Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Easton
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
I can’t believe I’m actually entertaining this idea, but I’m clearly as desperate as she is.
In less than twenty-four hours, I need to report to the clubhouse for practice. The start of my season is only days away, and as of right now, I have a six-month-old son who needs to be cared for.
“I’m supposed to meet my brother and go over financials for the bookstore.”
“Well, I need a babysitter.”
She finishes her beer and sets the bottle down, her gorgeous smile spreading the more she thinks about my offer. “You’ll marry me for a year, and all I have to do is babysit your kid for a day?”
She’s excited because she’s missing the big picture. I hate disappointing anyone, most of all Hadley. We have a lot of fun together, and I genuinely like her.
And it’s not just the physical aspect between us. She could be my best friend, although I will say she does have an amazing ass.
A hollow laugh escapes me. “No. But it’s a start.”
“Okay, but fair warning, I know nothing about kids.”
“You’re an aunt.”
“And you’re an uncle. It doesn’t appear to me that you’re exactly killing it here.” She sweeps her gaze over the room, her eyes landing on me as she lifts her eyebrows.
I live second by second and clearly haven’t figured out how to clean as I go. “He’s alive, isn’t he?”
“Well, if all I have to do is keep him alive, where do I sign?”
I sit on the arm of my couch, my feet on the cushions, and angle toward her. “If he turns out to be mine, I need help.”
There’s absolutely no way I can do this on my own.
“How much was that new contract for? I think you can afford a whole household of nannies.” She sinks deeper into the couch and crosses her legs.
She’s comfortable here already. Might as well just toss in a baby, right?
“I could, but there’s a lot that comes with that, and I know you. I trust you.”
She presses her hand over her heart. “That’s sweet. But honestly, I wasn’t in the babysitter club as a kid, never did Red Cross safety, and I’m not even sure I could put on a diaper.”
I flick my hand toward the changing table. “I can show you how.”
She tips her head, looking unconvinced. “Easton, we’re talking about a real-life human here.”
“And you’re talking about a real-life marriage.”
“It’s not the same.” She shakes her head.
“Marriage is important to me.”
“But it’s not a real marriage. We marry, but we don’t have to live together or anything. And then after a year, bam, it’s not working, irreconcilable differences or whatever they call it. Then your next marriage can be real.”
“Just that simple?” I lift an eyebrow.
She smiles and nods as though she’s already decided this is the perfect plan.
“And when the press finds out? What… we say we want to live separately as some case study? And then my family finds out. My big, over-involved family comes and wants to meet you, wonders why I stripped them of their chance to see me get married. And just so you know, there is no me having sex with anyone else while we’re married.
I won’t let my mother think her son is a cheater. ”
Hadley studies me for a beat. “You know, you always surprise me.”
“How’s that?”
“You don’t take relationships seriously, always say you don’t want one, you have sex with a lot of women with no desire to settle down, but then you have morals like that.”
“Are you adding this to the fact I didn’t fuck you in an underground parking garage after Lollapalooza because I didn’t want your back to get all scratched up from the concrete?”
“You didn’t not fuck me because you were worried about my back. You didn’t fuck me because we didn’t have a condom and you were worried that I’d be showing up on your doorstep with one of those.” She points down toward Decker’s condo where Tanner is.
It’s a reminder that I need to get back down there and take him off Penelope and Decker’s hands. This is their last night before the season starts, and they deserve to have family time.
I cross over to the window and brace my hands on the sill, looking onto the Chicago streets.
They’re practically empty because not much is going on right now, but next week when we start playing again, they’ll be filled with Colts fans coming and going, celebrating with us and commiserating when we lose.
Once again, I’m back in the hot seat. How well will I perform?
For the first time in my career, I have doubts.
What if I can’t focus because I’m worried about the person I left Tanner with, or some nanny quits on me because the schedule is too grueling?
Then I screw up on the field because I’m worrying about him and I get traded, taking him away from the found family I have here.
Maybe I should ship him up to Alaska for my family to care for during the season. It’s probably the best option for him. But then what? In the fall when I pick him up, he won’t know me. Won’t want to come to me. Won’t want me period.
If he’s mine, he’s mine, and I need to make my schedule work for both of us.
“You look like you’re doing a lot of thinking there,” Hadley says, cutting through my mental spiral.
I push off from the window and turn, resting my shoulder on the wall, folding my arms across my chest. “You understand what you’re signing up for if we get married?”
Hadley nods. “I do.”
She sounds so certain, but I have my doubts. She doesn’t truly know my world. Sure, we’ve gone into VIPs together, and she sees a little of the world I live in, but mostly, we’re meeting up in hotels or my condo just to hook up. Her publicly being my wife will be very different.
“The Diamond Girls and the media and the shit that no one thinks about. I’ve seen my closest teammates’ girls deal with it, but they endured it because they loved their guys. It would be different for us. And I’m not sure…”
“I understand.”
“That means you move in here.”
Her head rears back. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m good.”
“It’s not a choice. You want me to marry you, you move in here. You’re my wife. I would never allow my wife to not live with me. End of story.”
