More Than A Game (The Kings of Kroydon Hills Book 2)

by Bella Matthews

  “No necklace. The earrings are a statement. Her hair will be done, and your daughter is stunning. Do not add a necklace.” Then Carolina turns around and winks at me. Maybe she’s on my side after all. “Stay right there, Sabrina. I picked up the most gorgeous pair of silver Jimmy Choo, d’Orsay ankle strap glitter heels for you.” She brings them to me and leans in. “And they’re only three inches. Don’t want you taller than that handsome man you told me about.” It would take about eight inches to make me taller than Murphy, but I don’t tell her that.

  Of course, my mother doesn’t miss a thing. She might be excited, but too much Botox makes it impossible to tell. “And what handsome man is she referring to? Are you bringing someone to the fundraiser?”

  “Yes, Mother. I am. I let Dad’s secretary know last week.”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, she asks, “Does this young man have a name?”

  I buckle the second shoe and straighten my back. “Aiden Murphy is accompanying me Saturday.”

  “Katherine Murphy’s son?”

  “Yes. I’m sure you’ve met Mrs. Murphy before.” I spin around and look at myself in the mirror. Carolina did well.

  My mom meets my eyes in the reflection. “Of course, I have. She’s attending the function as well and bringing the coach of the Philadelphia Kings with her.” She lifts her chin, somehow managing to express that she’s won this round.

  Well, damn.

  Group Text

  Chloe: A little birdy told us that we missed an exciting breakfast this morning.

  Sabrina: Oh yeah! It was crazy.

  Nattie: Was she hot? The whole time we watched the Kings game, Murphy kept calling her a train wreck.

  Annabelle: Bash didn’t want to talk about it. The only time he smiled was when Tommy talked to him. Anybody else notice that?

  Nattie: I’m gonna get it out of Brady tonight.

  Sabrina: She was hot, but she was bat-shit crazy.

  Chloe: Soooo . . . How was last night?

  Annabelle: My night was boring. I soaked my feet and watched Jurassic World with Tommy for the 100th time.

  Nattie: I was with you, Chloe!

  Chloe: Sabrina . . .?

  Sabrina: Like you don’t know where I was last night.

  Annabelle: I want details!

  Nattie: YES!

  Sabrina: Belles! You’re not getting details.

  Annabelle: Come on . . . I need more than that!

  Sabrina: Let’s just say that I used to think I knew what an orgasm was . . . I was wrong. It’s so much better!

  Chloe: YES! I knew it!

  Annabelle: I need new batteries

  26

  Murphy

  Late Monday afternoon, the locker room is full of football players all trying to get the hell out of here, me included. The showers are running, the voices are loud, and the rank smell of body odor clings to the air. This is when the guys decide it’s time to give me all the shit I was expecting yesterday morning . . . before Train Wreck inadvertently saved me from the interrogation.

  I’m bending down to tie my sneaker when Brady slams my locker shut behind me. “So, Murph, you and Sabrina were looking awful cozy yesterday.”

  Standing to my full height, I look at one of my best friends. He’s got me by two inches, but I’ve put on weight since last year, and I’ve probably got him by a good thirty pounds of muscle. “Cozy? Really, QB? Cozy? I think Nattie’s rubbing off on you. Who the hell says ‘cozy’?”

  Bash slings his KU gym bag over his shoulder and turns to us, smiling. “What our fearless leader is trying to say but failing at miserably . . .” he looks to Brady and chimes in, “because yeah, you sound like a chick. Anyway, should we be expecting Sabrina for breakfast from now on?”

  “Jesus. You both sound like chicks.” I grab my own bag and cell phone off the bench when a large hand comes down on my shoulder.

  Jamie moves into our group. “What QB and Pretty Boy are trying to ask is, is she yours?”

  I look at Jamie, annoyed as hell, because . . . yeah. Pretty sure we had this conversation.

  He’s giving me a look that lets me know how I answer this question matters.

  Damn. I stand tall and look at my captain. “You already fucking know the answer to that.”

