Chapter 6
GAGE
Ihadn’t become one of the best running backs in the league by being unsure of myself and my abilities. And on the field, I was a force to be reckoned with.
So the fact that I was feeling a little bit nervous as we pulled up in front of Rory’s childhood home shocked me. Still, I wasn’t a coward, and I had enough confidence to trust that I could convince her family that I was what was best for Rory.
“Listen, my brothers are—”
“Relax, nerd,” I interrupted with a wink. “I think I can win them over, but just remember”—I took one of her hands and tenderly kissed the back—“nothing they could say or do will scare me away.”
Rory sighed. “I know you believe that, but I’m going to give you one last out. I won’t think less of you if you want to drop me off and fly back with the team.”
I rolled my eyes and opened the door. “How scary can they be when they’re fans of baseball and hockey?” I joked as I climbed out of the car. I jogged around to the other side and assisted her out onto the sidewalk.
“Get that all out now, geek,” she quipped with a condescending smirk.
The front door was thrown open before we even reached it, and a woman who looked like a slightly older version of Rory stood there with a giant smile.
“Rory!” she exclaimed as she opened her arms, and my girl ran into them.
“Hi, Mom!”
The woman’s eyes shifted to me, and her smile widened. “Well, now, who is this tall drink of water?”
I chuckled while Rory groaned and rolled her eyes.
“Mom, this is Gage Ledger. Gage, this is my mom, Helen Abernathy. She has boundary issues.”
Helen laughed and released Rory, then stretched her hand out.
“I’m happy to meet you.” I moved to shake her hand, but she tugged on it, and I let her pull me in for a hug. “We’re huggers around here.”
“I think Russell and Ridley might disagree,” Rory muttered, though her eyes had an amused twinkle.
“Is that my baby girl, I hear?” An older man, clearly her father, walked up next to his wife and wrapped his arms around Rory.
“Hi, Dad,” she said in a muffled voice since her face was squished against his chest. “Can’t…breathe…”
He chuckled and let her go, but then he tucked her under one arm. When he glanced in my direction, he narrowed his eyes. “Gage Ledger. Can’t say I ever expected to meet you, much less at my house. But as long as you unhand my wife, you’re welcome here.”
Helen snickered and dropped her arms. “Oh, pish, Brad. Can’t you see he only has eyes for Rory?”
“Is that so?” Brad asked, scrutinizing me the way a protective father does.
“Yes, sir. Rory is incredibly special, and I’m lucky she gave me a chance.”
“Damn, right,” he muttered. A spark of respect in his gaze put me a little more at ease. Two down, the toughest two to go.
“Come in, come in,” Helen tittered as she ushered us into the house. “Dinner is almost ready. Rory, the boys are manning the grill and will be in shortly, but Brandy and Phyllis are in the living room.”
Rory led me into a large room just off the entryway, where two women sat on a couch talking.
“Rory!” A tall brunette smiled widely as she jumped up and embraced my girl.
The other woman had red hair and was only slightly taller than Rory. They hugged as well, then Rory introduced the dark-haired female as Phyllis, her sister-in-law, and the redhead as Brandy, her brother’s fiancée.
Before we could say more than hello, two tall, burly guys came rushing in and each swept Rory into a bear hug.
“Have you come to your senses and moved home?” one of them asked.
“Russell, stop harassing her.” Phyllis sighed, linking her arm through his. “Just look at her! She’s obviously thriving in New York. She’s positively glowing.”
“That might have something to do with the sexy football player who is clearly besotted with her,” Brandy giggled, winking at Rory.
“Did you just call another man sexy?” Ridley—I assumed—grunted, glowering at his fiancée.
“The what?” Russell snapped.
Five pairs of eyes were suddenly trained on me.
“Hi. You must be Russell and Ridley. I’m Gage.
” I put my hand out, and Ridley, who was standing closet to me, shook it, squeezing a little harder than necessary.
If he thought that was supposed to intimidate me, he’d obviously never been up against a three-hundred- and thirty-three-pound offensive tackle.
I pressed my lips together to keep from smirking, figuring it wouldn’t help my case.
