If you ask me, Maxwell is better off with the Paragons, anyway. We’re bigger and we’re better than L.A. Plus, he’s the team captain now so clearly, he’s got the upper hand in this rivalry.
So basically, we’re gonna kick some Los Angeles ass tonight, and that’s all there is too it.
When I step into the locker room, the place is buzzing. My teammates are riled up and talking shit as they get ready for the game.
I push through the swarm of them crowding the entrance to the locker room and head straight for my cubby. Head down. I’m not in the mood to make conversation. Tonight’s game isn’t the only thing on my mind.
Sera texted to give me the details for the restaurant she booked for dinner. After the game, she and I are meeting with Wyatt. We’re going to sit him down and explain to him that we’re together now and hopefully, he can accept that.
I love the woman.
She has opened up parts of me that were shut down tight. She’s gotten me to open my heart. And now, I trust her, I love her, I want to share my life with her. No one’s getting in the way of that. Not even Wyatt.
Knox is sitting on the bench next to my locker getting geared up when I approach.
“What’s up, man?” I say when I’m standing beside him.
“I’m cool.” He looks at me with concern. “How you doing? Ready to face off against Rocky?”
My stomach flexes.
“I’m not worried about Rocky.” I virtually spit the man’s name.
Just my luck that I have to go head-to-head with my wife’s ex-fiancé. Since Rocky is LA’s quarterback, and I play for Iowa’s defense, we’re always on the field at the exact same time. No biggie, though. I’m gonna crush him like I’d crush any of my opponents from any team.
Knox leans closer and lowers his voice as I drop my duffel onto the bench and unzip it. “Just keep your cool. Okay? You already missed a bunch of games when your ankle got injured. You don’t want to attract any more drama to you this season.”
I push a heavy sigh. “I know. I know.”
My focus is my career. Doing a good job on the field tonight. Fuck my petty beef with Rocky Pfeiffer.
He screwed up. He walked away from the best thing that will ever happen to him and as much as I want to hurt him for what he did to Sera, the fact is, I won the girl. The ultimate prize. Sera’s coming home with me tonight. I’m going to hold her in my arms and, for the very first time, I’ll tell her that I love her. So Rocky can just suck it.
I’ve suddenly got the overwhelming urge to talk to her before the game. In the weeks since we’ve been together, it’s become our tradition to exchange a few text messages before each game. I’m sure that just making contact with her will help smooth out the tension I’m feeling right now.
I dig around in my duffel. I virtually turn the thing upside down. But my device is nowhere to be found. “Shit. I think I forgot my phone on the charger in my car,” I tell Knox.
He glances up at the clock on the wall. “Too late to go get it now. Game’s starting soon.”
I know that but I don’t want to miss my wife’s pre-game text messages.
“I’ll just be a minute,” I say, discreetly backing toward the door. Trying to sneak around isn’t easy when you’re six foot three and two hundred twenty pounds of muscle but I manage to duck out of the room before Coach notices.
I’m jogging toward the elevator that will take me to the team’s parking garage when a pair standing at the end of the empty hallway catches my attention. The guy is as tall as I am and just as muscular. The woman has long brown hair, glasses and a mouth-watering body I’d know anywhere.
My movements freeze as I watch them.
Sera nods, her head bobbing slowly and thoughtfully as Rocky speaks to her.
Declan’s words from our last poker night replay in my head. What if Rocky comes back with some bullshit apology and she takes him back? Shit.
The asshole hunches down his shoulders and lowers himself, forcing my wife to look him in the face.
I don’t know what he says to her. I don’t know what story he’s fabricated or what excuse he’s cooked up. But I do know what I see next.
Sera’s entire body stiffens and her hands come up to cover her lips. Then he speaks again and she breaks out laughing. Laughing. Uncontrollably. With the guy who abandoned her. The guy who left her broken on her wedding day.
Rocky steps even closer and wraps his arms around her shoulders…
And then, she hugs him back.
