Rumor Going ‘Round

by Lind, Samantha

  “I can’t imagine having to juggle a kid and being on the road, so I don’t blame her for not wanting to be on tour right now.”

  “Yeah, she’s just enjoying being a mom, for now. She’s been so go-go-go for so many years now, has definitely earned the longer break.”

  “So, back to turkey day. As long as my family can pull off the evening time, does that plan sound like it will work for you?” I ask.

  “Sounds perfect to me,” Lindsay says, leaning over and kissing my cheek.

  “Daddy?” Paisley pulls my attention her way.

  “Yes?”

  “Can I take a bath with Buckley?” she asks, and I can’t stop the bark of laughter that comes out.

  “No, that’s not something we do. When Buckley needs a bath, we can give him one, but it wouldn’t be when you’re in the tub. We’ll actually take him to a special place to give him one. Kind of like when you go get your hair cut. Buckley will do the same,” I explain to Paisley.

  “Okay,” she grumbles. I’ve obviously burst her bubble and whatever plans she’d cooked up in her mind.

  “Sorry, honey. It just isn’t a good idea. Plus, he’d make you all dirty, which is the exact opposite of what’s supposed to happen when you take a bath.”

  She heavily sighs again as my words sink in. “Can I have another hot dog?” she asks, changing the subject as only a kid can.

  “Of course,” I tell her as I grab a bun from the bag and place a hot dog in it before covering it with ketchup, just the way she likes it.

  “Thank you,” she says as I hand over the hot dog.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Lindsay, is it time to show Daddy our surprise yet?” Paisley asks.

  Lindsay looks between the two of us before nodding her head. She pushes back from the table and they both head inside, coming back out with a cherry pie.

  “We made your favorite dessert!” Paisley exclaims as she beams next to Lindsay.

  “That looks delicious!”

  We finish up dessert, enjoying the mild weather that is allowing us to sit outside tonight. After the long shift I just had, I needed an easy night like this with my girls.

  * * *

  “Dish,” Lindsay says as soon as I drop onto the couch next to her. I just finished tucking Paisley in, and she’s been waiting not so patiently to hear about my messed up day.

  I stand up and move things off the couch, then lay back down, placing my head on Lindsay’s lap. Her fingers go straight to my hair as she runs them through the strands, slightly massaging my scalp. I moan in pleasure, the feeling attempting to lull me to sleep.

  “Quit stalling, mister,” she teases me, poking me in the shoulder. “I’ll stop massaging you if you don’t start talking.”

  “It was the weirdest fucking call I think I’ve ever been on, and that’s saying something.” I shudder, the visual of what we walked in on today, coming back to me.

  “Okay…” She draws out the word. “Explain.”

  “All dispatch said was a male who was stuck in his house. That happens more than you’d think, but a lot of times, it's an elderly person who’s fallen and can’t get up.”

  “I take it this wasn’t an older person?” She smiles down at me, obviously picking up on my discomfort and enjoying it a little too much.

  “Nope. We walked in, and the wife pointed us towards the bedroom.”

  “Go on,” Lindsay giggles.

  I rub a hand over my eyes, trying like hell to make the feeling of walking into that room go away. “The guy was a good three hundred pounds, spread eagle with his hands and legs chained to the four posts of the bed. He was dressed in a lace teddy with a matching thong. The ‘clothes’ hid absolutely nothing to cover anything from our view. The bed was covered with sex toys, and the wife couldn’t get the locks undone that were securing him to the bed. We had to cut him out of them.”

  “Oh my god!” Lindsay guffaws and falls over in her fit of laughter. “How?” she starts to question, but gets nothing else out because she’s laughing so hard.

  “As I said, the most messed up call I think I’ve ever been on. I showered as soon as we got back to the station, yet I still don’t feel clean after that call.”

  Lindsay is wheezing; she’s laughing so hard, which causes me to follow suit. I can definitely see a sliver of humor from the situation, and feel bad for the guy. I’m sure he’s feeling quite embarrassed, but shit, that isn’t the kind of call I signed up to go out on when I joined the academy.

