It was white cotton. So not sexy at all.
Yet, when she pulled it on, it suddenly became the stuff of Victoria’s Secret ads everywhere.
I licked my lips, and her laughter followed.
“We’re going to be late, Banner,” she said as she walked to the closet and slipped down a red and black t-shirt.
When she pulled it over her head, my eyes went to the writing.
And I suddenly got irrationally pissed.
It was a big—way too big to be hers—red t-shirt with black writing that said ‘Kilgore Bulldogs Football.’
“Where’d you get that?” I found myself saying.
She pulled the ends of her shirt together at the bottom and started to go through a pile of hair ties on her desk. When she had a black one, she began to loop it around the tail.
“I got it from my dad,” she said. “Don’t freak out there, big guy.”
I instantly calmed.
She got it from her dad.
Good.
It was worn and faded, so I knew that it wasn’t something she’d purchased recently.
But, things got worn and faded when they were worn by men. Washed a hundred times.
She walked back over to the table with her hair ties on it and pulled out a red one, looping this one in her hair.
My eyes caught on the wall above her head, and I asked a question instead of walking over to her and yanking the hair tie out of her hair.
“What’s with the star on your wall?” I asked curiously.
She walked to me and looped her arms around my waist, and I couldn’t stop myself from pulling her into me, dropping my mouth to the top of her head.
God, she smelled good.
She sighed. “Why did I know that you’d ask that?”
I grinned against her hair. “Because you know me well?”
She ran her hand along the length of my belly, causing my abs to clench.
“My dad sent that to me when he was in the hospital,” she said softly. “When he got hurt. He was there for a really long time. And he was so far away that we couldn’t go. We couldn’t afford for my mom not to work. So we stayed here and he healed halfway across the United States from us. It was bad. I missed him. And he sent me that as a reminder that he was always thinking of me. I’ve had it ever since.”
I squeezed her shoulder lightly.
“Why do you sound like that was a bad thing?” I asked curiously.
She sighed. “Not a bad thing. I just… I hate that it happened to him. I hate that the Army couldn’t do anything more for us. I mean, I spent over a year with him healing over fifteen hours away from us. It took him forever to come home… and I just feel like they could’ve done more. Should’ve done more. I’m just… I resent the military, I guess. I wish that they would take better care of their people. And I’m bitter.”
I ran my hand through her hair, causing her to roll her eyes and pull out the hair tie that she’d just put in again.
“Not everyone gets hurt like your dad,” I said softly.
“No,” she agreed. “But how many military men and women suffer from PTSD? How many are sick now from the previous wars, all because of stuff that they were exposed to overseas? And they just pretty much get told ‘oh well. Sorry for your bad luck.’”
I didn’t like her answer.
Even more, I was fairly sure that if she knew my plans to join the military at the end of my senior year, she wouldn’t be happy about it.
So I chose to keep it quiet and instead pointed out that we were going to be late.
Very, very late.
She cursed and ran to the bathroom.
“Grab me some socks and my shoes.” She pointed to them. “I’ll meet you outside.”
I did as she asked and rolled my eyes when she came down the stairs with her hair once again up.
“Hey, I don’t want to hear anything,” she said as she shouldered her backpack. “We’re about to hoof it half a mile. I’m so not wearing my hair down.”
I grinned and held out my hand.
“Let’s go.”
Chapter 17
I’ve come to a point in my life where I need a stronger word than ‘fuck.’
-Perry to Banner
Perry
We arrived at school and it felt like everyone’s eyes were on us.
Every single move I made felt like there was a full accounting of what we did and when we did it.
Lunch was much the same.
After grinning at my mother for the extra slice of pizza, I walked to the table that I shared with Banner and took my seat.
It took him so long to arrive that I was halfway through my pizza by the time that he showed.
I looked at him and immediately knew that something was wrong.
“What happened?” I asked, looking at him after sizing up everything.
“Long damn day,” he grumbled as he dropped his bag and headed for the lunch line.
There was virtually no one in it any longer because we literally only had ten minutes left of lunch period, and everyone had already gotten their food. Now everyone that was there had already eaten and were just getting seconds or things they realized that they wanted.
I looked over at Rebel with raised brows.
“Did you hear anything?” I asked curiously.
She shook her head, her eyes traveling to the wall of muscle that had followed my man to the line.
“No,” she said. “But I’ll ask him. He’ll tell me.”
‘Him’ being Graham, the guy that tried really, really hard to appear that he wanted nothing at all to do with her.
Graham and Rebel definitely had something going on. Something that neither one of them was willing to test.
Why, I didn’t know.
“Let me see what Banner tells me,” I said. “If I don’t think it’s a good enough explanation, I’ll text you.”
She gave me a thumb up and went back to the pizza she was shoveling down her throat.
Throughout the rest of lunch, I’d wanted to know what in the hell his problem was.
I spent the rest of the school day wondering what had happened.
