Chapter 11
NATE
Tate Barnes, one of our defensive linemen, was talking to me about his back issues, but I couldn’t focus on a word he was saying. I was concentrating too hard on watching Becca chatting it up with our kicker, Wyatt Turner.
She was by the bar, laughing at something he was saying, and from what I could see, she was listening more than talking.
As for me, I was suddenly regretting my decision to invite her tonight.
It was stupid to feel jealous. She wasn’t mine. She supposedly had a boyfriend. Despite all that, she had made it clear that she was only here for the interview. I shouldn’t be bothered by her being overly friendly with Wyatt, but it didn’t stop my brain from hating seeing them so chummy.
Tate’s eyes followed mine. “She looks different tonight. I feel like I’ve been missing out.”
“Who are you talking about?” I asked, even though I already knew. He had been checking out her since she got here. How did I know? Because I have been doing the same damn thing.
“Becca Hendrix, the reporter.” He whistled. “She doesn’t look so buttoned up tonight.”
Irritation prickled at the bottom of my spine. I didn’t like the way he stared at her. Or that he was thinking of her. She was off-limits for more reasons than one.
My jaw clenched tight from pure annoyance. “She’s here for work.”
“You gotta introduce me.”
“She has a boyfriend.”
I didn’t want him near her, or anyone else, for that matter.
“Really? Lucky guy,” he said, not taking his eyes off her. “Wonder if it’s serious, because I might just take my chances.”
“Don’t be an idiot and do something to make her uncomfortable,” I warned and rubbed a hand over my mouth.
He finally tore his gaze away from her. “What the hell crawled up your ass? You got a thing for the reporter, because I was just commenting on how good she looked?”
He was taunting me, so I needed to rein it in. Fighting a teammate at a charity wouldn’t be good for the event.
“I told you, she has a boyfriend.”
His smile grew. “I guess that explains your shitty mood then.”
Ever since I invited her to this damn thing, I’d been on edge. And the worst part, people were noticing.
Jax came up and slid between us. “Yo, what’s going on here?”
“Nothing,” I muttered, pressing my drink into the palm of my hand.
I was still annoyed from watching them dance together and seeing his hands all over her.
He was fully aware of what he was doing.
That little stunt made me want to call him out.
But I knew if I gave him an inch, he’d take a mile and run with it.
That was his thing. Pushing me on purpose, like it was his full-time job.
“Doesn’t look like nothing to me.” Jax’s gaze slid between us.
Tate smirked. “Our buddy here has a thing for his reporter friend.”
Jax sipped his beer. “I know.”
I really wish these two would mind their own business.
“Do you two ever shut up?”
I didn’t like how they could see right through me, or that my eyes went back to her without permission.
“Well, this has been entertaining, but I gotta run.” Tate turned to me. “I donated ten grand to your charity. You’re welcome.”
I shook his hand even though I was annoyed with him. “Appreciate it, big guy.”
Tate backed away, giving us a mock salute. “I’ll catch you later.”
I adjusted my cufflinks as if that could somehow distract me from how stupid I felt. This was supposed to be positive coverage for me and maybe a few photos. A goodwill gesture or whatever, but it was becoming obvious to every single person in this room that I was distracted.
And that was a big problem.
Jax turned to face me. “You need to calm the fuck down. He was just messing around.”
“I am calm.”
He snorted. “You might want to try saying that again with a straight face. You are losing your mind over that girl. Did you think I didn’t notice that you were one second away from fighting me on the dance floor?”
I glared at him. “Jax, I knew you were doing it on purpose.”
“Obviously.” He stroked his chin like he always did when he was about to be annoying. “And you need to get a grip. She’s a great girl, but you’re acting as if you’ve never been around a woman before.”
“I’ve been around plenty of women.” I scoffed. “Are you done now?”
“Look, man. I’m not judging you. But whatever is happening between you two, you need to figure it out. You might want to pretend you don’t care, but you sure are acting as if you do. If you don’t pull yourself together, people will start talking. And not in the way that you want.”
“She has a boyfriend,” I repeated for what felt like the tenth time in the last five minutes.
His eyebrows popped up. “You sure about that, because I’m not.”
“Are you saying she’s lying?”
“People lie about stuff all the time.” He shrugged. “She didn’t mention anything about a boyfriend when I was dancing with her.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.” I gave him a pointed look. “Can we change the subject now?”
“For the record. I think she’s into you, too.”
