Forever Our Boys: A Beaumont Novella

by Heidi McLaughlin

  Now that I’ve spoken with Quinn, I press the number for Peyton. I know she’ll be awake and more willing to talk. Unlike her sister, Peyton doesn’t stay up partying all night. Elle tells me it is part of her degree that she needs to be on the scene looking for talent. Harrison and Quinn agree with her, while I call bullshit. But what the hell do I know? I’m only the mother.

  “Hey, Mama,” Peyton says as she answers the phone. “Please tell me it’s freezing cold down there because that’s the only thing that is going to get me through today.”

  “You’ll be fine. They have those giant heaters on the field. If you get cold, stand by one.”

  “I think those are for the players,” she tells me.

  “Feign innocence. Bat your eyelashes at the security guard. Ooh, better yet, flirt with one of the players and maybe he’ll give you one of those super big jackets that we always see Noah wearing.”

  Peyton laughs loudly. “I’m not doing that, Mom. I’ll be sure to bundle up.”

  Elle would. That’s the difference between the two girls. Elle won’t think twice about using her sexuality to get what she wants. It’s bothersome, but seems to be the norm in Hollywood. Harrison tells me all the time that Elle has strong morals and just because she’s flirting doesn’t mean she’s selling herself out.

  Peyton, on the other hand, is reserved, but knows when to turn on the charm. She doesn’t overdo it often; she prefers the background over the limelight. Not sure how that is going to work for her since she wants to be behind the desk on national television.

  “Do you think I’ll be able to see you on TV today?”

  “Probably not. The cameras focus mostly on the players and coaches. No one really cares about the sideline reporters.”

  “Well I do, and so does everyone else you know.”

  “Noah says that I have to stand way in the back, behind the boom mic so that I don’t get run over.”

  “Wait, is there a chance you’ll get trampled?” I ask, now worried that she might get hurt.

  “I doubt it. It’s not like in high school when I could have my toe on the sideline. I’ll be on the field, but during game play, media is required to stand in one spot.”

  “Phew, okay. Oh hey, I was talking to Quinn a few minutes ago and I’ve decided that we need a vacation. He wants to ski—”

  “Ugh, I live in Chicago and it’s snowing.”

  “And he suggests we go somewhere warm for a week. Wherever you want to go.”

  “Yes! That is what I’m talking about. A week sitting by the fire place in a lodge while my overly sun-kissed family skis and a week basking in the sun while you guys stay inside with the AC.”

  It takes me a minute to realize that she’s being sarcastic. I sigh heavily, knowing there isn’t any way to appease everyone.

  “Well, if you have another suggestion, your father and I would be happy to hear it.”

  “It’s just…”

  I know what she’s going to say, but she refuses to finish her sentence. If Elle and she had gone to school together, things would be different. Peyton wanted them to be at the same school, while Elle wanted something completely different. It’s not unheard of with twins.

  “We’ll work it out when I get home. Maybe we’ll invite everyone.”

  “The days of all of us taking family vacations are long gone. Noah’s too busy.”

  “I suppose you’re right. The days of big family vacations are long past us.”

  “Yep, sucks,” she says. “Okay, I should probably go and read my notes on the players. I don’t want to get caught not knowing my stuff.”

  “That would never happen. I’m so proud of you, Peyton.”

  “Thanks, Mom. Love you.”

  “Love you too, baby girl.”

  Once we hang up, I’m back to staring at the surfers. A few wipe out, causing me to laugh. Every time Harrison falls off his board, he tells me it was planned and that he needs to do that every now and again to psyche himself out. I let him think that I believe him and tell him that he crashed gracefully.

  I decide to call Elle, not caring whether I wake her up or not. She answers on the fifth ring, gasping for air. I close my eyes and try to block out any imagine that pops into my mind about why she can’t breathe.

  “Aren’t you on vacation?” she asks.

  “Hello, my darling daughter. How are you?”

  “Hi, Mom. Busy.”

  “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

  “No. Maybe. I’m trying to get dressed before Quinn gets here. He called and begged me to head down with him today.”

