Chapter 25 Felix
FELIX
I’m at Ian and Sadie’s place Saturday afternoon, sitting on the floor of their family room and watching my thirteen-year-old niece orchestrate the most ambitious blanket fort construction project in the history of the world.
“Uncle Felix, can you hold this corner?” Riva asks, handing me the edge of what I’m pretty sure is their guest bedroom comforter. “We need structural integrity.”
“Structural integrity for a blanket fort?”
“It’s not just a blanket fort.” She rolls her eyes in that way only teenagers can pull off. “This is the official Princess Ellie castle.”
The princess toddles over with a throw pillow clutched in both hands, her face serious with concentration. “Fee, help.”
“On it, munchkin.” I secure the corner Riva handed me under the couch cushion while Ellie adds her pillow in what I can only describe as an interior design statement.
Piper’s attending her friend’s wedding while Sadie’s off doing a private dog training session at some client’s house, which is why we’re in charge of the castle. I use the term “in charge” loosely, considering Riva is clearly running this operation.
Ian’s sprawled on the floor next to me, his back against the sectional, grinning at the controlled chaos. “Remember when we used to build forts like this?”
“Yeah, and Dad would come home and make us tear them down because they were in the way.”
“Good times.” Ian’s tone is dry, but there’s no real bitterness there anymore.
He’s made peace with the fact that our father sucked at actual parenting.
Ian’s also quick to claim he’s defied the Barlowe curse Dad loved to spout on about in great detail.
How men like us weren’t built for love or commitment.
I’m starting to understand my father’s legacy is not something I have to haul around like some kind of generational rucksack.
“So.” Ian stretches his legs out, crossing them at the ankles. “How’d it go at Grizzlies’ headquarters yesterday?”
“Good.” I adjust my position so I can see both him and the girls. “The facilities are incredible. Matheson seems like a solid guy.”
“Tom’s a good quarterback. Smart. Not as good as me, obviously.”
“Obviously.” I grin. “Might have a smaller ego, though, which is refreshing.”
“I earned my ego.”
“Russ texted me the other day,” I say, keeping my voice casual.
Ian’s expression shifts. “What did that asshole want?”
“To wish me luck with the new team. Said he and Ronnie broke up, and maybe we could get together sometime. You know, hash things out.”
“Please tell me you told him to kindly go f— himself.”
“I left him on read.”
Ian laughs, reaching over to fist-bump me. “Well played. Russ and Ronnie are in your rearview mirror, right where they belong.”
I’m thirty-four years old, and I still get a kick out of making my older brother proud. Some things never change.
“Fee!” Ellie crawls out from under the blanket fort, her blonde hair staticky like she just shoved her finger in an electric socket. “Come see!”
I make my way to the corner of the fort, then duck my head under the main entrance, trying not to disturb what seems to be a Jenga-type arrangement of couch cushions and approximately five thousand blankets.
The inside of the fort is cozy, with a pile of books and string lights Riva pilfered from somewhere creating a soft glow.
“This is amazing, Ellie.”
She beams at me, then crawls back out to where Riva’s adjusting something on the exterior.
As I settle next to my brother again, I notice him watching me with that knowing look that drives me crazy.
“What?”
“You’re down bad.”
“I’m not discussing your sister-in-law with you.” And I’m certainly not mentioning the ring box tucked in the back of a dresser drawer at Piper’s house. Not until I figure out when and how to give it to her. I’m sure it’s the right next move, but I still need to convince Piper of that.
“I’m talking about Ellie.”
Right. I glance at the little girl who’s standing next to Riva, hands on hips like she’s the castle’s main architect.
“She’s a sweetheart,” I murmur.
“She is. And you’re great with her, Felix.”
I don’t know what to say to that. I definitely don’t tell him that Julie’s Aunt Nancy is interested in possibly adopting Ellie.
I still haven’t gotten back to the attorney, who must think I’m a complete loser for ghosting him when he’s finally having success with the task I gave him.
I told Tyler I’m going to keep Ellie, and I meant those words in the moment.
But my doubts are a real thing, and I need to figure out my shit before I say anything to my brother, or to Piper. I don’t want another round of either of them looking at me like I’ve failed in some deeply meaningful way.
“Dad, can you help me with this part?” Riva calls from her position near the entertainment center. “I need someone tall.”
