Chapter 15
SHEPHERD
The locker room after morning practice smells like sweat, eucalyptus muscle rub, and a few bad decisions. A standard Tuesday by all means.
Kyler Adams is sitting on the bench across from me with his helmet balanced on his knee, staring at his phone and smirking.
“What’s that face?” Boone asks from his locker. “You look like someone told you a really stupid dad-joke.”
Kyler laughs. “My sister.”
Boone snorts. “Which one?”
“I only have one. One brother, one sister.”
“Feels like more when she’s mad, though, don’t you think?”
Kyler glares at him. “She’s not mad, but yeah…you’re not wrong. She just texted me,” he continues, reading from his phone. “‘Tell Shepherd if he screws this up with Sutton, I will personally poison his protein powder.’”
My head snaps up from where I was just untying my shoe as the locker room goes quiet for a second.
“What?” I repeat, standing up so quickly I almost knock over my water bottle. “What did she say?”
“You heard me. Mackenzie’s got a soft spot for your bartender.” Kyler’s face splits into a wide grin. “Said she stopped by the food pantry to see what else she could do to help and met your girl.”
Orry leans back against his locker and whistles. “Damn,” he says. “Everyone’s meeting your girl. When do I get to meet her?”
“You don’t. And she’s not my girl,” I deadpan, but the heat crawling up my neck betrays me.
She’s not officially my girl.
But if that kiss was any indication…
I’ll be damned if she’s anybody else’s.
“And for the record, nobody has met her yet so quit your bitching.”
He folds his arms across his chest and pouts, mumbling, “Jamal got to meet her.”
Jake grins. “Yeah man. And we talked to Sebastian. I’m pretty sure when you carry a woman out of a bar like a scene from a damn romance movie, she’s your girl and suddenly the entire city is invested in your love life.”
“What are you talking about? She was hurt,” I argue, focusing intently on my cleats like they hold the secrets of the universe. “What was I supposed to do?”
“Call an ambulance?” Kyler suggests, still smirking. “Take her to urgent care?
“Meh, he brought her to Jamal,” Boone says. “Same energy, less waiting.”
I sit up and release a heavy sigh not wanting to tell the guys every detail of the other night but knowing if I don’t throw them a tiny bone, they’ll never stop. “She doesn’t have insurance, alright?”
The guys sit quietly, not one wise crack coming from any of them, thank Christ. “She works her ass off to make ends meet and her job doesn’t offer insurance.
Not everyone in this world is as ridiculously privileged as the rest of us are, okay.
You’ll do good in this community to remember that.
” I huff. “I knew Jamal would probably still be here so I…I called in a favor. That’s all.
” I push my hand through my sweat-soaked hair.
“I’ll happily pay any bill Jamal throws my way.
It’s not a big deal. Sutton needed help and I got it for her. End of story.”
Kyler tosses his towel over his shoulder. “We get it, man. You did good.” He gestures to his phone. “Also, Mack says the pantry delivery went smoothly.”
That part makes me smile.
“Good,” I say. “Tell her thank you, again.”
“Alright, man, we’ve got to know,” Jake says, lowering his voice and leaning in.
“Know what?”
“Did you guys…you know…?” He wags his brows menacingly and I know exactly what he’s referring to.
The locker room erupts in groans.
“Jesus Christ, Ward,” Orry mutters.
Jake shrugs. “Come on. I’m just asking what the people want to know.”
I toss my towel at his head but he ducks. “Asshat. A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.”
“Dude, we already know you’ve kissed at least once.” He grins. “That’s why I’m asking. How serious is it?”
“You better tell them, bro,” Sebastian says on his way through the locker room. “They’re bound to find out.”
Orry’s eyes bulge and a silly grin curls across his lips. “Ooh! Find out what?” he asks. “Enlighten us.”
“Tell them about the glass swan!” Sebastian calls out on his way out the door, his laughter trailing behind him.
Fucker.
The room explodes.
Kyler wheezes. “A what?”
“A swan?” Bennett asks.
“It’s not like that.”
“Is it pink and sparkly?” Boone asks.
“No. It’s clear.”
He smiles. “Still embarrassing, bro.”
Orry shakes his head. “Man buys a decorative bird and suddenly he’s a changed man. Or were you a changed man and then you bought the decorative bird?” He tugs at his chin sitting in his best Thinking Man pose.
“Leave him alone,” Kyler says. “At least he’s not like Ward.”
Jake straightens proudly. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Dude, you once tried to flirt with a girl by explaining zone coverage.”
“What are you talking about? That worked,” Jake says.
Kyler cocks his head. “She thought you were explaining parking rules.”
Laughter ripples across the room again and I shake my head, grabbing my bag. “You guys done?”
Boone smirks. “Nope.” He points at me again. “You’re moving her in today, right?”
