Marrying an Athlete

by Anne-Marie Meyer

Anna’s gaze dropped to his fingers, and he pulled back as if he’d been burned. Was that too intimate? What was wrong with him? This was Anna. The girl he used to terrorize. If he could go back to remembering that, it would be best for everyone involved.

  The kiss they’d shared at McKenna’s wedding had been a mistake. Anna was too good for him. He was a fool and always seemed to make the wrong decisions. Anna was the kind of girl you settled down with. And he wasn’t meant for that kind of life. Why would he hurt her like that? He couldn’t. Which was why he’d said someone else’s name and pretended to pass out. He just hoped it was something she’d forgotten.

  “It’ll be fine. Let’s just get going.” She took a step toward the door.

  Michael nodded. Good. He needed a job to do. Nothing good ever came from him being idle.

  They started walking toward the door together. Out of instinct, Michael brought his hand up to the small of her back to help guide her. When his fingers touched her shirt, she tensed. But then she relaxed.

  He started to wonder what that meant, but then quickly pushed that thought out. The last thing he wanted to do was drag Anna into his mess. It was best for him to stay away. Far away.

  “I’m parked over there,” he said, nodding toward his red convertible parked alongside the Jumpy Bean building.

  Anna glanced over at it, and then back to him. “Wow. A convertible. Nice.”

  He nodded. “It was my grandpa’s. I got it when he passed away.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I remember now. McKenna told me that. And she got. . . What was it? A weed wacker?” She raised her eyesbrows.

  Michael smiled. “Hey, don’t feel badly for McKenna. She followed my grandpa around for years asking him if he’d let her use it. It only made sense to a ninety-five-year-old man to will it to her.”

  Anna laughed. A light, whimsical sound. Michael couldn’t help but laugh along with her. Suddenly, he was taken back to a time when things were simple. When they were just two teens in high school. Back when he wasn’t a complete idiot.

  “Yeah, she didn’t tell me that tidbit.”

  As they approached the car, Michael reached out and pulled on the door handle of the passenger side. He opened it and waved his hand in. “That’s McKenna. Always the drama queen.”

  Anna moved to climb in, but then paused and glanced over at him. She was inches away. Her smile faltered as she met his gaze. She glanced down at the ground and then back up at him. Why was she acting so strange?

  “It’s good that you came to visit. McKenna’s been struggling. I’m not sure what she’s told you, but things are not good between her and Sam.”

  A sour feeling flooded Michael’s stomach. McKenna was his little sister. He was supposed to protect her. And yet, he had allowed his life and aspirations to take over. What kind of brother does that? He was the worst.

  He forced a fake smile as Anna climbed in and sat down. After making sure that her fingers weren’t in the way, he slammed the door—maybe with a bit too much gusto. But how could he not? He’d not only let himself down, but his sister as well.

  Proof again, that he didn’t deserve anyone. After Daisy was back from her trip to Milan and he cleaned up the mess he’d gotten into, he wasn’t going to allow another woman into his life. It was necessary to keep all the people he cared about safe from his careless mistakes.

  Once he got into the driver’s side, he shut his door and started up his car. The roof was down, and the sun shone on him. Being outside had a way of calming his nerves. He flipped on his blinker and turned onto Main Street.

  The wind blew around them as he drove the fifteen minutes to McKenna’s house. He was thankful for the extra noise having the top down brought. It meant no conversations. He needed to build a wall if he was going to keep people away.

  McKenna’s normally cheerful house was dreary and depressing. The last time Michael had been here, the window boxes exploded with flowers. The front shrubbery, which was once manicured to perfection, was now overgrown and full of weeds.

  This was not like McKenna at all.

  He pulled into the driveway and turned the engine off. He opened his door, and before he could round the hood of the car, Anna was out and starting up the walkway. He stepped over huge weeds that had sprung up in the yard.

  When Anna got to the front stoop, she paused, but then shook her head and turned the handle. She pushed open the door. “McKenna?” she called into the front room.