But when I finally had the chance to confront him, to ask him what had happened to make the day ‘long’ I didn’t get the chance. Mostly because he wasn’t alone when I made my way toward him after school.
He had his parents with him.
I blinked at them standing next to his car and wondered if I should approach.
When I moved, all eyes trained on me.
One still pissed off pair. And two curious pairs.
“Ummm,” I said. “Hi.”
The woman beamed, and the older man’s lips twitched.
“Hello,” he said. “You’re Perry?”
I melted inside.
I was happy that he knew my name. That meant that Banner had talked about me.
“Yes, sir, that’s me.” I grinned. “You’re Banner’s parents? Obviously.”
The man chuckled, while the woman smirked. “What gave it away?”
I looked at Banner, then I looked at Banner’s mom.
“Y’all look exactly alike.”
I licked my lips and looked over at Banner, thinking that the man in front of him looked more like an older version of his older brother, Ford, than he did a dad.
He’d definitely aged well.
Then again, so did his mother.
She looked like a knock-out.
I could only hope that I looked that good at her age.
I bit the inside of my lip, not sure what to say.
I’d never done the meet the parent thing.
I’d only met friends’ parents, and even then, it was on the rare occasion.
“Is Trance your real name?” I asked as I eyed his motorcycle vest. “That’s odd. Then again, my parents named me Perry. My mom was in love with Luke Perry off of 90210. She loved him so much th
at she convinced my father to name me that. Though, at the time, my father didn’t know that’s why she wanted to name me that. It was just a name. He liked it and agreed. It only came out later when my mom was telling someone about my name that he realized why she’d wanted it. I…”
Banner grabbed my hand and tugged me to him, making me forget what I was saying for a few moments.
With the chance to get a word in, Trance smiled. “It’s actually Killian. I just don’t go by that name very often.”
“Killian.” I looked at him. “Isn’t that a beer?”
Banner burst out laughing, the tension in his shoulders releasing for the first time since I’d arrived.
His father grinned, letting me know exactly how hot Banner would be when he was his father’s age.
Whew, the Spurlock men aged well.
Between Ford and Trance, Banner won the genetic lottery.
And Viddy was right. I didn’t see a single hint of her in Ford. Not at all.
“It is a beer,” Viddy said. “Their parents” —she gestured at Trance with her thumb— “named all of their children after beer. There’s Killian, Miller Genuine, and Foster Lager.” She paused. “Then there’s the kids of Miller. Samuel Adams, Blue Moon, and Sierra Nevada.”
I grinned then. “That’s great.”
I honestly hadn’t ever had the thought to ask Blue how her name came to be. Maybe I should have.
That made me a bad friend, didn’t it?
Then again, I hadn’t any idea that they were named after beers.
“Y’all kids ready to go grab a bite before the game?” Trance asked.
Banner sighed. “I can’t. Coach wants us to have a team meeting. He’s already ordered us sandwiches from a sandwich shop in town. I’m sorry. I tried calling you when I knew, but y’all were already pulling into the parking lot.”
Trance’s eyes turned to me. “What about you? What are you doing?”
I scrunched up my nose. “I have a volleyball game. I’m actually supposed to head to the gym now. I just wanted to say hi to him.”
Banner’s fingers tightened on my hip.
Viddy’s eyes lit. “Oh, can we go?”
I opened my mouth and then closed it. “I… I guess. I mean, I don’t think it’s anywhere near as exciting as football, but I’d love to have you come watch my game.”
I loved having people that were there to cheer me on.
Especially since both my mother and father would be at a work function tonight for my father’s job.
They hated that they were missing my game, but since it was pretty much mandatory to go to, they didn’t have much choice.
“Sounds like a plan.” He paused. “Do they have a concession stand?”
I smiled. “Yeah, I think so.”
“Sweet.” He clapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously. “I hope they have nachos.”
Banner squeezed my hip, then dropped a kiss onto my cheek. “I’ll see you after the game. Don’t let them do anything embarrassing.”
I had no clue how I was supposed to stop them from doing anything embarrassing, but before I could tell him that, he was gone.
I looked at his parents with worry.
“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to stop y’all from doing that, or what he meant by embarrassing,” I told them bluntly.
Viddy giggled. Her laugh sounded like bells.
“I think I like you, dear,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to attend one of Blue’s games, but we’ve never had a chance. Now… where do we need to go?”
I led them around the school to where they could come in through the gym’s entrance and then waved to them and went to get changed for my game.
An hour later, I was in the middle of the game when I looked over to find both of them sitting with Blue’s parents, staring at me intently, as if I was their kid and not just their son’s new girlfriend.
It made me feel all tingly inside. Happy and excited that they were here for me.
The ball came sailing over the net, and I jumped up to block it. It fell to the girl’s feet that was directly across the net from me and hit the ground.
My team went nuts, and I grinned as Rebel picked me up and twirled me around.
“Put me down,” I giggled as I slapped hands.
Rebel did, slapping me on the ass as she went to serve the ball.
