by Ali Parker
"Jayce." He stood up and extended his hand. "Man, I'm so glad you were here the other night."
I grabbed his hand and hugged him tightly, trying not to notice the way his breath caught as if he were going to lose his shit in front of me. I'd deal with it if he did, but I knew he didn't want to. No man did.
"Me too. I hated to put the heat on you..." I moved back and tapped my bicep playfully.
He snorted. "Thank you. I'm so sorry you had to see me like that. It's been a long fucking year."
"I bet. Layla says you're getting some help though, which is awesome." I extended a glove to him. "Come on. Let's see if you still got it, old man."
"Old man?" He snorted and shook his head. "You're goading me."
"Duh. I goad everyone." I walked down the stairs, reveling in how natural it felt to be with Layla's family. "Layla tell you I finally asked her out?"
He laughed, the sound of it brightening the day. "No, but it's about damn time. You're the only boy I've ever known to be at every event my little girl had. I figured you'd ask her to marry you one day. If someone got to her before you, I was just going to tell the bastard no. She's been spoken for for a long ass time, right?"
I took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, she has. I love her with all of my heart."
"I'd warn you not to hurt her or hit her ever, but I know you too well to drag out that speech." He lifted his arms and chucked the ball at me.
I caught it and smiled. "What can we do to help you and Mrs. Roberts?"
"Nothing, but thank you for asking." He shrugged and lifted his glove. "Layla says your sister is marrying Lucas White. He's the hockey hero guy, right?"
"Yes, Sir. He's my best friend." I tossed him the ball and took a few steps back. "You should look into coaching again. You used to love it, right? Just because Layla is grown up doesn't mean you can't coach other teams."
"I thought you had to be a parent of one of the players." He caught the ball and tossed it back to me.
"I don't think so. I'll check into it for you." I jumped to catch his next ball and glanced to my right to see Layla watching us from the window. The look on her face was enough to keep me playing catch with her dad until the sun went down if she wanted me to. It meant the world to her, and she meant the world to me.
Chapter 24
Layla
"Dinner was great, Mom." I pulled my mom into a tight hug as we stood at the door.
"Good to see you again, Mr. Roberts." Jayce extended his hand toward my dad, who pulled him into a tight hug.
"You too, son. Let me know what you find out about the Boys & Girls Club thing." My father moved over to me, hugging me tightly and kissing the top of my head. "And keep my baby safe."
"Always." Jayce took my hand as I moved back.
We turned and walked down the stairs slowly. I had so many things to say to him, but there would be tears with every one of them and now wasn't the time. Aubrey had texted both of us in a pure panic while we were eating. The tuxes were ordered in the wrong color, and it was easier to change the color of the dresses instead.
We were supposed to grab my dress and shoes and meet her at the mall by three. Our afternoon of laying around the apartment together was gone, but we'd have one soon.
"Thanks for coming with me." I got in the jeep and glanced over at Jayce. "It did my dad a lot of good to see you."
"Yeah. I had a good time. I love your folks." He started the truck and pulled out of the driveway. "I really need to study for a Chemistry exam coming up next week. Damn my sister and her wedding."
I chuckled. "I'll help you cram until you take the test. Sound good?"
He glanced over at me. "Sounds great. Can you sit on my lap while we study?"
"Naked?" I offered up.
"Um, yes. I wasn't going to take it that far, but naked works really well." He adjusted himself and reached over to take my hand in his. "Not to change the subject, but we really need to go see my parents now that we're together. I told them already, but they acted like it was about damn time."
I laughed. "I know the feeling. We've been skating around each other for twenty years, Jayce."
"I realize that. You're just stubborn. I tried to get your attention a million times over the last twenty years." He wagged his eyebrows, causing my smile to lift higher.
"Liar. Tell me one time." I tugged at my seatbelt as he drove us back toward the apartment.
"Easy. Remember our senior year when your asshole boyfriend, Scotty Wanes, decided at the last minute that he didn't want to go to prom with you?"
I shook my head. "That was horrible. How was that you hitting on me? If it wasn't for you taking me, I'd have sat at home like a freaking loser."
"I paid his ass to dump you." He smiled, proud of himself.
"What?!" I swatted at him. "I liked that guy. He had nice teeth."
"He looked like a horse." He laughed and grabbed my hand again. "Did we have fun that night?"
I huffed and slumped into my seat. "Yes. It was one of the best nights of my life. You paying my boyfriend off to dump me isn't a way to get my attention. I had no idea you did it. I would have killed you if I had."
"I know. So I kept it to myself and spun the most beautiful girl in the room around all night." He squeezed my hand tightly and smirked. "It worked, didn't it?"
I rolled my eyes. He was impossible. It didn't work in the way he wanted it to. It didn't alert me to the fact that he was in love with me. I just figured Aubrey forced him into it because he didn't have a date for prom.
"What else did you do to ruin my love life when I was younger?" I narrowed my eyes as he pulled up to the apartment.
"You remember last night when I made you come three times?" His cheeks colored pink even though he was trying to be sexy. "Let's just focus on that moment, okay? The past is in the past."
"Jayce Moore!" I got out of the jeep and jogged after him as he got out and bounded up the stairs.