  Michael went up the front steps and waited behind her.

  “Why aren’t we going in?” he asked.

  Anna jumped and turned, her eyes widening. He wondered if it was because he was only a foot away from her. As he took in the richness of her brown eyes, he couldn’t help but smile. It was nice—having her at eye level. He liked looking into her eyes.

  “Just wanting to warn them that we’re here. Sam and McKenna have been fighting a lot. I didn’t want to walk into anything.” She hesitated and then leaned farther into the foyer. “Kenna, you here?”

  “Anna?” McKenna’s voice carried from the back of the house. She sounded stressed. Not the joyful, free-spirited little sister that Michael remembered.

  Having had enough of waiting on the stoop, Michael stepped into the house and slipped off his shoes. Anna must have felt that the coast was clear as well, because she followed after him.

  “Kenna, we’re here,” he said, making his way past all the family photos that hung on the walls, and into the kitchen at the back of the house.

  McKenna was sitting at the table when he came into the room. She was staring at something resting in front of her. She lifted her gaze to meet his, and Michael’s heart surged. McKenna’s eyes were red from tears.

  Before he could make his way across the kitchen floor and wrap his sister into a hug, Anna beat him to it. She crouched down in front of McKenna with her hand resting on McKenna’s back.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  From where Michael stood, he could see McKenna’s eyes fill with tears as she nodded toward the table.

  “It’s negative. Again.” McKenna leaned forward and buried her face in her hands.

  “I’m so sorry,” Anna said, wrapping her up into a hug.

  It killed Michael to see his little sister in so much pain. If only he could fix this. But how could he? McKenna had always wanted to be a mom since they were kids. She used to force him to be the dad and play house.

  Michael made his way over to the table. “Is there any room for a big brother hug?”

  McKenna and Anna glanced up at him. Anna nodded, dropped her arms, and stood.

  “I’m happy you’re here,” McKenna said as she pushed her chair back and stood.

  Michael wrapped her up in a hug. She felt so small. Why had he been the worst older brother? Getting caught up in his own life. What kind of jerk did that? “I’m sorry it took me so long to get here. If I’d known things were bad, I would have come sooner.”

  McKenna shook her head. “How could you have known? I didn’t really talk about it with anyone.”

  Michael pulled back and smiled down at his sister. “Well, I’m here now and ready to help any way I can. Do you need me to have a talk with Sam? Cause I will. He swore to take care of you.”

  McKenna gave him an annoyed look as she said, “This isn’t going to be Chase in fourth grade all over again, is it? I don’t need you intimidating my husband. Things are stressful enough around here.” She narrowed her eyes as if that was going to dissuade him.

  “Hey, but it got the job done, right? Sometimes, a guy just needs another guy to talk to him.” Overall, Michael liked Sam. If he didn’t then there was no way he would have let his sister marry him. But from the look on McKenna’s face, her frustrations ran deeper than anger. There was a pain there that he couldn’t describe.

  McKenna’s expression grew serious. “I need you to promise me right now that you are not going to intimidate my husband.” She turned her face up toward him and narrowed her eye
s.

  Michael raised his hands. “I promise.” But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to have a chat with his brother-in-law. There was no reason why McKenna should be crying this hard.

  McKenna didn’t look like she believed him, but she also didn’t look like she was going to push it further. Instead, she sat back down at the table, her shoulders slumping as she glanced down at the test in front of her.

  “We’ll figure something out, Kenna,” Anna said, pulling out the chair next to her and sitting down.

  McKenna let out a forced laugh. “I wish I were that confident. Sam’s been working more. We barely look at each other. I think my marriage is over.” A sob escaped her lips.

  Anna glanced up at Michael. Her gaze was worried as she motioned toward McKenna with her head.

  Right. He should do something. He just wasn’t sure what. “There must be something we can do.”

  McKenna wiped at her eyes as she glanced around the table. “There is something,” she said as she started rifling through a stack of papers.

