by Nicole Dykes
I freeze at her unexpected question, and Brooke scolds her, “Cassie, drop it.”
Luke glares at his sister, “Really? You’re seriously still stuck on that shit? You need to let it go, little sister.”
Cassie tries to play it cool, “What, I’m just looking out for Hannah. She seems like a nice girl, and you are the one that said nice girls shouldn’t date guys like you.”
Luke grits his teeth, “I never said that, and don’t you dare compare me to that dickhead.”
Now Cassie sits up straight, and her voice goes up an octave, “How can I not when you’re just like him?” She turns to me, “Do you know how many girls he’s been with and then just tosses away?” I shift uncomfortably in my seat. This is definitely not what I expected to talk about tonight. Of course, I know Luke has been with a lot of girls, but it’s not something that I think about often. We both have a past.
I’m not sure what to say, but fortunately, Brooke steps in, “Cassie, leave Hannah out of this. Good lord, we don’t have to show her how insane we are all at once.”
Alex chuckles at that, “Yeah, you are supposed to let it out in small doses.”
Cassie is not amused, and neither is Luke, who looks straight at her, “Knock it off, Cass.”
“Or what Luke?”
Brooke gives Cassie a warning look, “Cassie maybe you should go to your room.”
She pouts, “Brooke, you can’t be mad at me. I told you guys I didn’t want to come in the first place. I don’t want to support the hypocrite.”
Luke shakes his head and looks at his phone, “We should go anyway, I’ve got to get back by curfew.”
He stands, and I follow. It’s kind of sad how tonight has ended. Brooke looks equally as unhappy, “I’m sorry about this. But I’m so glad we got to meet you, Hannah, and we will see you tomorrow at the game, right?”
I nod, “Yep, my ticket is right next to yours.”
“Great.” She looks in Cassie’s direction, “Hopefully, everyone will be in a better mood tomorrow.”
Gabby runs up to me and hugs me around my waist, “It was nice to meet you, Hannah.”
I smile, the youngest Monroe is certainly adorable. “It was very nice to see you again, Gabby. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She smiles and then runs back to Brooke, who seems to be her home base.
We tell everyone else goodbye before getting into Luke’s car and driving back to campus.
“So, you’ve really upset Cassie, huh?”
Luke turns onto the main road back, “Nah, she’s just insane.”
“I think I need the whole story.”
He grins, “Yeah I figured. The guy we were talking about was her boyfriend my junior year. He’s my age, and she was a freshman. Anyway, he treated her like shit. She lost her damn mind, and he ended up getting her in some trouble.”
“It happens.”
He laughs, “Yeah well, they broke up, and he decided to talk shit about her one day at lunch, which resulted in us getting in a fight.”
I look over at him in surprise. Luke may be big and bad, but I’ve never known him to be aggressive. Surely, it wasn’t physical. “So, you guys had words?”
“No, I kicked his ass.”
“Wow. And she’s still upset about that?”
He shakes his head, “Not exactly.”
“Oh no, what did you do?”
“Well, a couple of months ago, when I first saw you again, I went home and was kind of pissed off and frustrated with how you were acting towards me.”
Uh oh.
“Anyway, Cassie and Brent, that’s the asshole’s name, were home alone, and unfortunately, I caught them fucking in her room.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, so I kinda beat the shit out of him again.”
Luke parks his car in the dorm parking lot, “Oh no, Luke.”
“Yeah, it was a whole ordeal with Dylan and Jax involved too. He said some more shit right before we threw him out, and she thinks he said all of that because of how we treated him, which is total bullshit. But she also thinks I’m a hypocrite and that I’m just like him.”
I reach my hand up to Luke’s face, “You’re not an asshole. I actually think you are quite sweet.”
He laughs, probably at my cursing, which is something I don’t often do anymore. It’s not proper. “I can be a total asshole, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let anyone treat my sister like that. I’ll kick his ass every fucking time. I hate that she doesn’t know she’s better than that shit.”
“It’s Cassie’s lesson to learn.”
“It’s hard to watch.”
I smile, “Yeah, lessons always are. She’s a smart girl, though, from what I’ve seen. She’ll be okay. Brooke is really great, and I like her friend Alex. And Adam.”
He laughs, “Yeah, one big crazy, fucking family, but it works. You should have seen us all at the holidays. Alex’s brother even joins us. I’m sorry about all the drama, though.”
I smile, their unconventional family seems to really work, and I have never seen so much love in one place. “Don’t be, you guys just really love each other, enough to fight.”
He looks like he thinks I’m insane. “We do love each other, but I think fighting is supposed to be a bad thing.”
I shake my head, “Trust me, it’s a good thing. It means you care.”
I think about my own family. We rarely fight because the women “know their place” and don’t argue. We just stay tight-lipped and let our decisions be made for us. If I had to choose, I would choose their way over ours any day.
Luke leans over for a deliciously intense kiss before we get out of the car and go back to our separate worlds.
The next morning, I wake up and go to work early, I traded for the early shift today. Rachel thinks I am actually working a double and then going to a study group, but really I am heading to the game around two in the afternoon and sitting with Luke’s family.
I leave the library at two and drive out to Bill Snyder Family Stadium and the parking lot is totally full, so I have to park on a side street a couple of blocks away.
I’m dressed for football in my jean shorts and a K-State football jersey with Luke’s number on it. It’s an absolutely beautiful spring day, and there’s a lot of excitement on campus again with the football team back in action for the day. When I finally find my seat, I see everyone is already here.
Brooke gives me a big smile, “There you are.”
“Yeah, parking was crazy. It took me forever.”