  “What did he do once you guys had him cut out?”

  “Grabbed a robe and covered up, then tried to offer us his hand to shake as he thanked us profusely.”

  “Are you shitting me?” she barks.

  “Nope. Not one bit.”

  “Damn. I don’t know if I’d have been able to keep a straight face during all of that.”

  “Oh, trust me. It wasn’t a laughing matter when we were there. Not one bit.”

  “I’ve had my share of weird things inside people's bodies that ‘get lost’ and we’ve had to remove in the ER,” Lindsay says, sitting back up.

  “I don’t even want to know.” I shudder just thinking of what she could have dealt with.

  “This one time...” she starts.

  “Stop!” I put my hands up, one laying over her mouth lightly to stop her from saying anything else. “I don’t want to know.” I laugh.

  “Oh, come on, I’ve got some fun ones.” She winks.

  “How about you just keep those stories to yourself and come kiss me instead,” I suggest.

  “Now that I can get on board with,” she tells me, leaning over and pressing her lips to mine.

  17

  Lindsay

  “Hey, babe, it's time to go!” I call down the hall to Tucker. We’re due at my parents’ house in just a little bit, and I want to get there early so I can finally see my cousin and her family. They arrived earlier this week, but I was working, and she was spending as much time as she could with our Nana. Reese and Nana always had a super close relationship, so I know it's hard on her to no longer live around here.

  “I’m coming,” Tucker calls out as he struts down the hall, looking like sex on legs. That man makes me weak in the knees every time my eyes land on him, and today is no different.

  “You sure were an hour ago,” I quip.

  “And whose mind is in the gutter?” he asks, stalking over to me. His hands circle around my torso, pulling me flush against him. I suck in a deep breath, getting a lung full of his cologne. The spicy smell tickles my nose slightly since it's so potent at the moment, but I love it on him.

  “Like you wouldn't have said the same damn thing if the roles were reversed?” I ask, running my hands up his chest.

  “You’ve got me there,” he admits, bringing his lips to mine for a quick kiss. “I’m ready when you are,” he tells me as he pulls back. His hand drops to my ass, giving it a quick squeeze.

  “I’m ready, just need to grab the bag of things for Buckley,” I tell him. Since we’re going to be gone all day, we’re bringing Buckley with us today. Paisley will be excited to have him with us at Tucker's parents' house later, and he’ll fit right in amongst the huge crowd at my parents’ this afternoon.

  “You grab that, and I’ll load Buckley up.”

  I quickly grab the bag with some food and his bowls, along with a few treats to have on hand for the day. I follow him out of the house, hopping up into the truck. He hits the garage button after getting settled in himself, and we’re off to my parents' house.

  “Hello! Happy Thanksgiving!” I call out as we come through the side door of my parents' house.

  “Lindsay!” my cousin calls out from the living room. “You made it, finally!”

  “How was the flight?” I ask, wrapping her in a hug once we reach each other. She’s got a toddling Nicole following behind her, so I break our embrace and sweep up my little cousin into my arms. I bury my nose in her neck, sucking in that baby smell as
I snuggle her in tightly. Her hands go to my hair, grabbing fists full. “Owe,” I mumble into her neck.

  “Nicole, no pulling hair.” I hear Reese try and correct her daughter and then feel her hands releasing my hair as Reese opens her little fists.

  “Thanks, I don’t need to have two bald spots just yet,” I say, laughing at the baby.

  “It's why I keep my hair up in a messy bun, most days,” she says, smiling at her daughter in my arms.

  “Hey, Reese, good to see you,” Tucker greets her, and I almost forgot he was with me. I was so excited to see her that I completely left him in my dust.

  “Tucker.” She smiles at him behind me. “Thanks for putting that smile on this girl,” she tells him, as if I’m not right here between them.

  “My pleasure,” he tells her, his hand sliding along my back and stopping on my hip. His words are like a lightning bolt straight to my center; the meaning of them can be interpreted in multiple ways.