“They don’t know that.” She flicks her hand toward the world outside.
“I don’t care. And yeah, if Tanner is mine, I need a nanny I can trust.”
She blows out a breath, her head dropping back to the cushion and her gaze fixing on the ceiling. “If I agree, it’s a deal then?”
“Yes.” I tighten my arms across my chest, trying to keep myself as centered as I can, still surprised I’m even entertaining this arrangement.
“So, you marry me and stay married for a year as long as I move in here and watch your kid?”
I dip my chin.
“And if the paternity test comes back and you aren’t the father? What happens then?”
The paternity test is a formality at this point. Sure, my mind likes to do the what-if scenarios, but I know that Tanner is mine. I’m almost certain.
“I’ll still help you.”
“Why?” she asks as though it’s such a foreign concept for her.
“I’m a nice guy.” I can’t stop the cocky smirk on my face. “You know that.”
“You always did make sure that I got mine before you got yours.”
“What’s with using the past tense?”
She lets out a short laugh under her breath. “If we agree to this arrangement, sex might have to be off the table.”
I cross the room in two strides and sit on the couch by her. “Why? We’ve always been good at keeping feelings out of it. I don’t see that changing. And if we’re going to be married, I should make you a happy wife and fuck you.”
She shakes her head, a laugh bubbling out of her. “Jeez, you really are the cockiest guy I’ve ever known.”
“Why?” I shift closer, crowding her space just enough. She doesn’t push me away. “Because you know how good we fuck. We’ll have to find a way to keep it down now with the baby, but it’s doable.”
I should pull away from her, but I can’t stop myself. I nuzzle my head into her neck, placing soft kisses on her skin. Fuck, my dick twitches in my pants. This entire week has been torture, and all I want is a few moments to lose myself in her.
“I think it’s a bad idea.” But she doesn’t push me away.
“Come on, wife, don’t you want to make your husband happy?”
She pushes me away, which I expected. I have a sister and a lot of cousins who would’ve punched me in the junk for that comment.
“Are we crazy?” She was so certain earlier, but now her eyes are wide and unsure.
“High probability.”
Her teeth bite her bottom lip. It turns me on—my dick wants to go full salute.
“It’ll be fun.” I push off the couch, knowing we’re not going to be hooking up tonight. I drag my shirt over my head since there’s a stain on it.
“What will be?” she says, trailing after me.
“Playing house.” I go into my bedroom and come out, throwing on a new T-shirt. “By the way, do you do laundry?”
“Nanny means I take care of the kid, I’m not your housekeeper or maid.” She goes into the cabinet where I keep the candy and takes a handful of my Reese’s Pieces.
I join her in the kitchen and grab my own handful, bracing her against the counter on the other side. “So, when do you want to move in?”
Our gazes catch and hold. I’ve always been good at hiding my insecurities, and I hope I’m doing it now given the fact that I really am scared about what we’re about to embark on.
Jagger is going to kick my ass. Shit, maybe I should have called him before agreeing to this.
“Well, I guess I better do it before the season starts.”
“And you don’t need to bring a bed, because you’ll have to share with me.”
“Easton…”
“Just kidding. I’ll put the crib in my room, and you can have the guest room with your own bathroom, but sorry, it’s where Tanner has to be bathed since I have a walk-in shower in my bathroom, so you have to share with him.”
Her head tilts. “You must be really certain he’s yours.”
I nod. “Yeah, but I just wish I could figure out who the mom is.”
“Sorry it wasn’t me.” She tosses the rest of the Reese’s Pieces in her mouth and snags her purse.
“Me too.”
And I mean it. As hard and weird as that would’ve been, at least I would’ve known who it was, and the fact that we’ve had a relationship and friendship of sorts would be helpful. But now I have no idea if the mom is coming back and what that means for not only me but also for Tanner.
I’m not sure what to do if she comes back for him. I’m already growing attached.
“I better go. What time do you need me tomorrow?” She pushes off the counter and goes to the door.
“I have practice at eleven, so be here at ten?”
“Okay. Am I able to take him places?” She walks over and opens the condo door.
I shrug. “Sure.”
“Good, probably just to The Story Jar. Now that I found myself a husband, I need to get the shop going.”
“I think we should seal this deal with a kiss. What do you think?” I brace myself against the doorframe and lean in.
She puts her hand on my lips, covering my mouth. “I think not.”
“Don’t forget your wifely duties.” I’m joking, but her expression alone makes me want to cross my legs. “Kidding. I’m kidding.”
“I know you are.” She leans forward and presses a quick kiss to my cheek. “Thanks, Easton…” Her eyes lock with mine. “So much.” She draws back and jogs down the stairs.
“Don’t tease me,” I say, following her as she heads down the steps.
“I promise to keep your kid alive.” With a coy smile, she shoves the security gate open and disappears from my view.
A second later, the security gate door opens and Callie, Foster, and Ellis come through.
“Was that Miss Hadley?” Callie thumbs to where she just left.
How the hell does everyone know her?