Tara #2
“Well, that kiss’ll end up in tomorrow’s papers,” Kaia chortled as they waited with the other WAGs in the Rovers’ clubhouse.
The clubhouse was a state-of-the-art facility located next to the stadium.
On the outside, it looked nearly as modern and sleek as Iain’s apartment building, but with only two floors instead of seven.
According to Kaia, the facility had showers and a gym on the ground floor with offices taking up most of the second.
But at the moment, the two women stood in a large room with rows of flat screens lining each wall, chairs, tables, and even a full-service bar.
Kaia steered me right to the large group of WAGs who’d situated themselves next to the bar. After Kaia made introductions, an elegant blonde handed her and me a glass of white wine and assured me we’d be switching to champagne as soon as “the fellows” came out.
The WAGs, I noted after handing the wine off to my non-pregnant new human friend, seemed to be of two distinct camps: over-the-top designer casual like me—thanks to Ana—or leggings, a sweater, and a good peacoat, like Kaia, who was happily double fisting both her and my wine.
But I soon discovered that fashion aside, the other WAGs all agreed on one thing—I’d pulled off a bloody miracle in getting Magnus Scotswolf to settle down.
“Never seen him make concessions for any woman, that’s for sure,” commented a petite blonde named Emma.
“If you don’t watch out, he’ll make you tour with him on the road, because he won’t be able to live without you—at least until the baby arrives!” A brunette WAG in gray leggings said.
“I mean, he’s even coming to this post-game do which he’s never done...” one of the Scottish WAGs pointed out. “Always says groupies are too much work and he’d rather go to a local pub to get sorted. So spill…what did you do? Enchant him?”
“Um…” I said, not quite knowing how to answer.
“And also, please tell us where you got that fabulous jumper!” Emma said. “Is it true Magnus convinced Chloe Rose to let you borrow her stylist? That Ana won’t even return my calls!”
“Yes, um … I guess so,” I answered, trying hard to keep up. “It was really nice of her to take me shopping. Maybe she owed Magnus a favor?”
“Or maybe she doesn’t really believe he’s settling down at all, and she’s looking to get under him next. You better watch her. Keep your enemies close and all that,” another WAG said.
Before I could further analyze that somewhat disturbing comment, Kaia jumped in and said, “I’m trying to convince her to put in a good word for me with Ana.”
Kaia took me by the arm like we were long-time besties. “Maybe we could all take a hen’s trip to Bond Street before your wedding since you can’t really have a normal party being pregnant and all.”
My eyes widened at the thought of a hen party combined with another luxury shopping trip. It definitely sounded like a dream come true—pregnant or not.
But then all thoughts of shopping ceased when a commotion broke out at the front entrance to the bar-slash-waiting room.
Kaia and me had sailed right through just thirty minutes ago, but now a striking older woman with long silky black hair nearly down to her butt was having an intense discussion with a ginger-bearded security guard.
From the way the woman was wildly gesticulating, it was obvious she wanted into the clubhouse. But the guard, who looked like he should be in an advertisement for heavy-duty Scottish paper towels, folded his arms across his beefy chest and shook his head.
“Groupie nutter, probably,” Kaia said.
“Little older than the ones who usually try to slip in here, though,” Emma noted.
“She looks good for her age,” quipped the elegant blonde who’d handed me the glass of wine. “Maybe we should tell the guard to let her in, so we can get the name of her surgeon.”
Most of the WAGs fell out laughing at that. But not me. Unlike the other women, I could actually hear what was being said.
“I demand you let me in! My future daughter-in-law is inside, and she’ll want to see me. Her name is Tara Hamilton!”
What the …? I squinted hard trying to figure out why this woman looked so familiar. Then it hit me. Iain. She looked exactly like Magnus’s brother. Which meant …
“Wait, where are you going?” Kaia asked when I suddenly started toward the room’s double-door entrance. “Do you know that woman?”
As I approached, the brawny security guard was saying, “Yeah, tell me something you couldn’t have read about in the news this weekend, lady. Plus, everyone knows Magnus and his ma don’t talk. So, even if you are who you say you are, I greatly doubt he’ll want to speak with you.”
“This isn’t a problem since I am not here to speak with my son,” the beautiful woman replied. “I’m here for Tara. At her request, I might add—”
She broke off when she saw me approaching.
Seemingly tired of keeping up the pretense that the guard could hold her back, the older she-wolf easily pushed the bouncer aside and pulled me into her embrace as if we were long-lost friends.
“Oh, there you are, cara! I am Magnus’s mama.
It is so very lovely to finally make your acquaintance.
But are you alright? I came as fast as I could. ”
“I’m fine,” I replied, my voice weak with confusion. Magnus’s mother wasn’t anything like I’d expected.
She was a tall, willowy brunette with fiery brown eyes and one hell of a bear hug. She towered over me but wasn’t the least bit intimidating. She wasn’t an ice queen at all. In fact, she struck me as warm and inviting.
“Um … hello,” I continued. “It is so nice to meet you, too. But … what do you mean you are here at my request?”
“Si, come with me,” she said. “Quickly! Quickly!”
Before I knew what was happening, the older woman pulled me out of the waiting room, past the stunned guard, and out the front of the clubhouse’s large entrance.
A blood-red Ferrari was parked sideways just outside. I could only assume it belonged to Magnus’s mother. But … “How did you get your car all the way up to the clubhouse?”
“I might have told the guards I was a very special friend of the head coach. And they might have believed me,” the older woman answered with a saucy wink. “But come, come! We do not have much time …”
“Much time? For what?” I asked, so confused I could barely keep up mentally or physically.
“Oh, sorry. Lachlan always said I talk too fast for others to catch up. Iain sent me...” The fashionable beauty threw that explanatory bit over her shoulder like an afterthought, before bringing us to a stop beside the zippy red car. “He asked me to fly over and convince you not to leave Magnus.”
My eyes widened in shock. “He did … what?!”
“Oh, but do not worry cara. I am here to do the opposite of that. I have his private plane and so I will fly you home. This is why I have come…” Magnus’s mother spread her arms like a goddess coming down from the mount, “...to help you leave my son!”
“Wait…what?”
This time, the voice didn’t belong to me …
We both looked up to find Magnus, now dressed in a well-cut three-piece suit, standing in front of the clubhouse’s glass doors. It was too far away for a human to hear what Valentina had said. But as I had been reminded far too many times already….
Magnus was a wolf.