13. Special Teams
Special Teams
W hat kind of asshole texts a bartender at seven in the damn morning? Finn leaned over the side of the bed and snatched his phone from the pocket of his jeans.
Across the bed, Haley’s phone chirped an incoming message.
Asher’s message came through next, Zane’s on beer.
Another from Lincoln, I’m not defending you if we get caught drinking on a very well trafficked federal trail.
Grady texted again, Nor are you living with me again if you get fired. Let’s make it the old logging road off Tahoma instead.
Pippa chimed in, Beer is the priority? What are we, eighteen?
And from Sophie, Pip, we all know you didn’t touch that stuff at 18.
Finally, from Zane, Not to worry, Pippa, I’ll bring you an apricot lager.
Before all the blood had completely pooled in the top of his brain, Finn sat up. Haley beat him to it by half a second. She tossed her phone to the end of the bed and nudged him with her foot. “They do this a lot?”
He nodded. “I’ve been back six months, and yes, yes they do.”
“Grady and Claire had informed me I was going to have awesome friends that wouldn’t have monthly girls’ night in which we exchanged recipes and sex tips, only for me to later realize they were all using those tips on my husband.”
Shuddering, Finn swallowed the nausea that threatened, imagining Haley surrounded by pretentious bitches that were fucking each other’s spouses behind their backs. “What an asshole. No, most of this crew is happily relationshipped and not the sort to do that anyway.”
At his side, Haley bit her cheek like she wanted to say something she hadn’t quite worked out yet. “I’m not one to keep secrets, you know, the old ‘secrets secrets are no fun?’ But… wow, I really don’t want to sound like a bitch or anything, but…”
“But you don’t want to let on that we’re rebounding together?”
“Exactly. I’m not interested in long-term plans or expectations, and you have indicated you are of the same opinion…”
“But the others will get all excited and start scheming?”
“Precisely.”
“Then we are in complete agreement. Besides, while we’re sounding like callous jackasses, I uh, I’ve only been officially single a very short time.
If they knew I was hooking up with Grady’s little sister without any intention of making an honest woman of her, while still fresh out of blowing a no-brainer relationship?
” He visibly shivered. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and searched for his boxers.
“An honest woman? I’m considering being offended,” she teased.
“Hey, I’m just anticipating potential older brother judgment. You can do whatever you’d like to my body, whenever and however, and I will be happy to do the same for you. That has no bearing of your status as an empowered, respectable woman.”
She hopped off the bed and strutted gloriously naked, stopping inches in front of him, hands on her hips with snarky rebellion. Gazing up, he hooked his hands around her legs and trailed his fingertips up the backs of her thighs. She rolled her eyes. “Finn?”
He leaned forward and trailed his tongue along the line of her quad. She may not think she had muscle, but damn, she was so wrong. “Yeah?” he asked, nipping where he’d licked.
Chuckling, she said, “I don’t have the slightest fear about you ever lying to me.” Backing out of his reach, she headed into the bathroom.
He gave her a minute, waited for the shower to flip on, then snuck on in.
And she was clearly expecting him. After a very, very long shower in which she did some very creative actions with her mouth and fulfilled another of his shower fantasies—yes, he had a list—they were running way behind schedule.
Her living room was packed with furniture, mostly in boxes waiting to be assembled, all stacked against one wall. Stopping in the middle, he turned around. “I’m sorry, I was going to help you with the furniture today.”
Haley shrugged. “No worries. I’m ahead on my posts anyway, so it can wait.”
“Yeah, but I keep distracting you.”
“I haven’t gone hiking in ages and would rather get outside. How about we’ll hike today, then you can help me tomorrow before you head to work. Have you been to the old logging road off Tahoma?”
Strolling to the entry, he snagged his shoes from the boot tray she’d placed next to the door to the garage. “Of course. Foothills’ equivalent of make-out point. Lost my virginity off that trail.”
She giggled. “I guess I was too young for that last time I lived here.”
“There are many great spots to sneak out of sight and see everything nature has to offer.” Standing on one foot, he pulled on his shoe and pulled the laces tight.
She wandered to the kitchen and grabbed two mugs from the cupboard. “Perhaps not this time, but you’ll have to show me the good spots one of these days.”
He accepted a cup and looked over the massive open space where a living room should be. “I can crash here tonight, so I can give you a hand with this before I go to work tomorrow? If you want help.”