  Bash takes an overly dramatic step backward. “Murph, man, you’re killing me here. You talked to this sasquatch but not your brothers?” He looks like it’s physically hurting him to not let his laughter out.

  These fuckers. I’ll get them all back.

  “Fuck off, Pretty Boy. He got advice from the only one here who knows what he’s talking about.” Jamie crosses his arms over his chest and stares Bash down.

  Turning to Jamie, Brady argues, “Dude, your girl lives ten states away. Mine sleeps in my bed every night.”

  Jamie shakes his head and looks at Brady and Bash as if they were toddlers throwing temper tantrums. “Uh-huh. Talk to me when it’s been six years, QB. Then we’ll compare. Charlotte’s flying in Thursday night since we have the weekend off. And the engagement ring she’ll be wearing by the time she flies home is waiting to be picked up at the store today. Come find me when you get to that point.”

  Jamie’s hand squeezes my shoulder. “Ignore Tweedledum and Tweedledee over here. You already told me she was yours, man. Now claim her.”

  Having expelled his wisdom for the day, Jamie starts to walk away with Bash and Brady staring after him as if Yoda himself just spoke, then yells, “Come on, Murph. You’re riding shotgun.”

  I let the guys know not to wait for me. “I told Jamie I’d go with him to get the ring, then I’m heading to my mom’s. I’ll see you at the house later.”

  As I’m walking away, I hear Brady’s voice loud and clear above all the other noise. “You should be safe tonight, man. Nattie’s dad should still be at practice. No walking in on anything.” Laughter bounces off the locker room walls, and I give them the finger as I walk away.

  I wonder if Nat can teach me how to make a glitter bomb?

  Jamie’s truck is older than the two of us combined. It’s a red 1980 Chevy Silverado. He’s taken great care of it, but we all like to bust his balls that it’s on its last legs. I’m pretty sure he was conceived in this thing. It was his dad’s before he got his license, and his parents gifted it to him. The heat is kicking, so I crack my window. “Damn, man. Do you ever take your gym bag out of here? It smells like a dirty jockstrap.”

  Jamie laughs. “Listen up, freshman. When your balls finally drop, you’ll start to smell like a man. Come talk to me when that happens.”

  “Fuck you. I’ve had no complaints about my balls. Thank you very much.”

  “Speaking of which, tell me what’s going on with you and the senator’s daughter. Why don’t your friends know she matters? You guys are all up in each other’s business. If QB’s girl didn’t live with you, I’d think you were all in a relationship with each other.”

  “Yeah well, believe it or not, we don’t braid each other’s hair and talk about our feelings every night, asshole.”

  “Whatever. Just remember I was the one who told you to lock that shit down. If you care about her, which you do, then stop being a pussy and do something about it before someone else comes along.”

  “Dude. You people all need to stay in your own lanes and let me figure my own shit out.”

  “It’s been figured, freshman. Now act.”

  I hate that he’s right. “Yes, Yoda.”

  The Australian-accented voice coming out of the navigation app on his phone tells him to turn left onto Walnut Street, and our destination will be on the right. Looking ahead, I see the three-story, old grey brick building with teal blue awnings. Guess we’re really going to get a ring. When it’s time to go big or go home, looks like Jamie went big.

  “You really doing this, huh? Asking Charlotte to marry you?” I get out and lean against the door while Jamie pays the parking meter.

  He looks over the top of the meter at me,
then straightens. “What gave it away, Murph? Was it standing in front of Tiffany’s or me announcing it to the locker room today?” He puts his credit card back in his wallet. “Come on. Let’s go get my girl’s ring, and then we can grab something to eat. I’m in the mood for cheesesteaks.”

  After walking through a vestibule area with an armed security guard, we enter the main store, and I take in all the different cases full of jewelry. This place is bigger than I expected. I follow Jamie to a counter where he lets a beautiful woman know he’s here to pick up his ring and hands her his receipt. She’s dressed in a tight, white button-down blouse with the top two buttons open, displaying an expensive rack to match the expensive store. She smiles sweetly. “Yes, Mr. Dawson. I’ll be right back with it. Feel free to look around.”

