Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Sloane
“My heart hurts for him,” Bellamy tells us. “He seemed so sad and at a loss for what to do. That’s why I volunteered, and I knew you all would be down to help me.”
“Of course, we would be,” Rowan replies.
“Did he give you any details at all?” Corie asks her.
“Nope, but he gave me his credit card and told me to do my worst.” Bellamy laughs.
“While the idea of making that black card of his smoke, we all know that’s not what he really wants, right?” I ask the group.
“What do you mean?” Amanda asks.
“He wants it just to be us, his Rampage family. Baker isn’t a showy kind of guy. So nothing over-the-top elaborate.”
“Oh, you mean nothing like what my husband would do.” Rowan chuckles.
“Exactly!” I say, as we all join her in her laughter.
“What are you thinking, Sloane?” Corie asks.
I shrug and look over at Bellamy. “He said that Cam’s into trucks and cars, right?”
Bellamy nods. “And football.”
We all smile at that. “Well, I think a lot of what we decide hinges on what we can get here in time. Even using his card for overnight shipping. He wants to have the partybefore training camp starts.”
“Good point.” Bellamy points at me.
“I see your wheels turning, Sloane Peterson. What are you thinking?” Corie asks me.
I grin at my bestie. “Okay, so, Cam’s into football, and all of your men are, too, including Baker and Foster. Since it’s just his Rampage family, I say we go with the football theme. With a twist,” I add.
“What’s the twist?” Amanda asks.
“Spit it out already.” Rowan laughs. “The suspense is killing me. You have the best ideas.”
“It has to be something personal. Make it unique, for him. I’m thinking football for sure. Little guy love sit.” I explain. “Make it Cam’s Team, we can get matching t-shirts, or something.”
“That’s genius, but we only have a week,” Corie reminds me.
“Surely we can find a place to overnight some plain jerseys. I can do the rest,” I offer.
“Why don’t we see if we can find a place to do it all? That’s less work on you,” Bellamy suggests.
“I don’t mind. Besides, it’s not like I’m working right now.”
“Have you heard anything about your job?” Corie asks.
Shit. I should have kept my mouth shut. “Yeah, last week, actually.” I wince, knowing what’s coming next.
“What?” they all reply in unison.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Corie asks.
“I meant to last weekend, but it was still fresh. I’d heard the news the day before, and I was still processing it. They got rid of my position,” I tell them. “They cited budget cuts.” I shrug, trying to pretend like it’s not a big deal. It is. It’s a big damn deal that I no longer have a job.
“Oh, Sloane, I’m so sorry,” Rowan says. She stands and hugs me, then the rest of the ladies do the same.
I accept each of their hugs. These ladies, they’re my tribe, and I love them dearly.
Corie marrying Knox brought them all into my life, and I’ll forever be grateful for each of them.
“It’s okay,” I tell them. “I live above my parents’ garage, and while I pay rent, it’s at my insistence, not theirs, so it’s not like I’ll lose my home.
I get paid until the end of the summer, so I have some time to find something new. I’ve been looking,” I add.
“Any leads?” Bellamy asks.
“No, but it’s all going to be okay. Even if I have to go back to waitressing like I did all through college, it will all work out.” That’s what I keep telling myself, and deep down, I know it’s true, but it’s still hard to accept that I’m jobless.
“I can help with that if you want,” Amanda offers. She’s a talent coordinator for one of the larger, more popular bars in downtown Nashville. She definitely has connections.
“Thank you. I appreciate that. I’ll let you know if it comes to that.”
“The offer stands,” she says with a kind smile.
“I wish you’d told me,” Corie says. “You’ve been dealing with this all alone.” She furrows her brow as if she can’t understand why I wouldn’t tell her.
“I knew I’d see you today,” I tell her. “I needed to wrap my head around it, and I still have to go and clean out my classroom.”
“We’ll go with you,” Rowan says.
“I’m in,” Amanda adds.
Tears prick my eyes. “I love you guys so much,” I say, my voice cracking.
“We love you, too,” Bellamy replies.
“We got you, bestie.” Corie smiles.
“Stop it.” I laugh, fanning my face as I battle with tears. Not for my job, those have long run dry, and I’ve accepted that I’m unemployed, but these women, their support means the world to me. “Back to Camden’s party,” I say, clearing my throat.
“I love the idea, but I don’t want to put all of that work on you in such a short amount of time,” Bellamy says. “Let’s see if we can find a company and bring some smoke to Daddy Sin’s credit card.” She waggles her eyebrows.
“Let’s start researching,” Amanda says, waving her phone in the air.
