Chapter 55
HAYDEN
The sun warms my skin, and the scent of grilled meat floats around me, ensuring my stomach growls loudly. I had a plateful of salad from the huge buffet table not so long ago, but it wasn’t enough.
I’ve got almost all of my favorite people around me, the sun is shining, and there’s the promise of more food than I could eat in a week.
But it’s not quiet perfect.
Someone is missing.
No matter how hard I tried to convince Hailee that she would be welcome at Coach’s pre-season barbecue, she held firm and refused to come.
I get that she feels awkward. Only Bea and Rett know about us being together. And I will always respect her wishes to keep it a secret for as long as possible. Now I know what she was hiding, I understand her need to keep it discreet even more.
Hearing her talk about her past, about her husband, was hard.
I hated the thought that she’s already given herself to someone else.
She’s already had the proposal, the wedding, the promise of happily ever after.
I know it wasn’t like that. There was no romance or grand gestures.
The opposite, in fact. And I think I hate that even more, because it was stolen from her.
She can move on from it all, but the memories will always be there.
When she gets married for love, it won’t be the first time she’s had a ring put on her finger. When she puts on her dress, it won’t be the first time, and when she walks down the aisle toward…
Fuck.
I rub at my chest, hoping to abate the sudden pain there.
I want the man waiting at the other end of the aisle to be me.
It’s crazy. It’s only been a few weeks, and she found me during the lowest point of my life. But I know. Hell, I knew before. I just needed to get her on the same chapter.
I know that our future isn’t going to be easy. She’s got a lot of things she needs to deal with and trauma she’s got to work through. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be confident in what I want.
“Hey, you look like someone pissed in your skates,” Rett says, dropping into the empty lounger beside me.
I grunt in response as I watch Kodie, Casey, Linc, Parker, Freya, Handsy, and Killer playing with Sutton and a few of the other kids in the pool.
He knows what’s wrong. He really doesn’t need to comment on it.
“We tried, man,” he tells me.
“Yeah, I know. Maybe it’s the right decision. I just…I hate it. I’m okay with keeping it quiet, I am. I just wish we didn’t have to with the guys. Everyone here would have our backs.”
“They would. Just give her time. It’s early days.”
“Listen to you with the relationship advice,” I tease.
“I’m a changed man these days; you could learn a lot from me.”
I look around Coach’s backyard, taking everyone in. “Where is your better half, anyway?” She’s here, I’ve spoken to her, but she’s vanished.
“Having a nap,” Rett explains. “She’s feeling better these days, but she’s exhausted.”
“I can only imagine. Growing a person must be a lot.”
“Have you seen how much her bump has grown?” he asks, pulling his cell from his pocket and opening up a baby app. “Look, we can track her bump every week. It’s so cool.” He passes his cell over and instructs me to swipe through the images.
“That is pretty cool,” I agree, watching as Bea’s stomach grows with their baby.
As I stare at them, my mind begins to run away with me, trying to imagine how Hailee would look with my baby growing inside her.
Fuck. She’d be hot as hell.
My blood begins to heat at the thought alone.
“And she’s totally getting hotter,” Rett states proudly.
I keep quiet on that, not wanting to end up with a black eye from saying the wrong thing.
“Did you see the bikini she’s wearing?” I mumble a response, not wanting to confirm or deny. He might be fully aware that I’m gone for Hailee, but Rett is nothing if not hot-headed. “Those little ties on the sides? I’m totally making use of those later.”
“Surprised you haven’t snuck up to where she’s napping,” I tease.
His lips part, and something I can’t read flickers through his eyes.
“She’s tired,” he reasons. “I think the burgers are ready. Shall we?”
“Yeah, sure,” I agree before getting to my feet and stalking toward Coach, who’s manning the grill.
“Hey,” he says, looking between the two of us, although I don’t miss the way he lingers on me a little longer. “One or two?”
“One? Coach, come on,” Rett jokes. “Machines this good need fuel, you know that.”
Coach laughs as he loads up two buns for us. “Cheese, salads, and sauces are over there.” Rett takes off, and I’m about to follow him when Coach calls me back.
“What’s up, Coach?”
“How are you doing, kid?” he asks, his focus solely on me.
“Yeah, you know. Every day is hard; it always will be. But I’ve got a great group of people around me, and a job I love more than anything.”
He smiles at me, and there’s something in it which tells me that he knows more than he’s letting on. He leans closer as if he’s going to tell me a secret, and when he does speak, what he says makes my breath catch.
“I assured her that she’d be welcome here today.”
Pain shoots through my chest. Despite being personally invited, she still didn’t feel like she belonged enough to attend.
“Thanks, Coach. I’m sure that meant a lot. She’s a busy woman, though. I’m sure if she could have made it, then she would have.”
“I’ve no doubt. I hope you know what a lucky motherfucker you are, snagging that one.”
I can’t help but beam with pride. “I am, Coach. I really am. I don’t have any plans on letting her go any time soon.”
“Good. You both deserve it.”
With a nod, I take off to finish off my burger.
