by Lila Rose
“Sounds great, kiddo.” He ruffled Benjie’s hair and then hooked an arm around his shoulders, bringing him close to his side. Dustin looked up at Brooke standing beside us. She was smiling softly down at Benjie. “Thanks again, Brooke.”
She shrugged. “Not a problem.”
“Dustin, Dustin, who’s your lady friend?” was called by a reporter behind the roped off area.
“Benjie, are you proud of your dad getting the last score that won the game?” another yelled.
“Of course,” Benjie cheered.
Dustin shifted. He grabbed Brooke’s arm and tugged her to his side. She stumbled and righted herself, her hands landing on his chest and stomach. “This here is my girlfriend.”
My eyes widened. Carter cursed low. Brooke’s eyes narrowed, and I couldn’t help but notice Benjie’s look of hope that crossed his features before Brooke straightened and smacked Dustin in the back of the head.
She laughed humorlessly, and told them, “He means a girl who is a friend. The trickster.”
I leaned into Carter and whispered, “She’s going to kill him for that.”
He chuckled. “Think she’ll wait until after the Super Bowl?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure.” The angry vibes coming from Brooke’s body told me Dustin would be in a body bag by the end of the day.
“Let’s get out of here,” Carter said.
It was probably a good idea to start the bloodbath in private.
We made our way out of the terminal, picked up the luggage, and went to the cars in silence. Well, except for Benjie firing off question after question to his dad. I was glad to see that the paparazzi didn’t follow us to the cars.
When I kept glancing around, Carter chuckled. “Apparently, there was a tip-off some big singer was landing shortly.”
Dustin snorted. “You got Ted on it then?”
“Sure did.”
“Hey, Ree, can you give me a lift home?” Brooke asked. She threw the keys to Dustin and then diverted off to my car instead of Dustin’s, which she’d driven in for him with Benjie.
“But, Miss Brooke, you said we could build a fortress later.” Benjie ran up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, looking at her with a pout on his face.
She winked down at him, running a hand through his messy hair. A look of adoration, one I’d never seen on her face, showed. “I promise our next time together we’ll do it.”
“Brooke—”
She shot her gaze up to Dustin, her eyes narrowed. He sighed. Brooke turned to me. “Is it okay?”
I glanced from Benjie, whose shoulders drooped as he slunk his way back to his dad, to a frowning Dustin and then back to Brooke. “Please,” she mouthed.
“Sure. Not a problem.”
“Kiddo, can you jump in the car while I have a quick word with Brooke?”
“Sure.” Benjie smiled and took the keys from his dad, skipping to the car and jumping into it.
“Ree, let’s get in ours,” Carter said as I watched Dustin walk toward Brooke. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him.
“But—”
Carter smirked. “Sweetheart, come on.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Fine.” I then called to Brooke, “If you need help maiming him, just call.”
She smiled over her shoulder and nodded.
Carter loaded his bag onto the back seat and then we both climbed in. Of course, I got to my knees and stared out the back window where Dustin stopped in front of Brooke with his hands up in front of himself. Ready to block an attack, which was wise.
Carter chuckled. “Reagan, sit back around.”
“Nope, this is live action fun. Besides, she’d do the same for me. Keeping an eye open, in case I need to get involved. Just wish I could hear them.”
Carter rolled his eyes, then ran his gaze over me. “I could think of better things to do while we wait for Dustin to grovel.”
Smiling, I kept one hand on the headrest and moved the other to Carter’s thigh and leaned his way. “What were you thinking?”
“Hmm.” He licked his lips, his eyes running from my eyes down to my lips. Then he grinned. “Eye spy?”
I giggled. “Sure.” I went to move back, but he caught me with a hand on the back of my neck.
“Not so fast.” He tugged me close and touched his mouth to mine. I nipped at his mouth. His opened for me and just when things were getting good, something bumped into the car. I pulled away and looked out the back window.
