by M. A. Foster
Gabbi pulls a stink face, and I roll my eyes. “Apparently not. What’s up, Bertie?”
“It’s Roberta,” she corrects. “We’re not kids anymore.”
“Are you still in Magnolia Park?” Gabbi asks. “I haven’t seen you around.”
“God, no. I live on the beach. Came with some friends for the wine tasting.”
Truthfully, Bertie looks like she lives on the sun. Her skin is dark and pruny, and her once silky blonde hair is dry and frizzy. The past seven years have not been kind to her. She looks like a beach bum.
Gabbi continues to make small talk while I pretend to listen. I couldn’t care less about what she’s been doing with her life.
Brian returns with our drinks and sets them on the table. “Thanks, Brian,” Gabbi and I say in unison.
“My pleasure.” His gaze moves to Bertie and he visibly flinches. I turn my head to hide my grin, but leave it to Gabbi to full-out laugh.
“Bertie, I hardly recognized you,” Brian says. “How’s it going?”
“I’m great,” she preens. “You’re looking good, Brian.”
“Uh… thanks.” He brings his beer to his lips and chugs half the bottle.
Girls’ night has basically turned into a reunion of sorts.
And it’s about to get even crazier.
“Is that Liam Mackenzie?” Brian asks.
I look toward the door to see Liam scanning the fully packed bar.
Shit.
Reaching into my clutch, I pull out my phone to check the time to see it’s almost ten o’clock. Also, there are eight texts and five missed calls from Liam.
“He’s heading this way, and he looks pissed,” says the guy beside Brian who I hadn’t noticed until now.
“Why is he coming over here?” Bertie asks cluelessly.
“He’s coming for Vanessa,” Gabbi says, humor in her tone.
I jerk my head up from my phone and see Liam’s gaze is locked on me as he weaves his way through the thick crowd. Heads are turning in surprise while other patrons continue drinking with their friends, oblivious to the super-sexy athlete prowling like a hungry lion about to snatch up his prey.
And that’s exactly what he does.
“Sorry, guys. This one’s taken,” he says loud enough for the neighboring tables to hear as he scoops me right off my barstool, bridal style.
“What are you doing?” I shriek.
“I’ve come to collect my woman,” he states matter-of-factly. He jerks his chin to Gabbi. “Nice to see you again, Gabbi.” Then he turns for the door.
“Put me down, Liam.”
“Nope.”
“Wait!” I shout, and he stops. “I need my purse.”
He takes two steps back and turns me toward the table. Gabbi bites down on her bottom lip, attempting to hide her amusement as she passes me my clutch.
I roll my eyes. “Thanks.”
Liam turns back around and heads for the exit. I use my clutch to hide my face as a chorus of wolf whistles and “Oh my God” echoes around me.
Once outside, Liam lowers me to my feet and I use that moment to smack him in the arm with my clutch.
“Why did you do that?”
“Because I’ve been looking for you for nearly an hour, and when I finally found you, you were surrounded by a bunch of dicks.”
“That wasn’t intentional. The place is packed, so we were sharing our table. You embarrassed me.” I smack him again with my clutch.
“Yeah, well, you frustrate me. You told me to pick you up at nine, and I had no idea where the hell you were. I had to call Gabbi’s brother to find out where she goes for happy hour.”
“I told you I was going to Happy Hour.”
He bugs his eyes out at me. “I didn’t know you meant it literally.”
I press my hand to my forehead. “I’m sorry I wasn’t clear. And I’m sorry you had to hunt me down. I hadn’t realized it was so late, and it was so loud in there, I couldn’t hear my phone.”
His lip curls. “Is it always packed like that?”
“I’ve only been here a few times, and it’s never been like that.” I gesture to the vendor tents set up around the roundabout. “There was some kind of wine tasting event tonight and tomorrow, and Sunday there’s an art festival.”
“Cool.” He scans the well-lit sidewalk lined with boutiques, coffee shops, and a Pottery Barn. “I haven’t been to the village in years. It’s changed. It’s nice out here.”
