Chapter 28 Maddox
MADDOX
“I’m back! Did you guys miss me? Because I missed all of you.”
I’m not saying that I expected to walk into Sugar and Sweets tonight to a full-on party.
We have enough to clean up every time we meet before adding in streamers and balloons.
But I thought maybe a little fanfare. Instead, I’m greeted by my three newest friends looking at me like I grew a second head while I was away at training camp.
“No party?” I ask, making sure I’m not missing something. “Nothing?”
“Sorry to disappoint you Gallagher," Beau says. “Being away for training camp—a.k.a. your job—doesn't warrant a welcome back party.”
“That sucks,” I say as I take the apron that Theo is holding up for me. “Did you guys miss me at all?”
“Not really.”
“Ouch,” I say to Beau’s response, holding my hand over my heart. “You know, you can lie to me. Or at least let me know before you throw the verbal brick in my face.”
Theo claps me on the back as he passes by on his way to his station. Looks like he’s trying to tackle macarons—the one thing none of us can get a handle on. “What he means to say is that this is the first Poker Club meeting since the last time we saw you.”
“Really?” Doing the math that it was more than a month ago, right before the gender reveal. “Schedules not lining up?”
“Been busy as hell,” Beau says. “I’ve had three tournaments and a week in Los Angeles finalizing a new offseason streaming deal.”
“Really?” I ask, fascinated by how Beau’s made a career not only of golf, but also through social media. “Gabi didn’t say anything.”
“Because she doesn’t know,” he says as he prepares his dutch oven to preheat for his loaf of the day. “I’m still finalizing things, so I didn’t want to say anything.”
“You? Not want to say anything?” Asher chimes in. “I didn’t get the memo that pigs were flying today.”
“Fuck you Reed,” Beau says as he gets his raised dough, ready to score it.
I didn’t know that term before Poker Club, and now I know a little too much about it.
My future brother-in-law will talk your ear off about the different techniques if you let him.
“Plus, what has you so busy this summer? It’s your fucking offseason.
Yet the only time I asked if you wanted to get a drink you said you were busy. ”
“I was,” he defends. “I had to take Adalyn to dance class.”
Beau’s raised eyebrow means he doesn’t buy it. “And that took all night? I thought you went to a studio where you dropped her off?”
“Normally it is,” he trails off like he’s gearing up to tell us the deepest, darkest, secret of his life. “It was bring a special friend to dance night.”
Theo’s eyes nearly jump out of his head. “Are you telling me, you attended, and participated, in a dance class with your three-year-old and none of us were there to document it?”
“Exactly,” he says. “I wasn’t telling you fuckers a thing.”
“Please tell me there are pictures,” I say. “And please, please, tell me that there was a tutu involved.”
“There wasn’t, but just you wait.” He points a finger at me. “Once your kid is here, if he wants you in a tutu, or throw a ball, or build some crazy-ass contraption, you’ll do it. No questions asked.”
He’s right. I would. Hell, I’d probably come up with half the ideas myself.
Because that's what a good father does. What my father didn't do, and probably never would have done even if he'd stayed. He wasn’t like Asher who’s learning to french braid and going to a dance class. He didn’t go the extra mile.
I doubt he ever left straight from his job to come home and paint a nursery.
But that’s what I did today. Went directly from football practice to the house to throw on a coat of paint in the nursery before coming to a baking club to make his partner the brownies she’s craving.
I never really knew him, but he’d never have done that.
But I did.
I will.
At least, I hope so.
“Quit stalling, are there photos and video?” Beau asks, bringing me back to the conversation.
“No,” Asher says gruffly. “At least… I don’t think so.”
“So you’re saying there’s a chance!” Theo proclaims. “Don’t worry guys, I’ll make some calls. We’ll have evidence by midweek.”
“Doing the Lord’s work Lawson,” I say as I start getting situated at the spot I’ve seen Gabi make countless deserts in the time I’ve known her. “And what about you Theo? How was the July-August slate of games?”
“Exhausting,” he says. “I don’t feel like I had a minute to myself. It was either a plane or a game.”
“Not true,” Asher says without making eye contact. “I seem to remember you having time to help Ellie with her wedding arch.”
“Ellie? Who’s Ellie?” I ask, feeling, yet again, I’m way behind the eight-ball. “Did Lawson get engaged while I was gone? I didn’t even know he was dating anyone.”