“Oh my God,” I whispered. Dustin had Brooke pressed against the back of the car with his arms tightly wrapped around her waist. I saw hers were on his arms and it looked like she was trying to push him back for a moment until they changed and gripped.
I got low in my seat to see Dustin kissing Brooke.
“They’re kissing,” I said gleefully.
“Finally,” Carter said.
But then Brooke must have come out of her daze. She pushed him back, said something, and stomped to the passenger side door, on Carter’s side. Carter chuckled as I quickly shifted around to face the front, just as Brooke opened it. She got in with a huff and slammed it closed.
“Can you believe that idiot?” she snarled. “Carter, do me a favor and run over him as you back out.”
He snorted. “Not sure the team would be happy with me.”
“But we’d be happy, and Ree will make you even happier if you helped her BFF out. Won’t you, Ree?”
I bit my bottom lip, only I couldn’t contain my grin. “I’d make him happy even if he ran Dustin over or not.”
“Some friend you are,” Brooke grumbled. “Damn, he’s moved.” And he had, to Brooke’s window where he bent to look in at Brooke with a huge satisfied smile on his face. She gave him the finger. He winked.
“Talk soon, darlin’,” he called through the window.
“Can we go already?” Brooke snapped.
Carter started the car, and Dustin moved off around to his car and climbed in.
As Carter pulled out of the park, I turned to Brooke and asked, “You okay?”
Her eyes stayed looking out the window, and she shrugged.
“Brooke?”
She glanced at me. “Do you think Benjie saw that?”
Out the corner of my eyes, I saw Carter shake his head. “I glanced in Dustin’s car. He had his head down probably on some device or something.”
She relaxed a little. “Good. He’s already going on and on about how great his dad is. I think he wants me to date him.”
I reached over and rested my hand on Carter’s thigh. He threaded his fingers through mine. I nodded to Brooke. “He seemed very happy when Dustin introduced you to the reporters as his girlfriend.”
She groaned. “I don’t want to disappoint him when it doesn’t happen.”
“Even after that kiss?”
Her nose screwed up. “You saw that?”
I laughed. “It was a bit hard not to when our car rocked from the impact.”
She blushed. “The prick.”
“Why? Because he did it or because you liked it?”
Her eyes flared. She glanced at Carter, but his attention was on the road. “Carter won’t say anything to him.”
Brooke scoffed. “I doubt that, men gossip more than what we do.”
“This is true, but if you don’t want me to say anything, I won’t. I want you to be able to speak freely in front of me because Ree’s your friend.”
Sweet molasses. He was amazing. When I squeezed his hand, he looked my way and smiled.
Brooke sighed. “It’s fine. Ree and I can talk later. Turn left here to head to my place, please.”
“Do you want me to come in for a while? I can catch a taxi home so Carter can take the car,” I offered.
“No way. Your man just got home. I’m sure you have catching up to do.”
“Brooke, Carter and I can catch up later.”
“True. I’m home now so she won’t be getting rid of me,” Carter put in
.
Brooke shook her head. “I’m good. Honestly, I’m fine. There’s nothing really to talk about.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Brooke.”
She threw her hands up in the air. “Fine. You really want to know where my head is at? I’m confused. Totally confused. I don’t know if I want to punch him in the face or kiss the idiot.”
“Dustin often brings that feeling about in a lot of people. I’ve felt it many times,” Carter commented. We both stared at him and then laughed.
It was just what Brooke needed. She relaxed more into her seat. “Turn to the right. My house is on the left. Number 210.”
“What are you going to do about him?”
She gave me a tight smile and another shrug. “Not sure yet. But we’ll talk more about it soon. Promise.”
“Okay.” I reached back and held out my hand. She took mine giving it a squeeze. “If he’s too much of an idiot, you let me know. Even if he’s a friend of Carter’s, I’ll beat him up.”
“Thanks.”
Carter pulled up to the curb, and Brooke got out with a final goodbye. When Carter pulled back out onto the road, I asked him, “Do you think they’d be good together?”
