Chapter 10
ten
With my hand in his, we step into the café.
“Wyatt, over here!” a woman calls out.
I look over and suck in a breath.
She’s gorgeous. She’s probably in her mid-to-late thirties and has long black hair that looks almost blue when the light hits it. They look nothing alike. Then again, I guess they don’t have to, since they are cousins, but still, she looks nothing like I expected her to.
“Reagan,” Wyatt says fondly as we walk toward her.
When we get close, he drops my hand and pulls her into a hug, lifting her off her feet.
The beautiful woman laughs and slaps his shoulder.
“Put me down, you fool,” she teases.
“Maybe I don’t want to,” he quips as he sets her down.
Her face softens as she reaches up and cups his cheek. “How are you?” she asks softly.
“I’m good.”
“We’ve missed you.” She bops him on the nose.
He chuckles. “I’ve missed all of you too.”
I shift from one foot to the other as I watch them interact.
My movement catches her attention, though, making her eyes dart to me.
“Wyatt Scott, did you forget your manners? You’re supposed to introduce me.” She scolds him with no heat.
Wyatt steps away from her and touches my back lightly, pushing me forward.
“Reagan, this is my girlfriend, Lyla. Lyla, this is my cousin, Reagan.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say as I hold out my hand to shake hers.
Reagan pushes my hand to the side and pulls me into a hug. “Sorry, we hug around here. Handshakes are for business deals,” she murmurs.
Wyatt laughs. “I remember when I was a kid and you thought differently. In fact, I distinctly remember you not being the touchy-feely type before you got married.”
Reagan pulls away and rolls her eyes. “Oh, shut up.”
Wyatt looks over at me and smiles. “No, seriously, she became all soft and shit when she became a mom and then again when she got married.”
“I did no such thing,” she protests as she sits down.
Wyatt pulls out a chair for me, and I sit.
“Thank you,” I murmur to him softly as he takes a seat next to me.
“You’re welcome,” he says before looking back at Reagan. “How’s the family?”
I glance over and note the dreamy look on her face. “They are fantastic. Dad and Grandpa are still being pains in my ass, and Nick is growing like a weed and falling more in love with football by the day.” She looks over at me. “In case this fool didn’t tell you anything, Nick is my son.”
“Oh, that’s awesome. How old is he?”
She winces. “A preteen. It’s not pretty in our house right now. It’s all body spray and growth spurts.”
Wyatt and I laugh.
“How’s Stone?” Wyatt asks before looking at me. “Her husband is Garrett Stone, he plays football for Seattle.”
My eyes widen.
Jesus. He told me she worked for the professional football team in Seattle, but he never mentioned that she was married to one of the players.
“He’s good, driving me insane, but good.” She smiles.
Wyatt throws his arm over the back of my chair and turns his body toward mine.
“She and Stone have this whole enemies-to-lovers storyline. They knew each other in college, and she hated him. When he came to Seattle, she wanted nothing to do with him, but he won her over,” Wyatt tells me.
“It’s annoying how fast he got under my skin,” she says, making me laugh.
“I mean, there’s a reason why people like workplace romance,” I tease, making her laugh.
“You’re not wrong,” she says.
The server comes over and takes our order.
“Wyatt told me you recruit for the team?” I ask as the server leaves.
“I do, and I love it. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
“How long are you here?” Wyatt asks her.
“In the area? Just for two days. I came in early, but I leave after the game ends on Saturday.”
“Do you head home then?” I ask.
Reagan shakes her head. “Unfortunately, no. When I leave here, I’m headed up to Syracuse. There’s a guy there that I’ve had my eye on since he was in high school. Then I’ll head home.”
“Do you think he will sign with you guys?” Wyatt asks.
A cocky look crosses Reagan’s face. “He would be stupid not to. He’s a fantastic player as is, but under our organization, I think he could become a legend.”
Wyatt nods. “A Hall of Famer.”
“Exactly, but enough of football. I talk about that all the time. How’s hockey going? You have your first game soon, right?” she asks, changing the subject.
“It’s going well, but it’s early yet. Our first game is Thursday and after that we will have a better idea of how the season will go,” he tells her as his thumb begins to move back and forth on my arm.
“Still going pro?” she asks.
Out of the corner of his eye, he looks my way before looking back at his cousin. “That’s the plan.”
“If anyone can do it, it’s you. Is it wrong that part of me wants you to end up on the West Coast so that way maybe we could sneak away for a game?” She winces. “I feel bad that I’ve never been able to, but with football season…”
“It’s fine. I know you guys are busy,” he says gently. “It sucks that our seasons line up.”
“Still. Maybe we can figure something out this year,” she says, frowning.
“Reagan, it’s fine. I know you’re busy as hell. It doesn’t bother me that you don’t show up in person. You guys text me when you can, and that’s enough.”
Reagan’s shoulders drop as she sighs, looking my way. “He’s really got that lone wolf, fiercely independent thing going on, doesn’t he?”
“One thousand percent,” I confirm, making her smile.
“Hey, I didn’t introduce the two of you so you could gang up on me,” Wyatt says, feigning annoyance.
“No, you introduced us because you wanted me to approve of your girlfriend,” she teases, making him laugh.
“Reagan, we both know I don’t need anyone’s approval for anything.”
“Touché, kid, touché. Now tell me, how did you two meet?” she asks.
I’m finishing up telling Reagan the abbreviated version of how Lyla and I met when the air shifts. I look over her shoulder and have to bite back a smile when I see him. Kyle stands at the counter, shooting daggers at us.
Knowing a hothead like him, he won’t be able to help himself, and he will head this way.
I brush my thumb over Lyla’s arm, and she leans into me more, which only further pisses him off.