  My heart soars, filling with love. “Oh, okay. Well, I had spoken to your brother and sister today and didn’t want you to feel left out.”

  “No worries, Mom. Quinn filled me in. Family vacation. Two weeks. One warm. One cold. Got it. Quinn’s here, gotta go. Love you.”

  I pull my phone away from my ear and watch the call go dead. She is so opposite from Peyton, but used to be her shadow. It wasn’t until college that she developed this new sense of freedom. I know she doesn’t always need me, but dammit, I’m her mother and I need her sometimes.

  Instead of calling Harrison, I send him a text. I don’t know if he’s already surfing or what. For all I know, he’s playing the drums and won’t answer anyway.

  Take care of my babies. Don’t forget Peyton’s game is on.

  You forget they’re my babies too. I love you, Katelyn. Everything will be fine.

  Enjoy your time with your friends.

  Noah’s game is on too. We’ll be watching both.

  I love you

  I know he won’t text back because he doesn’t want to take away from this trip. He knows how important it is for Josie, Jenna, and me to get away and not worry about what’s happening back home. What he doesn’t understand is that back home is where I’d rather be. It’s not that I don’t like being here; it’s just that I want everyone together.

  10

  Jenna

  “Mum, everything is a disaster!” Eden screeches into the phone. I pull it away from my ear to quell the ringing. “Mummy, are you there? I think we should call Grandma and ask her to come out here until you’re home. Daddy is telling me he’s going to show Dane his gun collection.”

  Remember that vacation Jimmy said I needed so badly and I didn’t want to take? This is why—they fight and he does something to piss Eden off. She in turn has a teenage drama fit, which just makes the situation worse, like now.

  “Eden, your father doesn’t own a gun, let alone have a collection of them,” I tell her as I toss my head back in frustration. One week. They only had to find common ground for one week.

  “He says he does, along with Uncle Liam and Harrison. He said he’s calling in the Arsenal. I don’t even know what gang that is!”

  And that right there is the drawback of living in California. She thinks a football team is a gang. “Oh Eden, Arsenal are a football team that play in England. You and your dad went to some games one time when you were visiting your nana.”

  “Oh,” she says, her once crazy, high-pitched voice is now back to normal.

  “Here’s the thing, Little One. Your father doesn’t like the fact that you’re growing up, okay? He’s having a hard time with his baby girl not needing him, and the boy thing—every parent goes through this. Your Aunt Josie did the same with the girls that came around to date Noah, and I can bet you that Uncle Liam is about to go through this with Betty Paige.”

  “But it’s not fair. I don’t understand why he wants to harm Dane?”

  “He doesn’t, Eden. He wants to scare him. He wants that boy to know that if he hurts you, makes you cry, harms a single hair on your head, he will pay for it. Every dad who loves his little girl does this. It’s a part of life.”

  “But, Mum…”

  “No buts, and I’m not calling Grandma to come save you. You and your father need to learn how to coexist when I’m not there. Where is your dad?”

  “Downstair
s,” she says, completely defeated.

  “Let me talk to him.”

  “Um… he doesn’t know I called you.”

  “Well, he will now. Put him on.”

  I hear her say, “Ugh!” but she has the phone pulled away so I can’t really chastise her for her behavior.

  “Sweet Lips?”

  “Hey,” I say with a sigh. It’s so good to hear his voice. I would’ve felt the same about Eden calling if she didn’t start off with an instant rant about her father.

  “Why are you calling? You’re supposed to be getting a tan, getting drunk, and flirting with every single man out there.”

  “Just the single men?” I ask.

  “Well, yeah. I don’t want any missus drama from some bloke’s wifey.” He laughs so hard that he starts choking.

  “Jimmy… I can’t even with you sometimes.”

  “But you love me.”

  “That I do, which is why we’re talking. Please stop with the gun talk. You know I don’t like it and Eden thinks Arsenal are some gang in California that are coming to shoot Dane.”

  “Good. It’s better that way.”

