Mine to Gain: An Ex's Brother Single Dad Sports Romance

Chapter 1

Beatrix

You knowthat moment when you’ve had enough? Where everything in your life has been on a downhill slide, and now, the smallest, most ridiculous thing imaginable is about to send you into burn-everything-down mode? That’s me right now. Standing outside the Queen City Chaos football team’s auxiliary building in front of a man who I am sure is otherwise a very lovely gentleman but is currently wielding his access power to the team like he is the last bastion between the players and certain doom.

“As I said, I don’t have my badge yet. I’m still new, but I’m Beatrix Xavier. I should be on the list. I’m Madison Westfield’s assistant and part of the PR team.”

“If you don’t have a badge, you can’t get in.” He doesn’t bother to look at me now.

“Well, I’m required at this event, and the PR team knows I don’t have a badge. They said I’d be on the list. Could you please call someone and have them double-check? You’ll see that I’m on the PR staff list, I promise.” I give him my sweetest smile, praying that he’ll be reasonable. I glance at the time on my watch. I’m about two minutes away from being officially late and the anxiety turns my stomach.

“Ma’am, I don’t have time for personal favors. We have an event here tonight. If you don’t have a badge I can scan, you can’t come through. Those are my orders.” He looks at me dismissively and moves on to the next person behind me in line.

I’m so frustrated I could cry. Nothing has gone right lately. But I fight the tears because I’m not about to let anyone think I’m anything less than professional. Especially not when I’m fighting for any sort of chance I can get at a full-time job here. Some way that I can keep my dreams alive.

“Okay. Well, what if I can get ahold of someone inside with a badge? If they come get me, will you let me in?” I ask as I watch him usher several more people inside the building.

“If they can bring you a badge with your name on it, sure.” He gives me the kind of smile that tells me he thinks I’m making shit up, and my nails bite into my palms as I smile back. “But you need to step aside. You’re in the way, and we have other people trying to get through here.”

“Okay. I’m going to call Madison then. Thank you.” I flash another saccharine smile in his direction, willing myself to keep a calm, polite demeanor despite the fact he’s toying with my sanity.

“I have no idea who Madison is, ma’am, but you need to get out of the way, please.” He dismisses me sharply, like I’m a cocklebur stuck in his shoe.

I step to the side and let out a soft growl of frustration as I root for my phone in my purse. I watch as he picks up his walkie-talkie and says something into it, his eyes lifting to look me over one more time while he talks. I have a feeling if I keep pressing the issue, I’m going to be banned from the Chaos’s buildings for life.

I don’t need this today of all days. I really can’t afford to be late or have people wondering where I am when this is a big event for the families. His refusal to even look at the list I’m positive he has somewhere behind his desk or on his phone has me ready to scream. But I can hear my mother’s voice in the back of my head, telling me to stay calm and prove him wrong by doing what he asks. Class over crass, she always used to say.

More players and their families easily slide past me, notably without badges. But Mr. Rules over here strikes me as the type that has every single player’s name and current stats memorized before the season starts so he can chat them up. Sure enough, he nods, smiling and waving them in quickly.

I press the call button next to Madison’s name, and it starts to ring. And ring… And ring. As more people file by, it sends me to her voicemail, and I send a text instead.

I start walking back and forth trying to burn off my nervous energy while I wait, staring at the city skyline, and wishing that I had her brother Easton’s phone number. He’s the wide receiver for the Queen City Chaos and one of the city’s favorite players. I’m sure if he came out here, Mr. Rules would be eating his words. I’m out of luck there too. I try Wren, his wife, instead, but her phone goes to voicemail as well.

I’m guessing Madison is too busy setting things up, and Wren is probably busy greeting other players and their families. I pace the sidewalk again, trying to think of another solution that isn’t just bull rushing past Mr. Rules and hoping I can run faster than him. I can’t imagine it looks good that I’m missing. I’m supposed to be helping get photos for the day and helping oversee some of the activities the team has arranged for the families.

When the next players go in and Mr. Rules is busy scrolling his phone for a moment, I approach him again, hoping that politeness can still win him over.

“Hi again. I called my friend, but she’s not answering. I’m guessing she’s busy helping with stuff inside and can’t hear her phone. Is there someone you could call over the walkie-talkie to ask her to come out? Or could you ask for Easton Westfield? He’s a friend as well. Either of them would be happy to explain to you that I’m part of the staff and just haven’t received my badge yet.

