Chapter 11
ZANDER
I read Tyrell’s text and frown.
Shit.
I’m gutted that he’s gonna be so late. He couldn’t make Carson’s dad’s funeral because he was overseas, and we’ve all been waiting to see him.
He was really upset about the funeral, but he was too far away and Tucker’s still so little.
He couldn’t leave Dani and the baby, so Carson told him not to worry about it.
I could tell how much it bothered him, and he’s been holding out to get stateside again.
And now he’s going to miss half of our reunion weekend.
Fuck. Am I allowed to tell him that he needs to stop going overseas so much and just stick around for more than a flying visit?
Sienna grew up traveling all over the world, and while it was a great adventure, she’s been determined to make sure our children’s lives are not disrupted. She wants to give them the same settled upbringing I had. No homeschooling, no changing schools, no moving houses.
We’ve pretty much been able to do that for them.
Sure, we’ve moved a few times. I started with the Chargers, and after a terrible second season—I still shudder when I think about it—I got traded to the New York Jets.
That was rough. The kids did not transition well to the East Coast, and neither did Sienna.
I can’t even tell you why, they just didn’t vibe with New Jersey, and it was a tough three years as I worked my ass off to improve my game.
Thankfully, the Chargers traded back for me, and we returned to Los Angeles when Zoey was nine and the boys were about to start first grade.
Since then, we’ve been settled, and Sienna is adamant that things stay that way.
If I get traded again, she’s told me I’ll have to retire or live without them.
She’s not upending the family for football, and she’s probably right.
My NFL career has lasted longer than I thought it would anyway, so I’m taking each year as it comes and trying not to worry about what I’m gonna do when it’s time to retire.
Sienna’s told me she’s got plenty of plans to keep me busy, and I don’t doubt it for a second.
I snicker, thinking about how organized—and determined—my stunning wife can be… then frown as I’m thrown back into my earlier dilemma of trying to figure out what’s eating her.
In a bid to make her life as easy as possible, I’ve done everything she asked me to.
Olly’s now home from school, cleaned up, fed, changed, and ready to go.
I’ve checked all the bags, and they’re ready to bring downstairs and put straight into my SUV.
The twins arrived home about twenty minutes ago, and I sent them upstairs to get freshened up before we leave for the airport.
I can hear Cole singing at the top of his lungs, Logan jumping in with terrible harmonies that don’t work.
The boys are going through a “we want to be rock stars” phase that I really hope is short-lived, because neither of them can actually sing.
But they think they’re awesome, and Sienna has told me in no uncertain terms that I am not allowed to tell them that.
“Do not squash their dreams,” she warned me. “They’ll figure it out soon enough.”
Man, I hope it doesn’t take too long.
Logan hits another bum note, Cole matching the awful sound, and I wince, grabbing my phone and checking my messages yet again.
Sienna’s running late.
I’ve texted her three times now, and she hasn’t replied.
Shit, I hope she’s okay.
I know how much she loves the gym, and there’s a chance she’s still caught up in her workout, but she knows we have to leave for the airport.
Damn. Maybe she’s just trying to stay away from me.
Fuck! What have I done?
And how can I make it right?
Hearing a car in the driveway, I whip around, rushing to the kitchen window so I can see her just before she pulls into the garage. Maybe if I can get a read on her facial expression, it’ll give me a chance to formulate the best greeting.
But it’s not Sienna.
It’s a convertible full of teenagers I don’t recognize and… no, wait. That’s Zoey.
The top’s down on the flashy red car, and I can see her in the front passenger seat.
Who’s the nut sack driving? All spiked hair and flashing white teeth?
And what is my daughter doing?
She’s supposed to be taking the bus home.
Frowning, I watch her laugh at something the driver just said. He grins at her, and then she fucking takes out my world by leaning across and planting a kiss on his lips.
What the actual fuck!
Slapping my palms onto the counter, I gape out the window, my insides vibrating as she pulls away from him with a flirty little smile, then hops out of the car. Mr. Death Wish—who is way too old for her, by the way!—watches her walk down my driveway, his eyes glued directly to her ass.
Okay, so I need to find myself a hot poker. No, I need two. One for each of his eyeballs!
Crossing my arms, I glare at him, my nostrils flaring when he pulls out of my driveway, the two girls in the back squealing with laughter as they’re jolted in their seats. Because he’s driving too fucking fast! I should call the cops on his punk ass.
I will definitely be letting the guard of our gated community know that this dickhead is not to be let in again. Zoey must have flashed her smile, and he would have let them straight through, but like hell that’s happening a second time!
When my fourteen-year-old walks into the kitchen, giggling over a card in her hand, I am ready to slay something.
“Who was that?” I snap.
Zoey jumps a mile, slapping the card against her chest and blinking at me.
“Who was that!” I point out the kitchen window.
Her eyes bulge.
Yeah, that’s right, young lady. I saw you!
Clearing her throat, she stands up a little straighter.
She’s not super tall yet, hasn’t overtaken Sienna or anything.
I wonder if she’ll stay short like my mom or whether she still has a growth spurt to come.
Watching her develop from my little girl into a curvy teenager has been a challenge.
I mean, it’s wonderful, and I love that she’s growing into a beautiful woman like her mother, but I just saw her kiss some guy, and I suddenly hate the fact she has boobs and guys in school no doubt drool over my girl.
My sweet Zoey.
My lil’ love bug!
“Uh, that was, um…” She lifts her chin. “That was my valentine.”
“Your valentine?” I can’t help scoffing before my blood runs cold as sick realization dawns. “Wait, what? It’s Valentine’s Day?”