  “I’ll bet they want me to look around. I just dropped my life savings on this ring. There’s no money left for me to look around with.”

  I hear Jamie saying this as I start to look around at the displays in the store. At least I planned to, but I stop a foot away from where I was standing. I don’t have to look any further. There’s a shiny silver charm bracelet with a delicate crown charm hanging from one loop. It’s perfect. A different saleswoman, dressed similarly to the one helping Jamie, must see fresh meat when she locks eyes on me and beelines over. “Welcome to Tiffany’s. My name is Clara. Can I show you something, sir?”

  I point to the bracelet. “Can I see that?”

  “Of course, sir.” She takes it out of the case and places it on a black velvet cloth for me to see. “This is our classic charm bracelet in sterling silver.”

  I touch the crown and watch it sparkle in the light before looking back at her. “I’ll take it.”

  “Wonderful.” I hand her my credit card. “I’ll just ring you up over here.” She points behind her as Jamie comes over.

  “See something you like, Murph?”

  I nod down to the bracelet in front of us. “Yeah. This just reminded me of Sabrina.”

  “You gonna man up, Murph? Or are you waiting for a written invitation? You’re not in high school anymore, man. What’s the point in waiting when you know what you want?”

  Clara comes back over and hands me a little teal blue bag and my card and receipt. “Thank you for shopping with us today, Mr. Murphy. Please let me know if there is anything else you need.” She smiles coyly before walking away.

  Jamie grabs the receipt out of my hand. “She wrote her fucking number on the back, man.” He looks disgusted. “This what you want, Murph? An easy hookup?”

  “Jesus. How long does it take for them to grab a ring?”

  He hands me back the receipt. “Long enough for me to tell you to man up.” Proud of himself, Jamie turns around and looks for his sales associate, who’s walking toward him.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Dawson.” She pulls the teal box out and hands it to Jamie.

  He cracks it open, and I watch him as his finger touches the single diamond reverently. Jamie turns his head to look at me, and my always confident captain seems a little nervous. “God, I hope she says yes.”

  I slap his back. “She’s waited for your ass for six years. Pretty sure she’s gonna say yes, man.”

  He gives me a goofy smile. “I hope so. Cause when you find the right girl, it makes everything else in life easier.”

  I go through my new routine before showing up at my mom’s house.

  First, I text her, letting her know I’m on my way.

  Then I text her again, letting her know I’m here.

  Finally, I ring the damn doorbell and wait a minute before letting myself inside because I was told under no uncertain terms was I allowed to act like a complete stranger in my own home.

  I’m okay with being a stranger if it means I don’t ever have to walk in on her and Coach again. Seriously, the sight of Coach’s ass is burned into my brain.

  Slowly opening the door and not taking any chances, I call out to announce myself and am greeted by Carys, who’s coming down the stairs with her earbuds in her hand.

  “Missed you, AJ.” She’s the only one who has ever called me AJ. It stands for Aiden James. I hate it because James is my father’s name, but I’ve never been able to tell Carys to stop.

  When she was younger, she had a bit of a speech impediment and struggled with her “D” sounds. It was easier for her to say AJ than it was to say Aiden. Many years of speech therapy fixed her issues, and now this girl has been trained to have a voice that echoes throughout a theater.

  Her rendition of the national anthem will always be my favorite to hear before a game.

  Her scrawny arms wrap around my waist, and she squeezes me like the stuffed teddy bear I won for her one summer on the boardwalk.

  “Missed you too. What are you up to?”

  “I just got back from my voice lesson and promised Mom I’d go through my stuff and decide what I want to donate. Do you know she and Joe are talking about us moving in before Thanksgiving?”

  “I think that might be what she wants to talk to me about tonight.”

  A distinctly female voice is heard behind me. “Aiden Murphy, does a mother need a reason to want to see her only son?”

  Turning around, I wrap my mom up in a big hug. “I missed you too, Mom.”

  “I’m going upstairs. AJ, let me know before you leave.” Carys pops her earbud back in her ear and walks away.

