“I hit you with a door,” Ryan said through her laughter.
Ben dropped his hands. He had a welt already forming from the bridge of his nose to his hairline, but he was smiling.
Gabe couldn’t get over how fucking nuts his friends were.
Ryan moved forward and slid her arms around Ben’s neck. “It’s like coming full circle. We really are meant to be together.”
Ben put his hands on her hips. “Were you doubting that?”
“No. But it’s nice to have a sign.” Ryan pushed up onto her tiptoes as Ben lowered his head.
Camille took a step toward them. “That’s going to—”
Ben groaned when their noses pressed together as they kissed.
“Hurt,” Camille finished.
Jace and Aly approached the porch hand-in-hand. They’d gone to the main part of the hotel to call home since the reception was better there and they wanted to Facetime the twins, who were staying with her parents. The twins had just turned a year old, and Jace had practically had to drag Aly away for them. They’d opted not to come for the whole week and instead had just flown into Colorado that morning and were leaving the day after the wedding.
“How are Gabe and Gabrielle doing?” Gabe asked them.
“I don’t know who those people are, but Justin and Bella are fine,” Jace answered.
Gabe sighed loudly. “One day, you’ll smarten up and accept their true names.”
Aly laughed as Jace walked up onto the porch and shoved Gabe. “Save those names for your own kids.”
Gabe’s eyes widened as he jerked his head to where Rachel was sitting up in the hammock. “Ixnay on the babay-ay… how the fuck does pig latin work?”
“Smooth, Gabe,” Ben joked.
Gabe looked over at Rachel and their eyes locked. The slight quirk of her lips told him she knew what his words were: a joke. They’d been talking about the possibility of kids for a while, and Gabe had considerably warmed to the idea. Still, “Let me tackle one major life change at a time. I still have to convince her to not stand me up at the altar in two months.”
Everyone looked over at Rachel, who merely said, “I can’t make any promises.”
Gabe sighed heavily as if he was extremely put out before turning to Camille. “If she bolts, you’re going to have to step up and take one for the team.”
“You mean by going after her and convincing her to give me a shot? Because that’s what my team would want me to do.”
“You’re so selfish. Where’s your date anyway?”
Rolling her eyes, Camille said, “Kellan isn’t my date. He’s my escort for the week.”
At her words, everyone’s gaze swung to Ryan. “Nice,” Ryan muttered.
“Don’t worry. I’m not the kind that puts out. At least not for chicks,” Kellan announced as he walked out onto the porch. He watched Ben rub his hand over his nose, and said, “What the hell did I miss? Is this some weird straight-guy athlete thing? Do we all get to punch him in the face?”
“Ryan hit him with the door,” Camille explained.
“On purpose?” Jace asked, genuine curiosity evident in his tone.
“No, asshole,” Ben groused.
“Let me take a look,” Aly said as she moved toward him.
“I’m fine,” Ben said, even though he willingly let Aly lead him closer to the light so she could inspect him.
“Shut up and let me look,” Aly said, her doctor voice making an appearance.
“What time do we have to meet your family for dinner?” Gabe asked Ben.
“In about forty-five minutes,” he answered before hissing as Aly pushed on his nose.
“It’s not broken, but that welt is going to look fantastic in your wedding pictures tomorrow.”
“I’ve survived worse,” Ben said as he stood up straight.
Ryan moved to him and put her arm around his waist. “It’ll give the pictures character.”
“There will already be a character in them. Gabe will be there,” Jace teased.
“Your jokes have taken a turn for the worse since you became a father. You better hope that one doesn’t take the remaining shreds,” Gabe joked as he pointed to Aly’s stomach.
Jace glared at him, and it took Gabe a second to realize why. “Fuck.”
Aly walked over and smacked Jace on the arm. “I thought we were waiting to tell people until after Ben’s and Ryan’s wedding.”
“I had to tell someone. It’s not my fault he’s a moron,” Jace argued.
