Chapter 12
TWELVE
The female version of ‘tea bag’ is called ‘clam slam.’
—Nettie to Magnolia
MAGNOLIA
I grinned as I saw them pull up in their fancy Uber.
Court got out first and waited for a long moment before reaching in and grabbing Iris’s booster seat.
Iris appeared moments later, and she waited for Beau before following him to the plane.
I grinned from my position mid-bus as I waited for the ladies in front of me to grab their belongings and get out of the bus.
Nettie, who was directly behind me with her bag, said, “That’s super cute. I don’t know how he gets her to talk to him. I’ve tried so hard, Magnolia.”
I looked over my shoulder at my friend.
“They have a special bond,” I admitted. “Their love of documentaries and sign language bonded them pretty quick. But I think the reason that she loves him so much is because he treats her like she’s normal.
Like she isn’t flawed. And I know that you do, too.
But he just gets her on a level that most don’t. ”
“I’m sad that you’re leaving at the end of the season,” she said. “Next year really would’ve been my year to make her like me.”
I stepped forward a foot. “I have a feeling we’ll be seeing plenty of each other. I like it up here, and I know that Iris does, too. It’s an adventurer’s paradise.”
“I love Montana,” she agreed. “I had no clue how much until I moved to Miami. I loved the sun and the sand. The beach. But the beach doesn’t beat the mountains.”
I agreed.
Plus…
“It’s way nicer weather-wise here, too,” I said. “I just need to convince my best friend to move up here.”
“Does she not like it?” she asked.
We took another few steps forward as I answered, “Merrill is a sun and sweat girl. She says that it’s too snowy in Montana.”
“That is true,” she agreed. “It snows a lot.”
We were finally next off the bus, and the team manager took our soccer gear and bags from us as we got off.
“Thank you, sir.” I patted him on the back.
He winked. “Kissing up will get your stuff off first.”
I snickered as we made our way over to the men.
Weaver was there with Nettie’s daughter fast asleep on his shoulder. Iris was standing next to Beau, leaning against his leg, watching a couple of birds that were flying over the airport.
“Hey, kiddo.”
She looked up at me and smiled, then went back to her bird watching.
“I see she’s wearing clothes,” Nettie observed.
“You’re lucky,” Weaver drawled. “Everything was packed. I had to buy this in the gift shop in the stadium. I would’ve gone back up, but apparently there’s no re-entry once you’ve left.”
“It worked out,” Eddie said from our side. “How would you have gotten us churros otherwise?”
Weaver shot her a wink.
Court leveled his gaze on me and said, “Are you sure you have to retire this season?”
I flushed at the intensity in his eyes. “Yes, I’m sorry. I’m ready to start my career.”
A car came to an abrupt stop just feet from where we were standing, and Beau instinctively turned his body so that it was in between the car and Iris, even though the car came from nowhere and stopped really close.
It was no surprise when Seraphina and Mr. Vanderbilt got out.
I let my eyes travel from one to the other.
I’d never officially met them, but I’d seen Mr. Vanderbilt several times in passing. Seraphina, I’d only seen in town. And the only reason I’d known it was her was due to the fact that she’d gone out to eat, racked up a thousand-dollar bill, then hadn’t tipped.
She’d then sped out of the parking lot and hit a lamp post on her way out.
“Here.” Seraphina tossed the keys at the team manager. “Get this taken back to the airport. You can take a commercial flight home.”
The team manager let the keys hit him in the chest and fall to the ground.
He stepped over them, then loaded the bags into the cargo hold.
“Let’s get inside,” Beau murmured as he picked Iris up and walked her into the plane.
Iris didn’t complain, but I could tell she wanted to walk herself.
My little girl didn’t protest, and went, glaring at Seraphina as she moved.
“Did you not hear me, boy?” Seraphina snapped.
I ignored everything that was happening and headed to the plane.
I was one of the last of the team to find their seat, which luckily was next to Beau of all people.
Iris was in a seat next to an empty seat that Courtland had occupied on the ride over.
Weaver and Eddie sat together, followed by Boone and Nettie.
