The Mischiefs wingame five but lose game six. He flies back to New York with the team. Ethan has his private plane available for me and Alan, saving us from another night in a hotel. I arrive at Colt’s apartment about an hour after him and slide into his bed. I hold him while he rewatches the game. We don’t eat together. He ate on the plane, but despite the fake cheerfulness, he’s distant and angry. They lost by one point because his teammate missed two free throws in the fourth quarter. I fall asleep before the game ends, and when I awake in the middle of the night, he’s sitting on the couch, massaging his calf. I slide out of bed and take the spot next to him.
“You okay?” I tap my lap, and he puts his leg on top of me, but I don’t miss the pinched look or the groan coming from him. When I rub his muscle, he flinches at my touch. “Why are you up? It’s four o’clock in the morning?” He closes his eyes and rests his head on the couch.
“We should have won. We could have. If my damn calf wasn’t hurtin’.” His accent seems more pronounced tonight. He seems more stressed, almost as if the weight of the world is on his shoulders. I remain silent, giving him the time and the space to speak if he needs to while I rub his sore calf. Once I’m done, I stand and offer him my hand. We climb into his bed, and I cuddle to his side, taking as much comfort from him as I’m giving.
“Don’t worry. You’ve got this, champion. You’ve been here before, and you’ve succeeded.”
His hand grabs my chin, and he leans in for a kiss. “I want to make love to you, and then I want you to braid my hair tomorrow.”
“Okay, but don’t get any ideas. I still don’t love you,” I tell him. He climbs on top of me and pins me to the bed.
“I have never loved anyone less.” He cradles my face, and stares into my eyes. I feel my heart rate accelerate at the gentle touch of his hands. “And when we win tomorrow, I’m not going to take you home and show everyone my beautiful woman.”
“Good, because I wouldn’t go.”
He lifts my short silk nightgown to my waist and aligns himself at my entrance. I’m already wet and wanting for him. He slowly sinks into me. When he’s totally ensconced, he says, “Tell me.”
And because I can feel the pressure oozing off his body, and I can hear the need and seriousness of his tone, I tell him what he needs to hear.
“I love you.” He slowly starts to move, and I wrap my legs around him, keeping him close to me. Tonight, I want to feel all of him. I want to smell his skin and feel him against me.
“You always give me exactly what I need. Thank you for loving me.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
I sleep in this morning.Colt is up and out for practice before I stir. By the time I go to the kitchen, Mary Leigh is there watching daytime TV and filing her fingernails.
“Hey, honey. Are you hungry? I’ll heat you up some lunch.”
I shake my head at her. “You relax. You’ve been cooking for us for over a week now.” She sits at the island with a bottle of nail polish. I take the bottle from her and apply the lavender polish.
“You’re really sweet,” she says. “I see why my son loves you.” My head snaps up, and I stare into her familiar eyes. Our declarations of love have always been between us, so I’m shocked by Mary Leigh’s statement. “Oh, it’s plain as day. Colt’s always been easy to read. He doesn’t know that I know he wasn’t all that happy in his marriage, but we won’t talk about that. That’s his story to tell you. But, my point is, I like you. You’re good for Colt and Evan.” She pats my cheek, and I can’t help but smile at her. “He’s young and after Kelsey died, I figured he wouldn’t stay single forever, but I worried about Evan. I worried the new woman wouldn’t put in the effort with him. That’s why I tried to find someone for him myself, but that was a mistake. My point is, I didn’t want Evan to feel like an outsider in his own home, especially with Colt’s busy schedule, but my worries disappeared the first night we met.”
“My stepmother’s been in my life since I was eleven, and I can’t imagine life without her. I understand Colt’s a package deal. And I like you, too,” I confess.
She laughs and says, “I have a feeling that was unexpected.”
I look away, but then I face her. “A little bit. I didn’t think you would approve of me for your son.”
She purses her lips, and I wonder if I’ve offended her. “Oh, honey, I love my boy, and as long as you love him and Evan, you’re okay with me. He has no problem putting me in my place if I butt in too much. But, yeah, I like you. You have a good heart. I can tell.”
She admires the polish and gives me her other hand. I ponder her words and admit that maybe Colt is not the mama’s boy I thought he was.
“Thank you, Mary Leigh.”
“You, me, and Rosalie will need to go to lunch.” She stops talking and looks around the apartment. When it’s clear of anyone else, she leans in and whispers, “Don’t tell Colt, but when we go to brunch, I have an entire mimosa.”
My eyebrows shoot up at the admission. I burst into laughter when I see the serious look on her face. “An entire mimosa, huh? You’re scandalous, Mary Leigh.”
She blows on her fingernails. “I sure am. My daddy was a drunk and so was my husband’s daddy. He started drinkin’ heavy when we first got married. Things were bad for a while, and I left him. When he came beggin’ me to take him back, I made that my one condition. He could never drink again. He agreed, and we made it a rule in the house. Colt follows it, but my Charlie, he struggled for years with substance abuse issues. He’s finally on the straight and narrow now, but that’s where that rule came from. I want you to know I’m not a prude. I like to have fun.” She puts both hands in front of her and does something that resembles dancing.
“You wild, wild girl. I think you and I are going to get along great. Come on.” I grab the bottle of nail polish and twist it closed. “I’ll finish your nails upstairs at my sister’s place. While Colt’s at practice, and Evan’s at camp, we’re going to have some girl time.” She hops off the stool and goes for her sandals. “And she has the best wine. Or I can make you a mimosa. They have the best champagne too. They have the best of everything.”
I wrap my arm around hers. “Don’t we need to call first?” she asks.
“Nah. She’s home today. Me and my siblings, we have zero boundaries.”
“That’s another thing I like about you. You understand the importance of family.” She lowers her voice and says, “And the drinkin’ part is our little secret, right?” She looks around the apartment again. “My boys can never know.”
