Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
LAW
Jett rented a big SUV, and since his brother and wife are off doing something as a couple, Carlie and I pile into it with him and Ava instead of taking the sedan that I rented. I spent the last thirty minutes trying to decide if she’d accept a ride with me if I said I was taking it, or if she’d want to go with Jett and Ava to help with the kids. I finally landed on her wanting to help with the kids, but before I could even ask for a ride with them, Jett offered with a smirk. I’ve never been great at hiding what I’m thinking, although Ivy’s helped me perfect a more neutral expression to help with PR stuff I have to do for football. I hate wearing all my feelings on my sleeve, but when it comes to women I’m interested in, it’s not always a bad thing. Ivy says that she can tell Carlie is skeptical of us just being friends, so that means I’ll have to be extra obvious about how much I like Carlie. That’s okay with me. I don’t like games. My mom played enough with me while I was growing up to last a lifetime.
Ivy’s helped me come to a neutral place about my mom and our relationship, so I can see how her less-than-perfect relationship with my dad, a congressman, and then his subsequent death plays a part in how much she has to control perception. Her taking over his seat on his death, and then winning reelection twice in a row, has probably cemented it all into her personality now. It would just be nice if she could lay down her act at least with me and my brother.
Carlie and I sit in the middle row of the SUV with two-year-old Ruby between us in her car seat. The three McCombs children have now all been properly introduced to me, and I can see why Jett’s happy to help his brother out by hanging out with them during this trip. They’re the most well-behaved children I’ve ever seen, although admittedly I don’t have a ton of experience with kids. But my mom never misses a chance to talk about what terrors Malcolm and I were.
Carlie sings a song with Ruby as we pull away from the resort and head toward Paia. The trail will be just a little ways past the town. I can’t keep my eyes off Ruby and Carlie as Ruby giggles with delight over all of Carlie’s exaggerated movements. Even the boys in the back bounce around to Carlie’s voice. She must have been an amazing preschool teacher, so I’m now more curious than ever about why Ivy told me she’s a former teacher. Carlie has so much energy, and she’s so thrilled by everything with the kids, that I can’t help thinking about how excited she’d get on the sidelines of a football game, cheering for me.
The hike is as low-key as I was told, so the boys walk the whole way. Jett has a backpack that Ruby rides in for most of the hike. Carlie and I take charge of the boys and walk side by side, while Jett and Ava hold hands and take the lead.
“Think they’ll get married soon?” I ask in a low voice, tilting my head toward them.
Carlie smiles softly and nods. “Can you keep a secret?”
I furrow my brows. “Of course.”
“Look at Ava’s left hand.”
I squint, and sure enough, there’s a modest diamond ring there. I blink in surprise. Jett McCombs is one of the most popular quarterbacks in the country. How does everyone not know? “Did that just happen since we got here?” I ask. I can’t think of another explanation.
Carlie chuckles and shakes her head. “No, they’ve been engaged for a while. Only family and friends know. Jett trusts the teammates that are here, so she’s been wearing her ring. They knew pretty much right away. They were engaged eight years ago, so it didn’t take long for Jett to propose this time around.”
“I’m happy for him. For both of them, that they found each other again.” I watch them for longer, jealous of the way that Ava leans into him, how she stares up at him as they walk, trusting that he’ll keep her from any harm on the trail, easy as it is. After everything I’ve been blessed with in this life, do I deserve to ask for that kind of happiness as well?
“Yeah,” Carlie agrees, watching them with the same wistful expression I must be wearing.
“Ivy says you just moved to Houston.” I change the subject, eager to know more about Carlie. Everyone knows Jett’s story with Ava—how they broke up while he was playing for University of Nevada, and how Colby and Gabriella’s wedding brought them back together again, bumpy as the road was. I don’t need to discuss that during one of the few opportunities I have alone with Carlie.
“Yeah, I’m staying in the guesthouse at Devin and Jenna’s for a bit, helping them with the kids while they get their new house ready. Jenna’s a GetAwayHome host,” she explains when I tilt my head in curiosity.
“Then you’ll look for another teaching position? I think Ivy told me you teach preschool.”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. The place I was at in Arizona made life pretty stressful—the parents, that is, not the kids.” She turns toward me with a mischievous smile. “Today I was thinking that maybe I should be a nanny to a family that likes to travel regularly to the beach.”
“Not a bad career choice. I’m certainly enjoying the beach.”
“And what about you?” she asks. “How do you feel about moving to Houston?”
Her expression is perceptive, which makes me guess that Ivy has said something vague to give away that Houston wasn’t my first choice of teams to get traded to.
But my answer is automatic. I don’t have the right to bemoan the fact that I’m living my dream, playing pro football, no matter where I am. It shouldn’t bother me so much that the Blues didn’t try to trade for me when my contract was up with the Rays, and I need to let it go. I’m on a championship team. I keep telling myself that’s what matters, not my childhood dreams.
