Eligible Receivers (A Playing Dirty Sports Romance Book 4)

by Lane Hart

  “Then why the hell would you let anyone’s opinion ruin that for you?” Lathan points out. “Happiness is more important than the fear of public opinion. Believe me, I know. And however bad you think the fallout will be, you’re probably just worrying for nothing.”

  “Maybe so, but I’ve been let go from the Wildcats and picked up by another team,” I admit.

  “What? Are you kidding?” Lathan asks.

  “Nope.”

  “I can’t believe the Wildcats didn’t re-sign you! Where are you going?”

  “San Francisco.”

  “Fuck, that’s about as far as possible in the league,” Lathan mutters.

  “No, shit,” I agree. “And that means, unless I can convince Kelsey to come too, I’ll be on my own since Nix will be playing here…”

  “Kelsey?” Lathan exclaims, making me realize that I just let that detail slip. Sheesh.

  “Ah, you won’t tell anyone, will you?” I ask with a cringe.

  “No, of course not. I just…that’s unexpected. Kelsey’s so shy and sweet…”

  “She is, but I think I may have ruined things by trying to make her choose. I need to figure out a way to set things straight.”

  “Good luck,” Lathan tells me with a slap to my shoulder. I’m certain I’ll need it.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Kelsey

  “So,” Quinton starts when he comes into the dining room on New Year's Day and sits down to eat dinner with me, Callie, and Brady in his highchair. “Have you heard the news?” he asks.

  I assume he’s talking to Callie, so I start cutting up my steak, lost in my own head like I’ve been ever since leaving Cameron’s house last night. Honestly, I’m not surprised that it’s over, but I didn’t expect it to hurt so much. What a way to start a new year — alone, miserable, and aching for two men I can never have because one of them can’t deal with sharing me.

  “Kelsey?” Quinton says to get my attention.

  “Huh?” I ask when I look up at him.

  “Have you heard the news?” he asks.

  “News about what?” I say, since I have no clue what he’s talking about.

  “Cameron didn’t tell you?” Quinton asks with a frown and shares a look with Callie.

  “I’m not sure,” I say since I have no clue if Quinton is referring to Cameron asking me to choose…

  “I thought you would’ve been the first to know that the Wildcats released him,” Quinton says.

  “Oh no,” I say in surprise. “He…he didn’t mention it. I bet he’s distraught…”

  “That’s not all,” Quinton informs me. “He was picked up by the Sharks, so he’s moving to San Francisco.”

  “What?” I exclaim. “When? When did he find out?” I ask, even though I’m pretty sure I know the answer. Is this why Cam wanted me to make a decision? Was he gonna ask me to come with him to California?

  “They just made the announcement today after practice. He was there, clearing out his locker and saying goodbye,” Quinton tells us. “It was really damn sad to see him go since he’s been on the team since I signed.”

  “I’m so sorry, Quinn,” Callie says as she covers Quinton’s hand with hers to comfort him. “Does that mean things are over?” she turns and asks me.

  “Yeah, we ended things yesterday, but I didn’t know he was moving,” I admit. Did Nix know, or did he just find out today too?

  …

  Nixon

  “You’re fucking leaving!” I yell at Cameron’s back as I follow him out to the stadium’s parking lot. “Why didn’t you tell me? How long have you known?” I bark at him, but he doesn’t stop walking.

  “Now you know, right?” he says over the shoulder that’s carrying his heavy duffle bag full of all his shit. “I just found out Friday.”

  “Friday!” I shout. “You knew Friday, and you didn’t say anything?”

  Tossing his bag down beside his truck, he spins around to face me. “Why the fuck do you think I’ve been wallowing in bed? Huh? My agent has been in talks with both teams all week, and I knew this shit was gonna happen!”

  “You could’ve told me,” I say, but he looks away and refuses to respond. “Is this why you wanted Kelsey to choose you? So you could ask her to go with you?”