  “Maybe it is, but not when I’m thousands of miles away and can’t run interference. Be good to her, Jimmy. She’s our baby.”

  “That’s my point. This bloke is sniffing around and getting all hands-on with her, touching her on her back during her surf lessons. I don’t like him, Jenna.”

  “Well, my father didn’t like you much to start with either, remember?” When my father found out I was pregnant and married to Jimmy, he tried to buy him off, thinking that it would just be better for him to go away. I almost stopped speaking to my father after that. He never took my feelings into consideration. Granted, my earlier relationship didn’t exactly work out the best and he was trying to protect me.

  “You’re hurting my pride, Sweet Lips. How am I supposed to be the man of the house if I can’t make it known I’m the man of the house, when we have this guy sniffing around our baby girl? He needs to know his boundaries.”

  “You will be able to, if they start dating, but until that happens, let them flirt, Jimmy. They’re never alone so there’s no harm.”

  He sighs and I know from experience that he’s running his hand through his hair. “All right, all right. You’re right, wifey.”

  “I love you,” I tell him. “I miss you like crazy.”

  “Just so you know, we’re shagging in the car when you land. Be prepared.”

  “As if I would expect anything less.”

  We hang up shortly after that with him promising to make things better between Eden and him. I know he means well, but he still harbors a lot of resentment toward his father and doesn’t know how to always act around Eden. Still, I want him to be a diligent father because the last thing I want is for her to end up in trouble.

  I come out of my room to find Katelyn on the balcony talking on the phone. A quick search and I find Josie talking to Liam in her room. Who comes to paradise and spends most of the morning in their room? The wives of 4225 West, that’s who. We’re homesick, we get it, but damn we needed the time away. It’s good for the men to be the moms for a bit. Lord knows we do the dad part more often than not.

  Not that I nor Katelyn nor Josie blame the guys for not being home. We knew that going in; well, at least Katelyn and I did. Josie, on the other hand, was thrown into it, sink or swim. For the most part, she’s held her head above water easily, except for the bullshit that Sam put her through with her from the grave journal.

  For a while, Jimmy and I thought that Liam and Josie were going to split. Not that I shared my concerns with Josie. I don’t know about Jimmy though. He lacks a filter sometimes and blurts out the most obscene things at the most inopportune time. But, Josie stood by her man, despite stupid tabloid rumors of another child and the diary from hell being published.

  I know that someday, I’ll be in her shoes. I’m waiting for Chelsea to publish her tell-all or for some random fan to hack into Jimmy’s Twitter feed and exploit the gaggle of tweets he still gets to this day. Some just don’t care that he’s married and has a daughter. And maybe I get it. Celebrity crushes and all, but some of the tweets are downright crude and unacceptable.

  As we make our way through the lobby, the staff members greet us. They’re a bit loud and boisterous with their cheery hellos, drawing attention from the others who linger. We smile and continue on our way and into the lounge where we’ve requested Noah’s game, along with the one Peyton is working at, be broadcast.

  When we enter, the bartender changes it from soccer, aka football, to American football, causing the patrons to groan. The bartender shrugs and points to us, which doesn’t make the situation any better. Three women needing to watch a sporting event is one of two things, either the highlight of a man’s day, or the bane of his existence.

  Aside from Noah’s games, Jimmy spends most of his time watching rugby or surfing competitions with Eden. Recently, he’s been watching American Ninja Warrior with hopes of trying out. My skinny British man who still suffers the effects from being shot wants to try out for the show. He’s taken his quest to Xander, who has been trying to implement the routines into his gym. I wish my husband the best of luck.

  Noah’s face is shown on the big screen and Josie lights up. “That’s my boy,” she screams loudly. This, of course, gets everyone’s attention, especially the men. A few come over to us and take the extra chairs surrounding our table. Only they don’t talk to us, they turn and face the big screen. Katelyn and I make faces at them and each other, wondering what the hell they’re doing.

  “Does he look skinny to you?” Josie asks, her voice full of worry. Her head tilts side to side as she tries to take in every aspect of Noah’s face while he’s interviewed.