“He wishes,” Beau says as he takes a seat, the insinuation laced in his tone.
“We’re just friends!” Theo shouts, and it takes me aback.
I know I’m only getting to know Theo, but he’s never struck me as the kind who loses his cool.
Or maybe he only does when a certain woman is named?
All I know is that he’s trying to even his features, but he can’t stop the redness from covering his cheekbones.
“Sure…” Asher and Beau say in unison.
“We are.”
“Yup. Totally,” Asher says. “Because I know for my best friend’s wedding I agreed to be a bridesmaid while helping her build a wedding arch even though I’ve been in love with her since I was five.”
“I’m a brides-man. Get it right.”
Beau laughs under his breath. “If that’s the only thing you’re denying then you’re in a heap of trouble.”
Theo flips off Beau before turning to me.
“Ellie is my best friend. We grew up together and by the fate of the baseball gods, she works for the BlueBirds on the social media team. She’s also getting married next year.
And since I’m a good guy, who happens to be pretty handy, I told her I’d help build some things for her wedding to save her money.
On my off days I go to her house and work on some projects. That’s it.”
“You left out the part where you're madly in love with her and you're pissed as fuck that she's getting married.”
A ball of dough that Theo was working on goes flying across the kitchen, missing Beau by less than an inch.
“Next time it’s going to make contact,” Theo says. “I don't know how many times I need to tell you that we're just friends.”
“You need to keep telling yourself that.”
“I will. Just like you keep telling yourself that you’re not feeling some sort of way about Shelby LeBlanc moving next door to you.”
The two stare each other down and I don’t know where to look as I lean in to whisper to Asher. “I know I thought this was my welcome home party, but this is so much more entertaining than any party.”
“Wait till you've been here a little longer,” Asher says as he starts loading sticks of butter into a stand mixer. “I’ve heard this fight more times than I can count. Frankly, I'm a little tired of it.”
Tired of it? I don't know how anybody could get tired of this. It’s a stare down. A fuck-off off. It’s who’s going to admit first that they’re secretly in love with people that they refuse to admit their feelings for. I live for this shit.
“Why would you think I'm happy that Shelby’s here?” Beau asks. "I hate her. She hates me. That’s how it’s been our entire lives.”
"Do you though?” Theo asks. “Because every time you two are together, I always have to question whether or not you're gonna fight or fuck.”
“My bet is that they fight then fuck,” Asher adds. “Makes more sense.”
I’ve never seen Beau’s face as red as it is right now. “I will never—emphasis on never—fuck Shelby LeBlanc.”
“I'll take that action,” I chime in, making every face turn to look at me. “What? He said never. I believe in never say never. So I’ll put down a few bucks.”
I take my wallet out of my back pocket, and I just so happen to have a hundred-dollar bill at the ready that I dramatically set on the table.
“I like where the kid’s head is at,” Asher says, taking out his own bill. “I’m in.”
“What the fuck?” Beau says, rubbing his hand down his jaw. “I’m not going to fuck her. If anything, y’all need to make sure I don’t murder her.”
“With your dick,” Theo says, adding to the pile. “The odds aren’t in your favor, old man.”
“Fuck you all,” Beau says, bringing out his wallet. “Want to know how sure I am that nothing is ever going to happen between me and Shelby? I’m going to see each of your bets. The way I see it, this will be the easiest double-my-money situation ever.”
Beau walks over and slams his three hundred dollars on the table before turning to me. “I liked it better when you were scared of me.”
I wave him off. “Nah. This is more fun for everyone.”
Beau shakes his head as he walks back to the oven and pulls out his preheated dutch oven. “Weren't we supposed to be talking about you and training camp? Or maybe my future nephew? Or the new house? How did this conversation turn to me?”
“Because somehow as the guy about to start a season and welcome a new baby, I’m leading the boring life,” I say. “Now spill. What I want to know, and what the rest of the room wants to know, is why you and Shelby hate each other?”
"The room doesn't want to know this," Beau points over to Asher. "He definitely doesn't want to know it."
"Actually, I do." Asher says as he turns on his stand mixer. "I've heard you grumble about her since I’ve known you. I'd at least like to know the reasons.”
"Yes," Theo says, taking a seat and leaning forward on his elbows. "Please tell us everything."
“That’s not happening," Beau says as he puts his bread in the oven. “We grew up playing golf together. She was my little sister's best friend. She was annoying then, and she's only become worse as we grew up.”