Chapter Fifteen
Mazzy
The community event was nothing like I’d imagined. I’d pictured players sitting at tables, signing autographs and giving out merch. This was…a lot. Kids and parents were packed onto the practice field between the gym and stadium with rugby players sprinkled around like hulking pieces of confetti.
Katty squeezed my hand, wide-eyed. “That’s Benny’s field?”
“Not the big one,” I said, just as wide-eyed. “This is where they practice.”
She gave a serious nod, filing that away for future reference. This was all new to her. To me too. I’d never been to a pro sports game, much less known a player. And now, here we were, right in the thick of things.
“Are they gonna play?”
“I’m not sure. Ben said there would be food, and kids get to meet the players. That’s all I know.”
“Can I meet the players?”
“Maybe Ben can introduce you.”
I thought it would be easy to spot Ben, but all the players on his team were as massive as he was, heads and shoulders above the rest of the crowd.
Katty and I stood on the sidelines, our heads swiveling, taking in the scene.
Players were huddled with groups of kids, giving tips and instructions.
Some were tossing the ball around; others were chasing kids down the pitch.
Grills were going, cooking hot dogs and hamburgers, and tables were filled with snacks and drinks.
I should have asked more questions. Now that we were here, I didn’t know what to do or where to go.
“Where’s Benny?” Katty tugged on my hand.
“I’m not sure. Let’s play Where’s Waldo?. I bet we’ll find him.”
Another minute of scanning the field, and I finally spotted his curls. He was running with a ball tucked under his arm, a throng of children on his heels as he cackled with glee.
It was…cute. Really, completely adorable.
My stomach did an uncomfortable swoop, followed too quickly by a rocket launch into my throat.
I swallowed hard, willing my organs back into place.
Then Ben replaced the ball with a small boy, carrying him under his arm while the other kids ran after him, and it was absolutely unbearable.
Out of nowhere, a man appeared beside me, standing close enough, his arm brushed against mine. The field might have been packed, but there was plenty of space on the sidelines. No reason for him to be crowding me.
I turned, finding his eyes on us, bouncing between Katty and me.
“Hi,” he greeted.
“Hi…” I replied, wary.
Tall and lean, in a crisp, pale-blue button-down and navy slacks, he didn’t look like a creep, but some men were good at hiding it. The way his eyes kept sliding to Katty and pausing put me on alert.
He shook his head, his gaze bouncing back to me. “You’re Mazzy, aren’t you?”
My grip on Katty tightened. “I am…”
He offered his hand. “I’m Nate Wells. Ben’s brother.”
“Oh.” Wow. Now that I was looking for it, their resemblance was obvious. Nate was less rugged, but he had the same square jaw and creamy brown eyes. “It’s nice to meet you.”
He squeezed my hand. “You too. And sorry for sneaking up on you and staring. I saw her and…”
I looked down at Katty, who was watching us with fascination. “She looks a lot like him, huh?”
He breathed a laugh. “That’s an understatement. He showed my brothers and me some pictures, but I wasn’t prepared for a tiny, girly replica.” Crouching down, he stuck out his hand to Katty. “Hi, I’m Uncle Nate.”
She slapped his hand without hesitation. We were going to have to discuss handshakes since it seemed that was what the Wells brothers were about. “High five, Uncle Nate. My name’s Kateryna, but everybody calls me Katty.”
He grinned at his hand then her. “Cool. You have a great name.”
“Thanks.” She twisted the toe of her shoe in the grass. “Do you know Benny?”
“He’s my brother.”
That got her attention. She lifted her head, eyes gleaming. “He’s your brother? My friend Declan has a brother. I don’t have any. How many brothers do you have?”
“I have three. It’s pretty great, but sometimes, it feels like a lot of boys. We need more girls in the family.” Nate rose, putting his hand on my shoulder. “I’ve been instructed to take you to Ben. I know he’s chomping at the bit to see you guys. Walk with me?”
“Thank you. This is…a lot more than I was expecting.”
“The Mountain Lions are big on community outreach, and rugby is having a renaissance in the US. Lately, Ben gets recognized almost every time he goes out. Luckily, rugby fans are pretty relaxed.”
I blinked at him. “Sorry. This is all so new to me. I’m not a sports girl, so it didn’t really occur to me Ben was famous.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, it’s strange to think people have my baby brother’s poster on their walls. But he hasn’t let it go to his head.”
“He’s always been full of himself then?”
He laughed a little harder. “In a way, yes. But he’s also the most down to earth of all of us.” He pressed on my shoulder. “Let’s go find him.”
Since Ben had left our apartment Thursday evening, he’d called twice and texted…a lot. He was a communicator, which was great. Unexpected, surprising, but I didn’t hate it. I’d assumed he’d be too busy to check in, but so far, that wasn’t the case.
And Katty was enamored by him. She squealed whenever he called and had been counting down the days until she got to see him again.
Ben and I had danced around the topic of telling her he was her dad, but I was beginning to think waiting much longer didn’t make sense. He was proving he was in this, and the longer Katty knew him as “Benny,” I worried she might get confused.
I had a feeling he wasn’t going to be thrilled when he heard Nate had already claimed the title of uncle. At least it was one less thing I’d have to explain.