Zoey gives me a weird look, like I’ve lost my mind. “It’s tomorrow.”
“Shit!” I run a hand through my hair.
“Dad just swore!” Olly yells, running into the kitchen to point at me just as Logan and Cole pop out of the stairwell.
“Swear jar, Dad.” Logan laughs. “You know the rules.”
Cole snorts. “I’m pretty sure he’s the highest contributor to that thing.”
I throw a glare at my boys, so identical I still get them mixed up occasionally. Something they always try to use to their advantage.
Zoey giggles, then smirks. “Unless Mom’s having a rant.”
I snap my fingers, pointing at her with a frown. “Don’t be smiling. I’m still angry with you.”
“Why?” she whines. “What did I do?”
“You were supposed to be taking the bus, but you arrived home with some guy who is too old for you!”
“He’s—”
“He’s driving!” I cut her off before she can come up with some lame-ass excuse. “That automatically makes him too old. You’re fourteen! You shouldn’t be kissing anyone yet.”
“Ew! Zoey kissed a boy.” Olly sticks out his tongue.
Logan and Cole whip a look at her, their heads moving in unison. “Who?”
“None of your business.” Zoey makes a face at them, then turns to scowl at me. “And I’m not too young to be someone’s valentine. He made me a card and everything.” She waves it in the air, and it’s taking everything in me not to snatch it off her and tear it into little pieces.
Shit! I can’t believe my daughter is kissing guys now.
And double shit, I can’t believe I forgot Valentine’s Day. Am I blind? They advertise that shit all over the place, but I’ve been too preoccupied with my own stupid shit to register that I needed to get my ass organized.
And now I have no time to do anything.
“The least I could do was kiss him.”
Zoey’s words register, and I snap my head to look at her. “Is he your boyfriend?”
She shrugs. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” I flick my arms wide. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Dad just said hell!” Olly jumps on his toes with a gleeful grin.
“Thank you, Oliver,” I growl and force a closed-mouth smile when he reaches for my hand.
“Why are you so grumpy?” His big, sweet eyes gaze up at me. All soft and caring, just like his mother’s.
“Because he thinks his daughter is still four years old!” Zoey snaps.
“No, it’s because they didn’t get to the Super Bowl,” Logan explains.
“That’s not it.” Cole shakes his head. “It’s because he’s forgotten Valentine’s Day, and Mom will be pissed.”
“Cole just said pissed!” Olly points at him.
His big brother glares down at him. “Shut up, squirt.”
Olly gasps, and I give my oldest son a little grunt. “Watch it.”
“Sorry, Dad.”
Tipping my head at Olly, I quietly demand a little more. Cole rolls his eyes with a sigh. “Sorry, Oliver.”
“That’s okay.” Olly, the ever-adoring younger brother, grins at him, but I’m too busy staring at Logan, who has taken it upon himself to look thoroughly horrified and disgusted with me.
“I can’t believe you forgot Valentine’s Day. What is wrong with you?”
“Stop it,” I growl, pointing at him, then wagging my finger around the room. “All of you! Stop looking at me like that! Shit!”
Olly sighs, lets go of my hand, and grabs the swear jar off the counter, giving it a jingle.
Cole crosses his arms and leans against the archway with a smirk. “We should really figure out some kind of digital system for that thing. You know, like tap your phone and go. It’d be way more efficient.”
“Would you guys quit it with the swear jar and help me figure out how to fix this!” I run a hand through my hair. “We’re due to leave for the airport in twenty minutes. As soon as your mom gets home, it’s gonna be action stations. What the hell am I gonna do?”
“Why are you making this our problem?” Zoey frowns at me, obviously still salty over the telling-off I just gave her. “This is your love life, not ours.”
“Yeah, but when their love life sucks, it makes them both grumpy asses,” Logan chips in.
“Logan just said asses!” Olly shakes the jar in his hand, and Cole moves in front of his twin, ever the protector.
But he really doesn’t need to. Logan can hold his own, and the feral growl he’s giving Olly right now is making my youngest shrink behind my leg.
“Whatever.” Zoey rolls her eyes. “Just buy her some flowers or something. Maybe write her a cute card.” She smiles, her cheeks tinging pink as she bites her bottom lip and gazes down at the card in her hand.
I can’t help the growl rising in my throat. “Is that what he did? Wrote you some sappy little card so he could score a kiss out of a fourteen-year-old girl?”
Her cheeks instantly go from pink to red.
Holding out my hand, I flick my fingers. “Let me read it.”
Her eyes bulge. “No way!” Tucking the card behind her back, she makes a dash for the stairs.
“Zoey Beth Donohue!”
“Forget it!” she shouts, her voice carrying back down the stairwell. “Focus on your love life, not mine!”
“Love life?” My voice cracks as an electric shock pulses right through me. I gape at the twins and croak, “She’s in love now?”
Logan snorts while Cole shakes his head. “Women, amiright?”
I scoff and can’t help a short laugh. “What do you know?”
“Nothing.” Logan snickers, slapping his brother on the shoulder. “He knows absolutely nothing.”
With a burst of laughter, Cole jumps on his brother, and they start a quick play fight right there on the kitchen floor.
Olly gasps with delight, handing me the swear jar so he can run around the island and join in the action. Yells ensue as the three boys tussle on the tiles, and I let out a sigh, hearing the garage door go up and walking to the window.
Sienna’s frowning as she disappears from view. Shit, she looks really pissed…
She’ll know I’ve forgotten Valentine’s Day. Of course she will. The woman knows everything, and I’m seriously screwed.
“Fuck, fuckity-fuck,” I mumble under my breath as I dump the swear jar on the counter and go to greet my wife.