“Unc.” Julie places her head on Mason’s shoulder and he melts – as we all do when she uses that trick to get her way.
Festivities are never on a schedule with this bunch. Shouting, laughter, pranks, and disagreements are plentiful . . . so why should Julie’s birthday be any different. Each one of these buffoons brought the traditional first year birthday cake. Meaning we had a one year old smashing her face in ten . . . YES, ten . . . cakes. With a damn outfit change between each one. I had one tired girl on my hands and a mess of a kitchen.
How dare I put her down for a nap before presents—.“I’m going to kill our friends and family,” I whisper to Deacon as he juggles a fussy baby.
“I’ll be your alibi, baby.” He kisses my forehead before kissing the crown of Julie’s head.
“C’mon.” Mason urges us to join them in the living room. He hops up before we sit down and steals Julie. Plucking a lollipop in her mouth as he settles her down with mounds of presents. Her eyes droop and sticky drool runs out of her mouth. Mason tears into the first present . . . an X-box. For a one year old. He’s an idiot. His grin and happiness is contagious though. Oh, look a catcher’s mitt. She can barely place a piece of hot dog in her mouth, but she’s expected to catch a thirty-five mile an hour ball. Imbeciles. The entire lot of them. Pink outfits from Lee Lee. A damn easel and PAINTS from Avery. I give up. It’s like a damn free for all in this house.
“Deacon, they’re out of control.”
“Yep, watch this.” He stands up. “Thank you all for being a part of today. Because of the abundance of love you’ve shown Julie, not just today but every single day a new toy appears, we’re out of room.” Groans fill the room. “But,” he shoots me a wink. “Our solution is simple. Whatever you bought her is taken to your house so she can play with it there.” I snicker and reach across picking Julie up, wiping the red sugar stuck to her cheek on Mason’s shirt and put my sleeping beauty to bed.
Baseball season should be called hell. He loves it. I love it for him.
He hates traveling. I hate him being gone.
Julie is walking and talking – and throwing fits when Mason doesn’t bring her a damn lollipop. I’m going to kick his ass.
“Pop. Pop. Pop.” Her tears stream as she stares at him.
“Unc Mason doesn’t have any.” He looks like he may shed a few tears.
“Pop. Pop. Pop.”
“Unc Mason will go get you some.”
“No. You’ve given her four. Enough, Mason.”
“But she’s crying.”
“Deal. I told you last week it wasn’t a good idea. You have to learn the word no, Mason.”
He walks to the door. “I swear if you bring another lollipop in this house, I’ll shove the stick up you’re a-s-s.”
“Spelling cuss words? Classy, Shortstop.”
“She repeats everything. So watch your mouth.”
“You’re mean.” He pouts. A twenty-year-old star baseball player fucking pouts because I won’t let him cuss or feed lollipops to a baby. More of a toddler now that she turned one. The same day Mason introduced her to lollipops. The entire fucking bag.
“Een.” Julie repeats—minus the m.
“See? Watch your mouth.”
“Unc Ace. Pop.” Her bottom lip sticks out and wobbles.
“Saylor, please. Don’t do this to her.”
“To her or to you?”
“Does it matter? I can’t do it. I’m going for lollipops.”
“Hand over your man card.” Deacon just emerged from the shower, and I lick my lips watching him walk in the room. “Later, Saylor.” He chuckles at me, knowing where my mind went.
“Dude, you look at your daughter and tell her no.”
“I don’t have to because I didn’t give her candy for this reason.” Deacon smiles at him and picks up Julie. “Let’s go get a cookie.”
“Cook.” She pats his cheeks, and the lollipop crisis is averted.
“You knew how to do that?”
“Distract a one-year-old? Yes, it’s my daily routine.”
“Bitch.” He glowers.
“Baby.” I smile. He slams the door as I make my way to the kitchen. I snake my arms around Deacon’s bare waist and kiss his back.
“Hmmm. After little bit goes to bed, I’m going to tear up your pussy.”
“Deacon. Not that word with her in the room.”
“Umm, you want to come up with a code name?” He’s being sarcastic.
“Yes. Matilda.”