  “Yes,” he mutters. “With me gone, you should have a pretty good chance to be with her. Congrats, you win.”

  “God, you’re such a jackass!” I tell him. “This isn’t about winning! I don’t want you to go.”

  “Even if I believed that, it’s tough shit,” Cam replies. “I don’t have a choice.”

  My fists clench at my sides because I fucking hate this shit. Sure, I was pissed at Cam for opening his mouth and messing everything up with Kelsey, but now that I’ve found out he’s moving and that I’m losing my best friend, it all seems so petty. I can’t imagine how he must be feeling, losing his teammates that are like his family after six years, his home, everything. All he wanted was Kelsey so that he wouldn’t be completely alone.

  “Let me talk to Kelsey,” I tell him.

  “Why?” he asks.

  “You want her to come with you, right?” I ask.

  “No, she should stay here,” Cam replies with a shake of his head. “It was stupid of me to think that after just a few weeks she would want to be with me and move across the country.”

  “It’s not stupid. I would’ve done the same thing,” I admit. “So do you want her or not? I think I could talk to her. She graduates in May, so maybe she would be up for a change of scenery…”

  “No. I want to be with Kelsey more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life,” Cam says. “But not if it means she’s unhappy without you.”

  “If she stays, I think she’ll miss you,” I confess. “And I will too. It won’t be the same without you.”

  “If she comes to California, she would end up miserable, just like I know I’ll be,” Cam admits when he lowers his eyes and sniffles.

  “So then why the fuck are you even going?” I snap at him.

  “I don’t know! Because what else am I supposed to do?” he shouts.

  “Stay,” I tell him. “Not for me or for Kelsey but for yourself! The only reason you even agreed to this move is because your dad insisted, right? I didn’t tell you because you had all this other shit going on, but that bastard is the reason Kelsey left the hospital and I had to beg her to come back. He told her to stay away because she wasn’t good enough or some bullshit.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Cam exclaims as his face turns red with anger. “That son of a motherfucking bitch! How dare he try and take away one of the best things in my life? And you know what? I’m pretty sure he forged my fucking name on the contract and had his secretary notarize it. I haven’t signed shit, but somehow it’s all official!”

  “No, it’s not official. This is your decision. Not his, Cam! It’s time for you to stop living out his dream for once in your life,” I urge him.

  “The thing is,” Cam starts as he leans his back against his truck. “Football is all that I’m good at. What will I do if I’m not playing?”

  “Any fucking thing you want,” I tell him.

  “Like what?” he asks.

  “Let’s see. Well, you like dogs, so you could be a dog walker,” I tease him. “Or, if you wanted to stay on the team, I bet you could come to work for Steve, our water boy.”

  “Screw you,” Cam says with a bark of laughter.

  “Really, though, the possibilities are endless.”

  “And what about Kelsey? If I stay, do you think we can convince her to give us another chance?”

  “Well,” I start. “I think she’s worried this thing with both of us could never last longer than it takes to ruin her reputation before she finds a job teaching.”

  “That’s a reasonable concern,” Cam agrees with a nod. “If we decide to make this long term, the paparazzi will eventually figure it out and she’ll be fucked.”

  “True,” I say with a
grin. “So it’s a good thing that we love a challenge.”

  “And I just came up with one hell of an idea that might win her over,” Cam says. “Are you willing to go with me to talk to management?”

  “You’re gonna ask them to take you back?” I say.

  “No, that ship has sailed,” Cam replies. “Instead, I’m gonna run my idea by them. And if it works, we’ll ask Kelsey for a second chance.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Kelsey

  When Cameron texted me asking if I could come over, I barely hesitated because I want to see him before he leaves, even if it will be incredibly hard to say goodbye.

  And it’s not that surprising when Nix answers the door. I can’t imagine how hard this is for him or how much he’s going to miss his best friend.

  “Hey,” Nix greets me with a big grin.

  Okay, I didn’t think he would be this happy about his friend moving across the country.