"Remember that I love you?" He laughed and got into the apartment before I did. He was lucky we were late for meeting his sister or I would have held him down and taken his confession through his laughter and tears. The poor boy was ticklish everywhere, and I was just enough of a bitch to use it to my advantage any time I needed to.
*
"Wait, you told her?" Aubrey smirked and glanced over at Jayce as we walked down the mall.
"Wait a minute. You knew?" I turned to face my best friend. "Were you guys in cahoots with each other our whole lives? Unbelievable. You're my best friend!"
"She's my sister." He moved toward me, grabbing my wrist and pulling me close. "I didn't do much more than fuck up a few dates for you, Layla. Those boys wanted in your panties and I knew you'd be mine one day. There was no damn way I was sharing you if I could help it." He kissed the tip of my nose as I turned my glare onto Aubrey.
She lifted her hands in the air and spun around. "I knew this would turn on me one day."
I looked back toward Jayce. "Unbelievable."
"You're not really mad. I can tell." He cupped my face, massaging the base of my head as he leaned in and kissed me softly. It quickly turned into something a little more intimate.
"Come on guys. Really? Ugh." Aubrey tugged at the back of my shirt. "Let's get the dress and you two horn balls can go back to the apartment."
I moved back a little dizzy.
"Still mad?" He reached for me, sliding his fingers against mine as I shook my head no. How could I be? None of those other guys mattered now that Jayce was in the picture.
"No. It's still ridiculous, but somewhat cute too." I walked toward the store Aubrey disappeared into. "I'm really not in the mood to try on dresses. I ate too much at my mom's house."
"Just suffer through it and we'll lay around and watch movies tonight in our pjs." He squeezed my hand and smiled down at me.
"I thought we were studying for your Chemistry test."
"We can, but I'd much rather study anatomy with you instead." He wagged his eyebrows.<
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I pulled my hand from his, rolling my eyes. "I swear. You're just a fifteen-year-old boy stuck in that hot man body."
"You like it?" He rubbed his hands down his chest and rolled his hips.
Aubrey groaned and put her hand on her hip. "This is so much more disturbing than I thought it would be."
"What?" I stopped in front of her as Jayce sat down in one of the chairs around a small stage in the center of the room.
"You and my brother being together. Behave for thirty minutes. Please?" She turned her serious stare from me to Jayce.
I glanced back at him to see an innocent look on his handsome face and his finger pointed toward me as if it were all my fault.
"Seriously?" I laughed and started to go after him.
Aubrey grabbed my hand and pulled me back toward a dressing room. "Come on. There are three dresses in your size in the darker blue that the guys’ tuxes match. Try them on for me and we'll get out of here quickly."
"All right." I walked into the dressing room and fingered through the three of them. "I'm not wearing this one. No way in hell."
She took it and pointed to the longer of the two remaining. "I feel like that one is too long, but see what you think."
"I like it." I pulled off my shoes, shirt and jeans quickly. "Help me zip it?"
"Sure." She walked out of the dressing room with the one dress I didn't like and I could hear her and Jayce laughing about something. The sound of them together caused me to smile. I loved them both so crazy much.
I tugged the dress over my waist and turned to face the small mirror in front of me. It looked good, better than I expected. I pinched it under my arms and reached up to pull my hair down. I'd be wearing it down for the wedding for sure.
"All right. Let me zip you up." Aubrey glanced over my shoulder and smiled. "I like it already. Looks really good on you."
"I like it too." I waited until she finished zipping it. "Let me walk around in it for a few minutes to make sure I'm not going to trip or anything."
"Cool." She opened the curtain and moved back.
I walked toward Jayce, who stood up and gave me a sexy smile.
"Oh, I like that a lot. You look like a princess." He extended his hand to me.
I took it and curtsied as he bowed.
Aubrey snorted and sat down in the chair Jayce was in moments before. "Dance for me. Let me see how it looks when you move around in it."
"With pleasure." I slid into his arms and gripped his hand tightly as he wrapped a strong arm around me and moved me around the small stage. He was the best dancer in the world as far as I was concerned. He spun me out, letting me turn a few times before moving back into his arms.
"So beautiful, baby." He brushed his nose by mine. "I can't wait until it's our turn."
Chill bumps broke out along my skin. "You have to ask me first."
"Oh, I'm aware." He stopped and leaned toward me, dipping me low toward the ground before gracefully pulling me back up. "I'm going to do it when you least expect it."
He kissed my lips softly and growled, "Go change and let's get the fuck out of here."
"I can still hear you." Aubrey stood up and walked toward the dressing room. "I do love the dress though. Maybe you can wear it for my wedding and then I can wear it for yours."
I laughed as I followed her back into the dressing room. "Jayce and I just started dating, Aubrey. It's going to be a while."
"Doubt it." She moved in behind me and closed the curtain before unzipping my dress. "You just need to help him pass Chemistry and then the two of you can graduate together, get married and start your life together."
"We've already started it." I gripped the front of the dress as it sagged. "He went with me out to my mom's today."
"Oh yeah. How did that go?"