“You’ve known me my entire adult life. If you haven’t learned by now that I can’t keep a secret, then who’s the real moron here?” Gabe asked.
There was a flurry of activity after that. Everyone rushed toward Aly to hug her and wish them congratulations. Gabe stood off to the side, surveying the scene. He was going to have that one day: everyone wishing him well because he was having a baby with an incredible woman. And he wasn’t going to have Gabe Jr. with just any incredible woman, but the beautiful one who’s soft brown hair fanned out over her shoulder as she turned to seek him out in the small crowd. Gabe was really a lucky son of a bitch.
Rachel walked over to him and right into his arms. They held one another as they gazed lovingly into each other’s eyes. “You really do have a big mouth,” she whispered.
Gabe ducked his head down so his lips were aligned with hers. “The better to kiss you with.” And with that, he ghosted his lips over hers.
The kiss consumed him, as it always did whenever his lips touched hers. But it was also more. It was a pact. A promise. That this was just the first step of many for them. That this relationship that was born out of a one-night stand would go on to withstand the test of time.
Acknowledgements
We have to start with everyone at the Nancy Yost Literary Agency, from the interns who read this over and over again to Natanya who changed the cover multiple times until we thought it was perfect. And, of course, last but certainly not least, thank you to our fabulous, sassy southern agent, Sarah Younger, for helping us fit all the pieces together so we could get this book out to the world as soon as possible.
To our Padded Roomers, thank you for staying with us. We promise to post more! We swear!
To Erik, Mya, and Mason: Thank you for all the love you give me every day. You inspire me to push myself beyond what I ever thought was possible.
To Nick and Nolan: I couldn't love two guys more than I love the two of you. Nick, you're the best Daddy, husband, and friend, and I love you more each day. Nolan, thank you for finally understanding that writing is one of Mommy’s jobs and for letting me open a computer next to you without smashing all the keys.
THE BET
Chapter One
Jace followed the hospital room numbers down the hall and around the corner until he came to 3002. He knocked twice and then heard James’s bored voice say to come in. “Think fast,” Jace said, tossing the autographed football to the sixteen-year-old who was resting in bed.
James grasped the ball between his hands. “You’re lucky I’ve got quick reflexes,” he said. “You always go around firing passes at sick kids?” He pulled the headphones from his ears and set his phone on the table near the bed.
“Just the ones I know have good hands. And besides, you’re not that sick.” Jace moved toward the bed and gave James a friendly handshake. He’d met the teen a year ago when Jace had first begun helping with a charity run by one of Jace’s teammates. James was a quarterback for a local high school football team, or had been before his diagnosis. Jace had instantly connected with him.
“How you feeling?” Jace asked. He hadn’t seen him since James had surgery to remove the cancerous bone in his lower leg.
James shrugged. “About as good as can be expected, I guess, considering I have a metal rod in my leg.”
Jace took a seat in the chair. “That’s badass. You’re basically like Wolverine now.”
James laughed, but Jace could tell it was half-hearted.
&n
bsp; “You’ll be back on the field in no time.”
James flipped the ball around between his hands. “Holy shit,” he said, his face lighting up as he noticed the names on the ball. “Is this the whole team?”
Leaning back in the chair, Jace nodded.
“Sweet! Tell everyone thanks for me.”
“I will,” Jace said.
The two talked football and watched a little TV before they heard a knock at the door a while later.
“Come in,” James said.
A woman in blue scrubs entered the room at a frenzied pace and made her way to the computer against the wall without making eye contact with them. She put down the chart she’d been studying and then put her fingers on the keyboard. “Morning, James,” she said as she typed away.
“Hey, Doctor Maz,” James replied as he leaned back against his pillow.
Jace studied the doctor as she scrolled through the computer. Well, the back of her at least. The white lab coat was far from formfitting, but he could tell it hid a pert ass and a thin frame.