“The guest house, yeah. Why?” I ask.
Bennett whistles again. “You’re deep in it, man.”
“I offered her a place to stay. Her landlord sold her building. She’d be homeless if I didn’t.”
Jake grins. “Not a place to stay dude. You built her a nest.”
I zip my bag. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
“Alright,” Boone says, standing. “We’re coming.”
“What?” I deadpan. “Oh fuck, no.”
“Oh, hell yes.”
Orry tosses his shirt over his shoulder and loudly announces, “Road trip!”
Jake claps his hands. “Helping women move in is our love language.”
“This is a terrible idea,” I mutter.
Kyler grins and pats my back. “Too late, pal.”
The second I turn onto my driveway, I hold my breath in anticipation. There are too many cars. Way too many cars. I slow my SUV and squint through the windshield.
There’s Boone’s truck.
Jake’s stupid red Jeep.
Kyler’s sedan.
And there are two more vehicles parked at angles that make it look like someone tried to organize them and then gave up halfway through.
I audibly release my saved breath while beside me, Sutton leans forward in her seat. “That’s… a lot of cars.”
“Yeah.”
“Did you invite people?”
“No.”
She studies me. “Did they invite themselves?”
I pull to a stop in front of the guest house and cringe not knowing how she’s going to react to all the guys showing up. “I’m sorry.”
The front door opens and Boone steps out first. Then Jake, then Kyler. Then two more massive humans I recognize immediately as my brothers. By the time Orry and Bennett appear behind them, the porch looks like the offensive line assembled for a team photo.
Sutton slowly turns to me. “You brought the Avengers.”
“Nah.” I shake my head. “They’re just kids who enjoy playing tag.”
That gets her to smile. “This is a lot of football players for…” she peers into the back of my SUV, “what, like eight boxes and a few lamps?”
I rub my hand down my face. “They volunteered.”
“Did you ask them to?”
“No.”
“Did you stop them?”
“Also, no.”
She laughs under her breath again and I’m nothing if not grateful she has a sense of humor. “Great.”
I climb out of the SUV and walk around to her side. The second she steps out beside me, the porch goes silent. Every single one of them freezes. Eight grown men. Six-foot-plus athletes. All completely motionless and all staring at Sutton.
“Umm, Hi,” Sutton says to the group with a slight wave of her bandaged hand.
Slowly, their heads turn toward me and Boone lets out a low whistle. “Yeah.”
Jake nods. “Okay. I get it now.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Please don’t start.”
Kyler murmurs, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Too late.”
Boone jogs down the steps and sticks his hand out. “Hey. I’m Boone. Boone Maxwell.”
Sutton shakes his hand politely. “Nice to meet you. I’m Sutton.”
Boone winks at me and I elbow him in the ribs. Jake steps forward next.
“Jake Ward,” he says proudly. “Quarterback babysitter.”
“You’re not my babysitter,” I argue.
He shrugs. “Debatable.”
Kyler comes down the steps next. “Hi. I’m Kyler Adams.”
Sutton’s eyebrows lift. “Did I meet your sister this morning? Mackenzie?”
Kyler smiles. “You did, yes.”
“She really helped the food pantry,” Sutton tells him within earshot of all of us.
“I’m forever grateful. She even set us up with a monthly delivery so the pantry never has to worry about running out of food again.
” She brings a hand to her chest. “Truly, I’m so grateful.
Please thank her again for me. She really came to the rescue when we needed it most.”
Kyler’s glances at me and I decide now is the perfect time to stare at the driveway. Sutton doesn’t know I set the whole thing up, and she doesn’t need to know. What’s important is that Portland’s citizens in need will not be going hungry any time soon.
Kyler clears his throat, his expression softened. “I’ll absolutely tell her.
Behind them, Killian steps out from the group carrying a hammer and a lightbulb.
“Killian,” he says, Bishop next to him. “We’ve met.”
Sutton looks between them and then back at me. “Right. The brothers.” She gestures to all of us. “This is the Portland trifecta we hear so much about?”
Killian crosses his arms. “Oh, so you’ve heard of us, eh?”
“Well beside the fact I met all of you in the Alley Tap that one night, three men who look eerily identical save for a few, uh…” she looks Killian over, “piercings and maybe a few tattoos. All paid to wear expensive pants in order to play professional tag…I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t heard of you. ”
Killian laughs. “Tag, huh? Really?.”
Sutton cocks her brow. “Am I wrong?”
“Nah,” I break in. “You’re not wrong. My kind of tag is just tougher than their kind of tag.”
“How so?” Bishop asks, feigning offense.
“Because in my game, we aim for full contact tag while you sissies run from it.”
“Fuck off, bro,” Killian says with a hearty laugh. “At least we look better in our expensive pants.”