She shook her head and grinned at him. “You are in quite the hurry to use up that box of condoms.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m in a hurry, but I’d hate for any to go unused. What a waste that would be.” He pulled her in for a last taste, hating that he was going to have to behave himself for the rest of the day. “Meet you there?”
“Yeah. You sure you want to take your pretty car off-roading? From the sounds of things, that road isn’t any more maintained than it was when I was a kid.”
“I’ll snag a ride with Asher; he lives right down the road from me.” He stole one more last kiss, then headed out.
Back home, his siblings were at the breakfast table, his dad scrolling on his phone. Probably on Facebook again. Guy was hooked on social media; his Instagram posts were hilarious.
Finn hiked upstairs and changed into athletic clothes, pulling on his knee brace, and popped a few ibuprofen in anticipation of a rough day. Asher had agreed to pick him up on the way out; a little too eagerly, actually.
In the kitchen, Finn packed a collection of soft-sided coolers with sandwiches with some of the new recipes Pops and Evan were trying out, added some chips, fruit.
Pops sauntered into the kitchen, watching him pack the ten-person meal. “Hungry?”
“Ha. No. Going hiking.”
“With Haley? I know she’s been to the pub a few times, but do you think she’ll eat all that?”
“Smartass. Yes, she will be there, but Grady and Zane and the others will be there too. It’s your fault for having all this good food around. Whenever I go out with the gang now, I’m volunteered to cater.”
“Huh. You’re with Haley a lot lately.”
“Yep.”
“Huh.”
Ignoring whatever Pops was getting at, Finn threw in the icepacks and tossed the bags into a box, putting his lunch, plus a few water bottles, into his backpack.
Asher’s truck crunched over the gravel drive, saving him from having to dwell on his dad’s implications.
Nowhere in the rebound rules did it mention you had to limit the time you spent together.
Wasn’t that the point? A whole lotta sex with someone that made you feel…
alive? Without any pressure or judgment?
Dashing outside, he found Asher’s shiny truck in the drive, engine still running.
Asher and Sophie sat in the cab, leaned into each other, visiting intimately over the center console while they waited.
They were good together, no weirdness like so many relationships.
He’d never once heard them argue about where or when or who, never criticizing or doubting.
No puppy eyes wishing for a little affection that wasn’t coming.
He hopped in the backseat. “Thanks for the lift.”
Shifting into reverse, Asher grinned while he backed out of the drive. “It’s entirely selfish. Let me drive that Shelby of yours, and I’ll chauffeur you around anytime.”
“No way, no how. How about I cover your tab next time you come to the pub instead?”
“I suppose that’ll do. For now. You off today, or need to rush back?”
“Nah, I’m off. Pete’s been wanting more hours. Baby on the way.”
Asher shifted into gear and headed toward the mountains. Sophie turned in her seat, her wildly brown-blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. “You don’t have to answer if you think I’m being nosy, but, all okay in your world these days?”
There were few that he would share with, but Sophie had been through more hurt than anyone else he knew, and Asher wasn’t far behind. “Yeah. Actually, it’s a really good day.”
“Glad to hear it. Your dad doing okay?”
“Yeah. He’s thinking of converting the family room into a man cave.”
“Impressive.” She smiled, settled comfortably as she visited. He could see Asher’s hand reach across and rest on her knee. “I’m not prying, I promise. You can tell me to shove off, but have you heard from Trace at all?”
Only Sophie could get away with the personal questions, who knew why.
Although, it may be because she was his accountant and knew a lot of personal information because of that.
Aside from Haley; Haley was an open book with him and he couldn’t help but be the same with her.
Rebound thing. “Nope. You know we broke up, right?”
“I know. Pip was telling me how you guys were joined at the hip all through high school, so I wondered how things were going. Not that we were gossiping, but I think the consensus is that the break-up is temporary while she’s out of town and you get your shit together.
But, I have to say, you guys seemed… I don’t know.
Dull. No offense; I don’t find either of you dull individually. ”
“None taken.” Out the window, he took a long pull of fresh oxygen as they drove across a narrow bridge, the river raging underneath, particularly white-capped today, thanks to the heavy rains last night. “I didn’t have the capacity to focus on the relationship.”
Slowing as they approached the camouflaged road, Asher turned and hopped out, swinging open the unlocked metal gate.