  I watch my sister disappear down the hall before my mom links her arm in mine.

  “Come with me into the kitchen. I was just about to make a pot of tea.”

  I sit down at the kitchen counter, and my mom begins to move around the kitchen. She fills the tea kettle with water and sets it on the stove, not asking if I want a cup, just knowing I do and how I like it.

  God, I love my mom.

  “So, Momma, what’s going on with the move and the wedding?”

  She gives me a look over her glasses that conveys her thoughts before she speaks them. “Tell me what’s going on with you before we discuss what’s going on with me.”

  “Well, my arm is feeling better. Not quite back to a hundred percent yet but getting there. I should be back to full force by our next game.” I flex for her and get an eye roll in return.

  “How are Sebastian and Brady doing?”

  “Bash is going through some crap with his dad right now.”

  Mom makes a hmm sound. She knows I won’t elaborate, but she always asks. Bash spent more time at my house or Brady’s than his own when we were growing up. Mom did a good job of making sure Bash knew he was always welcome. He definitely ate more dinners at our table than he ever ate at his own.

  “Brady’s good. He’s having a hell of a season.”

  She grabs two Twinings Irish Breakfast tea bags out of her tea box and drops them into her favorite mugs. “Any girls catching your eye?”

  When I don’t answer right away, she stops and stares at me for a moment. “Oh. Well then, tell me who this girl is.”

  “I’m taking Sabrina Cabot to her dad’s fundraiser this weekend.”

  “You’re going to Senator Cabot’s fundraiser? At the Union League?” She hands me my mug across the counter.

  Blowing on the tea before I drink it, I hold the mug up and wonder if I can hide behind it. “Yeah. We’ve been kind of seeing each other for a few weeks.”

  “And why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?” Her voice hasn’t raised a single decibel, but the look on her face tells me exactly how excited this is making her.

  “Come on, Mom. Let me figure out what’s going on before you have me married off, will ya?”

  “Aiden, you’re too young to get married. Get that thought out of your head. However, Sabrina Cabot is a sweetheart. Lucky for her, she’s nothing like her mother and only takes after her father.” Rounding the counter, she takes the seat next to me.

  “I didn’t know you knew her parents that well.”

  “My family has always been supporters of the Cabo
ts. Your grandfather was good friends with Senator Cabot’s father long before he was governor of Pennsylvania. The senator and I went to Kroydon Hills together back in our day. Joe and I will be there to support him Saturday night too.” She’s practically giddy with excitement.

  I choke on my tea before swallowing. “What? Why will you be there?”

  “Honey, have you taken too many hits to the head at practice? I can speak slower if you need me to.” She reaches over, grabbing my hand. “We’re donors. We support his political party. And specifically, Senator Cabot. I had the bank buy a table for the event. I think Joe said the family that owns the Kings is going to be there as well. I may have heard Declan is attending too. I think they’re trying to groom him to be the new face of the organization. Don’t quote me on that yet though.”

  I had no idea my family was this politically active. How did I not know this? “Can you do me a favor and not make a big deal out of this, Mom?”

  Her big green eyes might as well speak at that moment, her thoughts are so clear. No words may have left her mouth, yet I somehow know she’s saying, Who, me? “Aiden . . .”

  “Mom. Come on. This is new. I don’t know where it’s going. Just give me some time.” What the fuck? Why does this seem to be the running theme of the day?

  She squeezes my hand. “Fine. But I want you to bring her to the next family dinner.”

  “What family dinner? When was the last one, for us to be having a next one?”

  “We’ve been trying to find a time for one. But between the Kings’ football schedule and the Crusaders’ football schedule, it hasn’t really worked.”

  “Okay, Mom. Whatever you say.” I sip my tea. “Now tell me about the move.”

  We spend the rest of the visit discussing us moving into Coach’s house. It’s a five-bedroom house, so Coop doesn’t have to worry about losing his room. They’re going to convert Declan’s old room into Carys’ room, and I get the bedroom in the basement.

  Jesus. This is really happening. She’s going to sell the house we grew up in and move in with Coach. “When’s the wedding happening?”