There was a commotion outside the plane, which had Beau standing up and heading outside.
I snuck forward in my seat so I could peer out.
“What’s happening?” Eddie asked.
“…there is room! This is our team plane!” Seraphina snarled.
“There isn’t room,” Beau argued. “There’s literally two seats left. One for Court. One for the team manager.”
“Well, then kick some of those husbands that shouldn’t be here off.”
There were eight husbands in total.
All of them had to pay for their seats on this plane, as per our contract. They could come, but they couldn’t come for free.
“I’m getting on that plane,” Seraphina snapped. “Or I’ll ground this flight.”
“Get in, Mack,” Beau ordered. “You, too, Court.”
The two men got onto the plane, Mack looking flustered.
Court took the seat next to Iris, and I said, “Are you okay sitting next to her?”
Court jerked his head. “She’s a real bitch. I can’t wait to fuck her over next year.”
My lips quirked.
“Language,” Iris ordered.
“Sorry, kid.” Court chuckled.
She signed something that had me bursting out laughing.
“What?” he asked.
“She said that she’s going to start a swear jar.” I giggled.
Court grunted.
Seraphina got on the plane and glared at the people that stared back at her.
“Either the jump seat or nothing,” Beau growled.
She hissed at him and took the seat that was normally reserved for flight attendants.
The flight attendant that was busy getting her cart ready looked less than enthused to be sharing her space.
Beau stopped next to the pilot and said. “Pull the door.”
The flight attendant did just that, closing the flight in.
“Three hours of this,” I muttered mostly to myself.
Court grunted. “Can’t say that I’ve ever had this much animosity aimed my way.
When I looked it was to find Seraphina glaring daggers at Court.
She flipped him off when he didn’t look away.
Beau grunted and retook his seat next to me, muttering under his breath. “Wish she’d just fuck off already.”
“Language,” Nettie called from her seat behind us.
He flipped her off, causing her to giggle.
“That’s another quarter,” Eddie called.
Beau growled.
I thought it was adorably cute.
The plane ride went as expected.
There was glaring galore, and by the time that the plane landed, everyone was ready to be rid of her.
She was mad because she couldn’t have Cristal—something that Beau said he got rid of last year because there was “no fucking reason in the world we should have that expensive of alcohol on board when no one drank it.”
She was mad because she didn’t get a meal—the team manager had picked up food for everyone, not including her, since she wasn’t supposed to be here.
She was also angry that the seat was less than ideal.
By the time that she marched her uptight ass off the plane, my eardrums were ready for a break.
There were cheers that followed her exit, and Beau was laughing by the time he got up and headed out the door.
Iris was hot on his heels.
I followed suit, a lot slower since I had to gather all of Iris’s belongings.
Court patiently waited for me to gather everything and even grabbed her booster seat for me when my hands were full.
When I got down the stairs, it was to find Beau rigid and staring at a black SUV speeding off.
He had his phone to his ear, and he was reading something off to whomever he had on the phone.
When I got to his side, he said, “5P91.”
I looked at him, really studied him, and realized he was vibrating with anger.
“Fits the description of the vehicle that nearly killed her yesterday.”
I inhaled swiftly and looked back at the car that I could barely see now.
“I know it’s her,” he said, his voice sounding raw and horrified. “Black, it’s her.”
The car finally disappeared out of sight, and I leaned in and caught Beau’s hand in mine.
His hand closed so tight around mine that I almost winced.
His face turned, and his eyes were…broken.
He looked like he’d just had his soul stolen.
I brought his hand up to my mouth and kissed it.
But Beau’s next words were shattered. “She needs to go to jail before I kill her.”
Those words weren’t for me.
But I chose to take them as such.
I leaned into his body and placed my hand over his mouth. “Shhh, don’t repeat that aloud ever again.”
Why was I okay with his declaration?
Yes, if it was true, that woman had almost killed my child.
But I shouldn’t be okay with murder.
Yet, as I studied his face, my hand still covering his mouth, I realized that there wasn’t much this man could do that would ever scare me away.
Cold-blooded murder?
Meh. As long as he was in bed with me at the end of the night, I could overlook it.