“Hold on, I have an idea.” Corie grabs her phone from the table, scrolls for a few moments, then taps the screen before placing it to her ear.
I don’t know who she’s talking to, but from the conversation that I can hear, it’s a distributor of some sort.
“That’s perfect. Thank you so much, Tom.
I’ll be in touch before Monday.” She ends the call and squeals.
“The company we use for the Rampage jerseys is willing to help us out.”
“What? Really?” I ask, excitement bubbling inside my chest.
“Yes! We have to give them a design idea, and he said he’d get the design team on a logo if we can’t come up with one, and that he would put a rush on it so that we’d have them in hand Thursday with overnight shipping.”
“Grab your laptop,” I tell her. She’s a social media genius, and she took graphic design classes in college to enhance her skills in that area. “I’m sure you can whip up a logo,” I tell her.
“What if we just use Rowdy the Rhino?” Rowan suggests. “We all know Cam loves him.”
“Hmm, that’s a licensing issue, even though Baker plays for the Rampage,” Corie tells us.
“Just keep it simple,” I tell them. “Maybe a circle logo that says Team Camden, maybe a checkered flag because he likes cars?”
“Oh, what if we just use a large number 2 on the front and back. On the front, somewhere in the number, have them add Team Camden, and on the back, our last names?” Amanda suggests.
“Yes! That’s perfect,” I tell her, and all the ladies agree.
“I love this so much.” Corie beams. “I’m going to grab my laptop and email Tom now.”
“Tom? Who’s Tom?” Knox asks his wife as he enters the room with Landry, Reid, who is wearing a baby carrier and carrying a sleeping Coral, Baker, who is holding Camden, who also appears ready to fall asleep, and Foster trailing behind him.
“I thought you all were at the park?”
“Now we’re back. Who’s Tom?” Knox asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
“My sugar daddy,” Corie teases.
“Corie girl,” Knox warns, and she doubles over laughing.
“He’s a vendor we use. He’s doing me a favor for Cam’s birthday party,” she explains.
“Is that what this is?” Baker asks.
“It’s a planning party.” Bellamy smiles at him. “Your place, next Saturday at two in the afternoon. In case there’s anyone you want to invite,” she tells him.
“Everyone I want there is in this room,” he tells her. He looks down at Camden and smiles. “Thanks, ladies, truly. I couldn’t do this without you.”
“We’re your village,” Bellamy tells him. “And you’re a part of ours.” Her eyes find Reid’s, and something passes between them.
Damn, the way these big, hulking football players love my friends warms my soul. One day, I hope to be lucky enough to find a lasting love like theirs.
“What do you need from me?” Baker asks us.
“Nothing,” Corie assures him. “We’re taking care of all of it. We’ll be at your place early Saturday to set up. So, maybe plan on taking the birthday boy out of the house for an hour or so before,” she suggests.
“Sounds like another trip to the park is in our future, right, Coral?” Reid asks his three-month-old daughter.
“Now, leave us.” Rowan waves her hand in the air. “We have to finish planning.”
“I’m starving,” Landry whines.
“Perfect, you can handle getting food for us, and by the time whatever you decide arrives, we’ll be done here.” Corie gives her brother a cheesy grin.
“I’m on it.” Landry moves to stand behind the couch and leans over to kiss Rowan. Reid and Knox, unwilling to be left out, do the same to their wives, and they leave us to our own party planning.
“How long has it been since Natasha’s seen Cam?” Amanda asks.
“This was her week, and she missed her last week, so a month,” Corie says, ticking the weeks off by lifting a finger for each week.
“Damn,” Amanda mutters. “I could never not see my kid for that long.”
“I have nothing nice to say,” Bellamy says, her tone not hiding her anger.
“I understand that maybe motherhood isn’t for everyone,” Rowan says, “but why keep coming in and out of his life. Just sign away your rights. Let Baker and Camden adjust to her being out of the picture, instead of this constant yo-yo she does to them. She calls the day she’s supposed to get him, not giving Baker any kind of notice.
Of course, he doesn’t mind, but if she doesn’t want him, she needs just to stop altogether.
” Rowan sighs, as if saying the words hurt her soul.
“He’s the sweetest little boy,” I say, my heart hurting for Camden, and Baker, too. I agree with Rowan. They need a resolution. Natasha needs to step up or step away. This limbo they’re living in isn’t healthy.
“Okay, we have to change the subject, or my anger is going to keep rising,” Corie says. “I hate the way she’s treating both of them.” She scowls, resting her hand over her still-flat belly. I’m certain my best friend is thinking about her unborn baby and the thought of never seeing them.