CHAPTER 12 Penny Calloway
Twinkle
I'm lying on a lounge chair with a margarita in my hand when I spot Liam walking from inside the hotel back into the pool area where we're all hanging out.
“Where'd you go?” Madden asks him, and my ears perk up as I listen but pretend like I’m not.
“My agent called,” Liam says. “San Diego wants me.”
“Holy shit, bro,” Madden says, and he holds his hand up for one of those bro slap high-five handshake things that boys do.
I'm watching the entire exchange from behind my sunglasses, and while my heart leaps for him that he got a contract when I know how badly he wanted it after our conversations both at the bar and after the night we shared on Wednesday…
I still feel a small personal sense of loss.
Having him in the same city as me meant unfettered access, but now he'll be over two thousand miles away.
It’s a ridiculous thought.
Still.
It's not like Pittsburgh, where he could hop on a plane and be back in Chicago in under an hour and a half. This is more like four and a half hours, and I do not have an easy escape route to be able to travel back and forth from California to Illinois. Nor do I have the funds to make that happen.
Not that it's an issue anyway. He didn't invite me.
But he did invite me to stay at his place in Chicago, and maybe that means we have a little more time together until he has to go.
In fact, it's like Madden can read my mind, because his next question to his brother is, “When do you report?”
“OTAs are Wednesday through Friday the week of Everleigh's wedding,” he says. “They want me on site next week to start studying the playbook. Plus workouts and meeting my teammates.”
“You're welcome to stay with Kennedy and me until you can find a place of your own,” Madden tells him.
“I might take you up on that, bro. It would beat living out of a hotel until I find a place to settle.”
“The Storm is lucky to have you, but I should also say you're lucky to sign with the Storm.
They are far and away the best team I ever played for.
And I know you've got Tanner in front of you, who I respect the hell out of.
But all you have to do is prove yourself at camp, and you've got a shot at QB1.”
Liam nods slowly as he contemplates that, and I get the very real sense that even though everyone loves Tanner—Liam included—this is his chance to finally prove himself. A ripple of excitement travels up my spine for him.
I'm still pretending like I'm not eavesdropping on their entire conversation, but I'm dying to throw my arms around his neck and congratulate him as I press my lips to his.
This is a really exciting day, and it feels like we have something to celebrate—aside from Everleigh and Maverick's upcoming nuptials, of course.
“What are you two telling secrets about over here?” Dex asks, walking up behind them and clapping them both on the shoulders.
“I just accepted an offer from the Storm,” Liam says.
“Holy shit, man, that's fucking awesome.” He pounds Liam on the back.
“Let's get this man a drink. We've got some celebrating to do…until I take your ass down on the field.” He laughs a little wickedly, and Liam shakes his head as he contemplates his brother coming at him from the other side of the line when the San Diego Storm play the Vegas Aces.
“We’ve got some celebrating to do?” Everleigh asks from behind them. “I thought we were here celebrating,” she says, and the three brothers look at her and roll their eyes.
“Of course we are, Ev. This is still all about you,” Madden says, his voice a little sarcastically condescending the way big brothers only talk to their little sisters. “But Liam is signing with the Storm, so we thought maybe he could have a moment to celebrate that.”
“Holy shit, Liam!” Everleigh screams, tossing her arms around her brother.
And I suppose now is an appropriate time for me to stand and join in on the party.
I walk over to them. “Did Madden say you’re signing with the Storm?” I ask.
Liam nods and grins at me.
“That's freaking amazing, Liam. Congratulations,” I say, and I give him a hug that is zero percent the type of hug I want to be giving him but one hundred percent the type that is appropriate given the situation.
I feel Madden studying us, and I get the sense that when Madden cornered Liam by the bar earlier as I was filling my plate with eggs and chocolate croissants, Liam confessed what was going on between us.
I'm sure he'll fill me in later, but we haven't exactly had a chance to touch base given the festivities.
We hang around the pool, day drinking and ordering snacks until around five, and we all head up to our hotel rooms to rest up and get ready for our evening, which apparently is a joint boys and girls venture.
I am just about to hop in the shower again when I hear a knock at my door. I rush over to open it in case it's Liam surprising me, and I want to make sure I get him out of the hall before anyone else spots him.
