I stare at Devon.
“Jade, we can hear you.”
“Hey, Devon! Glad you guys made up!” Emerson calls out.
Devon smirks and continues kissing me.
“So, we’re going to be teaching classes just a few feet away, and the students have started showing up. You might want to keep your voices down while you’re um…exercising and making up some more.”
Peals of laughter follow.
“Bye, you two!” they say in unison. “Have fun!”
Devon and I laugh.
“Maybe we should…” I start to say.
“Nope.” He hugs me tighter to him. “We’re not going anywhere for a while.”
“But I’m hungry.”
“So I’ll cook for you. Do you have food in your fridge?”
“Yes.”
“Done.” His lips go to my neck. “But first, I’m going to make sure you come again.”
21
Devon
I arrive at the stadium so early Monday morning I even beat the coaching staff here.
I’m standing outside Coach Sanders’ office when he arrives.
He quirks an eyebrow at me as he pulls out his keys.
“Something on your mind, Wilkens?”
“Yes, sir.” I follow him inside his office, and he shuts the door behind us before taking a seat at his desk.
He motions to one of the empty chairs, and I sit down across from him.
“What’s up?” he asks, giving me his full attention.
“I want your permission to date Jade Jones.”
He blinks several times. “The team’s yoga instructor?”
“Yes.”
“You want to date her.” His voice is losing that friendly, neutral tone he began our chat with.
“Yes.”
“Fuck, Devon.” He shakes his head. “You’ve got your pick of women, no doubt. This is the only one you can’t touch. And you have to go ahead and touch her.”
“I didn’t say I…”
“Please. Don’t insult me by pretending you’re coming to me before anything’s happened between you two.” Coach rubs his eyes and sighs.
“Fine.” I hesitate and then decide to be completely truthful. “I’m in love with her.”
Coach Sanders’s hands drop to his desk as he straightens up. “Say that again.”
“I’m in love with Jade. The feelings are mutual. I plan to marry her one day soon.”
“Fuck, Devon,” he says again, but in a different way this time. He even fights a smile. “You love her.”
“Yes.”
“Shit.” Back go his hands to his eyes. “What are we going to do? If she wants to keep working here…”
“She does.”
“I don’t want to punish her for falling in love.” He snaps his head back up to meet my eyes. “I’m happy for you, kid.”
I try not to get stupid emotional, but I didn’t have a father. My coaches over the years have been the only father figures I’ve had, and my coach’s show of support means more than it maybe should.
“Thanks, Coach.”
“But we cannot change the no fraternizing rule. Not now and maybe not ever. After what happened, it’s too risky.”
“I understand.” I glance out his window at the shopping center. And something clicks. “I’ve got an idea that might work for everyone.”
A week later, I finish practice and head across the parking lot to the sports medicine clinic in the shopping center adjacent to the stadium. Anyone can use the clinic, but most of our team comes by at least once a week for nutritional help, acupuncture, or guidance on some type of private workout. Now, though, we’re all coming here more frequently because Jade holds her team yoga classes here.
Coach was able to hire her independently so that she isn’t technically a Cougars’ employee, but instead, she’s an employee of the sports clinic. This works out better for her also because she only works for the clinic part-time, and she can devote half her work week to her own studio once it’s back up and running.
“Hey, babe.” I greet Jade as she steps out of the building.
She pushes her sunglasses down over her blue eyes and throws her arms around me. “I love working at the clinic. You’re brilliant for thinking of it.”
“It was less thinking and more instinct, kind of like the way I play,” I say. “I was staring at the clinic through Coach’s office window, and I saw the opening. So I went for it. More often than not, I get where I want to be.”
But if Jade wants to think I’m brilliant, I’ll take that too.
I kiss her full lips. “Do you have time for a quick break?”
“Of course.”
We take seats on the lawn and have the sandwiches I made this morning.
“I think the team is getting used to us being together,” she says. “Today was the first day nobody made a stupid joke about my new boyfriend.”
“Those guys only know how to make stupid jokes,” I say, and she laughs.
I kiss her nearly as much as I eat until Jade insists I finish my meal so I’ll “have strength for practice this afternoon.”
“We’re only doing film study today,” I tell her as I kiss her again. “And I’ll eat twice as much for dinner.”
She laughs, and then my phone rings. I glance down at it and see it’s coming from an unknown number. Normally, I’d send the call to voicemail, but something tells me to pick this one up.
“Hello?”
“Is this Jay Devon Wilkens?”
“Who’s calling?” I say immediately, sure it must be a media person or even a deranged fan who somehow got my number.
“My name is Richard O’Reilly from O’Reilly Law Group downtown. I need you to come to my office. I’ve got some information that I think will interest you.”
“What kind of information?”
“Regarding your biological father.”
I stop breathing. “I don’t…” Have a father. “I never knew…”
“I know this may come as a shock, Mr. Wilkens. If you could come to my office, I promise to explain everything to you.”