  Michael felt better. He liked problems that had a solution. He wasn’t the sit around and talk about feelings kind of guy. He liked action.

  “Here it is,” McKenna said, pulling out a brochure. “My OB suggested this place to me.” She laid the paper down on the table. “We actually bought tickets to go. It’s all arranged.”

  “Rekindle Resort?” Anna asked.

  “It’s a marriage therapy resort. You go there and have access to world renowned therapist. They have couple skill-building activities. Plus, all the things that a resort normally has. We are scheduled to leave tomorrow.”

  “Kenna, this sounds amazing. I’m so happy you two are going.” Anna smiled up at her.

  McKenna glanced from Anna, and then up to Michael. “Problem is, I just can’t go there alone. What if they say our marriage is doomed? And then I’m stuck on an island with my ruined marriage. Nope.” She dropped her gaze. “I need you two to go with me.”

  Michael stared at his sister. “What?”

  “I need my brother and my best friend there.” McKenna’s voice drifted off. “Please?”

  His stomach sank. Did she know what he’d asked Daisy? That he just might be engaged to the Mayor’s daughter? Instead of asking, he decided it was probably best to just act like no one knew. After all, he wasn’t even sure what had happened and dissecting his mistake wasn’t something he wanted to do at this moment.

  “Kenna, I’m not married. And I don’t think Anna is either.” He glanced over at Anna who was shaking her head.

  “Yeah, neither of us is married. It says on the pamphlet, For Married Couples Only.”

  McKenna glanced back up at them. “All my married friends can’t go. And it’s not a big deal if you’re not married. It’s not like they check up on you. You guys can just pretend.”

  Michael’s eyes widened. Pretend to be married to Anna? From the feelings that raced through him when he saw her at the coffee shop, it was probably best to stay away from her all together. Faking he was married to her, involved kissing her and holding her. There was no way he could do that, no matter how fast his heart raced from the thought.

  Just before he responded, his phone rang. Grateful for the distraction, he pulled it from his pocket and waved toward the back door. “I should take this,” he said as he turned the handle and stepped into the backyard.

  Once he closed the door, he took a deep breath. Hopefully this phone call would last long enough for him to sort out his feelings about what McKenna had proposed.

  He swiped his phone and brought it up to his ear. “Hello?”

  “Is this Michael Jones?”

  “It is.”

  “Great. My name is Christopher Scott, and I’m with The New York Times.”

  Michael’s stomach twisted. How did they find out?

  Chapter Three

  Anna

  Anna stared at the back door as Michael shut it behind him. Who was that? And then she stopped herself. Thoughts about all the girls that Michael always had on his arm were never good. And if the speed at which he departed had anything to do with what McKenna had just proposed, she didn’t want to know that either. She didn’t need to digest how she felt about Michael not wanting to pretend to be married to her.

  A hurt feeling grew in her gut. Of course he didn’t want to pretend that he’d settled down. He was the athlete playboy. She didn’t meet any of the qualifications he seemed to have for the women he chose to date.

  She was thin and slightly curvy. But she wasn’t slutty. Or flashy. And from the last cover feature done on him, she was the last person he’d ever consider dating. Or fake marrying. She could only imagine the field day the press would have if he showed up with her on his arm.

  She could see the title now. Star Athlete Gone Mad: Shows up with Average Girl. She snorted which caused McKenna to glance up at her.

  “What?” McKenna asked, drawing her eyebrows together.

  “Nothing. Just thinking about something I read.” She reached out and fiddled with the pamphlet to Rekindle Resort. “Do you really think this is a good idea? Me and Michael going together? Pretending to be married?” As she said it out loud, she began to realize how much of a mistake this was.

  “Why wouldn’t it be?” McKenna asked.

  Heat rushed to Anna’s cheeks as she thought back to their kiss. McKenna hadn’t seemed too fazed by Anna’s confession when Anna had told her about it when she got back from her honeymoon. She said something about how it was typical Michael.