I nod and point to a set of stairs behind us. “Gabbi lives up there.”
Liam snorts. “That’s convenient.”
“You didn’t recognize the guy at my table?” I ask.
“No. Do I know him?”
“That was Brian.” I roll my lips between my teeth while I wait for him to figure it out.
Liam’s brows pull together as he racks his brain. “Your prom date?”
I nod, then burst out laughing.
“Who was that other chick?” he asks, placing a hand on my lower back and steering me toward the white Range Rover he’s been driving for the past week that’s idling at the curb.
“That was Bertie.” I widen my eyes at him.
“Thanks.” He slips the valet some money before opening the passenger door and gesturing for me to get in. “Has she been sleeping in a tanning bed for the last seven years?” He chuckles, and I crack up as I slide into the front seat.
I get the slightest hint of a woman’s perfume as he closes the door and makes his way around to the driver side. My gaze lands on a necklace with a real guitar pick dangling from the rearview mirror, then a black hair tie around the gear shaft.
The driver’s door opens, and Liam climbs behind the wheel.
“Whose car is this?” I ask, wiping the tears of laughter from the corners of my eyes.
“It’s Jay’s,” he replies as he pulls from the curb.
“Was that Marcus’s?” I gesture to the guitar pick necklace.
“Yeah. We all have one. Mine is in my car at home.”
“Why don’t you have your own car for when you come home? Or at least rent one so you don’t have to borrow everyone else’s?”
“Because I don’t need a car. I’m only here for a few months tops, and there’s enough cars between my family members.”
I nod once. “I guess that makes sense.”
“Do you have plans tomorrow?”
“Not really. I need to go over to Dad’s and see Princess B. I haven’t been by there all week. Do you have something going on?”
“Jay’s coming home tomorrow. Zach doesn’t know it yet, but she’s singing the national anthem at the GCU football game tomorrow.”
My heart flutters, and I press a hand to my chest. “Please tell me we’re going to the game.”
“Everyone is going to the game,” he says with a chuckle.
VANESSA
Liam and I flash our passes to the guard, and he waves us through. We take the stairs to the top floor and head down the hall until we find the door to the suite where we’re supposed to meet the Mackenzies and Zach’s family. I don’t even know Zach’s last name. I make a mental note to ask Liam.
The suite is packed with mostly familiar faces, since most of them are Mackenzies, but there are a few I’m not familiar with.
“Does your family own this suite?” I ask.
“Jay does.”
I figured.
The suite is a little dated but nice nonetheless. There’s a bar on one side of the room with a large flat-screen hanging on the wall behind it. On the other side is a seating area with two sofas facing each other, a coffee table between them, and another large flat-screen on the wall. In the center of the room is a table covered with enough food to feed the entire football team. Straight ahead is a glass wall overlooking the stadium. A glass door in the center leads to a private seating area outside. It’s a nice setup.
“Who’s the woman sitting beside your sister?” I nod to the sofa where Emerson is sitting with her feet p
ropped up on the coffee table. She looks ready to pop.
“That’s Elizabeth, Cam’s sister. She’s also Zach’s mom.” I nod, having forgotten that Zach and Cam were related. “And the guy beside Elizabeth is Mike, Zach’s dad.” I see where Zach gets his good looks. Damn. “And that cute little girl occupying his lap is Zoe. I think she’s about the same age as Willow.”
“Who does Zoe belong to?”
“She’s Logan’s, Zach’s older brother.”
That’s right. Gabbi hooked up with Logan after Zach and Jay’s wedding and said he had a kid.
“Is Logan here?”
“He’s at the bar. Come on.” Liam takes my hand and leads me over to the bar where a group of men are gathered. Four of those men are Cam, Max, Dr. Mackenzie, and Dr. Parker. “Hey,” Liam greets the group.
“Vanessa,” Dr. Mackenzie cheers, throwing his hands up in the air.
Liam and I both chuckle. Someone’s a little tipsy.