“I’m happy to be playing for a championship team. What more could a guy ask for?”
She studies me for a second, and I wonder if she sees through how much I have to force that. It’s not a lie that this is a great opportunity, but if I continue to play at the top of my game, the chances of me getting what I’ve dreamed of since I was a little boy—playing for the Nashville Blues—will be slim. The Pumas won’t want to trade me.
“It is a pretty big deal,” she admits, but her tone is cautious.
I run through several things I have to be grateful for to banish the ingratitude crowding my mind right now, especially the bitterness that working hard hasn’t gotten me exactly what I wanted. How can I not be happy with what I have? I have a good chance of winning a championship next season. Everyone believes the Pumas are only getting better.
The urge to admit to her that I was disappointed when the Blues didn’t make an offer bubbles up, but I push it down. I don’t want people, especially Carlie, to think of me as some rich guy whining over what he doesn’t have.
Before I respond, I notice that Carlie is focused on a couple passing us on their way back down the trail. Their conversation is intense, by the looks of it. Carlie and I have been walking close enough that our shoulders brush as we walk, something I’ve been enjoying, but now I notice how tense they’ve become. The boys, jumping and playing on the trail as we walk, are fine. Ruby is singing happily from the backpack. I’m not sure what has Carlie’s guard up.
“Everything all right?” I ask.
“Hmm?” She barely takes her gaze away from staring over her shoulder at the couple. “Um, do you think they’re okay? Like, that she’s okay?”
At the hint of fear in her voice, I stop, turning to watch the couple without making it obvious. It’s probably just a regular argument, but Carlie’s tone holds more than the usual concern over something like that. I glance at her, noticing how she’s pressed her lips together and her brow is furrowed.
“Vacations can be stressful,” I offer. I haven’t been on a single one with my mom and brother in the last six years that hasn’t involved at least a couple arguments. And the ones I remember from before my dad died held their fair share of my parents getting snappy with each other after long flights and little sleep.
“Yeah,” Carlie agrees, but her gaze is still on them as we move slowly forward.
The woman shakes her head at the man and then starts laughing as she shoves his shoulder. “No. No, that’s not how it went,” the woman says, and he joins her laughter as they round a corner.
“You were right,” Carlie says, forcing a smile and hurrying forward to catch up with the boys. In a couple strides, we’re right behind them again. “You just never know how people really are, right?” She gives another glance over her shoulder, squinting at the bend where the couple disappeared.
It’s too soon for me to ask why that’s where Carlie’s mind has gone after witnessing a mild argument—maybe a playful one?—between strangers, but my insides tense at the possibilities. What past experiences have her so invested so quickly?
“Ivy says you’re a reader,” Carlie says.
Her abrupt subject change takes me off guard, but I shake it off and then laugh. “I feel at a disadvantage with Ivy giving away all my secrets. We need to talk about you more.”
She waves that away, her smile growing more genuine. “I want to know what you’re reading. I love to read too, but with my job, I tend to do a lot of picture books.” She chuckles.
“Even in your free time?” I raise my eyebrows, picturing Carlie curled up on a couch with The Very Hungry Caterpillar , as absorbed as I can be when I’m really into one of my books.
“Free time? Have you met a teacher before?” She winks and then shakes her head. “No, I read true crime for fun.”
I can’t stop the burst of laughter that breaks from me, and Carlie’s smile widens. “True crime?” I repeat.
She shrugs, and for a second, her expression shutters before her smile breaks through again. “I got into it a few years ago, and now I can’t get enough. I even had a fan blog for a little while, digging into stories that my favorite podcast did.” She shrugs again, and a light stain of pink to her cheeks tells me she’s embarrassed to admit that, but she did. Excitement wings through my stomach that she trusted me, even with this little bit. It has me … hopeful.
“That’s so cool. Everyone has different ways of detaching, right?”
“You’re going to look up the blog, aren’t you?” She covers her face with one of her hands, shaking her head.
“Will it be hard to find?” I bump her with my shoulder.
“I hope so.” She bumps me back. “It’s just … my sister says I’m nosy.”
“That’s funny. Nosy girls are my type.” I grin playfully at her, then realize what I just implied about me and Ivy. “I mean, I get along well with nosy girls,” I say, trying to recover.
Thankfully, Carlie just chuckles. “I just want to know the story—about everyone,” she admits with a self-deprecating shrug.
“I’m reading this book right now about historical conspiracies. You’d probably like it.” I pull out my phone and show her the cover on my reading app.
She takes the phone from me, scrolling to the description. “I’ve read about a lot of these.” She grimaces, then forces a laugh. “Sometimes I don’t take sleep as seriously as I should.”
She hands the phone back and stares at the ground for several steps. I don’t know what’s going through her mind, but I wish I did. In this situation, Carlie certainly isn’t the only nosy one. She makes me want to know everything about her.