to keep it light, but Patton refuses. He believes he has hurt her enough, and she deserves peace.
Then ESPN cuts through the moment. Brett, the commentator Patton can’t stand, starts running his mouth, questioning Patton’s age and career as if Patton is already done. Tom St. Patrick defends him, but the damage is done. Patton stews through his meal, imagining proving Brett wrong on game day with a Super Bowl win. Will reminds him it’s just part of the sports world, but Patton’s irritation lingers.
The next few days are a blur of workouts, film study, and meetings with coaches. But when night falls, the memories return. Patton eats the meal Kate prepared, then finally calls Becca. She answers in a rush, scolding him for taking so long. The letter opened a door, and Patton thanks her for her kind words. But Becca is not interested in polite gratitude. She pushes him straight toward the truth: does he still love her mother? Becca tells him she knows Taylor loves him, but they have danced around each other for over three years. She warns him that Taylor is planning to leave for Europe, and if Patton doesn’t step up, he will lose her forever.
Becca doesn’t stop there. She tells him he has been a ghost, letting holidays pass without a word, hurting both her and Taylor with his distance and loud silence. She reveals that Taylor still watches his games on television, even though she denies it. Then she has to go, late for a lecture, leaving Patton stunned and aching. All the voices in his head—Will, Meg, and now Becca—tell him to go get his girl before it’s too late. He takes a couple of shots of bourbon, knowing it isn’t the answer, then falls asleep and dreams of Taylor.
And that’s when the story pulls us into the past.
Patton remembers the month he spent with Taylor as one of the best of his life. She is beautiful, incredibly smart, and can play a mean game of poker. He only wishes she loved football too—then she would truly be his dream woman. Will teases him about inviting Taylor to the game on Sunday, calling it a bold move. Patton admits he’s taking a page from Will’s playbook, but Will warns him that his own early invitation nearly blew up in his face. Patton insists that for Taylor, he is willing to try. He doesn’t do relationships, but with her, he wants to learn.
He goes home, clears his head, and calls Taylor to ask about dinner. No answer. So he decides to surprise her. He knows she’s busy with deadlines for Vogue and Elle, but a woman has to eat, right? Patton also reflects on his mother, the woman who secretly tutored him so he could keep playing football, who encouraged his dream even when his strict father demanded perfect grades. She died from an aggressive blood disorder, and his father drifted away to Florida. Patton wants more than the lonely marriage his parents had. Taylor Ashby could be the one.
He arrives at Taylor’s brownstone with dinner. He rings the bell. And when the door opens, Taylor isn’t alone. A man is with her. Patton’s blood runs cold. The man introduces himself as Bradford Ashby—Taylor’s ex-husband. Patton is polite but stunned. He hands over the dinner, tells them to enjoy, and walks away. Taylor follows, demanding he stop. They argue in the street. Patton is hurt that she never told him she was married. Taylor fires back that he never shared his own life either. She admits she should have told him, but her ex is complicated. Patton apologizes for storming off, for being jealous and overbearing. He pulls her into his arms and asks her to finish what he interrupted. She asks him to come with her.
Inside, Bradford reveals they have matters to discuss regarding their daughter. Patton’s hand tightens around Taylor’s waist. She goes silent again. Patton gives them space, waiting in her office, where he sees photos of a little girl on Taylor’s lap. His mind races. Then Taylor comes in and explains everything. Bradford delivered custody papers. Taylor now has full custody of their fourteen-year-old daughter, Becca. Bradford never wanted the marriage, and neither did she. They were more like friends with benefits who created a baby. He didn’t want her to have the child at first, but she refused abortion, so he married her. They divorced four years later. For ten years, he fought custody out of spite. Now, finally, Becca is completely hers. Bradford only wants to be a father when it suits him. Taylor is from Boston, spent years in New York, and now loves Seattle. Her career is strong, and she hopes to become an editor one day.
Patton listens without judgment. He tells her that kids are never baggage—they are a bonus. If Becca is anything like Taylor, he knows he will love her too. Then he says the words: “I love you, Taylor, and I want to be with you.” Taylor is stunned, tearful, and says she loves him too. He asks if she will let him have her tonight. She says yes. He carries her to the bedroom, but after such a tumultuous night, they both know it isn’t the right time. Instead, he holds her. They wake up in each other’s arms, and it becomes one of the best nights Patton has had in a long time.
Reader’s Impressions & Star Rating: This chapter is a beautiful, messy blend of regret and romance. The present-day scenes with Becca are heartbreaking, especially when she tells Patton he has been a ghost and that Taylor still watches his games in secret. The past timeline with Taylor is tender and electric, and Bradford’s sudden appearance creates the perfect storm of jealousy, misunderstanding, and honesty. I loved that Patton didn’t just storm off forever—he came back, listened, and proved he could be the man Taylor needs. The only reason it isn’t a full five stars for me is that I wanted more of the present-day fallout with Becca and Taylor’s move to France. Still, this chapter delivers emotion, conflict, and swoon-worthy confessions. ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
Next Chapter Prediction: I predict Chapter 3 will jump back to the present, where Patton has to decide whether to chase Taylor before she leaves for France. Becca may become the bridge between them, perhaps pushing Patton to make a grand gesture. Bradford could reappear with more custody drama, or he might try to interfere now that Patton is in Taylor’s life. I also think we will finally see Patton meet Becca properly, and that meeting will either soften his resolve or complicate everything. With the Super Bowl looming, Patton will have to balance his career and his heart—and I have a feeling he’s about to go all in.
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