“Wyatt, are you listening?” Reagan teases just as Kyle starts to walk this way.
“Of course I was. You were just trying to convince us that we should go to Spain with you in the off-season. Spend a week with Stone’s family,” I tell her.
“So what do you think?” Reagan asks with hope in her eyes.
“I-I don’t know. I don’t have a passport, and I have my dad…” Lyla trails off right when Kyle makes it to us.
“Lyla, are you seriously sitting here with him?” Kyle spews. “I thought you would have gotten over your little fit you are having by now.”
I watch as Reagan goes tense, her head slowly turning toward him. I see the moment she realizes who’s just interrupted our lunch.
“Kyle, not now. Can’t you see I’m busy?” Lyla mutters as her cheeks turn red with embarrassment.
“I don’t care if you’re busy. You’re going to stop hanging out with this degenerate right fucking now. You know you’re mine, and by hanging out with him, you’re making me look bad. You need to knock it off. I have an image to protect, and that means my future wife shouldn’t be sleeping around.”
“And if she doesn’t?” I ask, mainly because I want his attention off of her and second, because I’m nosy as fuck.
Kyle’s jaw clenches so tight I’m surprised he doesn’t break a molar, and his hands flex at his sides.
“I’ll have to force her to choose, and for the record, she will choose me, Scott. We have history, and that trumps everything,” he grits out. “Besides, I am going to be drafted by the end of the season.”
“Are you sure about that?” I ask.
Reagan hums as she nods her head, crossing her arms over her chest as she leans back in her chair. “History is important, especially when the history involves how someone treated you. I hate to be the one to tell you this, kid, but Lyla’s history with you isn’t going to work in your favor.”
Kyle looks over at my cousin, eyes narrowed. “And who are you to jump into our business? You don’t know us. You don’t know what we’ve been through.”
Reagan stands and holds out her hand and smiles, looking all innocent and shit, but to those of us who know her, we know she’s about to go in for the kill.
“I’m Reagan Stone.”
Kyle’s face goes white. So white I’m pretty sure a piece of printer paper has more color than he does.
“R-Reagan Stone. You work for Seattle’s recruiting,” Kyle stutters.
“Aw, you’ve heard of me,” she says sweetly as she sits back down.
“You aren’t supposed to be here until tomorrow. You’re supposed to watch my game,” he says, his panic growing by the second.
“I came early to see my cousin. Family’s important, you know? Unfortunately, I won’t be attending the game tomorrow as planned,” Reagan says, waving her hand through the air.
Kyle makes a sound in the back of his throat.
“Do you need a drink, buddy?” I ask, pushing my water glass toward him.
Kyle doesn’t even look my way, though.
“What do you mean you aren’t coming? You’re supposed to be there to recruit me. The plan is you are going to watch me own the field. Then you’ll be so impressed you’ll immediately offer me a position on the team,” Kyle says.
Reagan looks over at me and raises a brow. She silently asks me, is this guy for real?
I nod my head, silently telling her that yeah, he is this delusional.
Lyla buries her head into my chest and groans.
I knew this was going to be a shitshow. I mean, I planned for this all to go down after the game. I was even going to go so that I could see it go down. I didn’t anticipate him showing up here. Shit, it’s like a train wreck. You know you should look away, but you just can’t.
Reagan offers him a sympathetic smile. “First, that’s not how things work. At all. Second, that’s not going to happen.”
“Why?” Kyle yells, making patrons look our way.
“Because honestly, just by watching how you treat your ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, I can already tell you wouldn’t be a good fit for our team. I won’t waste either of our time when I know it’s not going to work out.” Reagan shrugs.
“What do you mean I wouldn’t be a good fit? I’m a quarterback, and you need one. I’m the best in the league,” Kyle spews.
Reagan laughs darkly. “Honey, if you think you are the best in the league, you need some serious mental health help. You will not be coming to Seattle, sorry. Honestly, after today’s display and your overall cockiness, I’m not sure you will be playing in our league at all.”
His jaw clenches. “I’m going to call the front office and tell them that you’re purposely sabotaging me.”
Lyla makes a noise of disbelief as Reagan nods, smiling.
“Go right ahead. Tell them that the head of recruitment refuses to watch you because of your behavior. In fact, why don’t you do it now? I’d love to hear what they say,” she says, calling his bluff.
Instead of reaching for his phone, Kyle turns toward me. He steps forward and digs his finger into my shoulder.
“This is all your fault. You planned for this, didn’t you? You somehow convinced her to join you for lunch and pretend to be related to you just to sabotage me,” he spews.
Gently, I push Lyla away behind me. Not because I want to but because I want to keep her safe. Kyle is a loose cannon, and there’s no telling what he might do.
“I hate to break it to you, Kyle, but the world doesn’t revolve around you. The only time you cross my mind is when you pull shit like this and when you bother Lyla. That’s it. This entire situation only happened because you couldn’t mind your own business.” It’s only partially a lie.
“This isn’t over, Scott.”
“It is, and the sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be,” I tell him calmly.
Kyle turns to walk away but stops when he sees all eyes are on him. Hell, some people have even pulled out phones to record him.
“What the hell are you looking at?” he snaps.
We watch as he stomps away, slamming the door behind him, making the glass rattle.
“I-I am so, so sorry,” Lyla says softly.
I wrap my arm around her and begin to rub her arm again. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” I tell her.
“But…” Lyla trails off.
Reagan shakes her head. “Wyatt’s right. You did nothing wrong. What just happened is all on him. Not you, okay?”
Lyla nods.
“Good, now where were we?” Reagan asks, like nothing just happened.
As the girls get to know each other, I sit back and relax. That went far better than I could have imagined. Now hopefully he realizes that he doesn’t stand a chance. Not with Lyla and not against me.