CHAPTER 40
GRAYDON
OC: Bennett, did you start a book club?
Bennett: I did.
OC: Uh, did you not think that it would be a good idea to run that by us first?
Bennett: Why the hell would I run that by you?
OC: Uh, because I heard that you were pulling out of the zoo PR, and you’re now into this whole book club thing. Is this your subtle way of telling us you’re leaving the Gladdy Daddies?
Graydon: I hope so. Maybe we can disband the whole damn thing.
OC: Says the guy who leaned on the Gladdy Daddies when he was in desperate need of help. I would consider how you profited from such a group before attempting a disbandment.
Bennett: I’m not leaving the Gladdy Daddies.
Graydon: Not the correct thing to say.
OC: *Exhales loudly* Thank God.
Bennett: I felt the exhale from here.
Graydon: Yeah, someone forgot to brush his teeth.
OC: First of all, I have excellent oral hygiene, I’m constantly cleaning the silverware…if you know what I mean. Second, my nipples got a little hard from you making a joke, Graydon. We are wearing you down.
Graydon: I’m about to block you.
OC: But you won’t.
Bennett: Can we get back to the silverware thing? Are you talking about your tongue?
OC: Yeah, because that’s how I eat…you know…a woman.
Graydon: If I was a dick, I would say no wonder Grace is engaged to someone else, but I won’t go there today.
OC: Uh…you just did. You still said it without saying it.
Graydon: But technically, I didn’t say it.
OC: Doesn’t mean it doesn’t still hurt. You owe me a hug.
Graydon: Over my dead body.
Bennett: I mean, I think he deserves a hug.
Graydon: Did he tell you how he forced himself upon me, slept on my couch, and then counted the number of times I had sex with Maple that night?
Bennett: Dude…
OC: In my defense, I got them pastries for breakfast the next morning.
Bennett: Doesn’t matter. No hug, but the comment evens the playing field now.
OC: I’ll take it. BTW…it was six times.
Graydon: I will rip your goddamn head off.
OC: Which head? I have two.
Graydon: Blocking.
OC: Wait, we have yet to find out about the book club. Don’t you want to hear what Bennett is up to?
Graydon: I’ll text him separately.
Bennett: Now, now, let’s not get too hasty. OC is going through a crisis and is extra annoying. I think we can all agree upon that.
OC: I’m even annoying myself, if that helps.
Bennett: See, it’s not just us. He’s suffering too.
Graydon: Why are you so adamant about keeping the Gladdy Daddies?
Bennett: Well, it’s nice to have friends. And you never know when one of us might need help.
OC: *Gasp* It’s the sister’s friend, isn’t it?
Graydon: Why are you so dramatic?
OC: Someone needs to bring the fun, or else this chat would just be full of grunts and growls, and that’s only sustainable for so long. Now, please don’t interrupt our fellow daddy while he tells us about the sister’s friend.
Bennett: Not ready to really talk about anything, but you know, if there was something to say, it would be great to know that the Gladdy Daddies are here to talk.
OC: Are you starting the book club for her?
Bennett: Sort of. I was talking to Gretchen about the zoo and how it hasn’t had much of an impact. We had a brainstorming session, and she was asking what I like. I said romance novels, and well…she ran with that. It was the first thing that came to mind because well…Bower is always on my mind.
OC: Is that her name? Bower? I think I forgot that nugget.
Bennett: It is.
OC: Bennett and Bower, wow, has a great ring to it.
Graydon: I’m not into the dramatics, but yeah, it does.
Bennett: I might have written our names in a heart a few times.
OC: Well, that just got my dick hard.
Graydon: And then you go and fucking ruin it. Jesus Christ. I’m out.
“Are you going to be okay?” I ask Maple as I turn to her in my truck.
I picked her up from the zoo and brought her back to her place, where she took a shower and got ready for the team party.
She made me stay in her living room while I waited and she grumbled about things not fitting right, mentioned possibly not going because her hair was doing “a thing,” and even lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling for a whole two minutes reciting all the different breeds of flamingos.
If I wasn’t so goddamn terrified that she might not go, I might have thought it was funny. But I was on bated breath the entire time, hoping she wasn’t going to change her mind.
“I’m fine.” She straightens the hem of the sundress she chose to wear.
It’s red with white flowers, and she paired it with a jean jacket and white sneakers.
She braided her hair into two loose French braids because it wasn’t doing what she wanted and then put on a little bit of makeup, going for a more natural look.
When she walked out of her bedroom, I felt my heart hammer against my chest from the sight of her. Like a fucking nineties heartthrob.
