Last Fall

by Alexis Anne

  “We weren’t playing games.”

  Well that was bullshit. “You were totally playing him.”

  She shrugged a little. “Not for fun.”

  “For keeps?”

  “For safety,” she corrected. Then she leaned closer—which I really liked—and lowered her voice. “Carrie was really scared. Wes was . . . is . . . a lot.”

  “Don’t I know it,” I muttered. After this week I was ready to drop his ass off at the nearest cliff. “That’s why it was so enjoyable for all of us to watch.”

  “Oh . . . ” There it was—that twinkle.

  I really wanted to make her eyes light up like that all the time. “So thank you.”

  “I didn’t realize everyone knew.”

  I shrugged it off because I didn’t want anything ruining this moment. “Just his friends.” I winked. “You know, the ones he’s been torturing on a regular basis since the day we met.” The man loved pranks, laughs, and sex. And not in that order. “Which for me is somewhere in the neighborhood of eleven years.” All the way back to my senior year at UF. He was just a gangly pain in the ass freshman.

  “Wow. I had no idea you two knew each other for that long. How old are you?” She leaned back and stroked her chin as if she were studying me for the first time.

  “Well, I am the Papa Bear of the team. I’m not young anymore.” But not old.

  “I keep meaning to ask you about that.”

  “How old I am? Didn’t realize you cared so much.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t care that you are clearly many years older than me.”

  “Many? Many? I can’t be more than five years older than you.”

  That brought out a smile and bounce of her eyebrows. “Are you calling me old?”

  But I didn’t get a chance to answer that because Belle came stomping up. “There you are. You left me!”

  And while she was the reason I got Zoe here, I really wished Belle would disappear. “Little sister.” I pulled her against my side and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “I’d like you to meet my friend Zoe. She’s a writer.”

  All five-foot-ten of my tall, slender, raven-haired sister tensed. “It’s nice to meet you Zoe. What kind of friend are you, exactly?”

  “You little shit.” I clamped down on her hip. “The friend kind. Zoe used to work for Eve and Jake. She watched their little girls.”

  “Oh yes! Max and Sam. I remember now.” She forcefully pulled away from me to shake Zoe’s hand. “My brother has always had a soft spot for kids. At first I was jealous he’d found a new family but then I realized he just missed me.” She batted her lashes and I pushed down the urge to put her in one of my usual brotherly headlocks.

  “It’s nice to meet you too. Erik tells me you write some?”

  Damn, Zoe was good. Broaching the subject right away but without the aggressiveness I tended to attack with.

  “I enjoy it,” Belle hedged.

  “Well let’s grab a drink and talk words.”

  Zoe took it from there. As if she were born to mentor worried, budding writers. She guided my sister into a corner and babbled away for several minutes. I gave them space because as much as I wanted to plaster myself to Zoe, I really did want her to talk some sense into my sister.

  “Who’s the hottie?” Riley asked as he shoved a fresh beer into my hands.

  “Off limits.”

  So of course that only made him grin. “You like her.”

  I didn’t answer that.

  “You really like her. Wow. And you sent her off with the hellcat. You’re either stupid or so fucked up over her that you’re diving deep and fast to get it over with.”

  I shot him a look that I hoped would shut him up.

  It didn’t.

  “You haven’t introduced a girlfriend to the family since Jack and Berlin’s divorce so this has to be big.”

  “She’s not my girlfriend and it has nothing to do with Jack.”

  It had everything to do with Jack. My brother’s divorce hit him hard and the last thing I wanted to do was poke that hornet’s nest. It also really hit home how sick I was of dating women I didn’t feel a connection with. The last few years it had been one wonderful but-not-right woman after another.

  Laurie was the only one who I’d sparked with and even that had fizzled fast. Watching Jack and Berlin drift apart, seeing how hollow my brother was without his other half, I knew what I wanted and that I wasn’t bringing her home until I was sure.

  “If she’s not your girl why are you watching her like you’ll kill anyone who goes near her?”

  Aw fuck. I tore my eyes off her smile and pointed them straight at Riley. “Cuz looking at you hurts.”

  He didn’t buy it but he let it go. “Jack’s stressed.”

  At thirty-four my brother was currently the youngest coach in the league by a significant margin, and so far the youngest coach to ever make it through more than one season with his job. This was make-or-break time for him though. The Pythons needed to come hard and win big if he wanted to keep management happy. “You telling me to talk to him?”

  Riley shrugged. “Just keep in touch. You’re both so busy at this time of year I know it’s hard, and he’ll never say it, but he needs you. I can’t say the things he needs to hear because I don’t know what they are.”

  I got that loud and clear. Jack was sitting on the top of a mountain all on his own. That meant he had no one to talk to. At least no one who understood the kind of pressure you get from a team that’s looking up at you, management that’s looking down on you, and a family that just misses you.

  “I’ll keep on him.”

  He slapped my back. “Thanks.”

  The teams came out on the ice and everyone took seats to watch the opening theatrics but Zoe and Belle stayed put, heads together, smiling and talking away as if they were long lost friends.

