by Lila Rose
“Do you all know Carter?” I asked.
Casper and Calvin laughed. Patty shook his head at them. A horn blasted.
“The game’s started,” Patty said, pointing out. I shifted my attention there.
Football was an amazing sport. Though at times, it was scary with how rough it was. My pulse didn’t stop racing until the very end, worried Carter would end up hurt in some way. He would have bruises with a couple of tackles he took, but he would be okay. Patty reassured me each time he caught me gripping my armrests with white knuckles.
Brooke was just as interested in the game as I was and with Patty’s help, we understood it a lot more before it finished.
Heck, I even sprang to my feet a few times and yelled things like, “Make them eat dirt.” Or “Take them out.” At the end of that one, I added, “Not to dinner, just the game.” Which had the men laughing around us. Throughout it, I learned the guys in the rows behind us were a part of Patty’s friends and family. How they got such a sweet deal with the box area, I didn’t know, but Patty told me every game in town the Wolves had they were there in support.
They were die-hard fans, and I was glad I got to meet them.
“Did you like it, Reagan?” Casper asked after we all stood.
“Loved it. I’ll have to come to another one.”
“So we’ve converted you into a fan?” Patty smiled.
“Definitely.”
“Sure it’s not just the uniforms talking to you?” Casper teased.
Laughing, I shook my head. “No. I honestly enjoyed it. Thank you all for putting up with us newbies.”
“It was a pleasure,” Patty said.
“Yeah, it was fun.” Henry, Patty’s brother, said from behind me. “Especially when you nearly face-planted falling from the seat after cheering.”
I giggled. At that time, the Wolves had just got a touchdown, their final one to win the game, and I was so excited I climbed up and started screaming like so many others. Unfortunately, I slid, and if it wasn’t for Patty and Casper, I would have kissed the floor.
Turning to Brooke, I was about to ask if she was ready to go, but I saw she had her mouth dropped open and wide eyes. I glanced where she was looking and spotted Carter, with his helmet off, jogging our way.
Smiling, I waved.
“We should go,” Brooke whispered.
“Why?” I asked. “Carter’s coming over.”
“Exactly,” she mumbled, but I caught it. I gave her a puzzled looked.
“Reagan,” Carter called. “Did you like the game?”
Nodding, I went to the edge, leaning my hands on it, and said. “I actually did. Congrats on winning.”
“Thanks.” He grinned. “Did you understand any of it?”
“Actually, I had help.” I thumbed behind me. “Patty was amazing at telling me what was going on.”
He glanced behind me. His hand came out, and as Patty stepped up, they shook hands.
“Good game,” Patty said.
“Thanks, Dad.”
Dad.
Dad?
Dad!
Patty was Carter’s father?
No, no, no.
“Reagan?” Carter said.
“Give her a moment,” Brooke replied.
Dad.
Carter was the son of Patty.
Oh God. Casper and Calvin.
Both started with C, and I should have connected it all since they all went to the same damn high school, but didn’t.
They’re brothers.
I’m so damn stupid.
But I’d been nervous. Out of sorts.
Wait… Carter’s family heard me say how I loved Carter’s uniform.
Oh, dear hell on earth.
Kill me now.
I came back from my thoughts to hear Carter bark, “You didn’t tell her who you were?”
“You didn’t tell us you had someone else coming in the family box,” Casper said.
Family box?
The family box.
As in the Anthonys’ family box.
“We didn’t want to scare Reagan off,” Patty said, which was nice. But now he knew I liked Carter in his uniform, a lot. Heck, so did his brothers, uncles, and probably cousins.
Great. Just great.
“I didn’t have time to tell you Reagan and her friend were joining you all—”
That was it!
That one word could save me.
“Friend! That’s right, I’m Carter’s friend.”
Shit. All eyes turned to me.
Casper snorted. “A friend you like to—”
“Friend,” I cut in with a glare. He shut his mouth, but his lips twitched, as did Patty’s, Calvin’s, and hell, everyone’s.
“She likes to what?” Carter asked.
“Nothing!” I shouted. Then laughed and slugged Carter in the arm. “Anyway, good game, bucko. Really ate them out—up. You ate them up.” I ignored the chuckles around me and Brooke’s groan.
I backed up. “I should get going. Um, great to meet everyone.”
“Reagan, you should come by the house. We like to celebrate after a game,” Patty offered.
“I really can’t, ah, maybe next time.”
When I wasn’t dying.
“Reagan,” Carter shouted, but then we all heard his name being called. Reporters were on their way over to him.
It was definitely my time to bolt.
Reaching out, I grabbed Brooke’s hand.
“Wrong person to take on your escape,” Henry said from beside me, and then he chuckled.
My eyes widened. I dropped his hand with a “Sorry,” and then moved closer to Brooke. The witch was grinning like a fool.
“Thanks for everything.” I waved, turned, and shoved Brooke out the gate.
“Reagan,” Carter called, but I pretended I didn’t hear him and kept going.
It was halfway to the car when a still smiling Brooke said, “Well, I think the family likes you.”
Chapter Nine
Reagan
Sitting in a corner and rocking back and forth was high on my to-do list.