“That’s me.” Ian unfolds himself from the floor, joints cracking. “Getting old sucks, by the way. Enjoy your youth while you have it.”
“You’re thirty-six, bro. Not exactly ancient.”
“Tell that to my knees.”
He’s halfway across the room when the front door opens and Tyler walks in, carrying what looks like coffee and a bag from the bakery downtown.
“What happened in here?” Tyler surveys the blanket explosion with raised eyebrows. “Did someone rob a Bed Bath and Beyond?”
“Ty Ty!” Ellie abandons her pillow mission to run at him full speed. He barely has time to set down his stuff before she launches herself at his legs.
“Hey there, munchkin.” He scoops her up, settling her on his hip like he’s been doing it his whole life. “What are you building?”
“Fort.” Ellie points back at the structure. “Big fort.”
“It’s massive.”
She wiggles to be put down, and once her feet hit the floor, she grabs his hand and tugs him toward the fort entrance. “Come see.”
Just like me a few minutes earlier, Tyler crawls partway into the fort, his muffled “Wow, this is amazing” floating out from inside.
The interaction makes me smile even as my heart aches. God, how I wish Troy and Julie were here. But I also love how my people have become Ellie’s people. That means something, right?
“I’m surprised to see you,” I say when Tyler emerges so that Riva has room to join Ellie under the blankets. “I thought you were heading up to Vail this morning.”
He grabs his coffee and settles on the floor next to me.
“Mindy’s sister lives in Denver. She’s getting married next weekend, and apparently there was some crisis with the centerpieces or the tablecloths or whatever.
Mindy drove down to help her, which is probably a good thing.
” He takes a long pull from his cup. “After that workout this morning, I’m more whipped than your protein smoothies. ”
“Lightweight,” I scoff, and he checks to make sure the girls are still in the fort before flipping me off.
“Speaking of whipped,” Tyler says as he takes a muffin from the paper bag. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at Piper’s friend’s wedding?”
My stomach knots again. “She didn’t want a plus one.”
Ian and Tyler exchange a look. The kind that makes me feel like I’m back in high school, missing some obvious social cue that everyone else picked up on.
“You’re letting her do it alone?” Tyler’s staring at me like I’m the biggest idiot he’s ever met.
“Do what alone? It’s her high school friend. She’s going to know everybody there.”
“Yeah. Including her ex-fiancé and his new wife.”
The words slam into me like a hit from my blind side. “What?” Why in the hell didn’t Piper mention that to me?
“Her supposed friends haven’t exactly been nice to her since she’s been back,” Tyler continues, and now Ian’s nodding along like he already knows this. “She told me they’ve been making comments about her being your nanny and following in Sadie’s footsteps with the whole NFL player thing.”
I look at Ian. “Did you know about this?”
Ian holds up his hands. “Sadie mentioned it, but she also told me I couldn’t say anything. Piper wants to stand on her own two feet.”
I turn back to Tyler. “And how the fu—fudge do you know?”
“Because I ask her questions about herself.” Tyler’s tone is pointed. “You know, like you would do with a person you want to—”
“Message received.” The last thing I need is Ty blurting out my ring purchase. There’s no way Ian wouldn’t spill those particular beans to Sadie. My gaze flicks to him. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
“What part of figuring it out on her own don’t you understand?”
“That’s fine and good until one of those women takes her out at the knees,” Tyler adds.
A hot band of protectiveness surges through my chest. My heart pounds, my muscles tensing the way they do right before a game. “Nobody’s going to be mean to Piper. Not on my watch.”
My brother rolls his eyes. “Maybe you should watch more closely, Jon Snow,” he teases, but his voice is gentle.
“Exactly.” I’m already on my feet. “I have to get to that wedding.”
Tyler checks his watch. “The ceremony’s over by now, and you can’t crash the reception.”
“Watch me. Who’s going to turn away Felix Barlowe?” I run a hand through my hair, panic starting to set in. “But all my dressy clothes are down in Denver.”
“You can borrow a suit.” Ian stands, assessing me with a critical eye. “You’ll just need to suck in your gut.”
I look down at my washboard abs. “I’ll do that.” I take a deep breath as I think about the question I have for my brother. I guess Piper isn’t the only one who has trouble asking for help. “Can Ellie stay here?”
