Chapter Seven
Cooper
Something about Brinley’s story doesn’t sit right.
I tell myself it shouldn’t matter. People show up to open practice all the time. Usually, it’s coaches or trainers, but sometimes faculty or board members wander in to kill time.
The arena isn’t locked down, so anyone can come watch.
But they don’t. Not really.
Her explanation about coming back to thank me for what happened at the bar doesn’t really track. It should, it’s simple and harmless, but something about it doesn’t sit right. The way her shoulders tensed when I brought it up, how she moved past it instead of saying anything more.
People lie all the time, often about things that don’t really matter.
This feels like it matters, though.
I step away from the noise, weaving through bodies toward the kitchen under the pretense of grabbing another beer. My eyes scan the room automatically until I find Kade leaning against the counter. His arms are crossed, laughing at something Owen is saying while he nurses his beer.
“You got a second?” I ask.
He glances up. “Depends. You about to get all serious on me?”
“Yeah.”
He wasn’t expecting my response, so that gets his attention. He straightens a little. “What’s up?”
I keep my voice low. “The thing you said earlier. About her. Where’d it come from?”
Kade’s brow pulls in. “Who’s asking?”
His gaze flicks past me, toward where I’d been standing with Brinley not that long ago, then returns.
“Me,” I say. “You didn’t say it like it was a guess.”
A beat passes.
He studies me for a second, then exhales through his nose and tips his bottle back to finish off his drink.
“Reed found it.”
“Reed?” I repeat.
“When we were digging into Gavin and Wren’s dad, Talon asked Reed to look into Coach too,” Kade says.
“He ran his background, financials, you know, that sort of thing.” He pauses, eyes flicking briefly toward the room before settling back on me.
“He pulled some old records and found payments going to a woman named Dianne Taylor.”
My jaw tightens. “Payments for what?”
Kade doesn’t answer right away. “About a week after she gave birth, Coach ordered a paternity test for a girl named Brinley,” he says finally. “He wired her over a million dollars not long after.”
The words hang between us.
“So he knew,” I say slowly. “He knew she existed.” I shake my head once. “And what? He paid to make sure no one found out?”
Kade nods. “That’s how it looks, doesn’t it?”
And suddenly, her sitting in on practice doesn’t feel random at all.
“She told me she was new,” I say, the pieces clicking together in a way I don’t like. “Didn’t know anyone. No family either. Came tonight because she works at Broken Saddle and Sasha invited her.” I exhale. “She might’ve been a bit tight-lipped, but if she knows, why would she lie about it?”
Kade goes quiet, eyes unfocused as he thinks it through. “Maybe she thinks he doesn’t know she’s here,” he says. “Or maybe she does, and she doesn’t want anyone else to find out.”
The silence stretches, thick with implication.
“Do you think she knows about the rumors?” Kade asks finally. “About us looking into him?”
I shake my head. “I doubt it. And if she does, she’s hiding it better than most.”
Either way, Brinley showing up in Rixton doesn’t feel random anymore.
Kade takes another drink, his expression hardening. “If she does though, that could be a problem.”
I glance back toward the living room.
Brinley stands in a loose circle with a few people. I’m guessing whoever Sasha decided she needed to meet. Owen is there too. She’s laughing at something one of them says, her shoulders relaxed, her hair pulled up off her neck like the heat finally got to her.
She looks happy. Almost at ease. Like the secrets she’s carrying aren’t weighing her down. Who knows, maybe they aren’t.
Owen’s smile falters when he catches me watching her. He almost looks guilty, though I can’t figure out why.
Then Brinley glances up, and our eyes meet. She stills for a beat, then smiles again.
Something tightens in my chest.
“She doesn’t feel like a threat,” I say quietly.
Kade studies me. “That’s not the same thing as saying she isn’t one.”
“I know,” I say. “But it doesn’t mean she’s lying to hurt anyone.”
Kade exhales through his nose. “You’re already defending her.”
I don’t bother denying it.
Because the truth is, I don’t believe for a second that Brinley came to Rixton to cause any trouble. If anything, she’s here searching for answers. If she found out that Coach is her father and he paid her mom off, I wouldn’t blame her for wanting answers either.
I finish my drink and set the bottle down, eyes still tracking her across the room. “I’m not gonna push her to tell me,” I say. “Not yet.”
Kade nods slowly. “Just… be careful.”
“I will.”