Russell prowled over to shake my hand, giving it the same treatment. “Football, huh?”
“Running back,” I informed him with a grin.
“Kind of a pansy sport, isn’t it?”
Rory gasped, but I didn’t let her step in for me.
I cocked my head to the side and asked, “How do you figure?”
“For one thing, you play, what? Like seventeen games a season?”
I nodded. “Or twenty-one if you play the Super Bowl.” A grin spread across my face. “And win it, like my team did.”
Russell scoffed. “Baseball teams play one hundred and twenty-nine games a season, if you include the World Series.”
“True,” I conceded. “But baseball isn’t a contact sport.”
“Hockey is,” Ridley interjected. “And those guys can end up playing one hundred and ten games if they go all the way.”
“I’ll give you that.” They both looked a little smug until I added, “But if you look at just about any list of dangerous team sports, hockey is always after American football and rugby.”
“Hockey players break more bones,” Ridley insisted.
“Baseball—”
“Okay, boys,” Brandy piped up. “Put away your dicks, and let's have a civilized meal.”
Ridley grinned at her and murmured, “You love my dick.”
“Ewwwwwwww!” Rory shouted, covering her ears.
I couldn’t help laughing with everyone else. Her family dynamic was so normal, and it made me feel right at home.
“Come on, nerd,” I teased, tucking her under my arm.
“What did you—”
Phyllis clapped Russell upside the head and muttered, “It’s obviously a term of endearment, babe. I would think you’d prefer that to something like sexy or love bunny”—Russell glared at her, and she held her hands up in a gesture of surrender—“just saying…”
Rory sighed. “Are you sure about that whole sticking around thing, geek?”
I winked at her and smiled when she blushed. “I’m holding on to you with everything I’ve got.”
Dinner was relaxed, full of banter, laughter, and amazing food. I appreciated that Rory’s dad or mom stepped in when their sons seemed like they might start in on me again. Not that I couldn’t handle it, but it obviously bothered Rory, and I wasn’t willing to put up with that.
After the meal, I stood and picked up a few dishes, then took them to the kitchen.
On my way back to the dining room, I was yanked into the hallway, where I found myself alone with Russell and Ridley.
They stared at me with their feet braced apart and their arms crossed over their chests.
I was willing to bet they had scared away plenty of Rory’s potential dates. Something I very much appreciated.
“If you’re going to try to threaten me away or talk me out of pursuing Rory, you might as well save your breath,” I stated before they could speak. I figured it was better to lay that out ahead of time.
“Believe it or not, Ledger, despite being a thickheaded football player,” Russell started. “I can see how much you care for my sister.”
“Nothing is more important to me than Rory.”
They searched my features in silence for a minute. Then Russell asked, “More important than your career?”
“Absolutely.” I didn’t even hesitate.
“You love her,” Ridley surmised.
I nodded. I’d acknowledged it to myself, but there was no way I was going to say it out loud to anyone before Rory.
Ridley dipped his chin and scowled at me. “I believe you. Just know that if you hurt her, you’ll be watching your team win from a hospital bed once we break every fucking bone in your body.”
“I’d expect nothing less.”
We stared at each other for a few more seconds, then as if coming to a silent agreement, we turned to re-enter the kitchen. Just before I stepped over the threshold, a hand grabbed my arm and stopped me. I glanced around to find Russell standing close, his eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched.
“One last thing, Ledger. If you knock up my sister before she has a ring on her finger, I don’t care how much you love her. I will beat the shit out of you.”
I slowly turned around, and due to our proximity, I was pretty much right up in his face. “I respect you, Russell. As well as Ridley and Brad. I have no problem with you protecting Rory against harm, especially if it was caused by me.”
My tone was made of steel, and my eyes bored into him when I said, “But when Rory and I choose to get married, start a family, or any other choice that couples make based on what’s best for them, that is none of your business. Do I make myself clear?”
Russell’s expression was blank, then he broke out into a smile and clapped me on the back. “You just might come somewhere in the stratosphere of deserving her one day.”
“I doubt it, but I’ll never stop trying.”