“What was that about?” Killer asks, catching up with me with his own burger in hand a few minutes later.
“Huh?” I ask, trying to play it off.
“You and Coach. Looked serious.”
“Oh, uh…he was just checking in.”
He nods and takes an obscene bite of his burger that leaves sauce everywhere. It really is no surprise that he can’t keep a woman longer than an evening.
“Yur’ goo’ tho, righ?” he asks with a mouthful.
“Yeah, I’m good. Getting back to it helped. And—” I slam my lips closed before I say more than I should.
“And?”
“Nothing,” I lie, shoving my burger into my mouth.
“Do’n loo like nuffin,” he says, having taken another bite.
“Things are good,” I confirm, hoping he drops it.
“It’s gonna be a good season,” he says, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Yeah,” I agree. “I think you’re right.”
The conversation shifts to a woman he hooked up with over the weekend, and he tells me how much I missed out because she had a really hot friend who was just my type. I’m not sure how he thinks he knows what my type is, considering he’s never seen me with a woman, but whatever.
Guys come and go, getting more food and beer, and the kids run riot around the garden, but Killer seems content to be kicking back and shooting the shit with me, and without a better option, I stay put.
Before long, Rett rejoins us, and when the girls disappear inside for drinks, Linc, Handsy, and Kodie head over too.
Time ticks by, and with the guys distracting me, I manage to take my mind off the woman who insisted on working this afternoon.
She’s incredibly busy with a really important job; I’m sure she has loads to do, but I hate that she felt the need to choose it over this.
I wish there was something I could have done.
Maybe next year will be different. Everyone will know by then, or at least I seriously hope they will.
Thoughts of it still being a secret sour in my stomach.
As much as I’m happy to take this at her pace, I’m desperate to tell the world that she’s mine.
Fuck the publicity and the opinions that’ll be tossed our way…
I just want to be able to walk down the street holding hands.
I want to be able to stop and kiss her just because I can.
Hell, I want to arrive at the arena together instead of me driving and her getting a rideshare.
Fuck it, if I have my way, we’ll work through her driving issues and she can drive that beauty she keeps hidden in her parking garage.
A sigh rips from my throat, successfully turning all attention on me.
“Everything all right, man?” Handsy asks.
“Yeah, I’m just—”
“Daddy, can we play volleyball?” Sutton asks after racing over, a couple of other kids following.
“Fuck, yeah,” Killer barks, a beat before Sutton thrusts a container at him and shakes hit, ensuring we all hear the rattle of the coins she’s collected already this afternoon.
“Daddy is taking me shopping tomorrow for new skates. And I want the best ones,” she explains as Killer reaches over and grabs his wallet from a side table.
“Good thing I stopped at the ATM on the way over, huh?” he mutters, making me wonder how much he’s already stuffed in there today. He pulls a bill from the pocket at the back and folds it up before placing it inside. Sutton puts the lid on so fast, she almost traps his fingers in there.
“Come on then, Peanut. Let’s set it up,” Kodie says, climbing from his lounger and trailing after Sutton.
“You’re all going down,” Killer shouts as he jogs after them.
“You coming?” Rett asks.
“Hell, yeah. And I’m gonna be on Sutton’s team and help her kick all your asses.”
“Casey, you in?” Kodie shouts. “Deja vu from last year.”
Casey shoots a look at her dad, her cheeks suspiciously red.
“Uh …”
“Come on, trouble. You know you want to.”
“Uh…what happened last year?” I ask, feeling like I’m missing something.
Linc steps up behind me. “They were sneaking around behind Coach’s back and things went down under the water. If you know what I mean,” he says, wiggling his brows.
Jealousy burns through me. Fuck, if I wouldn’t give anything to fool around with Hailee under the water while everyone was blissfully unaware.
“Of course they were.”
“Dirty dog,” Rett calls, making Kodie immediately turn to look at Coach. Nothing fazes Kodie Rivers, except the possibility of disappointing him. I get it. We all feel the same, and I can imagine it’s only amplified when you’re dating his daughter.
Coach rolls his eyes at us all before returning his attention to the barbecue.
As Kodie and Killer set up the net, we all jump into the pool, a few more of the kids noticing that we’re about to embark on a game join us.
We get ourselves into teams, and Kodie starts the game with Sutton right at his side.
I lose myself in joking around with everyone and trying not to accidentally drown any kids when we get a little too competitive.
Handsy takes a hit, sending it over the net and directly to Killer, who fires it straight back. I move into position but lose my footing, and before I get a chance to hit it, I sink under the water, swallowing a mouthful in the process.
I come up spluttering, wiping my eyes, but I’m quickly distracted when Killer barks, “Oh, holy fuck. Boss lady is smoking.”
No.
Surely not.
Surrounded by water, I can’t move fast enough, and it feels like an eternity before I manage to spin around and see what—or who—has captured everyone’s attention.
My eyes widen and my chin drops, because fuck.
She’s here. And not only is she here, but she’s wearing that red bikini.
I am utterly fucked.