I glance through my peephole and see that it's him, and I open the door and grab his arm to pull him in.
He loops his arms around me and stares down into my eyes for a few beats.
“Fucking hell, Penny, you and that goddamn swimsuit.” He shakes his head and closes his eyes as he tilts his head up toward the ceiling, his neck corded like he can hardly stand looking at me in it because of what it does to him.
“I can't believe San Diego Storm superstar Liam Bradley is holding me in his arms while complimenting me in my swimwear,” I murmur, and he chuckles.
“San Diego Storm superstar Liam Bradley wants to get you out of said swimwear and fuck you until you're not thinking about anything except his cock.” His hands trail down to squeeze my ass.
“Believe me when I say that the only thing I've been thinking about this weekend is your cock.”
My phone starts to ring, and I'm incredibly tempted to ignore it, but I can't. It could be the kids. He seems to read correctly in my eyes that I need to get it.
He pulls back and nods. “Go ahead.”
I pick my phone up, and sure enough, it’s Sammy FaceTiming me. I flash the screen at Liam so he knows to stay out of the frame as I take the call.
“Hi, my sweet boy,” I answer.
Sammy's eyes are red and puffy. When he says, “Hi, Mama,” in a shaky voice, my heart breaks, and I immediately blame fucking Brent for this, whatever it is. Apparently, I'm not wrong.
“Dad said he doesn't know when you're coming back, and it scared me because you said you're coming back tomorrow. I want to see you tomorrow,” he wails.
“Oh, baby, I'll be back tomorrow,” I say softly.
“Daddy won’t let me eat my gummy worms that I got from Mrs. Townsend yesterday for being star student.”
“Oh, honey, you were star student?” I ask. “That's amazing. I'm so proud of you. And you know what? When I get home tomorrow, maybe I'll bring you a special surprise for being the star.”
“You would do that, Mama?” he asks, and his sweet little voice has gone from trembling and sad to hopeful and excited.
“Of course I would, baby boy. I already picked out what I'm bringing you, and you're going to be so excited. And trust me when I say you can eat it just as soon as I give it to you.”
“You're the best. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. And not just because of the present.”
Liam chuckles behind me.
“Show me your hotel room,” Sammy says.
“Get Benji, too, and I’ll show you both.”
“Ben!” Sammy yells, and he appears on the screen a moment later.
“Hi, cutie pie,” I say to my little boy. He smiles and waves.
I flip the phone around and show him my bed and my view from the windows, carefully keeping Liam out of the shot.
He sneaks in behind me and grabs me by my hips, following me around the room.
I look back at him and smile as I give the tour to my boys.
I show them the bathroom and the closet and every single detail down to the art on the wall, carefully avoiding mirrors and reflections.
Eventually, I have to duck out of Liam’s arms.
I turn back and give him one of those you're a naughty boy looks since he started rubbing his cock by my ass, and then I push him out of the way and flip the phone back around so that my boys can see me again.
“All right, boys, Mommy misses you, but I have to go. I will see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Why do you have to go?” Benji whines.
“Because I have to get in the shower and get ready to go out to dinner tonight. We’re here celebrating Auntie Everleigh, and I have to look nice for dinner.”
“You look nice now, Mama,” Sammy says. “You look happy.”
You look happy.
The words hit me with brute force, so hard, in fact, that I actually tear up. I glance at Liam, who offers a smile. He heard it, too, and he’s the reason why I look happy.
Well, he’s the reason why I look satisfied, anyway.
“You’re so sweet, honey, but I’m in a swimsuit and need to change my clothes. Can I call you back before bedtime?”
“Daddy said bedtime is in ten minutes.”
I close my eyes and grit my teeth together so I don't go off on Brent. It’s an hour before they usually go to bed, which tells me he’s just trying to get them out of his hair early.
But I also know my kids, and I know that even though he makes them go to their rooms early, that doesn't mean they're going to go to sleep then. And for good measure, maybe they’ll get up super early and be super loud.
“Okay then, let’s say goodnight now,” I say. “And if you want to read your books or play on your iPads until downtime, it’s fine with Mama.”
“I can’t sleep without a Twinkle,” Benji says.
Liam caught me belting out my off-tune Twinkle at the bar the other night, but he didn’t get the full rendition. I guess here goes nothing.