Twenty minutes later, we switched sides, and there was a momentary break in playing as we all gathered drinks and prepared for the second set.
“Is that Banner’s parents?”
I looked over at my teammate, Rosa.
“Yes,” I said. “Banner looks just like his momma, huh?”
She nodded. “And did you see his daddy? I’ve never had a daddy fetish before, but holy shit. I’d totally do him.”
I felt my face flame.
“Me, too,” the coach said.
We all started laughing.
Our coach was happily married and very pregnant. Her husband was hot, but apparently she had no problem telling it like it is.
“I’ll share that with Coach,” Rebel teased.
The second set was won just like the first, and within fifteen minutes this time, we were slapping hands with the opposing team saying ‘good game.’
After grabbing my things, I headed up the bleachers saying hi to Blue’s parents as I passed them then smiled at Trance and Viddy.
“What did you think?” I asked, noticing a third person with a baby in her arms they had added to their group.
“I loved it,” the woman chirped.
Obviously, this was Oakley.
She looked just like Trance and Ford.
I smiled at her and held out my hand. “You must be Oakley.”
Oakley beamed. “I am.”
“You did good, girl,” Trance said. “You need to go change?”
I looked down at my outfit and shook my head. “Nah. I’m just going to go sit outside in the heat anyway.”
He eyed my short shorts and I could practically see the disapproval rolling off of him.
I hid my smile.
My dad didn’t like it when I wore the clothes out either.
But, it was what it was.
Hiding my smile, I gestured for the door.
“Y’all ready?” I asked.
Trance said something under his breath about ‘Banner owing him’ and jerked his chin toward the door. “Lead the way. We got no fucki—err, we have no freakin’ clue where we’re going.”
I grinned. “My dad is ex-military. Don’t worry about offending me. He’s already broken me in on the world of cuss words.”
Viddy snickered. “He’s trying not to scar you for life. He wants you to like us.”
I grinned at them over my shoulder. “I do like you. I really appreciate you staying for my game. It’s kind of lonely sometimes.”
Not that I would ever tell my parents that.
They got to the games that they could get to, but the majority of my games were always spent with no one there.
I had friends’ parents, but it wasn’t the same when they weren’t there for me and me alone.
“I’ll come again,” Oakley offered. “As long as you don’t mind my kid screaming at the top of her lungs.”
I grinned. “I have no problem with that. Gyms are meant to be loud.”
We made it to the top of the bleachers and fell into the long line of people trying to leave.
I was jostled from the side, and I felt Trance’s hand come out and steady me.
When I looked over at the big body that had done the jostling, I was unsurprised to find Vance doing the shoving.
I pulled back and allowed Trance to put himself between the two of us.
“Vance,” Trance said quietly. “Move along.”
Vance sneered at Trance, and I realized how awkward it was to have the two of them close.
Trance had shot Vance’s f
ather. Vance was upset. I would be, too.
But… Trance was a police officer. It wasn’t like he could control who he had obey the law and who didn’t.
“I’m moving.” Vance grinned, his eyes coming to me as he stopped in the middle of the pathway. All traffic stopped with him. “Good game.”
I moved until Trance’s large shoulder blocked my view of Vance completely.
Viddy’s hand took mine, and I clutched it.
I was sweaty as hell, stuck in the middle of Banner’s family, and I knew that Vance knew exactly what he was doing.
He was taunting not only Trance but Banner as well.
There was no way that Banner wasn’t going to hear about this.
It’d be all over school in an hour.
“Move along, Vance,” Trance ordered again, this time trying to do it in a way that meant he wasn’t kidding.
Earlier, he’d said it in hopes of getting Vance to move without causing a scene.
Now it was obvious that Trance didn’t give a single fuck about causing a scene.
“Sorry, but you’ll just have to go around me.” He held out his arms wide.
So that was exactly what I did.
I took the bleachers down, moved two sets of stairs over, only to have him back up quickly and block my way.
Son of a bitch.
Just as I was about to walk around the long way—which required me to go all the way down the bleachers and across the entire gym floor to climb the other sets of bleachers—Banner was there.
He was wearing his game pants, his cleats, and a gray t-shirt that said ‘Bulldogs’ on it.
He pushed Vance hard to the side and gestured for me to come up.
I did, just as Vance started to charge toward Banner.
Before he could make contact with Banner, Titus was there, blocking his way. Protecting his quarterback.
“Go home,” Titus ordered.
Vance spit out a string of curses that ended with, “Fuck you!”
Trance, Viddy, and Oakley were there seconds later.
Trance blocked a path so that Oakley and Viddy could get through, then pointed his finger in Vance’s direction.
“It’s time to clean up the act, kid,” he said. “One day, you’re not going to have being a kid as an excuse. You have, what, three more weeks until you’re eighteen? The law doesn’t play once you hit that age anymore.”
With that, he put his arm around Oakley and led her away, holding his hand out for Viddy.
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