He then rattles off his address, which I type into my phone as he stays on the line. Colton and Dylan are away for a family matter in Montana, so the second team is kicking off practice today. Quickly calculating that I have time to run to the meeting and still make it back for film study, I tell him I’ll be right there.
“You’re white as a ghost,” Jade says as she stares at me. “What’s wrong?”
“That was weird.” I tell her what the guy said to me.
“Your father?” She purses her lips. “You should confirm who this lawyer is before you just head over there. You’re a public figure, Devon. People want all kinds of things from you.”
“You’re right.”
I call my own attorney and ask him to do a check on this guy for me. He calls me right back saying he’s conferred with this O’Reilly guy, and while he wasn’t told the nature of the meeting, he seems to be pretty certain I should go. He tells me he’ll be on call for me if I need him afterward.
“Let me know how I can help, Devon,” Jade says to me as I leave.
“I will,” I promise as I hug her goodbye. “See you soon.”
When Richard O’Reilly greets me at the door to his office, my first fear is still, “Is this some sort of a scam?”
“This is not about your profession or your fame or your wealth,” he says immediately as he ushers me into a seat.
With fiery red hair and blue eyes that I read as honest, he seems to be telling the truth. And my own lawyer’s asserted that I can trust this guy. So, I sit still and wait for him to speak.
“Mr. Wilkens, I know you’re a busy man, so I’ll get right to it. A man we have reason to believe is your biological father passed away this weekend,” he says.
“Please, call me Devon,” I say. “So how the hell do you have any reason to believe he’s my father? My mom never told me who he was. She’s de
ad now, but she always said it was a casual thing, and he bailed on her after she was pregnant with me. She never heard from him again.”
“She was most likely telling the truth,” Richard says. “This man never had a wife or family. But in his will, he left his inheritance to the children of several women, women he claims to have had sexual relationships with. Your mother was on his list.”
“So there’s more than just my mom?”
“Yes.”
Christ.
He explains that the first order of business is to take a cheek swab so that they can make sure the DNA is a match. “In his will, your potential father required that all parties be tested before his identity would be revealed. The results should be back in one to two days, and I’m asking that they be expedited and sent directly to me. I’ll only open them in your presence or over the phone with you, whichever will be your preference. You don’t have to tell me now; we can talk about that when the time is ready.”
“Okay.” My head is fucking spinning, but I give my swab, and ten minutes later, I’m on my way back to work.
And then, I wait.
Jade and I go out to dinner, and I try to enjoy the evening. But, my stomach’s in knots.
“I can’t imagine how you’re feeling,” she says to me as we climb into my bed that night. “What can I do?”
“I want to make love to you,” I tell her as I slip my hand underneath my team jersey she’s wearing as a nightshirt.
She scoots closer to me, and I realize she isn’t wearing anything but the jersey.
“No panties?” I say as I nuzzle her breasts.
“No. None.”
“I love it.” I slide my finger inside her heat. “I love you.”
I add a second finger, and in seconds, she’s coming apart on my hand.
But I’m not done.
I drag my body down hers until my mouth is between her legs.
“Devon, oh my God,” she whispers as I flatten my tongue against her wetness.
I lick and kiss her until she’s gone over the edge for a second time. And then, I grab a condom and push inside her. I go so slowly that Jade’s clearly growing impatient.
“Faster,” she cries out.
“Shh.” I suck on her nipple. “I’m going to go slow until you’re right there.”
And I do. I drive deep inside her till she’s shaking, and then I pull almost all the way out. When I know she’s just about to come, I thrust in hard and fast, and she explodes around my dick.
One more thrust and I’m joining her.
I shift to her side, keeping her inside me. “Every single time is better than the last with you.”
She draws our initials across my chest, mumbling the letters as she does so. I reach up and take her hand in mine.
“Thank you for tonight,” I say quietly.
“You don’t have to thank me, babe.” She raises her blue eyes to mine. “How are you doing?” And I know what she’s referring to.
“Good.” I glance away. “You know, the whole thing feels kind of surreal. For nearly thirty years, I’ve never had a father. So why now? Why after he’s gone?”
“I don’t know. Life doesn’t go as we plan. And God’s plans for us often surprise, for good or bad. Maybe this will be a good surprise. You may get some new siblings out of it.”
Maybe. Jade’s more hopeful than I am, and I’m kind of dreading getting the DNA results.
22
Two days later, Richard O’Reilly calls me as I’m coming off the practice field. I’m drenched in sweat and breathing hard, and the last thing I want to do is drive into his office to find out the answer to something I can learn over the phone. So, I ask him to open the envelope over video chat.
He agrees, and I step into the room that used to be Jade’s studio and shut the door for privacy.
I hold my phone up and watch as Richard slides open the envelope and takes out the sheet of paper. He scans it, and then holds it up to me.
“It’s a match, Devon. You’re a biological son.”
I nearly drop the phone.
I finally know who my biological father is.
