Chapter 29
twenty-nine
BLAIR
“Hey, Blair. Happy hump day.” Bryson grins at me as he parks his ass on the corner of my desk. “Brought you a coffee.”
Grateful, I take the cup from my coworker and inhale the sharp scent before taking a sip.
It’s not sweet enough, but it’ll perk me up, and that’s all that matters.
“Thanks. I made the mistake of sitting down and checking my emails as soon as I got in and got so bogged down, I haven’t had time to make myself one.
I didn’t realize how much I needed this. ”
“What are friends for?” Bryse sips his own coffee as he looks over my work.
We’re deep in the trenches of last-minute prep work to ensure all our Thanksgiving food donations go off without a hitch.
He motions to my computer and grins. “Speaking of Thanksgiving, Adrienne and I wanted to invite you and Reed. We’re having a huge thing at her family’s house.
It’ll probably be loud, chaotic, and completely overwhelming, but it’s always a good time. ”
My heart gives a little squeeze that they thought of us.
Then that pleasant sensation of acceptance twists into a twinge of worry.
What will Bryson say if he finds out I’m going to dinner with some of the players?
Will he tell Tess? Would they tell me I shouldn’t go?
I don’t want to be the second person in this position to lose my job because of inappropriate relationships with the players.
“Oh, um, thanks, Bryson. That’s really sweet of you both, but we actually have plans.”
My coworker’s brows rise, and my stomach flips again.
“Really? What are you two doing?”
“Uh, well, I’ve made a few friends, and they invited me to their dinner.” Not a lie, just not the whole truth. The girls did invite me, but so did Logan. And that’s the part I can’t reveal.
“Oh, that’s great, Blair. I’m glad you’re making some friends and finding your place here.
If things fall through or you change your mind, you have an open invitation.
Adrienne will be bummed, and so will Eddie, but you’re probably dodging a chaos bullet.
” Bryson grins, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I love the hell out of that woman and her family, but they can be a lot if you don’t come from a big family. ”
He pushes off my desk and raps it with his knuckles. “Well, let me know if you need help with anything.”
“Thanks. Ditto.”
“So I’m going to be the only kid there?” Reed asks as he shrugs into his coat and grabs the bag containing the homemade pumpkin, pecan, and apple pies I baked yesterday.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. If you hate it, we can leave.”
Reed chuckles. “Are you kidding? Do you know how jealous my friends are going to be that I get to spend Thanksgiving hanging out with the best players on the Rogues? It’s going to be awesome.”
When I declined Bryson’s invite to dinner, I was worried Reed would be upset.
He and Eddie have grown close, and I was sure he’d rather spend time with his friend.
If I’d thought going there was an option, I probably would have declined Logan’s invite, even though I’m genuinely excited to spend the evening with my new friends.
And the guys on the team. They’ve all been really kind.
So this reaction? Both hilarious and a huge relief.
“Glad to hear it.”
“It’s pretty cool that you’re friends with them.
Who would have thought my boring sister would end up hanging out with a bunch of pro athletes?
” Reed playfully nudges me with his shoulder, and I roll my eyes, even though my cheeks hurt from smiling.
As the months have gone on and Reed has settled in and made some friends at school, there’s been a huge shift in his attitude.
He still has his moments when he’s a little shit, but he’s less broody, less angry.
It’s a huge relief. The number of nights I’ve spent awake worrying I’m ruining my little brother’s life is high. I just want him to be happy.
A knock on the door tugs me out of my thoughts. Reed has it open before I can even blink, revealing a smiling Logan.
He looks as handsome as always. His hair is pushed back and styled perfectly, and his strong jaw is covered in well-trimmed stubble. Hands tucked in the pockets of his coat, Logan gives Reed a little nod.
“Hey, man. Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Happy Thanksgiving,” my brother says in return. My heart expands a little when they clasp hands in a cross between a high five and a handshake.
Then Logan’s gaze turns to me. Those gray eyes of his make a sweep of my body, and my cheeks heat.
I’m wearing a burgundy sweater dress with fleece-lined tights and ankle booties.
The neckline is a deep scoop, and I’m wearing my mom’s diamond pendant necklace.
I feel pretty, and if Logan’s appreciative look is any proof, he agrees.