Forty-One
Sera
Five minutes earlier…
This feels surreal.
I find myself surrounded by executives and mid-level managers from Kline-Simmons, walking down a brightly-lit hallway at the football arena. We’re headed toward Liam’s corporate suite to watch tonight’s Paragons game.
Walking beside me, Desiree nudges me in the ribs. “What’s up with you?” She sips from her cardboard coffee cup.
“Nothing,” I squeak out. Discretely, I clench and unclench my fingers, trying to get control of my anxious energy.
“Hun, you look really nervous,” Nadia observes, adjusting her purse strap. “Your shoulders look like they’re trying to hump your earlobes.”
I try to relax my shoulders as our group marches past the visiting team’s locker room toward the private elevator that will take us to our skybox. I don’t want the freak-out I’m feeling on the inside to leak out into the open.
“Does it have anything to do with the fact that Rocky will be here tonight?” Desiree asks, keenly observant as always.
I cringe and glance around just hearing my ex’s name. “I’m scared that something will happen to make the night awkward,” I say, my voice low.
Desiree chuckles. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. People have learned their lesson about what happens to them when they mess with Jason Bellino’s girl. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.”
When I told my friends about how Jace stuck up for me when Holly got out of line at the Paragon’s get-together a few weeks ago, they all but swooned right there in the lunch room at work. Nadia and Desiree pretty much think Jace is a knight in football gear and I have to agree. I know he won’t let anyone get away with messing with me tonight. Or any other night, for that matter.
I take a breath and try to relax. I reach into my purse for my cellphone. I type out a text to my husband.
Sera: Kick some ass on that field tonight, babe. I’ll be cheering for you from Liam’s luxury suite *winking emoji* Can’t wait to tell you all about it!
The elevator doors slide open and my colleagues start piling on one by one. Right as I’m about to step foot onto the lift, I hear my name in a familiar voice that makes my stomach drop.
Rocky.
Fuck.
I pivot slowly on my toes toward the voice. And there he is, the man who left me standing on the courthouse steps in my wedding gown about six weeks ago.
Wow—I’m not a violent person but I have never had such a strong urge to throttle somebody.
“Sera…” he says again.
I try to cut him open with my glare. “Not a good time, Rocky.” I tilt my head toward the suits waiting for me to climb onto the loaded elevator.
After all that he’s done this man does not get to embarrass me in front of my boss and my boss’s boss. I will not allow it.
“I just need a minute to talk.” The Boomerangs quarterback puts a hand out to stop the closing door.
I hiss through gritted teeth. “We have nothing left to say to each other, Rocky.” And it’s true. He made his decision when he failed to show up for our wedding. I’ve moved on to better things.
From behind me, I hear Liam speak. “Sera, are we going to watch this football game or not?”
Oh my god. “Yes. Yes, we are.” I paste on a bright smile and take a step backward. Further from my ex. Closer to the elevator.
But Rocky’s not backing down. “This thing is about to hit t
he tabloids any day now. It’s only a matter of time. So you can give me a minute privately or I can just say what I have to say in front of all your work colleagues. Your choice.”
I glance over my shoulder. The entire executive team of Kline-Simmons is glaring at me with annoyance.
So much for not having awkward moments tonight…
Shit.
This is a big career opportunity. I can’t believe my asshole ex is going to ruin it for me.
Desiree and Nadia eyeball me, asking telepathically if we’re about to have a Charlie’s Angels moment and kick some professional quarterback ass in this hallway tonight. I give a subtle head shake and tell them to stand down.
“I’ll be up in just a minute,” I tell the group in the elevator, trying to keep the shake out of my voice.
I just want to get this over with. I know Jace is going to be so pissed when I tell him about this.
I wait until the door close to turn to Rocky, careful to keep my distance. I nail him to the wall with my glare. “Start. Talking.”
Now that we’re alone, Rocky looks nervous. He wipes his hands on the back of his football pants and his throat bobs. “How have you been, Sera?”