“You should have told me,” I said for the millionth time. I glared at Brooke as she sat across from me at the diner we picked to have a late lunch in. It was the afternoon after my humiliating performance with Carter’s family.
She shrugged. “It was entertaining.”
“Bitch,” I coughed.
She laughed. “Seriously, you should open your eyes a little wider. They all look alike. Besides, I think Patty enjoyed you being yourself without the knowledge of who he was to Carter. And let’s face it, if you’d have known from the start you would have—”
“Not perved on his son while he was sitting there?”
She grinned. “He didn’t mind. You won them over, Ree. I could tell. They enjoyed the time they spent with you.”
I shook my head. “I’ll never be able to face them again.”
Brooke scoffed. “You’ll be fine.”
“I won’t. If I do have to face them, I’ll probably do something else stupid and they’ll run from me screaming about what an accident I was.”
All my life, I’d spoken before I thought. Most of the time it came back to bite me on the butt. I’d tried to curb the defect in me, but I couldn’t most of the time. I blamed my mom. She was the same. Though, it was what Dad loved about her the most.
“You’re adorable just the way you are,” Brooke said.
Rolling my eyes, I muttered, “Thanks for thinking that.”
“I’m not the only one, or else Carter would have run after you talked about naked yoga or when you threatened to throw up on your students.” She laughed. “I still can’t believe you said that. But it also proves a point. You’re adored by many. Your students love your class. I’ve been told by many it’s the only class they enjoy attending each week.”
It was only because I was more laid-back than most of the other teachers. When I was in high school and even college, the
re wasn’t a single teacher who made class fun. I was a firm believer that if students enjoyed their lessons, they learned a lot more.
“I just have good kids.”
She groaned. “You’re down on yourself too much, and it’s starting to bug me, woman. Repeat after me: I am awesome.” She waited. When instead I took a sip of my coffee, she kicked me under the table. “Repeat it.”
“I am awesome,” I mumbled.
Brooke sighed. “It’ll do. One day though, you’ll know it’s the truth.”
“You’re my best friend, you have to say stuff like that.”
She snorted. “It’s because I’m your best friend I believe it or else I wouldn’t be friends with you in the first place.”
Brooke’s phone chimed. She glanced down and then she blushed but didn’t pick it up from the table.
“Who was that?” I asked.
She waved her hand down at her phone before picking up her own coffee. “No one.”
“Brooke?”
“Reagan?”
Our waitress came up and placed my eggs benedict and Brooke’s blueberry pancakes down. While she was distracted ordering another coffee for the both of us, I reached over and grabbed her cell.
I slipped it under the table and pressed it to life.
My eyes widened.
“Dustin said thanks for the other day?” I all but screeched.
Brooke winced and sent an apologetic smile to the waitress. “I just picked her up at the mental hospital. She has outbursts like this.”
The waitress glanced from her to me and then back again. She nodded, as if one look from me had her believing Brooke. I didn’t look crazy… did I? I checked my clothes. No rainbow was to be seen, but I was wearing my I give zero fox tee.
Whatever.
I didn’t care what she thought.
“I-I’ll get those drinks for you.”
“Thanks.” Brooke smiled. Then she turned back to me, scowling. “Give me my phone.”
“What aren’t you telling me, Brooke Baker?” I glared.
“Phone,” she demanded with her hand out.
“What’s going on with you and Dustin, and why haven’t you told me?”
She huffed. “Nothing is going on.”
“Bull.” I waved her phone around. “Thanks for the other day?”
“It’s nothing. I promise.”
“Brooke, we tell each other everything.”
She sighed, leaning back in her seat. “Fine. But I’m embarrassed, which is why I never said anything.”
I gave her a reassuring smile. “Can’t be as bad as anything I’ve done.”
She giggled. “Well, no.” After another gulp of her coffee, she started, “Wednesday night Dustin and I ran into each other down the street. We got to chatting about random things, and I asked what he was doing the next night, hoping it would lead to him asking me out.” She cringed. “He said he was in a bind. He had some event he had to attend with a date, but still, even then he wasn’t sure he could go because he had other commitments. I told him I could help out.”
“As in be his date?”
“Well, yes. But obviously, we didn’t confirm things since he was in a rush. So he told me my help would be fantastic and gave me his address.” She picked up her fork and stabbed at her pancakes. “We didn’t exchange numbers, so I wasn’t sure what type of event it was and since it was during the day—”
“That’s why you took a sick day Thursday?”
She nodded. “I chose to wear a simple black dress. I arrived at his house, he ushered me in, and then… in the living room, of his fan-freaking-tastic house, he introduced me to Benjie, his six-year-old son.”
I gasped, my hand flew to my mouth to cover it. “No,” I mumbled behind it.
“Yes.” She nodded, smiling sadly. “The help he needed was to mind Benjie while he went out. His date arrived shortly after and she was stunning. I would have even asked her out. They left and I felt gutted.”
“Oh, honey.”
She shrugged. “Best thing about it was Benjie. He’s a cute and fun little guy. We enjoyed each other’s company. So much so that when they came back full of smiles and touches, I offered Dustin help in the future if he was in a bind with Benjie.”