  It did things to my insides to see those two. Twisty things that made me happy and sad at the same time. Especially when I saw Belle sigh and Zoe shake head.

  I held my ground for a few more minutes before giving in and going over. “How are things over here?” I handed each of them a bottle of water.

  I got a shrug from Zoe and half-smile from my sister.

  “You didn’t tell me your friend was a mega bestselling author,” Belle said.

  “Did she tell you how she worked her way up to that status? That it’s possible?” I poked her a few times for emphasis.

  “She did. I’m really impressed with her business planning.”

  Zoe leaned forward, her eyes darting up to lock with mine. I wanted to reach down and give her reassuring squeeze, or better yet, slip my arm around shoulders and hold her against me.

  One day.

  “I think what your brother was really hoping you’d hear was that you can, and should, give yourself a chance to be a working writer.”

  “That’s exactly what your brother wanted you to hear,” I said. And yeah, my ego soared to hear Zoe confirm my suspicions.

  Working writer.

  Belle narrowed her eyes at me the way she had since she was a toddler. “I will take Zoe’s information into consideration. I also got her number and email address. She has graciously offered to answer any questions I have. Happy?”

  “Very. Thank you Zoe.”

  “Of course.”

  Belle stood up. “I’m going to find the ladies room and food.” She gave me a quick squeeze. “Thanks.”

  “Anytime. She means it too.”

  “I know,” Belle groaned as she walked away, clearly over my brotherly love.

  But also leaving me alone in a corner with Zoe. “Mind if I sit?”

  Zoe waved her hand at the vacant seat. “She’s talented.”

  “Was there a hidden manuscript in her purse? How can you tell?” I conveniently threw my arm over the back of her seat without touching her.

  “She’s done some fan fiction and short stories. She showed them to me on her phone.”


  “She keeps that stuff on her phone?” I knew baseball and writing were completely different careers, but that seemed odd.

  “No,” Zoe shook her head. “One is a fan fiction forum and the others are on a writing app.”

  Fan fiction and writing apps? I had a lot of work to do if I was going to keep up with the vocabulary. “You got a taste for her writing then?”

  “Yeah, like I said . . . ” she adjusted in the seat, leaned back against my arm. “. . . Belle clearly has talent. From here it’s not how good she is, but how hard she’s willing to work.”

  “Like you.”

  She turned red again and looked out at the rink. “I suppose.”

  The Pythons had a power play and were rushing the goal but I wasn’t watching them. “Come to dinner with us.” I touched her cheek. “Please?”

  “With your family?”

  “Yeah. Jack, Riley, Belle, me.”

  “You.” She bit her lip and looked up at me.

  The Pythons scored and the crowd went wild as the horns blared. Zoe didn’t look away from me though.

  “Why do some of you have such American names and the rest—”

  “Have such Cuban names?”

  “Yeah.”

  The way she kept staring at my lips . . .

  Fuck. “That’s just what happens when your momma is Cuban and your dad is as white as they come.”

  “You’re all really close in age.”

  I shrugged. “It was just the way my parents were. They loved each other a lot. Loved having kids. And some of my siblings feel the same way. Elena already has two and she’s only been married three years. Roberto got married last year and their baby is barely three months old. They’re already talking about the next one. I think they got pregnant on their honeymoon.”

  “Wow. My parents were both only children. I have a brother and we aren’t close. I can’t imagine what your family is like.”

  I nodded toward Belle and Riley sitting a few feet away. “It’s basically like this. All the time.” I loved every crazy, busy, insane moment of it.

  “I think it sounds nice.”

  I touched her cheek again. I couldn’t seem to stop. “Then you should come to dinner and enjoy all the big, loud, nice we have to offer.”

  She blinked up at me with those green eyes and said exactly what I wanted to hear. “Okay.”

  12

  Zoe

  With Sparks Like That She Could Get Pregnant Just Looking At You

  “I’m warning you now, the Cassidy family can be loud,” Erik said when I found him waiting for me at the front of the restaurant. Since we all drove separately to the rink we all drove separately to the restaurant. I took my time, not wanting to be the first eager person waiting around.

  Plus it was kind of nice to see Erik smiling when I walked in the door.

  “I kind of figured that was why you chose a loud Italian family style restaurant.”

  “You know what? You’re really smart.” He touched my elbow with his hand and began guiding me toward the table.

  His touch sent electric tingles up my arm. My pulse jumped. And it hit me. I was doing this. I was getting to know a man with the intention of it becoming more.

  “Hey Zoe!” Riley called the minute he saw me. So enthusiastic and just . . . nice. He even threw down his napkin and ran over to give me a hug before I sat. “I’m glad you came.”

  Belle sat beside him on one side and it looked as though Erik had taken the other. Leaving one empty seat beside Erik and one across the table.

  I sat beside Erik.

  “We already ordered a couple of bottles of wine for the table and a few appetizers. Just dig in on anything,” Erik said as he poured a glass of red wine. “Red or white?” His hand moved toward the other bottle.

  “Red works.”

  He slid that glass over to me, then grabbed another and poured himself a glass as well. “Jack will be over in a bit after he gets the team settled and has a call with his boss. We usually hang out and get a little drunk while he works.”

