Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
COOLER THAN THAT
WESTON
By eleven o’clock the next morning, my parents have drafted a custody agreement, probably one of the more bizarre ones they’ve ever done. It basically states that Sadie and I are raising Caleb together. Technically, I have full custody, but I won’t keep Sadie from seeing him whenever she wants. If we ever need to renegotiate the terms, we will, but for now, she has full access to him and so do I.
Something eases between Sadie and me. Almost instantly. At first I was offended that she needed it in writing, since I’m doing a lot here to be conciliatory when I wouldn’t have to be, but I think I needed it too. Building trust will take time.
“Should we grab some lunch?” I ask.
“Actually, I—” She looks nervous again and I turn to face her.
We’ve just left my parents’ office and it took a huge effort to get out the door on time…after another night of little sleep. We both have dark circles under our eyes and I feel like I could go for a power nap right about now, but my stomach’s protesting.
“What is it?” I ask.
“I need to meet my parents at the apartment and then go to the funeral home. They’ve decided the funeral will be the day after tomorrow and there are a lot of arrangements to be made.”
“Can I do anything to help?”
Her features soften, her full lips puckering as she bites the inside of her cheek. “Thanks, Weston. If you could—I mean, if you wouldn’t mind, I—” She takes a deep breath and makes a face. “I’m not good at asking for help.”
“It’s okay. I’m offering.”
She nods. “Can you watch Caleb while I’m gone?”
A hesitant smile breaks out across my face and she looks startled by it. Her cheeks flush and she looks so damn pretty, I end up being the one to look away first.
“I can do that,” I say. “You sure you trust me to handle him?”
She exhales again and nods, her smile shy. It does something to me. It makes me want to see her smile more often.
“You’re getting there. You’ll be okay,” she says.
She gets in the SUV as I walk around to my side. When I turn the ignition, she keeps going.
“He’ll probably want to eat again by the time you get home.” Her cheeks turn pink again. “And need a diaper change before you lay him down for a nap.”
“Got it. Do you need me to drop you off at your place? Caleb and I can pick you up whenever you need.”
She turns to look at me. “No, that’s okay. I don’t want to tie up your day. This is already a lot.” She spreads her hands out, waving them around.
“I don’t mind. Whatever is easiest for you.” I don’t want to admit that I’m a little nervous about having him on my own. It’s different than when I’m with Caleb during the night and I know Sadie is close by.
She’s quiet for a moment. “For someone who’s such a—” She clears her throat. “You sure are a lot nicer than I expected.”
I’m stunned for a second and then laugh, keeping my eyes on the road as I drive toward home. “Thank you, I think? What were you going to say? Such a what?”
She looks out the window, but I can still see her smirk.
“Such a player.” She wrinkles her nose and looks at me.
I finally nod. “I deserve that.” I make a face back at her. “But I’ve been trying to amend my player ways for a while now.”
“Hmm,” she says skeptically. “You don’t need to say that on my account. We already signed the papers this morning.” She lifts her shoulder and her lips quirk to the side like she’s trying not to smile. “I’m stuck with whoever you are and whoever you’re with.”
I snort, more surprised that she’s going there than anything.
“I’m not saying it for your account. I’ll prove it. Besides my family, you are the only woman who’s been in my house.”
She scoffs. “Oh, okay , you’ve lived there, what, about a minute?”
“I moved in around the end of September...mid-September actually. A solid five months.”
“Oh.” Surprise flashes across her face and then she’s smirking again. “But there’s still plenty of opportunity for you to sleep around on the road. I’ve seen you with at least five different women since September.”
My eyebrows go sky-high. “You’ve been keeping track of who I’m photographed with?”
Her mouth hangs open, color tingeing those cheeks. Her smile and making her flush is kind of addicting.
“It’s hard to miss when you’re the darling of Colorado…”
“Darling of Colorado...” I crack up. “That’s a new one for me. You think I’m the darling?” I look over at her and grin and she rolls her eyes. “I’m touched, Chapman.”
“Don’t be, Shaw,” she says, but she’s for sure grinning when she looks out the window.
We get home and she holds the baby while I get his bottle ready. I’m sitting in the comfy chair in the library feeding him when she taps on the door.