“Ma’am. I’m not going to repeat myself. If you don’t have a badge, you don’t get in. I’m not bothering any of the players to have them come out here and get you. They’re busy enjoying the day with their families and don’t have time to be bothered with friends right now.”

The way he says friends has snapped my last bit of patience. If he wants to pour gasoline everywhere, then I’m ready to toss the match. I open my mouth to speak when an arm suddenly wraps around my shoulder, and I’m pulled close to a hard chest. The scent of a soft, masculine cologne wraps around me and a warm, deep voice I haven’t heard in a while speaks on my behalf.

“Hey, Jim. How are you today? Is there a problem here? I see you met Trixie. She’s coming in with me today if that’s all right.”

My heart skips a beat and I close my eyes because I’m being rescued by my ex-boyfriend’s older brother. If that’s not the cherry on top of everything today, I don’t know what is.

I look up, and Cooper flashes me a bright smile and winks at me, squeezing my shoulders before he looks back up at Mr. Rules, apparently, also known as Jim. Jim snaps to attention, his stiffness melting until it’s all cordiality and friendliness. Lizzy, Cooper’s daughter, is standing next to him, her eyes darting between all three of us as she watches her father charm my nemesis, and she grins with amusement.

“Of course, Mr. Rawlings. I didn’t realize she was with you. I apologize.”

Raucous internal screaming is happening on my part, but I just flash my own smile at Jim while I bite my tongue and follow Cooper into the building. I take a deep breath after I’m past the gauntlet of entry doors and try to recenter my sanity before I have to go in to work with my game face on. But first, I have to thank my ex-boyfriend’s brother for saving me from starting a war I might not have been able to win with Jim.

“Thank you for that. I appreciate it.” I give him my first genuine smile of the day.

“Anytime, Trixie. Sorry he gave you shit. He means well, I think, but he’s a little overprotective of the team.”

“I noticed.”

“Trix! I’ve missed you!” Lizzy beams at me. Lizzy is Cooper’s thirteen-year-old daughter. We bonded initially on my first family trip with the Rawlings to their family lake house. She’d been more than thrilled to find out that I knew how to play some of her favorite games and was willing to listen to her stories and flip through her art books with her. The kid is a prodigy, honestly, who is desperately excited to get through school so she can start a career in video game design.

“I’ve missed you too! How have you been? How was school this past year? You’ve gotten so much taller.” I’m doing the mental math, and if I’m right, she’s just finished eighth grade. She’s shot up at least another inch in the last year and is coming closer and closer to my five-nine, especially in the platform sneakers she has on.

“It was good. I start high school in the fall. Dad’s terrified.” She laughs as she looks at her father, and he gives me a sheepish shrug.

“Wow. Time has flown by. How’s the designing going?” Last we talked she’d come up with a concept for a game she wanted to develop with her friends.

“Good. I’m going to a designing and coding camp later this summer.”

“That’s amazing! I’m so excited for you.” I want to ask her so many more questions because she’s the sweetest kid, but my eyes dodge to the hall I need to hurry down to find Madison before this event gets fully underway.

“You should come sit with us!” Lizzy looks at me hopefully and I smile back, wishing I didn’t have to let her down.

“I think she’s got some work to do, Lizzy,” Cooper says softly to his daughter, picking up on my anxiety. He flashes me a look of understanding, and I answer it with my own.

“Oh. Okay. I get it.” She gives me a resigned look of appreciation, and I feel guilty after the two of them rescued me. I glance at Cooper one last time, hoping he doesn’t think I’m being ungrateful.

Cooper, the single dad, has always been a bit of an enigma. Mostly because that version of Cooper was the one I knew best, but the one the rest of the world knew was Cooper, the playboy. The guy who dates models and actresses. The life of parties and the forever single guy who never had time for anything else but football and partying, and more secretly, his daughter. He’s always worked hard to keep her and their lives out of the limelight.

“If I can get away, I’ll definitely come to find you so you can tell me more.” I grin at her, and then wave a quick goodbye and nod at Cooper one last time before I start to speed walk down the hall.