He chokes as he tries to swallow his water. “I’m not referring to your you know what as Matilda.” He shakes his head. “That’s wrong.”
“Tilda,” Julie says with cookie flying out of her mouth and we laugh. Tears and belly-bending laughter. Most of our days are filled with it.
“You packed?” His fingers brush my hair back.
“Yeah.” Spring Break and travel. That’s what is on our agenda. Both sets of our parents are coming to help with Julie, but our entire week of break is taken up with games. He loves it. I love him. I’ve learned some terminology, and it makes him happy. That’s what I live for.
“It’s gonna suck not climbing in bed with you. I hate staying with the team.”
“Maybe if we get Mason a bag of lollipops he’ll help you sneak out.” I wink at him.
“Pop. Pop. Pop.” Shit!
Avery and Emberlee are driving me nuts with a team-building exercise. Exercise shouldn’t be included as a descriptive word if they want me to participate. Things are pretty damn good, but Emberlee is working her ass off, and she’s been amazing. Therapy has helped her, and the relationship she’s building with her dad has calmed her crazy down. She and Mason didn’t pick back up as fuck buddies, for which I’m thankful. She keeps promising me that since the therapist is acting as a buffer she will confront the issue of the letter she found. I personally think she’s afraid—it’s true.
“Look.” Avery throws a flyer at Lee Lee and me. I pick it up and see some nonsense that is advertising ‘Mud Run.’ Who in the actual fuck would not only run an obstacle course, but also in dirty wet mud?
“Nope.” I glance at her and laugh at her shocked expression.
“We’ve been vetoing things for a week. We are doing this.” Her hair bounces as she taps her foot, trying her hardest to look stern.
“I think it would be fun.” Lee Lee is such a traitor.
“What would be fun?” Mace, Caden, and my man walk in all sweaty from their workout. Deacon beelines for me and drops a kiss to my lips as I inhale his musty scent. It’s sexy.
“We’re going to do a mud run.” Hold up, I didn’t agree.
All three guys bust a gut laughing, and my attitude piques. “What’s so funny?”
“I remember your workouts. Shortstop, this isn’t for you.” I want to slap the smirk off Mason’s face.
“The hike I took you on to release your aggression…you never stopped complaining until you screamed loud enough to bust an eardrum.” Fuck, Caden.
“I’ll have you know I could do this and kick ass.”
“Want to wager?” Mason taunts. Shit, I’ve just agreed to this…damn my competitive streak.
“This isn’t a competition.” Avery is glaring. “It was supposed to be just us girls. School’s done in a week, and our summer is unknown.”
“It will be because y’all will suck so bad you won’t see us. You’ll be eating our dirt . . . literally.” Shit, Mason doesn’t stop. “Besides it isn’t like any of us are going backpacking through Europe. We live within minutes. We never have plans and end up spending every summer together.”
“Bullshit. We won’t lose.” I lock eyes with each of them. Deacon has the decency to try and hide his smile.
“Babe, you don’t have to prove anything to me. I know you have endurance.” Oh, he’s getting cut off. No, he isn’t because that hurts me.
Lee Lee claps, “I have the perfect bet.” She’s licking her lips, and Avery is succumbing to this plot
.
“Name your terms,” Caden challenges.
“We win, the entire baseball team, including you three give us a private rendition of your version of Magic Mike. The first one because the second one sucked. Except the welding scene. That was hot.” She’s lost in her thoughts replaying Channing Tatum humping metal. Now she has me salivating.
“Deal,” Mason the exhibitionist agrees.
“We’re safe,” my traitorous boyfriend agrees.
“If y’all win,” Caden starts laughing, “you three and your hot friends around campus do a rendition of Trickery Tara for us.”
“What the fuck is Trickery Tara?” Mason asks the question we are all thinking.
“The female version of Magic Mike.” His expression of exasperation has us all laughing.
“Minus Saylor,” Deacon warns.
“Nope, that’s cheating.”
“Fuck,” he whispers.
“Saylor, can you give him back his balls for a bit?”
“Mace, I can’t wait for a girl to grab yours.” I don’t particularly like anyone looking at Deacon, especially stripped down to his skivvies, but I’ll take one for the team. He, on the other hand, will have a coronary while we perform . . . and unless there is a miracle, I’ll be stripping down for Trickery Tara.