A very large man with skin the color of caramel, a bald head, and a baby face turns his whole body around, and I instantly recognize him. His name is Bass. I got to know him pretty well over the summer while hanging out with Jay. The only time he left her side was when she was over at the house watching movies with me.
“Long time no see, Freckles,” he teases, using Liam’s pet name as he wraps his massive arms around me. “How you doin’, girl?”
“I’m doing great, B.” That’s what Jay always called him, and it kind of stuck. “Were you on tour with Jay?”
Bass nods. “Of course. It was my princess’s first tour,” he says proudly.
That reminds me. I look over my shoulder and scan the room. “Where’s Levi?”
“Decompressing,” Bass says with a laugh. “How do you know Levi?”
“His sister, Gabbi, is my best friend.”
Bass nods, and out of the corner of my eye, I see the guy beside him jerk upright and turn to face us.
“This is Logan.” Liam gestures to the man, and I’m surprised that he looks more like Cam than Zach. His hair is a lighter shade of brown, and his eyes are bright blue.
I hold out my hand to Logan and smile politely. “Hi. I’m Vanessa.”
“Good to meet you.”
“Come on,” Liam says. “Let’s grab some food before the game starts.”
Liam and I fill our plates with finger sandwiches, fruit, and pasta salad, then move over to a long high-top bar facing the glass overlooking the football field. Through the glass, I see Harper with her feet propped up on the seat in front of her and Willow straddling her lap. In the seats next to Harper are two blondes, one with a messy bun on top of her head, and the other whose face I can’t see. And sitting in the row below them is Liam’s nephew Aiden and another blonde girl.
If I hadn’t met most of these people years ago, I’d feel pretty intimidated by the big group.
After we finish eating, Liam takes off for the bathroom, and I go outside to say hi to Harper. Ever since Liam told me Willow and Harper’s story, I can’t help but be a little curious.
I drop down in the empty seat next to Harper. “Hi. I’m Vanessa. I don’t know if you remember me. We met a few months ago. Hi, Willow.”
“Sure I do.” She smiles.
The first time I met Harper was in a dimly lit restaurant, and I was too nervous to pay attention, but now, sitting this close to her, I see how beautiful she is. Her face is shaded by a GCU Sharks hat, and her beautiful red hair is twisted into a fishtail braid.
“These are my friends, Olivia and Lexi.” She jerks her head to the side, gesturing to the two blondes beside her. “Olivia was on tour with Jay,” she tells me.
“Oh? I’m Vanessa.” I lift my hand in a short wave.
“Hi.” They both return the gesture.
“Vanessa is Liam’s, uh… person,” Harper tells her friends.
“That pretty much sums it up,” I say with a laugh, nodding.
Lexi smiles and Olivia looks confused as Harper continues, “Cole said you’re working at the medical center. Do you know Mia?”
“Yes. Mia and I have become good friends.”
“My sister, Holly, and Mia are best friends,” Olivia says. “You probably know her.”
“Of course. I’ve had lunch with her a few times.”
“There you are.” Liam’s voice drifts from behind me, but my attention is still on Harper and Willow, so I don’t miss the flinch or the uneasy expression on her face when she looks up at Liam.
Liam drops down in the empty seat beside me and leans forward. “Harper.” He nods, then turns his attention to Olivia. “I know we’ve met before. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember your name.”
“Olivia.” She smiles.
“Olivia,” he repeats as if he’s committing it to memory.
Fifty bucks says he’ll forget her name before halftime.
“Hey, Lexi.” Liam jerks his chin.
“Hey, Liam.”
“And Willow,” he says, playfully digging his finger into her side and making her squeal.
“The Search” by NF blares through the sound system, and the crowd cheers. The stadium is full, and the energy is intoxicating.
“I can’t tell you the last time I’ve been to a college football game,” Liam says. “Probably when I was in college.”
“I’ve never been.”
He looks at me as if I’m crazy. “Never?”
“I had no reason to go. My friends were all away at other schools, and my dad coached baseball. I used to go to all the UH baseball games, mostly to support my dad before….” I wince, letting my unspoken words hang in the air. Before I went to California.