Cooper looks nothing like Rob, my ex, despite the fact they share genes. He’s taller, with darker-brown hair that’s always got that messy, just-woke-up look with short curls, where Rob had always spent hours grooming his. Cooper has deep-brown eyes flecked with gold and warm brown, where Rob’s are a crystal blue and hold a sharp gaze that Cooper just isn’t capable of. Cooper’s jaw is more cut, and he’s leaner with a broad chest and the kind of shoulders and traps that would give him an excellent career in fitness modeling if he ever wanted it. Even in his day-off jeans, T-shirt, and backward hat look he has going on today, he’s still gorgeous. Whatever woman eventually lands him is going to be lucky as hell. I used to look forward to seeing who he’d end up with, hoping it was someone as fun and laidback as he is, as I desperately wanted a future sister-in-law to hang out with at the family get-togethers. But now that’s all a distant memory. Because while Rob and I had been on-again and off-again for quite a while, the last time we called things off, it was permanent.

“There you are!” Madison, my best friend, beams when she sees me come in the door. She’s still putting together swag bags for the families to take home. I hustle to take over the bag prep.

“I’m so sorry I’m late. The guy at the door wouldn’t let me in because I didn’t have my badge. Acted like I was a dire security risk to the entire team. I called to see if you could get me in, but I guess you didn’t hear it.”

“Oh no! I’m so sorry, Bea! It’s in my purse in the office. I didn’t even think.” Madison looks at me apologetically. “I’ve just been rushing around and I didn’t even notice the time. I should have known when you weren’t your usual punctual self.”

“It’s okay. Cooper got me in. Apparently, Mr. Rules at the door will let anyone come in as long as they’re with a player.” I give her a sideways look and shake my head.

“Cooper got you in, huh? Was that awkward? Did he say anything about Rob?” Madison raises an inquisitive brow.

“No, he barely talked at all. Mostly just Lizzy. She was surprised and catching me up on things in her life. She’s so sweet. I forgot how much I missed her.”

“That’s Cooper’s daughter, right?”

“Yes.”

“I forget that he has one, honestly. With his reputation and everything.”

“I was literally just thinking that on the way in. That how I’ve known him is so the opposite of his reputation.”

“Well, he’s been working hard on it,” Madison quips.

“True. He wants Playboy of the Year as badly as Quentin wants Grump of the Year. How’s that going by the way?” Quentin Undergrove is the Chaos’s new quarterback, Madison’s ex, and the current focus of her PR efforts.

“We’re making progress. He’s being agreeable. Too agreeable, which I find suspicious.” She flattens her lips.

“I told you my theory.” I flash a small smirk at her that she doesn’t appreciate.

“Yes, well… doesn’t change facts.”

“You don’t still think about him that way?” I raise a brow at her because I don’t believe it.

She and Quentin are forces of nature separately. The two of them together? I don’t think there’s anything they couldn’t accomplish. As long as they aren’t fighting each other. If they come to blows, they’re going to take everyone out with them, possibly this entire organization. Especially considering his uncle is the coach and her brother is expected to be one of his main receiving targets on the field. But Madison can run circles around almost anyone in PR. It’s part of the reason I love working with and learning from her. So if anyone can put Quentin in his place—it’s her. Assuming they don’t kill each other first.

“Do you still think about Rob?” She volleys the question back, and the look on her face tells me she doesn’t mean for it to hurt so much as to remind me that we’re both in a similar place. She’s worse off, really, since she’s forced to work with her ex.

“Less every day.”

“Then imagine ten years of every days.”

I don’t entirely believe her, but I’m not going to argue the point now. We need to be on top of our game today. We want to make a good impression on the team and the players going into this year.

“Do the tumblers go in every bag? Or just these ones?” I change the subject.

“All of them. They’re cute, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, they are. Any extras?” I flash her a conspiratorial grin.

“I think there might be.” She hands me one and nods for me to tuck it in my bag. “All right. You ready to load the carts and take them out?”

“Wherever you lead, boss.” I grin at her, and we start working to get the bags out into the main hallway.

“So what about Cooper?” she asks as we’re loading the last of them.

“What about him?”

“That won’t be weird for you—having to be around your ex’s brother all the time? I honestly didn’t think about it. I was so excited to have you out here when they said I could bring someone on. I forgot about that.”

“I don’t think I’ll have to be around him much. He was always nice to me, and I love Lizzy. So I think we can keep things professional when I have to see him. Hopefully, he doesn’t run and tell Rob what a mess I was this morning.” I shrug as we start to wheel them down the hall.

“Well, as long as you’re okay with it. If it becomes an issue, just let me know, okay?”

“Of course,” I answer as though it’s an impossibility but now I’m wondering if I should be more concerned about it.