  Anna cleared her throat. “You know. . .” She raised her eyebrows.

  “The kiss?” McKenna shook her head. “I wouldn’t worry about it. That’s Michael for you. He’s the kiss ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy. Not the stick around and crush on ‘em type.” She sighed, using that breath to blow a loose strand of hair away from her face.

  Anna swallowed. That was what she was afraid of. That’s what she had always been afraid of. Nothing like adding insult to injury. Part of her had always wondered if he might have had feelings for her. Now after he had called her by someone else’s name, and then adding in her giant failure with Patrick, she was starting to wonder if perhaps, it really was her.

  Which was something she had feared for a long time. That she was just that unlovable.

  Best friend. Yes.

  Girl who’s always there for you. Yes.

  But love interest? No.

  She was never going to be the girl who got the guy. She should just accept that now. Preparation for spinsterhood seemed the best course of action.

  Before she could say anything more, the back door opened, and Michael stepped into the kitchen. His skin had paled, and he had a worried expression on his face. Something was wrong. What had he gotten himself into? With his reputation, it could be anything.

  “So, where were we on that faking marriage and going to the resort thing?” he asked as he pulled out the chair across from them and sunk into it.

  He was worried about something. But what? Anna watched him. She wanted to ask, but then decided against it.

  “We really hadn’t decided on anything,” Anna said as she eyed him.

  Michael glanced at her, and then back to McKenna. “Well, I’m game, if Anna is.” His gaze made its way back over to her. “Are you game?”

  Anna studied the table top. Well, he wasn’t repulsed by her—that was a good sign. But what seemed to boggle her mind was how eager he’d suddenly become when moments ago, he jumped at the first phone call and high-tailed it out of there.

  “Really?” McKenna asked. She sat a little straighter in her chair as she wiped her nose with a nearby tissue. “That would be amazing. It’s just what I need.”

  Michael stood up from the table and began to pace. “I think we should do it now. I mean, there’s no time like the present, right? You have your tickets. I’m sure it’s not hard to get ours.” He waved his hand at Anna.

  McKenna sucked in her breath. “Yeah. We h
ave our tickets. I hope that’s okay. Last minute flights to Bora Bora are going to be insanely expensive.”

  A sinking feeling settled in Anna’s stomach. There was no way she could come up with that kind of cash. “I can’t afford that.” It stung to say those words out loud.

  Michael waved away her concerns. “I’ll pay for the two of us to go. After all, I’m McKenna’s big brother. It’s the least I can do. Besides, I don’t think I even got you a wedding present.” He grabbed the pamphlet off the table and flipped it over. “I’ll call and get it all arranged.” He pointed at Anna. “Do you think the coffee shop will be okay without you?”

  Anna swallowed as the words that he spoke rattled around in her mind. Man, she sounded pathetic. There was nothing keeping her here. She could jump on a plane that evening and go wherever she wanted. No boyfriend to alert. No job to beg for time off. She was completely unattached. And it hurt.

  “Yeah, I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

  Michael grinned as he glanced down at his phone and began typing on the screen. “Perfect. I’ll get this taken care of.”

  “Michael, I want you to be sure—”

  Michael waved McKenna away. “I’m sure. This’ll be fun,” he said as he pushed open the storm door and made his way back outside.

  It slammed against the frame as he disappeared. He’d raised the phone to his cheek, and was already talking to someone.

  “That was strange,” Anna said, glancing over at McKenna.

  She had a smile on her lips. “That’s Michael. But you know that. Always flying by the seat of his pants.”

  Anna sighed. He’d always been like this. Maybe she’d hoped that entering adulthood would help calm him down. But he seemed just as impulsive as he had been as a kid, when he tried to jump from the roof with a parachute he’d made from his favorite Batman sheets.

  He blew into every situation like a storm. But it wasn’t like he didn’t care about people. He’d always been there to protect McKenna and Anna. The thought of his big, yet spastic heart, made Anna smile. He definitely kept her on her toes.