“Of course,” Ian agrees like it’s no big deal, then turns toward the blanket fort. “Hey, Riva. Want to make twenty-five bucks an hour babysitting for Uncle Felix?”
My niece pops her head out of the fort, blue eyes lit with excitement. “Yes!”
“Yes!” Ellie echoes from under the blankets, even though I doubt she understands what we’re talking about.
I stand frozen in place for a moment, as the reality of what I’m about to do explodes through me.
I don’t care about showing up to a wedding reception uninvited, especially now that I’m part of the hometown team.
But what if Piper truly doesn’t want me there?
The old voices start whispering—the ones that say I’m not enough, that I’ll screw this up like I screwed up everything with Ronnie and the two girlfriends before her.
Ian smacks me on the shoulder, hard enough to snap me out of my pointless ruminations. “Bro, are you waiting on a gallant steed for the white knight routine? Let’s get you cleaned up.”
I follow him upstairs to his bedroom, my thoughts churning. Ian heads straight for his walk-in closet, flipping on the light.
“Stop it,” he says without turning around.
“Stop what?”
“Whatever spiral you’re going into.” He pulls out a dark suit, checking the jacket. “I can hear you overthinking from here.”
I lean against the doorframe. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
“Because she’s twenty-three and trying to figure out who she is without someone swooping in to decide for her.” Ian turns to face me, holding the suit.
“I don’t want to make her decisions for her.”
“You also haven’t really let her in.” He raises an eyebrow. “You’re both so busy trying to be independent and prove something that you’re missing what’s right in front of you.”
“And what’s that?”
“You’re better together.”
“I’m sure as shit better with her.”
But I’m also terrified of being found lacking again. How can I try again with a proposal—a real one—when I don’t even know that she wants me in her life?
He shoves the suit into my hands. “Stop letting the past dictate your future. Piper needs somebody in her corner right now. Are you going to be that man?”
The question hangs there, and something clicks into place. All this time, I’ve been so focused on not getting hurt again that I’ve been holding back. I’m keeping Piper at arm’s length while simultaneously wanting to pull her closer.
But she’s not like Ronnie, or my other exes.
She’s infuriating, brilliant, beautiful Piper. The woman who makes me want to be better. She’s carrying my baby and taking care of Ellie and trying so damn hard to stand on her own two feet that she won’t ask for help, even when she needs it.
“Hell yeah, I’m going to be that man.”
Ian grins. “There’s that annoying AF Felix flash. Now take a shower. You need it.”
I take a whiff under my arm. Oh, I need it alright.
“And Felix?” Ian waits until I meet his eyes. “Don’t fuck this up.”
“Super helpful.”
“I’m serious. If you hurt Piper, Sadie’s going to murder you, and I’ll have to help her hide the body.”
“Noted.”
I head for the bathroom, and twenty minutes later, I’m showered, shaved, and stuffed into Ian’s suit. Current wide receivers definitely have different body types than retired quarterbacks. The jacket won’t button, and the pants are snug in the thighs, but I can make it work.
I bound back downstairs, where the three of them have Ellie occupied with what looks like a very serious tea party just outside the fort’s entrance.
“You look almost presentable,” Tyler says, giving me a once-over.
“Thanks. I’ll text when I know what time I’m picking up Ellie. Riva, you’ve got my number if you need anything.”
“We’ll be fine.” Riva waves me off. “Go get her, Uncle Felix.”
“Who get?” Ellie asks, looking up from her plastic teacup.
“I’m going to get Piper, munchkin. Be good for Riva, okay?”
“Pi,” she says with a wide smile before blowing me a kiss that I pretend to catch, pressing it to my chest. When did catching toddler kisses begin to feel as important as catching the perfect spiral?
Ian walks me to the door. “Go be her hero.”
“She doesn’t need a hero.” The words come out certain. “But I’m hoping she’ll take me anyway.”
“No one can resist Felix Barlowe,” Ian assures me. I hope to hell he’s right.
I slide behind the wheel and lock in the GPS for the Skylark Country Club. As I pull out of the driveway, I catch a glimpse of myself in the rearview mirror. I look determined, and maybe a little crazy. For sure like a guy about to crash a wedding.
Perfect.
Because it’s time to remind Piper—and everyone else—that she’s not alone anymore.
Time to get my girl.