I roll my eyes. “Are we really doing this? The pointless pleasantries?”
A hard puff of air leaves his nostrils. “Okay. I deserve that.”
“Oh, don’t get me started on what you deserve, asshole.”
My ex cracks his knuckles, an annoying habit I don’t miss one bit. In fact, as I’m standing face to face with him for the first time in the weeks since he left me, I’m realizing that there’s not one thing I miss about him.
I’m over him.
It’s so hard to believe I was going to marry this guy. The life he and I shared not so long ago might as well be in some alternate universe out in the far reaches of the galaxy.
He clears his throat and takes a step closer. “Firstly, I just need to say that I’m sorry.”
I huff impatiently. “Can we get to the point please?” I pull my phone from my purse and check the time. “The game is starting soon and, while I don’t care whether you choose to show up or not, I’d very much like to be there.”
Rocky shoves a hand through his hair. “Okay, fine. You may not want my apology—that’s fair—but I do feel like I owe you the facts. You deserve to know what happened on the day of our wedding. Especially since I suspect it might be all over the internet soon.”
I shake my head and chuckle bitterly. “Oh, I know what happened. You ran into an old stripper friend at your bachelor party and the next day, you left me to run off with her.”
Rocky’s head adamantly swings left to right. “No. Not at all, Sera.”
“Oh my god. Are you really going to lie to me? Declan was there at the strip club. He saw that purple-haired girl. And when I went to your apartment to get my things, I saw pictures of her scattered all over your bed. Then you—”
“I didn’t run off with Carrie. None of what’s going on has anything to do with her, actually.” He pulls in a breath. “It’s her sister. I used to date her older sister, Megan, many years ago. We were college sweethearts.”
The name rings a bell. I remember him mentioning Megan here and there when we were together. Still, the pieces he’s laying down for me don’t make sense and I don’t have all night to figure this out. “Where are you going with this, Rocky?”
He rakes his hair with his fingers again. “When I got drafted and left Ohio, Megan and I lost touch. I really wanted to focus on my career and she was serious about school and we…lost touch.”
I check my phone for the time again. “That’s a thing that happens. College sweethearts lose touch…”
His voice goes grave. “Sera, what I didn’t know was that Megan was pregnant when I left. She gave birth to my baby. My daughter, Rochelle, and she’s been raising her alone for the past six years.”
At that, my gaze snaps up to him. “You…you have a child?”
Rocky nods, a big smile cutting across his face. “Yes, I have a child.”
He taps at his phone screen and passes me the device. I stare down at an adorable kid with Rocky’s features.
“All these years, I’ve been running around, living my life, I didn’t know that I’ve had a kid out there this whole time.” His big shoulders heave. “Carrie was dancing at my bachelor party. I didn’t even notice her. She looks so different from what I remember, especially with the purple hair. But she saw me and she asked some of the guys for details about the wedding. She went home that night and she called Megan in Ohio. She wanted Megan’s permission to tell me about my daughter. The day of our wedding, when Carrie came to find us at the marriage license office, she told me about my little girl and I panicked. I freaked. That’s why I left.”
At this point, my jaw is hanging open. This is not what I was expecting when Rocky cornered me into speaking with him.
He rubs a hand across his forehead. “I handled the situation poorly and for that I am so, so sorry, Sera. I hurt you. I embarrassed you. But I just wanted to tell you that what happened had nothing to do with you. It was all me. All my backyard.” He shakes his head ruefully. “I hope from the depths of my soul that I haven’t changed the kind, sweet person you’ve always been. I hope that I haven’t made you question your worth as a person or changed the way you view the world. And again, I’m sorry, whether or not you’re willing to accept my apology.”
Shock hits me from all angles. The stories I’ve been telling myself have been wrong.
This whole time, I was walking around thinking that something was wrong with me, that Rocky had left me because I wasn’t worthy of loving, that I wasn’t good enough. That my intuition was broken because I hadn’t seen the train wreck coming.