I take another sip of my drink and let my gaze drift back toward the crowd, where Brinley stands with Sasha. Every so often, her eyes flick over to me, and I can’t help the smile that takes over my face, knowing she can’t help but seek me out too, or the way my pulse races when our eyes lock.
Sasha grabs her hand and pulls her toward the middle of the room, where a group of Sasha’s friends dances to the music. The lights are lower, but I still notice Brinley’s hesitation before she lets go, laughing as Sasha spins her under her arm.
I stay where I am, watching her let loose.
She doesn’t dance like someone who does it often, and she certainly isn’t moving like she’s trying to impress anyone. Her hair slips free from her messy bun as she moves. It’s like she forgot she’s even in a crowded room.
Seeing her slip into this carefree place does something to me.
Time passes without me realizing it. I’ve been nursing my beer, barely touching it, my eyes tracking her through the crowd. When she finally steps away, I don’t notice right away and almost miss her leaving.
I spot her near the door as she slips outside with Sasha. I look down at my beer, still half full, and set it on the counter before I head for the door.
I tell myself this isn’t what it looks like. I’m just making sure she’s… safe.
She walks quickly down the sidewalk with Sasha, rubbing her arms against the crisp air. I keep my distance far enough back that they won’t notice me unless she turns around.
I don’t want her to know I’m following her. That alone should tell me I need to mind my own business, but I push that thought out of my mind as I slide into my truck and pull away from the curb, telling myself—again—that this is just about making sure she gets home.
Nothing more.
Sasha’s car turns a few blocks later, and I follow at a distance that doesn’t look intentional. When they pull in near Broken Saddle, I ease off even more, coasting into the lot of the business next door instead of stopping out front. I cut my lights and sit there, engine idling low.
Brinley steps out a second later, hugging herself against the cold. Sasha leans across the console to say something. Brinley nods and gives a small wave. The car pulls away, taillights disappearing down the street.
I should leave.
That’s the line. That’s where this ends.
Instead, I stay where I am and watch her cross the lot, keys already in her hand as she heads for the stairs at the back of the building. The bar below is dark now, leaving the night too still.
That’s when I see movement in the alley.
At first, my brain doesn’t register it as a threat. Someone steps out of the shadows, dressed in all black with their hood pulled up. Then he angles toward her, and my spine goes rigid.
She doesn’t see him right away. She’s barely reaching the first step when he says something—low enough that I can’t make out the words. Her shoulders tense, her body going rigid as she shifts just enough for me to see the fear flash across her face.
Fear flashes across it as the guy closes the distance fast.
He shoves her back against the building, not hard enough to knock her out but enough to pin her there. My door is already open before my brain catches up. My boots hit the pavement as adrenaline pumps in my chest.
“You don’t belong here,” the guy growls, his voice carrying now. “Leave town.”
Brinley shakes her head, her hands coming up instinctively to protect herself.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just here for school.”
“Don’t play dumb,” he snaps. “You’ve got no business being here. Next time, I won’t be asking.”
I break into a run, my steps pounding against the pavement as I cross the lot. “Hey!” I shout.
His head snaps up.
For half a second, I think I might get a good look at him, but he bolts down the alley, disappearing into the darkness before I get the chance.
I swear under my breath and skid to a stop in front of Brinley.
She’s shaking. Her back still pressed against the wall, eyes wide, breath coming in short, panicked huffs like she can’t quite get enough air. She doesn’t even register me standing in front of her.
“Brinley,” I say, my voice rough. “Hey, hey. I’ve got you. You’re okay.”
She blinks, like she’s trying to orient herself. “He-he just—”
That’s as far as she gets before I pull her into me without thinking. My arms wrap around her shoulders, holding her tight against my chest. She stiffens for a split second before she melts into me.
Her fingers curl tight, gripping my shirt. I feel it, how hard she’s shaking with fear and how close she is to falling apart.
“I’ve got you,” I murmur, pressing my lips against her temple. One hand cradles the back of her head, the other firmly gripping her waist. “You’re safe. He’s gone.”
Her breath hitches, and she presses her forehead into my chest, exhaling a shaky breath.
We stand there in the dark, our hearts hammering and every muscle wound tight.
I don’t know who that was.
I don’t know how he knew she was here.
And I don’t know how long he’s been following her before tonight.
All I know, standing here with her shaking in my arms, is that this stopped being a coincidence.
And I am absolutely not letting her face whatever this is alone.