Finally, the doctor turned around and faced them, opening her mouth to speak but words seeming to die on her tongue. She blinked a few times before trying again. “I, um, sorry, I . . . I didn’t realize…” Her hand gestured toward Jace briefly before she pulled it back to her side. He watched her take a deep breath before she began again. “I wasn’t aware you had company. I would’ve . . . greeted you.”
Greeted me? Who talks like that? Jace had to admit, he was enjoying how flustered he was clearly making this woman. This fairly attractive woman—now that he could get a good look at her. She didn’t look older than twenty-six, though she probably had to be since she was a doctor.
Her black-framed glasses weren’t exactly the picture of fashion, she wore no makeup that he could discern, and her hair was pulled back with the type of hair tie he had only ever seen on middle school girls. But there was an appeal there Jace couldn’t quite put his finger on. He’d bet what was under the scrubs was more alluring.
“No worries,” Jace said as he stood and extended his hand toward her, wanting to see how she’d react to the small bit of contact.
She cleared her throat slightly before rigidly extending her hand and shaking it harder than necessary.
“I’m Alessandra Mastrazacoma, one of James’s doctors. I just started working with James,” she said, her voice professional.
“Jace Benning,” he replied, trying to figure out what the fuck she’d just said her name was.
She withdrew her hand abruptly, which made him realize he’d held it longer than would be considered normal.
“Nice to meet you. How do you know James?” she asked.
“Through a charity I work for. Victory for Kids,” he added.
She fidgeted with her hands a bit before she crossed her arms over her chest. Which only served to show what a nice chest she had. Not porn-star fake, but large enough to fill out an outfit. Jace realized he was likely staring and quickly lifted his eyes.
Her head tilted slightly, but she didn’t comment. “Oh, that’s great,” she said, seeming genuinely interested. “Do you volunteer sometimes or do you work for them full-time?”
“He can’t work for them full-time,” James interjected.
Jace glanced at James and laughed softly.
Doctor . . . whatever her name was looked confused.
“You don’t know who he is, do you?” James asked her.
“Should I?” she answered.
“Jace Benning,” James said slowly, obviously hoping the gradual pronunciation of Jace’s full name would help ring a bell. It didn’t. “Of the Jersey Commanders.”
“I don’t really follow baseball,” she said.
“Football,” Jace corrected with an amused smile. “I’m a quarterback.” Her cluelessness was almost cute.
“Sorry,” she said, though Jace guessed she really wasn’t. She tucked a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear. Jace noticed there were others that weren’t up in her ponytail, but for some reason she left those alone. “I’ve never heard of you.”
Jace shrugged, a slight smirk crossing his mouth. “No biggie. I haven’t heard of you, either.” He paused to let the joke sink in, but it didn’t seem to. “What did you say your name was again?” he asked.
“Alessandra Mastrazacoma.”
“It seriously sounds like your last name is Masters of Coma. Did that make it difficult to get a job as a doctor?” He laughed, hoping to alleviate some of the awkwardness that seemed to be building. Her blank expression told him his joke had completely backfired.
Alessandra stared at . . . whatever his name was. She knew his type. Ruggedly athletic with a boyish charm who got whatever he wanted because he knew how to flash his dimples and do . . . whatever people like him did with a ball. She’d gone to college with enough guys like that—guys who were good enough to be tutored by her behind closed doors, but wouldn’t so much as wave to her across the quad between classes. And now this asshole was making fun of her name and career? To hell with him.
“Actually,” she said, “getting this job was fairly easy. There weren’t any other applicants who graduated at the top of their class and had multiple articles published in a medical journal.”
His eyebrows lifted. “I was kidding,” he said to her before turning to James. “Is she always this serious?”
“Usually,” James answered.