Something I’ve always wondered about but never considered pursuing. Because the asshole took off without a second thought and never reached out to my mom again. He didn’t deserve to have a relationship with me.
“Who is he?” I ask Richard abruptly. “This man who likes to abandon women and children?”
“I’d like to schedule a meeting for tomorrow evening for you to come into the office,” Richard says calmly. “At that point, I will answer all of your questions.”
The following evening, Jade and I arrive at O’Reilly Law Firm a few minutes late.
“Are you sure you want me to come inside with you?” she asks me. “I’m fine to wait in the car.”
But I have her hand in mine, and I’m not about to let it go. “I’d really like you there with me if you’re okay with it.”
“Absolutely.” She gives me a quick peck. “It’ll be okay.”
“I just wonder who these other kids are that he fathered,” I say as we reach the elevator and step inside a waiting car. “I use the term ‘fathered’ loosely.”
Richard greets me informally as usual. No receptionist, no formal waiting area.
I like that about him.
I introduce him to Jade, and he leads us down the hall. “You two are the last ones here,” he says. “Let me take you to the conference room with the other four guys.”
“Four?” I whisper to Jade.
Richard swings open a door at the end of the hall. “Go on in,” he urges me when I pause just out of sight of the room. “It will be okay.”
Jade keeps my hand in hers and gently leads me into the room.
As we turn the corner and come into view of the long, rectangular table, she gasps.
I take a quick scan of the room, and that’s when I realize why she was shocked. I have to bite back on a curse myself.
WTF?
“Devon?” Gray’s eyes narrow on me. “What the hell are you doing here?”
I flick my gaze from him to King on Gray’s left. “I’m thinking probably for the same reason you guys are.”
“Unbelievable,” King says as Jade and I take seats across from them. “This makes no fucking sense.” He turns to Jade. “Hey, Jade.”
Gray grins. “Hello, Ms. Jones.”
She smiles. “Hi, you two.” Like me, she glances around the room at the rest of the group.
King’s twin brother, Kane, who plays for the Bay Area Grizzlies, is sitting by himself at the head of the table. Kane gives me a head nod, but that’s the extent of his emotion. If he’s surprised by this turn of events, you’d never know.
And the last guy in the room? That would be Austin Black, head coach of the Vegas Flash. Coach Black is the youngest head coach in the history of the league, and his team nearly went all the way last year. He’s known for being a workaholic who studies games like they’re a puzzle he needs to solve.
“So.” Richard sits down at the opposite head of the table from Kane. “As you’ve probably guessed, all of you are the biological children of the same man. This makes you brothers.”
We all look at each other.
I’ve got four brothers?
And I’m the oldest, I realize as I look around the table...
As if this news isn’t shocking enough, Richard adds, “Your father’s name was Lyle Wild.”
Wild.
I look from King to Gray, who are doing the same. First of all, I already thought of those two as family. But to know that they’re my blood brothers is rocking me. Second of all, we’re Wilds. Does that mean—
“Lyle Wild had five brothers, two deceased and three still living. All of those brothers had kids of their own. So you’re part of quite an extended family.” He pauses. “Including Colton and Dylan Wild, who I know are teammates to three of you.”
“Colton and Dylan are our cousins?” Gray asks.
“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Gray says with a wicked grin.
Next to me, Jade squeezes my hand, and I realize I’m still holding onto her tightly.
“Colt and Dylan have been away at a memorial service for their uncle,” I say slowly.
It dawns on all of us at once.
“Meaning, they went to our father’s funeral,” Gray clarifies.
“Crazy shit,” King says with a shake of his head. “The Wild guys are my cousins? No fucking way.”
“Lyle left you something,” Richard says. “A rustic cabin in Montana. No one in the family knows he had it. He was reclusive and would disappear for months, sometimes years, at a time. You’ll all get keys to the cabin, and you’re not allowed to sell it. Every one of you has equal dibs to the place.”
“I don’t get it,” Kane speaks up. “How did he have all these sons in the football world? Do you know what the odds are of that?”
“Slim to none,” Richard agrees. “But Lyle played in the Canadian football league for years before he got injured. In his will, he states that football’s in his blood and in his family’s blood. Sometimes these talents seem to get passed down. I see it all the time.”
“Did he leave any letter for us?” Coach Black speaks for the first time.
Richard nods and unfolds a piece of paper in front of him. “I will make photocopies so you can each have your own. It says, ‘To my children, I was never cut out to be a father. I was too selfish. Don’t be like me. Be free, but not so much that you miss out on love and family. May my cabin bring you together. Get to know each other. Have each other’s backs. You’re a Wild. Do us proud, and embrace the Wild family and, if you choose, the Wild name. It would be an honor. Even though I never knew any of you, creating you was still the greatest thing I ever did. Sincerely, Lyle Wild, your father. P.S. If you’re pissed off, I would be too. I deserve your wrath. But move past that quickly, because life’s too short.’”
Richard folds the letter back up. “Any questions?”
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