Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 52975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Carter shrugs. “I’ll be back there when the season starts. Olivia has been doing a lot of baking and I can’t not eat it.”
“I get that.”
Olivia is the oldest of his three nieces that he and Suki are raising. Their overdue honeymoon was at the start of our offseason in Hawaii and a bunch of us went with them to help with the kids.
“We’re grilling out this evening. You guys want to come over?” Carter asks.
Leo scowls. “Will Mara be there?”
“She’s Suki’s best friend, what do you think?”
Leo lets out a humorless laugh. “Well, since you asked, I think she’s an overly opinionated shrew.”
“Don’t be a dick,” Carter bites back.
Right after Hawaii, a bunch of us were over at Carter and Suki’s house. And Leo, after having way too many shots, walked into a bathroom without knocking and found Mara shaving her bikini line because we were all about to get in the new hot tub.
Screaming ensued. Profanities were exchanged. After she called him a desperate pervert, he may or may not have suggested she use a machete on her bush instead of a razor. And Mara has hated his guts ever since that night.
“Harry’s making steak.” Carter arches his brows. “You guys in or not?”
Leo runs a hand down his sweaty face, groaning. “Fine. But you better have some good bourbon if you expect me to put up with the Shrewnami.”
“I can’t make it, Lainey’s getting here this evening and I’m making dinner at home.”
“You could’ve brought her with you,” Carter says. “Suki really wants to meet her.”
“I’ll bring her over soon. She’s starting her research thing on Tuesday.” I glance at my Apple Watch, tapping the screen to stop the time on my run. “I actually have to run so I can pick up some stuff and get showered before she gets here.”
We run at a trail, and we start slowly making our way to the nearby parking lot.
A couple girls in little shorts and sports bras are approaching us on their run, both checking us out. The blond flicks her gaze to mine, biting her lower lip as she smiles. I nod and return my attention to my teammates.
“That’s what I get for taking my shirt off, boys,” I say under my breath.
Leo scoffs. “You’re lucky I didn’t take mine off; that’s all I’m sayin’.”
“What are you picking up?” Carter asks.
“What?”
“You said you have stuff to pick up before Lainey gets here. What is it?”
I lower my brows. “Don’t know why it matters to you, but deodorant, Junior Mints and treats for Bruce.”
“Junior Mints?”
I shrug. “For Lainey.”
Knowing what’s coming, Leo heads away from us with a wave. “See you tonight, man.”
“See you,” Carter says.
He turns to face me. “You’re doing it.”
I play dumb. “Doing what?”
“You know goddamn well what, Bash. What I told you at least ten fucking times not to do. You’re trying to win her over so she’ll leave her fiancé and then you’ll decide you don’t want her.”
Aggravation flares in my chest. “Bullshit. I’d never do that to Lainey. We’ve been friends since we were kids. Eric’s still one of my closest friends. He’d chop me into a thousand pieces if I hurt his sister.”
He puts his palms up. “I don’t know if you even realize you’re doing it, but I know you well. You don’t want her, but you don’t want anyone else to have her, either.”
I take off my baseball hat and rake a hand through my sweaty hair, then put it back on backward. “I don’t want her, and I don’t want Shane to have her. I care about her and I don’t want to see her make the biggest mistake of her life.”
“Uh huhUh-huh. So when what’s her name texts and asks if she can come over so you can fuck her brains out, you’ll say yes, even if Lainey is there?”
I hesitate. “Probably not, because that’s pretty fucking rude when I have a guest.”
“That’s not why.”
He’s so full of shit and incapable of admitting when he’s wrong. I take out my car keys, eager to get in my truck and drive away from this conversation.
“Get off my dick. I have to go.” I flip him off and turn toward my truck. “Same time tomorrow?”
“Yep.”
Carter gets in his dad-mobile—a Yukon. A star suncatcher his youngest niece Hallie made for him hangs from his rearview mirror, sparkling when it catches sunlight. I don’t think he ever would have gotten married and had kids if his sister hadn’t passed away. It’s sadly ironic that the best thing that ever happened to him was because of the worst thing that ever happened to him.
I’m proud of him. Nothing means more to him than Suki and the girls. We’re the kind of friends who say what’s really on our minds, so I’m not pissed that he thinks I want Lainey to want me.