  “Hey,” I reply.

  “Kelsey!” Cam calls out from the stairs when he comes down them. “Come in and take your coat off.”

  “Ah, sure,” I say when I unbutton and shrug out of my peacoat that Nix takes and hangs in the closet, confused by why they’re both in such a good mood.

  I was expecting these guys to be sad, upset that they were being separated.

  “Have a seat,” Cam tells me, motioning with his hand to the sofa that I lower myself down onto. “First of all, you’ll be graduating in May and are looking for a job, correct?”

  Glancing over at Nix and then Cam in confusion, I say, “Yes.”

  “And you want to work with young kids?” Nix asks.

  “Right,” I answer. “Babies and preschool ages would be ideal, but I plan to take whatever job I can find.”

  “What if the Wildcats had a position opening up specifically for you?” Cam asked.

  “Huh?” I mutter.

  “A lot of the players and coaching staff have kids that they don’t get to see very often,” Cam explains. “So, Nix and I talked to management today and pitched an idea — a daycare center right there on the practice field and at the stadium.”

  “You did?” I say in surprise.

  “We did, and they couldn’t have agreed more,” Nix adds, standing next to Cam. “So,” he starts and then nods to Cameron. “You tell her since it was your idea.”

  “How would you like to come work for the Wildcats and help run the daycare?” Cam asks.

  “Seriously?” I reply with my jaw dropping. “You think they would hire me?”

  “We know they would because that was part of our pitch,” Nix answers.

  “Wow. I don’t know what to say, guys…”

  “Say that you’ll take it,” Cam responds. “I mean, only if you want it.”

  “Of course I want it!” I exclaim. “That sounds perfect. It’s just, why would you do this for me?”

  “We’re hoping the daycare center will go a long way toward our apology and begging for a second chance,” Nix informs me.

  “What do you mean? Cam’s moving…”

  “No, I’m not actually,” Cam says as he comes to take a seat next to me on the sofa. “That was my father’s decision, not mine. I’ve decided to turn down the offer.”

  “Are you sure? That’s a huge decision,” I tell him.

  “It is, but it’s the right decision. I don’t want to leave, and I don’t want to stop seeing you either,” Cam says. “Even with that jackass around.”

  “Really?” I ask. “But the other day…”

  “The other day I thought I was losing everything, so I said some shit that I didn’t mean,” Cam confesses. “Honestly, I like seeing you with Nix even if I’m not involved. He and I talked, and we want this to be more than sex, though. We want a relationship.”

  “Guys, I don’t know what to say,” I reply. “That’s what I want too, but it’s not that easy. The public…”

  “Are you happy when you’re with us or not?” Cam asks.

  “Yes, I am,” I admit.

  “Then nothing else matters,” Nix says when he comes over and takes the seat on the other side of me. “We won’t announce it to the world right away, but we shouldn’t have to hide either. If anyone says shit about you, Cam and I will whoop their asses, okay? And you’ll have a job with the team no matter what happens in the media.”

  “Are you sure?” I ask.

  “Absolutely,” Cam answers, followed by Nix’s, “Definitely. The three of us can do this, despite what anyone else says. And to prove to you that we’re serious and don’t want anyone else, Cam and I would like you to move in with us.”

  “Whoa, it’s a little too soon for that, don’t you think?” I ask them as I reel back.

  “You would rather stay with Quinton and Callie?” Nix asks.

  “If we’re going to give this a try, then you’ll be spending most nights here anyway,” Cam points out.

  Grabbing both of my hands and holding them in his, Nix says, “We know you’ve been hurt after the fake wedding with Lathan and all, but everything about how Cam and I feel is one-hundred percent real. Just give us a chance to prove it, okay?”

  “Okay,” I agree with a smile, because even though I haven’t been with these two incredible men very long, I can’t imagine my life without them. Sure, I’ll be taking a chance on getting my heart broken, but I would regret it if I didn’t give it a shot.