I winced. “That would have had to hurt.”
“It did, but then it didn’t.” She took a mouthful of her pancakes. I could see the tension in her body and knew she was gutted over the fact Dustin only used her for a babysitter.
“Fuck him,” I stated just as the waitress arrived back.
Brooke laughed. “Another outburst.”
The waitress gave Brooke a sympathetic smile, set the drinks down and took off quickly.
“Seriously, Brooke. Fuck him for not wanting to take you out.”
“Honestly, it’s been a few days since then, and I’m over it. I liked meeting Benjie. So it wasn’t terrible.”
“Good.” I nodded, but I still felt bad for her.
Stupid Dustin.
After eating and talking about school, we made our way out of the diner when I heard my name being called.
Turning, I froze. A smiling Carter ran our way.
“Hide me,” I whispered to Brooke.
She laughed, but I didn’t want her laughing when he arrived or else he could think we were laughing at him, not that I was laughing, but honestly, I didn’t know what I was thinking and I blamed that on my actions. My elbow connected to Brooke’s stomach, and she coughed, clutching her belly.
“Oh no, are you okay?” I asked, just as Carter stopped beside us. “Hi, Carter. Good to see you, but as you can see, I have to get Brooke home. She’s not feeling well.” I started to try and pull her with me, but the trollop planted her feet firmly on the ground and didn’t move.
“I’m good,” Brooke heaved out. “Fine.” She nodded, standing straight. “See, it passed. All better now. How you doing, Carter?” she asked.
His grin widened. “Great. What are you two up to?” He planted his hands on his hips. Dang, he looked good in his jeans and a simple tee. My pulse started to race like it did every time I was around him.
“Nothing.” Wait, nothing didn’t sound good. It left me open to doing something if he suggested something. “Ah, actually I need to grade some papers and then I have dinner with my parents later.” Since I didn’t want it to be an actual lie, I would have to ring my parents later and invite myself over.
“I could go to dinner,” he said.
Did he mean with me?
To my parents’?
No. Hell no. That would be a disaster.
“I’m sure Reagan would love to take you to her parents’ house for dinner. In fact, how about I check with them now.” She pulled her phone out, and I smacked her hand.
“I can do it,” I snapped. Shit. She played me right into that one. Now I said I could do it, I would as I hated going back on anything I said. Facing Carter again, I asked, “But are you sure? I mean, Mom will probably say random embarrassing things and I’ve told you my dad is a huge fan. He’ll probably fawn over you in some way.”
He chuckled. “I think I can handle that.”
Maybe he was the crazy one.
Oh well, he’d soon understand how loco my parents were.
God, I was going to take Carter to dinner at my parents’.
How did I get in that spot?
He’d invited himself.
Why?
Then again, Brooke had been to my parents’ for dinner. Friends hung out with one another.
“Well… as long as you’re sure you can put up with it.”
“I will. Text me later what time and your address. I’ll come pick you up and drive us over there. Also, I wanted to say sorry again about my family not saying—”
My hand came up. “Wait for all the apologizing until after you’ve dined with my family. It’ll probably be me begging for your forgiveness later. But really, it’s fine.”
He smiled.
Bless my heart
and his smile.
He winked. “Okay. I’ll see you later.”
I nodded. “As long as you’re sure.”
He chuckled. “I get the feeling you don’t want me to come.”
Once again, him and the word come in one sentence near short-circuited my brain.
“Ah, um, no, uh, it’s not that… let’s just say your family is like… a cute little Pomeranian and mine are like a big bulldog that’s in your face all the time, barking questions every second. There could even be slobber involved. I just want to prewarn you.” I wouldn’t be surprised if Dad did drool over Carter a little.
He moved around us. “I’ll be fine. Are you sure you’re okay with me inviting myself?” He smirked.
Was I?
No. Not at all.
But for some weird reason, I was flattered by him wanting to come to dinner, to meet my family and be involved in all the craziness.
He was brave, that was for sure. Though, maybe I just didn’t prepare him enough for how strange my family was. I guess he’d find out in a few hours.
“Yes?” I shook my head, then nodded. “Um, yes. I’m sure.”
“Great.” He winked again, taking a few steps away. “I have to go, but one last thing. Don’t worry about the articles in the newspapers. Reporters like to talk out of their asses.” He turned and started moving off.
“Articles? Newspaper? What reporters?” I asked.
“See you later,” he called over his shoulder.
Meeting Brooke’s amused gaze, I said, “What did he mean about the articles in the papers?”
“I’m not sure, but I want to find out.”
I wasn’t sure if I did.
Chapter Ten
Reagan
Brooke came home with me, our arms filled with newspapers. We sat at the table and immediately Brooke took one, and I opened another, starting to flick through.
“I think it’ll be in the sports section,” Brooke said. She picked up several pages and opened to the sports area. I saw her eyes widen.
“What?” I asked.
“Um….” She started laughing and pushed her paper in front of me. On the first page in the sports part was a big picture of Carter’s back standing before his family boxed seats with me, hands on the ledge smiling down at him. The title read, “Who is Carter Anthony’s mystery woman?”