This whole time, I’ve been wrong.
Rocky isn’t some asshole who left me because a better woman caught his attention. He’s a father who went off to meet his child.
My mind is reeling.
I bring my hands to my lips to cover my gaping mouth. His eyes fall to the ring on my left hand. He steps closer and squints at my fingers. “Is that a…a…?”
“A wedding ring. Yes, I’m married.” I feel something warm and hopeful surge in my chest at the thought of my husband. “I’m married to Jace.”
Rocky huffs out a breath and shakes his head. “I knew it! I always knew that guy had a thing for you!”
“I know how this seems,” I say defensively. “But it wasn’t like that. We weren’t going around behind your back. Jace and I never even considered being together until you and me fell apart. I’m not that kind of person—”
He drops an appeasing hand to my shoulder. “I know that, Sera. You don’t have to defend yourself. I know you’re a good woman. I’m the one who messed up.” He scrubs a hand over his skull. “And I think that in retrospect, we can both admit that we weren’t right for each other.”
I laugh softly. “Yes, it’s so clear now.”
My ex inspects my eyes. “Does he make you happy?”
I nod. “So much. He makes me so happy.” I hesitate. “Are you happy with Megan?”
He groans. “I’m still working on that. She’s stubborn as hell. I’ve got my work cut out for me, trying to get her to give me a chance.” He smiles. “No hard feelings between us, right?”
“No hard feelings,” I confirm, because let’s face it—this guy did me a huge favour by walking out on me at the last minute. Now, I’m married to my freakin’ soulmate.
“So…truce?” Rocky dares to spread his arms and step closer to me.
In that moment, I realize the weight that has rolled off of me, now that I no longer have to carry around this resentment toward him. Now that I no longer have to wake up every day wondering if I can trust my instincts or if my judgment is completely off base. Shit, now I can finally let go of any lingering reservations that were keeping me from giving myself fully to Jace.
My instincts aren’t broken.
And for tha
t, I am so, so grateful.
Suddenly, I double over and burst out laughing as relief sweeps me. I can’t stop laughing. I can’t stop laughing. I feel so free.
I step into Rocky’s embrace and give myself a brief moment to absorb the truth. My instincts aren’t broken. I didn’t give my heart over to a bad man. Yes, Rocky handled our situation extremely poorly. But at the end of the day, he was just a man coming to terms with an unexpected fatherhood and the decisions he’d have to make in the interests of his child.
When I ease away from him, I feel lighter and freer.
Rocky pulls his phone from his pocket and checks the time. “Shit—I’ve gotta go.”
“Yeah, okay. Me, too.” I smile at him. I actually smile at the man who left me at the altar. “Good luck with your new family,” I tell him.
“Thank you,” he says, his expression genuine. “Good luck with Bellino. You’re gonna need it.”
I snap in an instant. “Don’t go making snarky comments about my husband. Just don’t.” I plant a fist on my hip. I’m a pitbull for my man and I won’t tolerate Rocky’s smart remarks about my relationship. I may be willing to drop my resentment toward him but make no mistake, he and I are not friends.
He throws up his hands in surrender. “Touché.” Then he smirks. “You gonna wish me good luck on the game tonight?”
I scoff hard. “Oh, please. Luck can’t save you now. My husband’s team is gonna kick your team’s ass.”
Rocky is chortling to himself as he stalks off toward the visitor’s locker room, and I’m smiling wide as I climb onto the elevator.
My instincts are not broken. I can trust myself. I can trust Jace.
Forty-Two
Sera
Moments after my conversation with Rocky, I’m with my coworkers in the luxury sky suite. Most of the men idle around the lavishly decorated room, nibbling on expensive appetizers and sipping on some repulsive whiskey. If I’m going to hang with the big boys, I should probably find a way to tolerate that death juice.
Playing House: A Small Town Brother’s Best Friend Romance (The Playboys of Sin Valley Book 1) Page 27