He patted my shoulder once, then walked away, leaving me standing in the middle of the crowd with his words echoing in my ears.
Why would she lie about being in a relationship? It didn’t make sense.
Maybe I was thinking too hard, or maybe Jax was right. And I didn’t know which one bothered me more.
That she might be taken, or hoping she wasn’t.
“We are sitting with my family.” I gestured for Becca to follow me.
“Are they going to be okay with me being here and asking questions?”
My steps faltered. I probably should have given them more of a heads-up. All I told them was that she was sitting with us and why she was here. “Do me a favor and focus more on me. If you want to ask them a few soft questions, that’s fine, but nothing too heavy.”
“So, no asking if you had any porn addictions as a teen?”
I cocked a brow. “That’s a little personal. Are you sure you’re not asking for yourself?”
She smirked. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how you deflected on that answer.”
I shook my head with a smile and led her across the room. We walked close enough that I was aware of every step she took. My dad spotted us first, followed by my mom. Callie’s face lit up so fast it was almost embarrassing.
“Hey, guys. This is Becca Hendrix. She is a sports reporter who is shadowing me tonight.”
Dad stood and extended his hand. “Edward Sandler, nice to meet you, and this is my wife, Sharon.”
“It’s nice to meet you both.” Becca smiled while accepting his hand.
Mom got up and held out her arms. “I’m a hugger.” Becca’s eyes widened in surprise while my mom pulled her into her arms. “I’m so glad you could join us.”
“Thank you.” You could tell she wasn’t used to this type of affection.
Becca moved closer to Callie so she could read her lips. “You must be Callie. I’ve heard so much about you.”
My sister sat up straighter in her chair. Excitement was written all over her face. “Nate said he was bringing a sports reporter who covered the team, but he forgot to mention how pretty you were.”
Becca blushed, like she wasn’t sure how to take the compliment. Meanwhile, I adjusted the collar of my dress shirt, hoping my sister wasn’t getting ideas in her head.
Once the formalities were done, I pulled out a chair so Becca could sit down. She crossed her legs and tucked her dress underneath her.
I squeezed into the spot next to her and listened to my dad talk about how their next-door neighbor’s dog was always getting loose and shitting in their yard, but my attention kept drifting back to Becca. She was laughing and nodding along when my mom and sister asked her about her work.
When her knee bumped into mine, I shifted in my seat, suddenly aware of how close we were. It was just enough to catch the scent of her perfume. It was warm, clean, and subtle. That’s when I started noticing things I probably shouldn’t.
The way her eyes would crinkle when she laughed. How her cute bow lips were always shiny with lip gloss. I was ashamed to admit that I was imagining those lips in ways that were borderline inappropriate for dinner with my folks.
“So, how long have you two known each other?” my mom asked.
“Long enough to know that he probably regrets inviting me to sit with you.”
I felt my lip twitch despite myself.
Mom smiled at her in a way that she usually did when she decided she liked someone. “Well, you must be really good at what you do. Nate usually avoids journalists like the plague.”
She wasn’t wrong. I could only imagine what they were all thinking. From the outside, I was aware of how it looked. Me inviting a smart, beautiful woman to join me and my family was probably sending the wrong message.
Becca laughed, not missing a beat. “Oh, trust me, I know. That’s why I’m trying my best to stay on his good side.”
I chuckled, imagining how hard that must be for her. For once, she was the one under the microscope.
Welcome to my world, sweetheart.
Callie rolled her eyes. “Don’t let him fool you. He’s not as intimidating as he looks.”
I scoffed. “Callie, don’t ruin my reputation.”
“So, should I leave out the fact that Mom still buys your clothes?” My sister grinned, clearly proud of herself. “And does your laundry when she’s in town?”
“Are you serious?” Becca asked, a little too enthusiastically for my liking. I could basically feel her committing that piece of information to her memory.
For the record, I was a fully functioning adult. My mom, however, still hadn’t gotten the memo. She insisted on doing my laundry whenever she was in town, and the woman loved to shop. I was tempted to jump in and defend myself, but it would only make it worse.
I pointed my fork at her. “You are not putting that in the article.”
Mom laughed, and Dad shook his head. I should have known better than to put those two next to each other.
“At least I didn’t tell her about your haircut in third grade.”
I choked on my water. “Callie, I swear to God…”
I was making a mental note to never trust my sister to keep a secret again.
“What haircut?” Becca asked, sitting up straighter in her seat.