I turned to face her and smiled. "Really good. He was so good to my daddy. Most guys that saw what Jayce did wouldn't offer a bit of kindness to my dad, but he was so kind and loving."
"That's Jayce for you." She reached up and brushed the tears that dripped onto my cheeks. "I love you. You've always been my choice for Jayce, you know."
I moved up and pressed my cheek to her shoulder and she hugged me tight. "Well, we had to figure out some way to become sisters for real. Don't tell him that this was the plan all along?"
"I can hear you out here. Jeez." Jayce's voice was high pitched as if he were truly agitated by us.
I laughed and moved back. "Damn... we're caught."
"And he thought I was helping him all those years." Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Please!"
“Still here.” Jayce’s response caused us to start laughing all over again.
Chapter 25
One Month Later
Jayce
It felt weird being in the stands instead of playing on the field, but it just so happened that the girls’ softball team had an extra game that week, and we didn't. I glanced around at our friends as a smile lifted my lips.
Emily and Jacob were arguing over whether the snow cone they were sharing was cherry flavored or strawberry. I couldn't imagine eating a snow cone as cold as it still was. Spring was showing up more and more, but it was chilly enough for a jacket still.
"Hey. Layla's up to bat." My sister pressed her shoulder against mine and smiled at me.
"You nervous about tonight? I'm kinda surprised you're not there at the church already." I leaned around her to give Lucas a look.
He shook his head but didn't say anything. It would seem she'd been training him to keep quiet. I laughed at the thought.
"I'm going straight over there from here, thank you very much." She rolled her eyes. "It's only two. The rehearsal dinner starts at six."
The announcer’s voice pulled my attention away from Aubrey. "Up next, pitcher for the Lady Friars, number ten, Layla Roberts."
We clapped and I cupped my hands over my mouth. "Hit it out of the park, baby. Show 'em what you got."
She glanced back at us and smiled, stealing my heart like she did every time she looked my way. I still couldn't fathom how we finally ended up together. I wasn't sure I would ever get over it, which felt like a good thing.
The pitcher threw an outside pitch and I watched Layla's body tighten as she stepped back and swung.
"No, baby. Step toward the ball," I whispered roughly. This was the first time I'd seen her in action since we worked on outside pitches. She'd played a good handful of games over the last four weeks or so, but she hadn't mentioned her problem in a while. I figured she really didn't have one. Looks like I was wrong.
She rolled her shoulders and lifted the bat again.
"Come on, Layla. You got this!" Jacob yelled from behind me as Aubrey called out a few positive things from beside me.
The pitcher threw another outside ball, and Layla stiffened and stepped back, missing the ball altogether.
"Fuck," I mumbled and got up, moving through the crowd down to the fence. I shifted over to the left side of the field and pressed myself against the fence. "Baby. Straighten your hips and step toward the plate. You're pulling back and stepping away. Remember how we did it?"
She glanced up at me with worry on her beautiful face. Damn... she hadn't been playing with me. She really was struggling with this type of pitch.
"Remember what I showed you?" I smiled at her, trying to give her courage to do what we'd gone over.
She nodded and took a deep breath before stepping up to the plate.
"Step toward the plate, Lay," I called out and held my breath as the fucking pitcher through another outside pitch.
Layla started to move back, but corrected herself at the last minute and stepped forward, swinging and knocking the hell out of the ball. It flew over the fence, and she tossed the bat and ran around the bases quickly. She touched home and jogged over toward me, pressing herself against the fence and kissing me through it.
"I love you. Thank you."
"And here I just thought you wanted my hands all over you."
; "I do." She winked and turned to jog back toward the dugout.
I stood there for a few minutes, trying to figure out how to hide my rising erection from my friends. Somehow my girl chose the most inopportune times to turn me on.
"Yeah, like all the time." I untucked my shirt and walked back to the stands. Jacob, Micah and Lucas had the same smirk on their faces. I growled softly and shook my head. "Yeah, fuck all you guys too."
They laughed as the girls started to ask questions. I ignored them and pressed my forearms to my knees, leaning over and looking down toward the dugout. My girl was pressed to the fence, watching me like she had plans for me later that night.
It would have to be late. We had my sister's rehearsal dinner and dancing with everyone afterward. Late was good. Hell, anytime was good for me. As long as she was involved... I was in.
*
"All right. Lucas, you and Jacob and Jayce get to the front like you're going to be when we come in the door. Layla, you and Emily get out in the hall." Aubrey glanced around and brushed her hair back, looking as nervous as she made me feel.
Our mother was somewhere down the hall, tearing some poor guy’s ass off the back of him because they didn't use the right color of ribbon on the bouquets for the girls. I almost felt sorry for Lucas’s parents, who were a little standoffish, but still much more chill than my folks.
"We got the easy job," Jacob mumbled as we walked toward the front of the church.
I patted Lucas on the back and smiled over at him. "You getting nervous, dude?"
"Nope. I'm just ready to get this thing over with. I want your sister beside me for the rest of my life. If this hoopla is part of making that happen?" He shrugged. "So be it."
"Good answer." Jacob moved up to stand beside me as I took my place between him and Lucas. We turned toward the back of the church and Aubrey and the preachers talked for a few minutes.