  “I’m sure it is,” Reese muses, not missing his innuendo.

  “I see the teenage boy humor is a family trait,” he quips, and it has all of us laughing.

  “The guys are in the living room waiting on the first football game of the day to come on,” Reese tells Tucker. “And the mothers are all in the kitchen,” she tells me.

  “Does that mean that we’re expected in the kitchen?” I ask, rolling my eyes. Reese and I always found excuses to not be in the kitchen on holidays. We wanted to be out playing or talking about boys.

  “I got a pass since little miss, here, is being clingy and is more of a hazard in the kitchen today, especially with so many people in there working. So, we’ve been hanging out in the living room watching the balloons on parade.

  “Is she boycotting Austin?” I ask, knowing that she’s usually a daddy’s girl.

  “I think the combination of the flight, cutting three new teeth, and a messed up schedule all together has her just off today. Add in all the extra hands around that want to hold her, and she’s just had enough.”

  “I don’t blame her one bit,” I say, snuggling Nicole a little tighter. “I’ll keep them all away from you, sweetheart,” I tell the baby. She just squawks her approval and then leans out of my arms and reaches for Reese.

  “Go find a spot to claim in the living room; I’ll be in there shortly. I’m just going to poke my head into the kitchen, first,” I tell Tucker, kissing his cheek before I turn for the kitchen.

  “Don’t worry, no one will bite,” I hear Reese tell Tucker as she heads back into the living room herself.

  “I’m here,” I say over the noise of the busy kitchen. My mom, aunts, and two grandmothers are all in here—the grandmothers at the table, where they’re working on the pies for later.

  “Oh, good! I’m glad that you finally graced us with your presence. Where is that man of yours that has been monopolizing all your time lately?” Mom asks.

  “In the living room with everyone else,” I tell her, accepting the cheek kiss she offers since her hands are covered in the dough for the rolls.

  “I guess that’s acceptable,” she huffs, rolling the dough around in a circle before punching it down.

  “How’s work going?” my nana asks from her spot at the table.

  “Keeping me busy, but good. How’s life at the nursing home?”

  “Oh, you know how it is, our own little drama-filled life.” She laughs. Some of the stories she’s told us of the antics some of the residents pull are downright hilarious. They make teenagers look mild with some of the sneaking around they do.

  “I’m glad to hear that nothing’s changed. What would keep you entertained if it wasn’t for the shenanigans everyone pulls over there.” I walk over and give both of my grandmothers a hug and kiss on their cheeks.

  “Good to see you, child,” Nana says, patting my cheek. “You need to bring that hunky man of yours over to visit me. I’ve got to talk to him, see if he earns the Nana seal of approval,” she says, looking around me and into the living room. I look over my shoulder, my eyes immediately finding Tucker’s. The edge of his lips tugs up when our eyes meet, and my heart does a little skip in my chest. He’s talking with my dad and cousin-in-law. I can’t hear what exactly they’re talking about, but it must be interesting, the way they’re all using their hands to help them discuss the topic at hand.

  “I’ll see what I can do to remedy that,” I tell her. “Our schedules don’t always line up, but I’ll make it a priority. He’s a good one, I promise,” I tell her, bringing my attention back to the table.

  “He’d better be, or that daddy of yours won’t take too kindly to him breaking your heart.”

  “I’m a big girl, Nana. If my heart is broken, I can mend it without Dad going all caveman overprotective on a guy.”

  She hums, but I know that just means she’s dropping the subject before it gets out of hand.

  I visit awhile longer with the women in my family. Thankfully, they’ve already handled all the prepping of the food, so I’m not needed in the kitchen. I wander out and find Tucker on the couch, the guys all visit as they watch the football game. Austin sits on the floor as Nicole climbs all over him, as if he’s her personal jungle gym.

  “Hey, Austin,” I greet him as I take a seat on the floor in front of Tucker and next to Austin.

  “How’s it going?” he asks, Nicole crawling over him to get to me.

  “Can’t complain. How about you?”