“Yes.” He glanced at me, then back to the road. “Dustin’s been through a lot with the divorce, then women only using him for his money or status. None of them liked the fact he has a kid. Brooke’s already in love with Benjie. That woke Dustin up and he sees she’s different from all the others. She doesn’t want his money, doesn’t care who he is to the public. She’d be good for him. I think if she gave him a chance, he would be for her too.”
“Might be some tough times ahead for them though. Brooke’s stubborn.”
Carter snorted. “Dustin will win her over in the end. Once he sets his mind on something, nothing will stop him.”
“As long as he’s not just wanting her because she’s already good with Benjie.”
“Believe me, he’s not.”
“What’s that mean?”
Carter groaned. “Guys talk. North, Dustin, and I are close. We share things.” He quickly added, “Though I don’t overshare anything, but let me just say that Dustin thinks Brooke is hot. He was thinking about asking her out after I’d moved in, but he was worried because of his history with women.”
“I guess we’ll see how things go.”
“Yes, and if he does mess things up, I’ll help you beat him up.”
“Aww, that’s sweet, wanting to commit assault with me.”
He chuckled, picked up my hand and kissed the back of it. “Anything for you.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Reagan
“Get them, baby. Kill them!” I screamed over the railing to Carter. My pulse raced under my skin. Adrenaline pumped through me at seeing Carter in all his football glory. He was a beast on the field.
“Reagan, maybe while reporters are around, a death threat isn’t good for you to shout to your boyfriend,” Beth suggested with a warm smile. She sat in the front row with Patty on one side. My seat was on the other side of her, but I wasn’t sitting; I was standing near the fence. Dad, in his seat, was next to me, leaving Mom on the end of the row. Behind us in the other family seats were Brooke, Benjie, and the rest of Carter’s family.
“Nothing’s wrong with a little threatening, Beth.” Mom grinned down the line at Carter’s mom. Over the weeks since the barbecue, they had become fast friends. It was good to see how well both our families got along.
We were at the Super Bowl, Carter’s last game with his team. It had been just a few days since Carter arrived home. Over those days, we’d still had our normal routines, only his training went later than normal due to the championship game being so close. In fact, we hardly saw each other. Besides a few kisses, hugs, and snuggles on the couch, which involved groping, we hadn’t moved forward to home base yet. Carter had decided to stay in his room, so he wouldn’t wake me when he got in late. Though I was sure it also had something to do with my fear of us moving too fast. We were going to reevaluate the sleeping arrangements after the Super Bowl was over, something I suggested we do. He’d told me he didn’t want a quick romp between the sheets, only to rush off in the morning. While I could understand it, even though I didn’t like it, I knew one thing was for sure. Carter Anthony was moving into my bedroom tonight.
I grinned to myself, probably looking a little crazed, but I couldn’t ignore the thrill drumming inside of me about the idea.
Of course, he could be too tired to do anything. Regardless, I wanted to feel him next to me. It’d been hard knowing he was only a room away from me. If I wasn’t a deep sleeper, and so busy marking assignments with school exams coming up, I would have waited up for Carter each night or at least snuck into his room to sleep beside him.
Then again, he was right about one thing. If we had slept beside one another, then we wouldn’t have been able to keep our hands off each other.
Still, I wanted to try having him in my bed that night.
Even if they won or lost.
The game was close already with the other team ahead by two points. Only it wasn’t even halftime. It was still anyone’s game.
Come on, babe.
“Ree,” Calvin called. “Come sit down before you jump the fence and play the game for them.”
I heard State chuckle, even over the noise of the other people screaming and cheering. “We’ll grab her before she has the chance.”
“We hope,” Casper said with humor in his voice.
My hands came up to my neck, and I gasped. Carter got the ball. He dodged to the left, barely missing a tackle. He kept running, his teammates making a clear path, but then an asshole came out of nowhere and took him to the ground, hard.
“Grab her,” Patty yelled. I had one leg over when I was seized from behind and brought back into a chest.