“Hey, angel. You look… Wow.”
My brother snickers at that, but Logan doesn’t seem to notice. He’s too busy staring at me.
“Thanks. You look nice too.” He looks more than nice, but the last thing I want to do is give Reed ammo so he can give me shit later.
“Can I carry anything?”
“Nah, I got it,” Reed says, smirking as he looks between me and Logan before stepping out the door with the pies.
“Let’s head out, then.” Logan waits for me to lock up, then we walk down the stairs and toward his car.
We’re silent, and the goosebumps erupting along my flesh tell me I’m very aware of how close we are.
When the backs of his knuckles brush against my hand, one finger stroking across mine, I suck in a breath.
A glance at Logan reveals his attention on me and the corners of his lips twitching.
Just when I think he may reach out and link our fingers, Reed looks back at us.
“Whose place are we going to, again?”
Logan clears his throat and unlocks his SUV with the press of a key fob. “Griffin and Mira’s. Their place is cool. You’ll like it.”
“I’m sure it is. Pretty much anything is bound to be cooler than our place.”
He’s not trying to be a little shit, but I can’t help the surge of guilt that zaps through my body. He’s not wrong. Our apartment is fine for now, but it’s not exactly nice.
“There’s nothing wrong with your place. A few coats of paint, and I bet it would feel homey.” Logan opens the passenger door for me, and my butterflies erupt in my stomach.
“Yeah. We have some colors picked out, but we haven’t had much extra time with my football practices and games.” Although Reed and I would like to make our place a little more put together, at least he’s not genuinely put out by it.
We’ll get to it, eventually.
Logan looks thoughtful as he climbs into the driver’s seat and starts his SUV. “How’s football going? It looks like your team is gelling well, from the games I’ve seen.”
My little brother grins, looking adorably boyish, and my heart squeezes.
He’s turning into a young man, but every once in a while, I get flashes of the bright, smiley boy he was before we lost Mom and Dad.
I can’t believe that Logan Byrne, of all people, is the one bringing it out in him. Who would have seen that coming?
“Yeah, we are. It’s been good. Coach says he thinks I could get a spot on the JV team freshman year if I keep improving.”
“That’s awesome, man. Do you think you want to play in college? Or even professionally?”
“I’m not sure I’m good enough for all that, but it would be cool.
I don’t know. So many of those guys go to expensive camps and have personal coaches.
I’ll never be able to do that.” Reed says it all so simply.
I know he doesn’t resent me or the fact that we don’t have the kind of money Mom and Dad used to have, but I still feel the persistent weight of guilt pushing down on me.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Reed’s life would have been better with our parents in it. Emotionally, socially, financially… I can’t stack up, and I never will. I could get a second job and work eighty hours a week, and it still wouldn’t be enough.
“Sure, some guys that make it to the NFL get a head start with private coaches and camps, but there are also a ton who work their asses off and prove themselves on the field, day in and day out. If it’s something you want to do, don’t give up.
You’re good, Reed. You have so much potential.
” Logan alternates between watching the road and Reed in the rearview mirror.
I want to thank Logan. I want to reach across the armrest and grab his hand.
Hearing something like that from a professional athlete carries so much more weight than hearing it from your older sister.
It’s so sweet, I have a hard time reconciling the man sitting next to me with the guy who treated me like shit when I came face-to-face with him that first day at work.
I like this version so much more.
“Thanks, man,” Reed says, his voice a little tight.
“Of course. And I’m not bullshitting you, either. I know what it takes to make it in professional sports. I wouldn’t lie and tell you I think you could hack it if you couldn’t. That would be cruel.”
The rest of the ride is quiet as we all get lost in our own thoughts, and before I know it, we’re climbing out of Logan’s car in a parking garage and piling into an elevator.
Griffin smiles brightly at the three of us when he opens the door. He slaps Logan on the back, gives me a big hug, and holds out a hand for Reed.
“Reed, right? Come on in, bro. It’s so nice to meet you.”
My little brother stares up at Griffin with wide, starstruck eyes. It’s cute, and I’m totally going to give him shit for it later. His eyes grow impossibly larger when he walks inside the apartment and is greeted by Maddox, Sebastian, and Ryder.