  Perfect. Loose lips were great for learning about people.

  Just as Erik predicted, conversation took off fast and furious, bouncing between the three of them at lightning speed. I learned that Riley was essentially another member of the family and that it wasn’t uncommon for the Cassidys to absorb friends and make them part of their big happy family.

  “You never feel, I don’t know, less important?” I asked Belle. Brian and I fought for our parent’s attention and we both usually lost. I couldn’t imagine having to also compete with multiple siblings and their friends.

  “Honestly? Sometimes. But usually that’s just some family dynamics gone haywire,” she said. “It’s not like they’re strangers. My friends aren’t just my friends. They know these knuckleheads. They hang with my sisters. I’m glad Mom isn’t constantly trying to feed us all anymore, but she could if she wanted to. She has one of those hearts that just expands to include more people.”

  I noticed Erik tense. His hand froze halfway from the dip to his mouth. His other hand gripped the edge of the table. He swallowed hard a couple of times then took a breath and continued as if nothing happened.

  But something had clearly happened. Something that upset him. I ran back Belle’s words but couldn’t figure it out.

  “Has there ever been a falling out or maybe friends that didn’t get along? Or maybe a brother who didn’t approve of someone?”

  Erik laughed. “As if any of my sisters care what I think. I just show up with the shotgun to scare the boys they bring home but that’s about all the power I wield.”

  “You do more than that,” Belle said softly.

  And once again, something seemed to bother Erik.

  Riley noticed this time too, because he immediately changed the conversation. “So Zoe, why do you use a pen name? Or is that standard practice?”

  “It’s not unusual.” I explained the complicated and varied reasons different authors chose to write under a pseudonym, carefully avoiding the reasons why I used one, all while Erik and his sister had a silent conversation across the table. They weren’t angry so much as sad.

  “How did you pick yours?”

  “Well Zoe is my name, and I didn’t think I liked the idea of having a completely different name. Hyde was the name of a childhood friend. Her parents were these laid-back hippie types who would have loved the idea of me being a writer.”

  “Do you ever think you’ll write under your real name?” Erik asked, his attention back on our conversation.

  “Nope. And I rarely share pictures of myself. I keep my identity as hidden as I reasonably can.”

  And that was probably too much information because Erik’s eyes narrowed and his lips turned down into a frown. He knew there was more than privacy behind my reasons.

  Luckily I was saved by Jack’s arrival. He went around the table hugging everyone, stopping to talk to me. “I’m so glad he convinced you to come out with us. Two minutes is not long enough to meet someone as beautiful as you.”

  “Go shove food in your face,” Erik grunted pushing his brother away. His hand grazed my arm, our gazes collided, more electricity skated through my veins.

  It was really quite insane how much he affected me.

  Or how much I wanted him to sling his arm over my chair and pull me close like he almost had at the arena.

  “So Zoe, what did you think of my team?” Jack asked.

  “I don’t know much about hockey but the Pythons looked mean.”

  That got a laugh from everyone.

  “Do you know much about baseball?” Jack asked, his eyes skipping to his brother, the arch of his brow so very big brotherly it was cute.

  “I’ve learned a lot very quickly.”

  “She used to work for Eve Spencer and now she lives with June,” Erik said.

  “Ah . . . trial by fire.”

  “Exactly. Luckily for me I like it.”

  Jack smiled. “Hockey i
sn’t all that different. Although some say hockey in Florida will always be different.”

  Which was one of my questions, actually. “So how did you wind up in the sport?”

  I understood how Erik found baseball. It seemed there was a ball field on every corner in this state. Plus there were three Major League teams and spring training for half the league, it would have been more unusual that they didn’t play the sport at all.

  “They built a rink down the street from our house. It was love at first sight.” He shrugged.

  “And how did you and Riley meet?”

  Jack’s face fell and I realized all too late that it was the wrong thing to ask.

  “Here, let me pull the Band-Aid off for you.” Erik waved at Jack. “My older brother is divorced. His ex-wife’s best friend was married to Riley.”

  Riley shrugged. “We got each other in the divorces.”

  Jack held up his glass and they silently toasted each other from across the table.

  I got the impression neither divorce was easy. Jack looked haunted. Like half of his soul was removed and the very mention of his former wife made the wound tear back open.

  While Riley, well that was a different story altogether. Jack and Erik both seemed completely oblivious but I was almost positive that Riley and Belle were about five seconds from ripping each other’s clothes off.

  “So Erik tells me you have a big new book series coming out next year and it’s being made into a movie,” Jack said, changing the subject.

  “Oh funny story,” Erik interrupted before I had a chance to respond. “I was having dinner with the guys after the game Wednesday night. Our pitcher, his name is Chris Kaine.”

  At first I thought Erik was just completely changing the subject because he thought of a story he wanted to tell from his week, but then his words actually sank it and I sat up straight. “Scott’s brother! I totally forgot they were brothers.”

  “Yeah, they don’t talk about that,” Erik chuckled. “I think it bruises their fragile egos. But yeah, he said he ran some lines from your script with his brother last week. He said it was really good.”