“I’m heading out,” she says. “Text or call if you need anything. I should be back by five or five thirty.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
I have a moment of anxiety when she leaves that I’ll mess something up or that Caleb won’t be happy with me for all that time. But for at least the first hour, he’s content.
The guys have messaged every day. There’s a constant stream of texts going between us, but today is the first day that has been more open for them to come see Caleb, so I let them know. Rhodes is the first one to respond.
Rhodes
It’s about damn time.
Bowie
What he means to say is that we’ll be right over.
Rhodes
I said what I said. And we’ll be right over.
Henley
I’ve got a little time before I need to pick up the girls. Pretty boy, you in?
Penn
I’m in. I’m dragging this morning, but I’m in.
Henley
It’s eleven, PB. You all right?
Penn
It was a NIGHT.
Rhodes
Was it that girl who wouldn’t stop texting you yesterday?
Penn
smug emoji
Rhodes
Damn. I miss getting laid.
Bowie
What’s it been, a week?
Rhodes
I wish, man. I wish.
I’ve got a good idea. Why don’t we continue this conversation in person?
Rhodes
Okay, Snarky. I’m gonna let that one slide because you’re a new daddy and I know you’re tired.
He’s awake right now and he’s pretty fucking cute awake. Or asleep. Get over here.
Bowie
He’s a dad for two minutes and already showing off.
Rhodes
He’s always been that way. It’s the quarterback in him.
I’m still chuckling at the messages when my phone buzzes to say Penn is here. I have to laugh that he’s the first to get here after saying he’s dragging.
I let Blake know to let Penn through and that Henley, Rhodes, and Bowie will be following soon.
“That was fast,” I say when I open the door to Penn.
He grins when he sees me with the baby. “Holy shit, West. It’s gonna take time to get used to seeing you with a kid, Shaw.”
“I know. Trust me. It’s hard for me to get used to it too.”
“What did your family think?”
“They freaked out.” I laugh. “Already obsessed with him. Everyone but Olivia, but that’s par for the course.” I lean down and kiss Caleb’s head. “And he was a champ, getting passed around and handling it like a pro. The only time he gets out of sorts is in the middle of the night.”
Penn winces, and the rest of the guys trickle into the house.
They all start talking at once. And a bunch of huge football players sliding into baby talk is fucking hysterical.
“You are so cute,” Henley coos.
“What a guy,” Bowie says, in the highest voice I’ve ever heard come out of him. “Yes, you are.” He grins when Caleb’s fist flies in the air. “Gonna have your dad’s arm.”
“He’s a good-looking boy. Must look like his mama,” Rhodes says and then shakes his head when Bowie reaches out and twists his nipple. “ Ow . My bad. I didn’t mean it. It came out before I’d thought it through.”
I shoot him a look and he relaxes when Bowie lets go.
“He’s great, man,” Bowie says. “How did he do last night?”
“Another sleepless night,” I say. “I think he misses his mom. He wants to sleep during the day, but at night, he’s alert and looking for her.”
“That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard,” Rhodes says.
“I know.” I look down at Caleb, who’s fighting to stay awake.
He got jarred awake when the guys came in, but now that he’s used to the noise, he’s conking back out. I bounce him a little to see if he’ll stay awake.
“Guys, I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this.” I look around the room. “Why don’t they have a playbook for single dads?”
Henley’s eyes narrow as he tilts his head. “I would’ve given anything for one. You got a spare notebook lying around?”
I shrug and nod. “Sure. One sec.”
I go into the library and grab a large blue spiral notebook and a couple of pens.
When I get back, they’re still talking about sleep. I toss the notebook to Henley and he opens it and stares into space before he starts writing.
“Levi didn’t sleep through the night until he was seven months old. I thought I was gonna die,” Rhodes says.
Rhodes’ son is two and looks just like him, which is a good thing for the kid because Rhodes has been on People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People list for five years and running. The guy has superstar in his genes. His dad is British, multi-Oscar winner Troy Archer, and his mom is Amara, African supermodel and founder of several successful businesses in the beauty industry.