  “Same. Nice to get away for a few days, even with it still being early in the season, a few days away from the daily grind is always appreciated.”

  “How’s it looking this year?” I ask, referring to his season.

  “I think we’ve got potential, for sure. A few newer guys are still learning their place on the team and that chemistry that comes from playing together for years.”

  “Makes sense; I’m sure you’ll get there. How much longer do you think you’ll play?” I ask.

  “That’s the million-dollar question, if I’ve ever been asked one.” He chuckles. “Honestly, I hope for another seven, maybe eight seasons, ten if I’m fortunate.”

  “Oh, wow. I didn’t think that guys played for that long professionally.”

  “It just really depends on how old they were when they started in the league and how lucky they are with injuries. Someone might take a bad hit early on in their career, and that’s it. They’re done for good. Knock on wood, I’ve been pretty lucky and haven't had any major injuries thus far in my career. If I can keep it that way and take care of my body during the offseason, then I should be able to keep playing for the foreseeable future. Now, depending on Reese and her stuff, I might decide to retire early and follow her around, being the stay at home dad and house husband so that she can go out and kick ass making music and entertaining the masses. Lord knows she’s more famous than I am, and her career will last a hell of a lot longer than mine will.”

  “I love it that you’d be willing to give up your career so she can focus on hers.”

  “I know who’s the boss in my marriage.” He chuckles.

  “I am not the boss,” Reese interjects. “And you’re not retiring anytime soon,” she tells him, trying like hell to be stern. He just laughs at his wife, pulling her in for a kiss. Nicole stands up and leans in, attempting to kiss both of them at the same time, and I can’t help but swoon at how cute of a family they make. Being around Nicole has my mind wandering to what it would be like to have a baby. I already know that Tucker is an amazing dad to Paisley; I can only imagine how amazing he would be with a baby. We haven’t really brought up the topic of wanting more kids. It's probably something we should at least discuss if our relationship continues the way it has over the last couple of months.

  The day is filled with conversations and food. So much food. It amazes me how tiring family events can be but how fulfilled I feel after leaving them. Tucker fit right in with my family, which I expected him to do. It wasn’t like anyone in attendance, except maybe Austin, did
n’t already know him, know who his family is and what he’s like. If anything, I think that really helped make the day go by so much smoother. It wasn’t that awkward first-time meeting that it could have easily been if I’d been dating someone else.

  * * *

  “Ready for round two?” Tucker asks, reaching for my hand once we’re on the road. Our first stop is to pick up Paisley from Mike’s parents' house. With Lilly’s broken leg still in a cast, she was in no shape to host their families for the holiday, so they went to her in-law's place.

  “I was born ready,” I tease. “And today is why yoga pants were invented—no bulky jeans cutting into me while I eat my weight in turkey and all the fixings. Plus, pie. I can’t really say no to pie.”

  “You crack me up, you know that?” he laughs, bringing our clasped hands up to his lips as he presses them against the back of my hand.

  “Hey, I’ll cut a bitch if they try to get between me and my pie.”

  “Oh, I’m very aware. I almost lost a finger,” he teases.

  “Sorry about that. I’m not used to sharing my pie,” I apologize. I almost stabbed him when he tried to steal some of my pie earlier.

  “I know, now, to not come between you and the pie. I’ll warn you, though, my dad is just as crazy about pie as you are, so don’t be shocked if he already has pieces picked out of each one that he’s already dubbing the winners and his slices.”

  “Got it, don’t battle dad over pie.”

  Mike's parents live not far from my parents, so it doesn’t take us long to arrive. I stay in the truck, along with Buckley, while Tucker goes up to the house to get Paisley.

  “Hi, Paisley,” I greet her as Tucker buckles her into her seat next to Buckley. He leans over, licking her face, causing her to giggle as he tries to clean the food off her face.

  “Hi, Lindsay! Buckley, stop,” she tells him, pushing him out of her face. He listens, settling back on the seat next to her. Once she's fully buckled, he drops his head on her lap, and she goes right to petting him.