“Is he okay? Is he all right?” I asked over and over.
“He’s fine, honey. Look, he’s getting up,” Dad said. He was right behind me; it was his fast hands that had grabbed me. Cheering sounded around us. My heart slowly crept down from my throat and slipped back into my chest. I breathed in relief to see Carter was walking about.
“Thank fuck he’s finishing up. Not sure Ree would be able to handle it,” State said. People agreed with him.
Dad’s hands on my shoulders gave a gentle shake. “You okay?”
I nodded, finally able to relax as the game went on, and since Carter was still out playing, he couldn’t be too hurt from the tackle.
“Still can’t believe I’m here in the family box,” Dad commented with wonderment clear in his voice. “Guess this means I can forgive you for telling us late that you two were dating.”
I snorted. It had been literally the day after things were finalized between Carter and me. One day and he made it sound like I’d kept our relationship from him for years. Truth be told, I’d been greedy, I had wanted the day just for us before Carter had to leave. Without Dad crying. Hence the one-day delay.
Thankfully, they hadn’t seen the video clip of us together. If that had been the case, Dad would have been even more annoyed with me.
Since I hadn’t called my parents to tell them I was coming over, I knocked on the front door. I didn’t want to walk in on anything. Mom opened it, took one look at me, and yelled, “Herb.” She grabbed my arm and dragged me in.
Dad came running in from the kitchen. “What? What is it?” he asked frantically.
“Reagan’s here and something’s wrong,” Mom announced. She ushered me over to the couch and sat me down, taking one spot next to me. Dad stalked over and sat on my other side, studying me.
“What’s wrong, Ree?” Dad asked. “Is it Carter? Is he okay?” his voice wavered a little.
“He’s fine.”
His eyes narrowed. “Did he upset you?”
“No.” I smiled.
“Do you have an STD?” Mom asked, both Dad and I swung our shocked gazes her way. Her hands came up. “What? It co
uld happen. She’s had a dry spell. She could have hired a prostitute and then—”
“Mom. Stop. Just stop.”
“Jesus, Elaine. Where does your mind go? I’m blaming all those cop and doctor shows you watch.”
She rolled her eyes. “Then what is it? I know when something’s happening with my baby girl. You don’t just pop in without calling first. Is it about yesterday with Carter? Something that happened at school? Did Tom fire you? I’ll let your dad beat him up if he did. Or is it a gambling problem? Are you on the run from your bookie?”
I shook my head. “I don’t gamble, Tom didn’t fire me, nothing happened at school. Well, except… actually, don’t worry about it. And yes, it has got something to do with Carter—”
“Are you pregnant?” Dad asked, hope filling his voice.
“No!” Sheesh. My parents were crazy. If anyone had to question my sanity, then all they had to do was look at my parents, and they’d understand where I got my outbursts. “If you just let me talk—”
“But something is wrong, right?” Mom asked.
“Actually, nothing is wrong. I’m not even sure where you got that from.”
Mom huffed. “Your smile was a little crazy, I thought you were about to crack.”
I snorted. “Okay, so here it is. Carter and I are dating.”
They blinked, looked at each other and blinked again. Dad’s eyes teared. Mom sniffed.
“Are you two okay?” I asked.
“Yep,” Dad choked out, wiping his nose with the back of his hand.
“Of course.” Mom cleared her throat. “I knew he’d step up.”
Dad nodded. “You did, Elaine. You called it.”
“What are you talking about?”
Mom took my hand in hers. “The day you brought him here, I watched him. I’m good at just knowing things about people—”
“Tell that to Mr. Milton when you accused him of taking your carrots from your garden. You’d always said he was a shady character, but it ended up being the rabbits.”
She huffed. “He was still shady.”
“Mom. He moved to get away from you watching him all the time.”
“I was keeping an eye on him for the community. Anyway…” She waved her hand in the air flippantly. “As I was saying, I watched Carter that day and could already see the feelings he had for you. Every time you talked or laughed his eyes shone.”