“Let’s go,” Avery waves Lee Lee and me to get off the couch.
“Where?” I’m comfy, and my man is here.
“Training. I’m not stripping for these fools.”
“To the mall.” Emberlee grabs her purse.
“We aren’t training at the mall,” I huff.
“We have to be cute for this thing.” She pushes her hair behind her shoulder and walks to the front door.
“Any color preference y’all want for our undergarments?” I need to get used to the idea of losing and ease Deacon into it.
Mason and Caden laugh, Avery looks scared, Deacon is barely holding it together, and Lee Lee is honking the horn. This endeavor will be as much fun as a tornado in a trailer park. I kiss Deacon and begin the journey to my torture chamber.
None of us are prepared for this crowd. We’re all in matching shorts and cute shirts Avery designed for us. Mason and Caden are trying intimidation methods; the entire baseball team is joining them, and their taunts and jeers are pissing me off. I can’t run my mouth because I know we don’t have a chance to beat them fairly.
“We’re so fucked.” Avery’s even caught a clue.
“Have we picked out a song for our striptease?” I ask.
Emberlee glares. Her eyes go back to the group of guys, zeroing in on one I don’t know. He looks a few years older and is fucking built. His eyes roam her body, and he seems aware of every step she takes. “I’m not losing. Not to that asshole.”
“Who is that?” This could be interesting.
“Nobody.” She’s trying to kill him with her eyes.
“Is that the reason you’ve stopped fucking your vibrator?” I choke at Avery’s observation. I’ve known for a while it’s been over a few months since she took a turn with ole trusty rabbit, but our dynamics are still off. After Mason, she didn’t want the real thing, no hurt feelings at all. They were truly fuck buddies and love each other— just not romantically.
“Shut up, Avery.” I guess we have our answers.
The signal for the start of the race echoes through the crowd, and we take off. At this pace, we’re all going to die. The guys threw us a bone, giving us a six-minute head start. The same amount of time they said we had to dance for them.
“Hurry!” Emberlee is channeling her father, barking orders like an officer.
Obstacle after obstacle we maneuver. I’ve got mud in my mouth, my eyes, my hair. I can’t catch my breath. We’ve smoked most of the competition. Mostly because Lee Lee is scary when she’s on a mission. We’re losing gusto, and I hear the guys behind us. Comments about our asses, about our racks, our legs, and how good we are going to look gyrating. One asks if he can bring singles to place in our G-strings. Deacon warned me he was going to have to take one for the team and keep his cool.
“We need a diversion!” I holler to them.
“No shit, but our asses in front of them is an incentive. They want to see more skin, less clothes.” Avery struggles to get her words out.
“Shit, I’ve got a cramp.” I look behind me, and they’re gaining ground. One more crawl or climb, and they will pass us.
“Fuck it. Here is our Hail Mary. I love you guys.”
“What are you doing?” Avery grabs my arm.
“Saving us. Or killing myself. We’ll have to see how it plays out.”
I whip my shirt over my head to reveal the skimpiest sports bra I could find . . . in red. His favorite color on me. I turn and jog backwards to Lee Lee’s laughs and Avery’s gasps of air. I spot my man and wink before turning around and falling in the mud. Every guy’s fantasy. I’m hoping it is one Deacon won’t be able to stand any other’s looking at. I crawl, hopefully seductively, up to my knees and smear the mud across my chest slowly and sexily. I feel like a damn fool.
Deacon shoots daggers at me, a few guys tripping over their feet. “UNCLE!” He stops running and crooks his finger for me to come to him. I raise my eyebrows and smile at him. “Put your shirt on, Saylor.” His words are staccato, and he’s looking at the crowd getting upset when he spots eyes on me.
“What do I get in return?” I challenge him, crossing my fingers this works.
“I’m out.” He resigns.
“No. Fuck no, Double D. You know the rules, unless there is an injury, we all have to cross the line.”
“One more pair of eyes looks at my girl I’m going to injure every one of you motherfuckers.”