I kept it simple with a pair of worn jeans, white sneakers, and a black shirt.
“Are you sure? You’re a little jittery.”
“Yeah, fine.” She nervously laughs. “I’m just…I’m nervous to meet everyone.”
“Maple, you already know everyone. You’ve been training with them.”
“This is different. This is their families, and we’re not in football gear. This is more personal.”
“You’re going to do great. Just stick with me.”
“As if I would wander off by myself,” she scoffs. “If I’m not glued to your side the entire night, someone stole me.”
I chuckle. “Good to know. Stay there.”
I hop out of my truck and move to her side, where I open the door. Before I let her out, I twist her toward me and move between her legs. I gently cup her cheek and say, “You look beautiful, by the way.”
“So you’ve said.” A genuine smile falls across her lips.
“Just need you to know since you were fretting over it.”
“I just don’t understand why out of all nights, my hair decided to be rude and not work with me.”
I tug on her braid. “I like the braids. I even like the little pieces that frame your face.”
“Thank you.” She places her hands on my shoulders. “Okay, take me to the party before I try to hide away in the glove box of your truck.”
“I would love to see you attempt that, but maybe another time.”
I take her hand and help her out of the truck. When I shut the door, I pinch her chin with my forefinger and thumb and tilt her mouth up before stealing another kiss from her.
When her lips mold around mine, I take a second to just sink into her, taste her, revel in the way she fits so perfectly against me. Jesus, why did it take me so long to give in to the temptation? I could have been doing this for much longer.
Fucking fool.
When I pull away, I smile down at her and then kiss the tip of her nose. “Ready?”
She nods. “Ready.”
“Then let’s go.”
Her hand in mine, I lead her into the training facility, where they’ve transformed the practice field into a giant event space. On the far end are jump houses, obstacle courses, and tables full of family-friendly craft projects. I’ve never ventured down toward the end because I’ve never needed to.
On the closest end, a DJ hangs out on a stage and there are rows and rows of tables and high-tops. They’ve strung bunting from pole to pole, celebrating the Foghorns’ new season, and a photo booth, a dance floor, and a bar are nearby.
That’s where we will be headed.
“Wow, it looks amazing in here and smells good too. Not the usual dirty-sneaker smell.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, they must have cleaned everything, knowing families were coming.”
I nod to a few guys in passing, some of them giving fist bumps to Maple as we make our way to the bar.
I lean down to her ear and say, “And you were worried that no one was going to want you here.”
“An ‘I told you so’? Really, Graydon?”
I chuckle and kiss the side of her head. “Not sure I’ll get many, so I have to claim them when I can.”
“For your benefit, I wouldn’t.” She pats my cheek, and I smirk because I love the confidence.
The past few days have been different. Like there’s been something missing from her eyes and whatever it is has been replaced with worry.
And I know it has everything to do with the contract Gretchen had her sign, even though Maple kept telling me over and over again that she was fine.
That she wasn’t upset. I knew she was hiding her true feelings from me.
But night after night, we’ve made dinner together, we’ve spent time just talking about everything and anything, and when it’s time for bed, I’ve shown her just how much she means to me, how much I need her.
So seeing that sass come out? I fucking love it.
“What do you want to drink?”
She presses her lips together as she gives her answer some thought. “Umm, I don’t know. Are we doing alcohol?”
“We’re at a bar, at a team function, where my dad will be making an appearance. Yes, we are doing alcohol.”
“Your dad will be here?” she asks, her eyes going wide.
“Yes, he’s at every Foghorns event because he doesn’t have a life of his own and attempts to live his glory days through me despite thinking I’m a waste of human space.”
She frowns. “Well, he’s rude, and I hope he stubs his toe today.”
“Yeah, I hope for a lot more than that,” I say, and then turn to the bartender. “Can we get a Guinness and…does a wine work for you?”
“White,” she says.
“And a white wine.”
The bartender nods and gets to work while Maple loops her arm around my waist. “Is he going to try to talk to you?”
“If he’s smart, he won’t.”
“And if he’s dumb?”
“More than likely, yes. I’ll be pleasant because there are children here, and I’m not about to get into a fight with him, but if he says anything about you, I can’t promise to hold back.”
She smooths her hand up my chest. “Don’t cause a scene because of me. If he says something, we can just send a glitter bomb to his house later on.”
I raise a brow. “A glitter bomb?”
“Yes,” she says with a smile. “It comes in the mail and looks like a package, but when they open it up, it sprays glitter all over their home.”