All of us but Penn have been on the list, which we love to razz him about, but he’s not quite twenty-four, so it’ll happen. Henley’s been on it eight times. I’ve been on it twice, which is something I never imagined happening, especially since I’m not an actor and I’m only twenty-six. We’re not a bad looking bunch, and it’s only a matter of time before Penn makes the cut. Dude looks like a model himself—hell, if we believed the press, we all do, but we make more fun of it than anything. The ridiculous title has coincided with our ages and how long we’ve been playing, which makes sense since we were relatively unknown before football changed our lives. Regardless, we give each other crap about it all the time, and it’s become a mock competition. Rhodes is thirty, so he has fewer under his belt than Henley, Bowie is twenty-eight and has been on the list three times. He’s also practically as famous as Mozart in Austria, where he was raised until he was twelve.
“Gracie was like that too,” Henley adds. “The first two made it seem like we were sleep whisperers. They slept through the night right away and once they were done breastfeeding, it was like eleven hours. And then Gracie comes along and bucks the whole system.”
We all laugh. Gracie is five and a little spitfire. It’s no surprise that she came into the world that way. Audrey is eight and quiet. I don’t think she’s ever caused a moment of grief. And Cassidy is twelve and from what Henley says, she’s the typical oldest child. She wants everything to be in order and can’t stand it when it’s not.
“He’ll adjust,” Bowie says, his eyes warm as he looks at Caleb. “It’ll just take time.”
Bowie is the most patient person I know. He’s massive and gruff and looks like he has a chip on his shoulder most of the time, but he’s a marshmallow inside. At least he is if he likes you. If he doesn’t, it’s a different story.
His daughter Becca is one of the cutest kids I’ve ever seen. She’s seven, always smiling, and she has Down’s Syndrome. Watching Bowie and Becca together gives me hope in humanity. She can be having a bad day, but when she sees Bowie, her whole face lights up and she runs and leaps into his arms like it’s been years since she’s seen him, even if it’s only been an hour. I know it’s been difficult to get the right care for her, especially with taking her on the road, but I’ve never heard Bowie complain.
“I’m so glad you guys are here,” I tell them. “Come on back.”
“Mind if I grab a beer?” Penn says.
“Of course not. Help yourself.”
“Everyone want one?” he asks.
We all chime in that we do and go sit in the living room, and Penn comes in a few minutes later and passes each of us a beer. Henley passes the notebook to Bowie and when Bowie reads what Henley wrote, he chuckles and starts writing.
I turn on a basketball game and we halfway watch it but mostly talk. It’s weird, the amount of pride I feel when they hold Caleb and talk about him.
“How’s it going with the girl?” Henley asks as he holds Caleb.
“Sadie?”
He nods.
“We’re keeping the peace for the most part.” I lean forward, my elbows on my knees.
“What’s she like?” Penn asks.
“Guarded…protective of her sister and Caleb.” I lean back, thinking about how I’d be if the roles were reversed and how I’d be protective of my siblings too. “She loves Caleb. There’s no question about that.”
“He’s the priority,” Rhodes says, nodding.
“I think it’s commendable that you’re working together right now,” Bowie says.
“Fuck yeah, it is,” Henley adds.
We’re all quiet for a moment, processing everything.
“Guess you got yourself into The Single Dad Players, Weston. Aren’t you jealous, Penn?” Rhodes asks, his shit-stirring grin in full effect.
Penn holds up his hands. “I don’t need to be part of The Single Dad Players, thank you very much. I’m just fine on the outside looking in.” He lifts his beer bottle.
“You know you want to be,” Henley scoffs. “Because we’re so dope.”
Penn puts his fist over his mouth as he cracks up. “Okay, Pops. Do you hear yourself?”
“Watch it, Pretty Boy,” Henley says, his look teasing but still fierce enough that Penn’s cocky grin fades. He’s in awe of Henley and loves to give him shit but gets afraid when he straddles that fine line.
“It’s pretty great being on the inside,” I say, shrugging.
They laugh and as we hang out talking about kids and nonsense, I can’t stop thinking about how glad I am to have them in my life.
It’s only been a couple of days, but my whole world expanded when I realized I had a son.
Life is short and could turn upside down at any moment. I need to figure out a way to not miss out on a moment of it.