Chapter 25
Jordan
Miller didn’t even question it when I offered to tag along for Shelley’s move since he was glad for the help.
It’s the end of the semester and most students have already gone home, so there’s more parking in front of the building than the last time I was here, and it doesn’t take us long to find a spot.
Shelley greets us at the door once we make it up to her unit.
“Thank you so much for this. You’re both total lifesavers. Whatever you want, it’s yours. My first-born child? My rainbow unicorn sticker book from the third grade? You name it.”
“It’s deeply concerning to hear you value those two things equally.” Mike gives her a quick hug, then walks past his sister and starts scanning the space, assessing the job we have ahead of us today.
“In my defense, they were great stickers. Holographic. Easy to peel but stayed where you put them.” Shelley’s eyes soften when she turns her focus to me. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
We’re frozen, all deep stares and wide smiles until Mike twists his face at our strange behavior. “Can we get started or what? I don’t want to be here all day.”
“Right.” I clap my hands in front of me, scanning the half-packed boxes and open trash bags stuffed with clothes. “What can we do first?”
“I could use your help with some stuff in my room.” She winks, and I widen my eyes at her.
“Your brother is right there. Behave.” My whisper is barely audible. I glance at Mike, but he’s already headed toward the open front door with an armful of stacked boxes.
Shelley ignores him as she leads me to her bedroom. “Right this way.”
When we hear Mike’s footsteps fade down the hall, she closes the door and jumps onto me, wrapping her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist.
Surprised, I catch her and say, “You’re going to get us in trouble if you can’t control yourself today.”
“Uh-oh, what are you going to do? Spank me?” Her face beams as she teases.
Okay, maybe I’m the one who’s in trouble here, but I smirk at her and nuzzle my beard into her neck, the way I’ve learned she likes.
“Maybe later, if you’re lucky, but right now you get one kiss.
One. Then we’re going to be on our best behavior and do nothing but move boxes until we’re alone tonight in North Bay. Got it?”
“Okay, Party Pooper. Guess I better make this one count if it needs to last all day.” She kisses me deeply, but we both know we can’t do this for long if we’re going to maintain our cover around her brother.
Reluctantly, she climbs down and lets me go, but not before squeezing me tightly.
I hug her back, burying my face in her hair and relishing the brief moment of comfort.
The door handle jostles, and we jump apart just as Mike comes into the room. “Got any more packing tape? I was halfway down the steps when the bottom of a box fell out. Don’t worry, nothing broke. It was just clothes.”
“Oh, um…” Shelley smooths her shirt as she gathers her thoughts. “I think I might’ve put it in one of the boxes.”
“You packed the packing tape?” He groans, incredulous.
“Don’t give her a hard time,” I interject. “Moving can be stressful. I’m sure we can find more tape.”
“Thank you, Jordan.” Shelley smiles, inching closer until we’re next to each other.
Mike rolls his eyes at me. “Can you stop kissing my sister’s ass for just a minute and give me a hand out there, please? Her stuff is still scattered all over the hall.” What would he do if he knew I’ve already kissed so much more than that?
“Yeah, I’m coming.”
Since the furniture in her apartment is owned by the school, there is less to move than we expected.
Mike tackles most of the boxes, only needing me when he can’t manage to move two huge containers of hardback books and binders by himself.
I’m sure those books are stuffed full of legal jargon I couldn’t pronounce if my life depended on it.
The heavy buggers are an unwelcome reminder of exactly how out of my league this woman is, and the dull ache in my elbow is an unpleasant reminder about why my career is coming to an end.
I try not to dwell on either of those facts as we toss the remaining trash bags and laundry baskets filled with clothes and blankets into the back of the truck.
We cover all of it with a tarp so none of it ends up scattered on the highway.
Shelley rides between us on the bench seat, subtly pressing her thigh into mine the whole ride home until we pull into the parking lot of our complex.
It takes less time to unload the boxes and carry them upstairs than it did to pack them, but by the time we’ve gotten all her things into her new apartment, which is only five doors down the hall from mine, we’re all ready to crash.
At least this place was furnished, too, so we didn’t have to lug a couch up three flights of stairs.
This apartment is a mirror image of my own, except hers only has one bedroom. Otherwise, the open kitchen and living room look exactly the same, and the small hallway leads to her bedroom and bathroom.
Mike and I take a seat on her new furniture, and Shelley hands us each a bottle of water. She fans herself with one hand, her face splotchy from exertion. It conjures images of my favorite night in recent memory.
She groans. “Ugh. Not looking forward to doing that all over again in a few months. Maybe I should call your friend in the fall. What’s his name? Davis? Isn’t this what he does now?”
I huff out a small laugh. “Sort of the opposite. He throws things away for people. But if you call him in the fall, I’ll probably be the one answering anyway.”
“What does that mean?” Mike asks, setting down his water. He and Shelley both look at me with the same concerned gray eyes and questioning crease on their foreheads. Might as well tell them.
“I’m retiring after this season. I talked to Coach this week. Davis offered me a job.” I shrug, downplaying it. We’re all tired, and I don’t want to make this a big deal.
“Really? You sure?” Mike leans forward. When I nod, he clasps a hand on my shoulder and says, “I know the team will miss you.”
“You’re staying in North Bay, though?” Shelley confirms.
I nod at her, too. “It feels like home here,” I admit. The friends I’ve made in this town feel more like family than my actual blood. I don’t want to leave. I know Mike understands. He made the same choice to put down roots here.
He blows out a breath, “Wow. That’s a big change. Glad you’re sticking around. On or off the field, this town needs you.”
“Thanks, man.”
Then he turns his attention to his sister. “You good for the night, Shell? I have to head out. I’m on a flight to Seattle in the morning.” His eyes meet mine, sending a silent bro code signal to watch out for her. I nod at him one more time.
“I’m a big girl, I’ll be fine,” Shelley assures her brother. She thanks him for the help, and they say their goodbyes. As soon as the door closes behind him, she turns to me. “I seem to remember hearing something about a spanking.”
I shake my head. “Let me feed you first, you little horndog. Do you want some pizza? There’s a place in Marnock, the next town over, that delivers out this way.”
“That sounds great, but you are absolutely not buying this time. I forbid it.”
“Is that so?” I pull her onto my lap and tickle her ribs until she’s squealing and squirming. Little does she know, I have no plans to ever let her get away.