  “He’s on TV, you can’t really tell,” Katelyn says.

  “She’s not feeding him. All they do is eat out. I bet he hasn’t had a home-cooked meal since the last time he was home.”

  “He’s fine, Josie. Noah knows how to take care of himself,” I say, but she shakes her head.

  “Do you know that kid?” one of the men in front asks. I’m ready to ignore him and his friend for their rude behavior, but Josie isn’t.

  “That’s my son,” she says proudly.

  “Wait, so you’re the wife of that Liam guy my wife is constantly raving about?”

  Josie nods, but her eyes are completely focused on the television screen. I glance at Katelyn who eyes them suspiciously. I’ve been around the industry long enough to know when something doesn’t feel right, it usually isn’t.

  He finally turns around, but not before I see him pull out his cell phone. I let out a huge aggravated sigh. I’m irritated they’ve invited themselves to sit with us and our security guard isn’t around to remove them. Maybe he’s watching these guys and waiting for any sign of trouble. Of course, if we knew his name or had his number, we could text him and tell him to come and remove these two buffoons.

  Josie’s lost in her own little world with the Portland Pioneers on the field that she doesn’t even notice the group of women that walk in, followed by a few more husbands. Before either Katelyn or I can say anything, they’ve surrounded themselves at our table, pulling every available chair over they can find.

  I open my mouth to say something just as one of the women scoots in next to me and snaps a picture of us.

  “Oh no, this one isn’t any good. Let’s do it again,” she says. Unfortunately, I oblige because the last thing I want is for the guys to receive any bad press. “You’re so lucky.”

  “Is that so?” I ask, taking a long drink off my cocktail. I signal to the bartender that I need another. It’s going to be a long-ass day if I must be super nice.

  “Jimmy’s so hot.”

  Of course, that’s why I’m lucky. Not because he’s an amazing man but because he’s hot. I should tell her he’s excellent in bed and has a big dick to curb any notions she might have about asking me the finer de
tails of my marriage.

  I nod in agreement. “Thanks.”

  “RUN!” Josie scares the shit out of me when she yells at the television. I turn my attention there to see Noah running down the center of the field with many guys chasing after him. He slides before he can get tackled.

  “Oh. My. God. You’re Liam Page’s wife. Like, holy shit,” another woman says. “We love the Pioneers and Noah. We root for him all the time.”

  “Thanks,” Josie says without making eye contact with them.

  I look at Katelyn, who rolls her eyes. We have a decision to make. Do we let them stay and hang out, and give them the glory? For any fan, going back to your friends with the story that you hung out with the wives of 4225 West is something that can make a trip memorable.

  But at who’s expense? Not Josie’s—she’s focused on Noah, and it won’t be Katelyn because she’ll be watching the Bears game for any sign of Peyton. So, it comes down to me. I down the rest of my drink and make a mental note to tell Liam his bodyguard sucks because the Chatty Kathy next to me won’t shut up about how great he is.

  Man, if they only knew.

  11

  Josie

  Watching Noah’s game, no matter where I am, is important to me. In hindsight, I should’ve asked that the bar be shut down for a private event, but I don’t like using my husband’s name to get what I want.

  Katelyn and Jenna are being saints, even though I know they’re pissed off. I am too, but at this moment, I don’t care. My son is on television and the game is close. Noah’s team isn’t great, and he tells me it’s because it’s an expansion team that must build. He wants to carry that load though and shoulders each loss as if they’re his fault. Liam, Nick, and I have both told him that he can’t make the receivers hold onto the ball once they’re tackled. That’s their job. There is only so much a quarterback can do. Of course, when you’re facing the likes of Tom Brady, I’m sure anyone feels inferior.

  As his mother, I want him to win. I think it’s what all mothers want. We want to see our children happy and proud of their accomplishments. In high school, he had that. Not always in football, but in baseball. So, when he chose the former as a career, I thought he was crazy. But I supported him. Encouraged him to be the best. And he is.