Nate led us along the edge of the field, weaving through clusters of parents and kids. Katty skipped between us, still holding my hand, craning her neck every few steps like she was afraid she’d miss something amazing.
The closer we got, the easier it became to pick out Ben’s voice over the chatter. He was downfield with a group of kids, demonstrating how to pass the ball, his curls damp with sweat, looking completely in his element.
Ben spotted us almost immediately, his gaze snagging on Katty then me, and his whole face changed, his grin softening into something brighter, fuller.
Katty gasped. “It’s Benny!”
Before I could stop her, she yanked her hand free and tore across the grass.
“Kateryna—” I started, but it was useless.
She was already halfway there, her curls bouncing, little sneakers kicking up dust. Ben dropped the ball and jogged toward her, laughter bursting out of him.
When they met in the middle, she launched herself into his arms, and he caught her without hesitation, scooping her up like she weighed nothing.
He spun her once, just enough to make her squeal, then leaned back to rake his eyes over her.
“Hey, you.”
“Benny, I found you!” she said, patting his shoulders.
“It’s about time. I’ve been waiting all day for you to get here.”
Ben looked away from Katty, finding me beside Nate. He carried her the few paces over to us and slung his arm around me, bringing me in for my own hug. It was so natural to let him fold me against his chest, like we’d done it a thousand times.
“Thanks for coming.” He loosened his hold but kept his arm around my shoulders. “It’s so good to see you guys.”
Katty pressed on his cheek, turning him to face her. “I met your brother, Uncle Nate.”
Ben raised a brow at his brother. “Uncle Nate, huh?”
Nate matched his raised eyebrow and added a smirk. “That’s right. I had to be the first to stake my claim. I can’t wait to tell Ade and Rome.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky you don’t have brothers, Mazz.”
I glanced at Nate. “I don’t know. They seem okay.”
“Nope.” He shook his head. “They’re absolutely not. Don’t let Nate’s slick appearance fool you. He’d give me a noogie right now if he thought he could get away with it.”
“What’s a noogie?” Katty asked.
Ben scrunched his nose. “It’s a mean thing big brothers do. You never have to worry about that.”
“Hmmm.” She tapped his chin. “I’m gonna ask Declan about that.”
Ben chuffed. “That kid again?”
She kicked her feet and straightened her spine. “He’s one of my best friends.”
“I thought he was the best friend,” he said.
“He was.” She shrugged. “Now you’re one of my best friends too, Benny.”
His eyes flicked to mine, and he mouthed, “Oh my god.” Then he gave Katty a squeeze, his voice thick and shaky as he said, “Guess what? You’re my tip-top best friend.”
She patted his cheeks. “Okay. Can I play rugby now?”
“Of course.” He cleared his throat. “As long as it’s okay with Mommy.”
“It is. I trust you not to tackle her or toss her like a ball,” I said.
He met my eyes again, all joking replaced with earnestness. “You never have to worry about this kid with me. I’ve got her.”
“I know you do.” I smiled. It was wobbly, but I meant it. Maybe it was too soon, but I trusted Ben. “Have fun, you two.”
They ran off to rejoin Ben’s group of small fans, and Nate bumped my shoulder with his.
“How strange is this for you?”
Tearing my eyes off my daughter and her father, I peered up at him. “I don’t think I’ve had much of a chance to think about it. This past week has been a whirlwind. One moment there’s no Ben, and the next he’s filling every spare second.”
He nodded. “A whirlwind is a good way to describe him. The thing about Ben is he doesn’t get bored or tired. Once he sets his mind on something, he sets up camp. He is loyal to his core.”
“That’s good.” I rubbed my lips together. “That’s been on my mind. He seems all in now, but this is the fun part. Once we get into the nitty-gritty, he might not be so committed.”
“I don’t see that happening.” He tucked his hands in his pockets.
“Before Roman had Jonah, I never would have pegged Ben as a kid guy. But once that boy was out in the world, Ben was all over being an uncle. He changes diapers and babysits overnight to give Rome and Shira a break. It’s not the same as parenting, but he has experience with the unfun stuff and keeps going back for more.
I imagine it’ll be tenfold with his own daughter. ”
“Yeah.” I swallowed the bubble of grief floating up from the bottomless well in my gut. “I hope so.”
Noting the rasp in my tone, Nate turned to me, his brow dropping with concern.
“Shit. Telling you about all the ways Ben has taken care of Jonah when you’ve been on your own with Kateryna was insensitive, wasn’t it?
I’m sorry, Mazzy. Truly, I am. And Roman would give anything to go back and change what he said to you. ”
I nodded. “You don’t have to apologize. The situation sucks, but I will move on from it. I guess I’m not there yet.”
“No one expects you to be.” He patted my arm. “We’re all doing the best we can with what we now know—and that means welcoming you and Kat into our family with open arms. What you do with that is up to you. Just know we’re here, ready to get to know you both.”
“Thank you, Nate. That means a lot.”
It was a kind sentiment, but I didn’t need it. Not for me, at least. As long as the Wells brothers treated Katty well and came to love her, I’d be happy. Nothing mattered more than that.