  “You will?” Cam asks.

  “I will,” I agree, releasing a shaky breath, and then I’m being smothered by two wide receivers. “Watch Cam’s arm!” I warn them.

  “Yes, ma’am,” both reply before they let me go and get to their feet.

  “I’ll carry her upstairs if you’ll get the cookies,” Nix says to Cam.

  “Deal,” Cam agrees when he gives Nix a fist bump. “But don’t start without me.”

  “Then you better hurry your ass up,” Nix informs him before he lifts me off the sofa and tosses me over his shoulder.

  Sure, these two may be extremely competitive, and I don’t doubt that there will be times when we struggle to make this work thanks to outside forces like my parents or my own inner turmoil, but in the end, I know it’ll be worth taking the chance.

  Epilogue

  Cameron

  A year later…

  “We’ve got a serious problem,” I whisper to Nix when we’re standing at the ballroom bar, waiting for our drinks. This year the team decided to throw all the players a New Year’s Eve party, and I’m here as Nix’s plus two.

  “What’s that?” my best friend turns his back on the line to ask me, his face full of concern.

  “How do we decide who kisses Kelsey at midnight?” I ask him, since this is our first New Year's together.

  Flashing me a grin, Nix says, “I think we can figure out a way for both of us to kiss her at the same time.”

  “On the cheek?” I say in disbelief. “What are we, teenagers?”

  “No, dipshit,” he tells me with a laugh. “We can both kiss her on separate lips.”

  “Oh,” I mutter in understanding, liking that plan. “But we can’t do that in here with everyone around.”

  “Then I guess we’ll have to convince Kelsey to take our private party somewhere else before the ball drops,” Nix replies.

  It’s a little hard for most people to believe that the three of us are still together after a year; and I can’t speak for Kelsey or Nix, but I couldn’t be happier. Football is still a huge part of my life since Kelsey and I never miss one of Nix’s games, even the away ones, so I get to see my teammates and cheer them on. Do I miss being down on the field with them? Sometimes. Making an impossible catch in the end zone and winning games were the fun part, but I don’t miss losing or dropping passes and then dealing with my father’s bitching.

  He hasn’t spoken to me since that day on the phone almost a year ago when I told him I had torn up the contract with the Sharks that I knew he signed because I was retiring. When he started yelling in
my ear, I hung up and never called back. Not having him bring me down is a fucking relief.

  Nowadays, I spend my time helping Kelsey out with the team’s new daycare facility. Working with her and the kids is more fulfilling than all the years of football combined, because I was never playing for myself. Instead, I was living someone else’s dream and that took all of the fun out of the sport.

  “Do you think she’s happy?” I question Nix.

  “Who? Kelsey?” he asks as if there’s any other woman in our lives.

  “Yeah, Kelsey.”

  “Well, look at her,” Nix says as we both turn to find her across the room in her long, black dress with a slit all the way up her thigh. Tonight, her long hair is arranged in an updo, revealing her enticing neck. “She seems pretty damn happy to me,” Nix points out as Kelsey laughs at something Roxy says to her, practically lighting up the entire ballroom.

  “What about you? Are you happy?” I ask my best friend, who shares my bed with her every night. The two of us are as close as ever thanks to the intimacy with Kelsey, and we no longer freak out when our swords occasionally cross. I still contend that mine is bigger, but Kelsey refuses to break out the tape measure to prove it.

  “I didn’t really know what happiness was until she came along and put everything into perspective, you know?” Nix replies as we take a step forward in the drink line.

  “Yeah, I do,” I agree.

  Clearing his throat, he says, “And I mean, the sex is fucking amazing too.”

  “Damn right,” I agree with a fist bump. While it’s true, I know Nix only said that because things were getting too deep and emotional for him.

  “Forget the drinks,” he says. “It’s only a few minutes until midnight. Let’s grab Kelsey and find someplace to take her.”