“Promise?” I ask him. I know his word is everything.
“Yes, baby. Please put your god damn shirt on.” I quickly comply and run to give him a kiss. “You don’t play fair.”
I smile. “Nope. But you can blame Mason. He wanted to taunt us with the whole team. If he would have just kept the race to you three versus us, my plan wouldn’t have worked.” I wink and turn to Mace. “Thanks for being a dumbass. It benefited me this time.”
Deacon picks me up giving me another kiss. “You’re my weakness.”
“And you’re my strength.” I kiss him and push back to continue this course.
Just to piss Mason and Caden off, I slow to a walk. Avery and Lee Lee clasp each hand, and we whistle as we leisurely stroll—all united. “Oh, remember six minutes.” Emberlee gives them a final comment before we bust out laughing and cross the finish line. Victory is ours.
Since I took one for the team, per se, and cheated our way to winning, Avery and Emberlee agreed to not invite other girls over to witness them stripping. And undies had to stay upright. I am proud of what Deacon sports, but nobody else needs to see it. “More for our viewing pleasure,” Lee Lee is fast to agree. There is something else to her quick acceptance, but I’m not questioning it. Avery couldn’t care less; just happy we’d won.
“Great strategy.” She smiled at me. “Gave him just enough to see red.” I laugh at her and get comfortable. We all decide to mix Cosmos for our drink—sophistication to counteract the meat market we were preparing for.
“They better do us proud. I don’t want just schlong flinging.” Lee Lee kills me.
“You’re being optimistic thinking they all have abundant schlongs to fling.” I wink at her.
“I know Mason and Brody do.” Avery’s head whips to her, and I cough, snorting my drink through my nose.
“Who is Brody?” Emberlee is red and avoiding our looks.
“There is no Brody on the team,” I state the obvious.
“Fuck…” she whispers.
“Spill it,” I demand.
“Nobody. He is nobody.” Her tone tells us she isn’t sharing no matter how much we push, and I now have a name to match the strange face from earlier. I know he’s not part of the team, which begs the question even more. Her eyes fill
with tears, and she sighs.
I pull her to me. “It’s okay. We’re here when you need us.”
“Brody?” Avery asks her in a quiet tone. Lee Lee just nods as a few tears spill. “God, Lee Lee. When?”
“Last month. Thanksgiving. And last night.” I’m missing vital information.
“Emberlee.” Avery squeezes her hands. “Why? He hurt you last time.”
“No, Avery. He fucking destroyed me.” I’ll get the scoop when she’s ready; right now, she needs both of us. I hold her, and Avery stares at her while rubbing her back. We sit like this for minutes until Emberlee pulls away and slams her drink back in one gulp.
“Commence the sausage fest.” Her laugh lightens the tension, and we all prop our feet up, waiting for our guests of honor. “Thank God we agreed undies stay up because I don’t want to see hairy asses. And I swear if there are any skid marks on their boxers, I’ll shame them. I will post that shit all over every dorm and hall at school. Wash your nasty ass.” She gives me whiplash. Crying to laughter in less than ten minutes. Sheesh.
I could kick my own ass. I planned all this before they planned the mud run and ensuing bets. I would have been fine if it was just my teammates, but I’d forgotten I invited my parents and hers . . . until I trudged up my steps filthy and spotted their eager faces.
I’m thankful I took the loss so she wouldn’t have to strip. I don’t think her mom and Jack would have been too happy seeing that monkey wrench in our plans. My parents would kick my ass. When I told them what I had planned for tonight they’d been supportive. Hell, I have a kid nothing else is going to shock them. Her parents were a bit harder to convince. “She’s too young,” Jack had accused. “Don’t you think you should wait?” her mom pleaded. In the end, they gave their blessing, and I forgot to postpone the festivities and their arrival. Now I have to strip and dance and stall our parents.
“Uh, guys. Change of plans.” I grimace at them.
“What? What’s wrong?” Both our moms are worried.
“Did she dump you?” My dad and his fucking wit.
“No, she didn’t dump me. But we had the mud run today.” They nod. “Well, there was sort of a bet…we lost.”
Playing Fate (Endgame Series Book 1) Page 18