Alessandra rolled her eyes, suddenly hoping there was an emergency elsewhere so she could leave. And wasn’t that a great thing for a doctor to think: wishing for medical emergencies so she could escape the hot guy she was a bumbling idiot around? No wonder she was still single. She seriously needed to work on her social skills.
It shouldn’t matter what this guy thought of her anyway. So what if he had broad shoulders, messy blond hair, and a short beard to match? She wasn’t into the muscular, athletic type. That thought actually calmed her a bit. “I need to go.” So much for calm.
The confused stares of both guys told her they noticed her awkward attempt at leaving.
She plastered a smile on her face. “I have a few more patients I need to see before lunch.” She could hear how abrupt her departure sounded, but she figured they would just attribute it to her busy schedule. “The nurse will be in later to do some blood work, and then I’ll be back in to review the results with you.”
“Okay. Thanks, Dr. Maz.”
She smiled at James before turning on her heel to walk out. But as she turned, she found herself colliding with the privacy curtain that was drawn halfway around James’s bed. Instead of stepping back and righting herself, she irrationally panicked and tangled herself even more in the damned fabric.
“Whoa. Hang on. I got ya.”
Alessandra cursed her misfortune as she felt strong hands grip her hips through the curtain and halt her flailing. There was absolutely nothing sexy about making an ass of oneself, she reminded herself. Being manhandled held even less of an appeal. She was so busy convincing herself of those things, she didn’t immediately register that he had freed her from the fabric prison.
His eyebrows were drawn together, his hands now on her biceps as he looked at her as though she were a skittish animal.
How has this all gone so wrong so quickly?
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” she squealed. She cleared her throat and stepped away from him. “Yes,” she repeated, more firmly this time. “I’m fine.”
“If you say so.” His response was accompanied with a smirk that made her hate him a little. Why wouldn’t he make the most of another chance at poking fun of her? His type always did.
“I do.” The assertiveness that had gotten her through med school and into a highly sought after fellowship oozed through her veins. “See you later, James.” She stuck out her hand toward Jace, who shook it, amusement still written all over his face. “I apologize, but I’ve forgotten your name. Though I doubt we’ll see much of each other, so it probably
doesn’t matter much. Have a good day.”
And with that, she turned and left the room—this time managing to avoid the curtain. She made it two steps down the hall before she heard a deep voice follow her out. “Bye, Dr. Coma.”
Alessandra wasn’t sure she’d ever come to hate someone so quickly. But Jake . . . Jack . . . James, no, James is the patient . . . whatever his name was was definitely hate-worthy. She did her best not to stomp as she made her way down the hall, taking deep breaths to try to get herself under control. Which worked well up until Brian Mercer rounded the corner.
Her head swiveled as she frantically searched for a place to hide. It was bad enough he had to work in the same hospital she did, he had absolutely no right being on her floor. By the time she stopped twisting her head to locate an escape route, she noticed that Brian had stopped directly in front of her.
She felt her face flame red as a solitary thought popped into her head. This is it. This is how it ends. Because if nearly face-planting in front of a star athlete was embarrassing, looking like a crazed loon in the middle of a hospital in front of your ex-boyfriend was drop-dead-on-the-spot mortifying.
“Hey, Sandy.”
Alessandra barely managed to keep herself from cringing. “Sandy” had been his pet name for her, and when they’d first met, she’d been too enthralled with the handsome med student to tell him she loathed nicknames. And she couldn’t have very well told him to stop calling her that after she’d allowed it, so that’s what she’d been: Sandy. Dr. Coma was sounding better and better. “Hi, Brian,” she squeaked after realizing she’d gone too long without responding.
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his scrubs and rocked back on his heels like the cocky asshole he was. “How ya been? I’d heard you were doing your fellowship here but hadn’t seen you around.”
Alessandra wished they’d been able to keep the streak going. “I’ve been doing well. Just working with patients. With cancer.” Oh God. Alessandra wondered how she’d been able to get a perfect score on her SATs with the vocabulary she was currently exhibiting.
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