A beat passes before Liam exhales through his nose. “Will it always be like this?”
“Like what?”
“Will every conversation we have be overshadowed by our past?”
Reaching over, I lace my fingers with his. “That wasn’t meant to be a dig.”
He nods once before leaning over and kissing my cheek. “I know.”
Two cannons go off, shooting confetti in the air as the Gulf Coast University Sharks jog out from the tunnel and onto the field.
I lean over and ask Harper, “What are Zach’s and Cole’s jersey numbers?”
“Zach is number six, and Cole is number fifteen.”
Then I lean back over to Liam. “What is Zach’s last name?”
“Easton.”
“Got it.”
A sea of electric blue jerseys lines up on the home side. A few of the players are showing off their dance moves as the opposing team files out of the tunnel and lines up on the opposite side of the field. I spot number fifteen, Cole, and another player dancing animatedly. They bump fists, mimicking an explosion before falling backward onto the ground.
Harper barks out a laugh. “Your daddy is a clown.”
Willow nods and giggles.
I turn my attention back to the players, scanning the jerseys for number six. When I finally spot Zach, Cole is already at his side with an arm thrown around his shoulders. The marching band makes their way onto the field led by the team mascot, a shark.
“They kinda remind me of you and Cam.”
Liam nods. “They’ve been friends their whole lives.”
“Please rise for the national anthem,” the announcer says. “Performing today is our very own Gulf Coast University marching band and a very special guest.”
The band begins to play, and a familiar female voice comes over the sound system. “O, say can you see…”
Goose bumps pebble my skin, and I look over at Liam.
A proud smile is stretched across his face as he mouths the words to “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
My gaze darts back to Zach. His teammates are huddled up beside him, slapping him on the back.
Liam points to the jumbotron, and there’s Zach wearing a confused expression, but also there’s a look of longing in his eyes as they dart around the stadium, searching for his wife. I roll my lips bet
ween my teeth because I don’t know if I want to laugh or cry. My emotions are all over the place and my heart beats furiously in my chest.
Jay’s beautiful smiling face appears on the jumbotron, and my eyes well with tears as she brings the microphone to her lips and belts out the last line. “…and the home of the brave.”
My gaze moves back to the field in time to see Zach run out toward Jay. It’s like a scene out of a romance movie. She jumps into his arms, and they kiss as he spins her around.
Hot tears are streaming down my cheeks, and I discreetly try to wipe them away.
Liam curls an arm around my shoulders and tugs me to his side, pressing his lips to my temple.
“That was pretty intense,” he yells over the roaring of the crowd. “Now that was one hell of a grand gesture.”
Barking out a laugh, I say, “I’m pretty sure no romance movie can top that.”
“Even The Princess Bride,” he teases.
“I love Westley and Buttercup, but they’ve got nothing on Zach and Jayla.”
Liam throws his head back and laughs.
After the game, everyone heads to Mac’s to celebrate GCU’s win over Florida State, except for Zach and Jay, who went straight home after the game.
Liam and I are sitting side by side in a booth, sharing a beer and some cheese fries. I’m that girl who needs greasy food to go with my beer.
“I didn’t realize Olivia was pregnant,” I say, tipping my chin toward the blonde.
Liam follows my gaze. “Hmm. I don’t really know much about her other than she was a bridesmaid in Jay’s wedding.”
“She’s Holly’s sister,” I inform him.
His brows jerk up. “Mia’s friend?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm.” He reaches for the beer and brings it to his lips. “I wonder who the father is,” he says before taking a sip.
Cole slides into the empty booth across from us and props his forearms on the table. “Dude. What’s your problem with my fiancée?”
Liam sputters in our shared beer, and I narrow my eyes. “You can keep that one. I’ll get my own.”
“Your what?” Liam asks, pounding a fist to his chest. “Since when?”
“Since July.” Cole scowls. “You’re still part of this family, right?”
Liam and I both snicker at that. “Your grandmother has been too busy poking around in my personal life. She failed to mention it.” He waves a hand and reaches for a fry. “Congratulations.”