“They are just about to announce the players, so you haven’t missed much.”
I smile happily and Gabby who is sitting between Alex and Brooke tugs on Alex’s arm, “Alex, you have to do Hannah’s hair!”
I look at her confused and Alex laughs, “Gabby, Hannah’s hair looks great.”
Gabby whines, “It doesn’t match ours, and it needs to.”
I look at all of the girl’s hair, including Alex’s and Brooke’s, and their hair is braided with really cute purple and white ribbons. Gabby even has a little, purple wildcat tattoo on her face. Brooke shakes her head, but is smiling, “Hannah, we did bring ribbon if you would like some in your hair for the game.”
Gabby in nodding her head excitedly, “You have to, Hannah! Alex is great at doing hair, and we have to show Luke our support.”
Cassie, who has so far been quiet, scoffs at that, and I see Dylan’s arm nudge her in a warning. I notice her hair is done in a French braid, though, and sporting the purple and white ribbons. I smile in her direction, “I really like your hair, Cassie.” And then to Gabby, who has her hair in adorable pigtails with ribbons, “And you look adorable.”
Gabby beams and Cassie shrugs, “Well I am a K-State fan.”
I laugh and then turn to Alex, “If you can make my hair look even halfway as cute as all of yours, I’m game.”
Gabby is out of her seat and bouncing up and down, “Give her pigtails too!”
Alex laughs
at the precocious girl, “Hannah is a bit old for pigtails, but I can figure something out. She pulls me into the seat next to her and positions my body so she can have access to my hair.
The boys don’t seem to think this is weird behavior at all, so it must be a very common occurrence. Alex quickly and efficiently French braids my long blond hair into really cute pigtails and then puts a purple ribbon on the left side and white on the right.
Gabby is certainly happy with the end result and asks Brooke for a mirror from her bag. After seeing my new hairdo, I certainly have to agree. “Thank you,” I tell her happily.
“You’re welcome, sweetie. You have great hair for braids.”
I smile, because Luke’s family is incredible, and I swear I already feel more comfortable with them than my own family. It feels like the old days, even without Luke’s parents being here. Although I miss Sylvia like crazy, I’m sure she would be happy knowing that Brooke has turned her home into a very happy one again.
We all stand for the National Anthem, hands over our hearts and then we hear the announcement to get ready for our Kansas State University Wildcats and the crowd goes completely wild.
They announce each player, and when they call, “Number 22, Luke Monroe at wide receiver” his family and plus every other female in the stands scream, and I am right there with them.
I look down as Luke runs onto the field with his helmet in his hands and in his uniform.
God, he looks good in that uniform.
After the game, Brooke turns to me, “So you’re coming over for the barbecue, right?”
I nod, “Yep, I’m free until ten.”
“And then what happens?” Alex asks totally innocently.
Right, a ten o’clock curfew isn’t normal for an eighteen, almost nineteen year-old girl in college. I keep forgetting that. “Oh well, I actually have church in the morning, and then I have to work, so I should try to be home around ten.”
How pathetic do I sound right now?
She nods as everyone picks up their stuff, and we filter very slowly out of the stadium. I’m sure Alex thinks I’m totally lame right now. She looks like someone who wouldn’t miss a good time for any reason. Her hair is dyed a beautiful shade of dark red, she has piercings and tattoos, and she has an awesome, yet hard attitude. I admire her fiery independence.
I want to be her when I grow up.
When we get out to the parking lot, Brooke looks to me, “Do you want one of us to ride with you so you’ll have some company?”
I laugh, it’s really not that far to the cabin, but I have a feeling she means herself so we can talk. “I’d love that.”
“Great, I’ll ride with you.” She turns to Alex and hands her a set of keys, “Be careful with my kids and my car.”
“Aye aye, captain.”
Brooke rolls her eyes, and I can’t help but laugh at Alex’s smart response. Dylan wraps his arms around Brooke, “I’m going to ride with Hannah out to the cabin.”
He grins at me, “Alright, you two be careful.”
He turns her to him and kisses her before whispering something in her ear that makes her grin and blush. Then, he sends us on our way.
“You guys seem to have a great relationship.”
Brooke gushes, “Yeah, I still can’t believe I found him. He’s a great guy. He’s been through hell, but he’s tough. I’m sure you probably know that since you’ve been around him most of your life.”
Something tells me Brooke didn’t have it all that easy in her life either, but she still has a happy attitude. “From what Luke tells me, you were there for them the entire time.”
Brooke laughs, “I couldn’t help but not be. I fell in love with them all.”
We reach my car, and I drive out to Tuttle Creek. “So are you excited for the wedding?”
“Oh my God, yes. I cannot wait to marry Dylan, but it’s only three weeks away so I am also in total freak out mode.”
I laugh, “Yeah, I bet.”
“So, you are coming right?”
I look over at her, “Oh I don’t…”
“You have to. I’m sure you are Luke’s plus whatever. I think he may be bringing a couple of guy friends, but I’m sure he will want you to go.”
In two weeks, I will probably be back home in Texas. “Um, maybe. He hasn’t mentioned it, but it’s the week after finals, so I’m not really sure where I’ll be by then.”
She waves her hands, “I really hope you can make it. We would even love to send ya a plane ticket. After hearing all of the Hannah stories and how close you were to the family before, I don’t think it would be right if you weren’t there.”
I smile, “I’ll do my best to be there if that’s what he wants.”
She looks giddy, “Great. I can’t believe you’ve known Luke since you were five, and I am just now hearing about you.”
I look at the road in front of me, sadly. It’s not surprising that Luke didn’t mention me after I disappeared on him. I never talked about him either. “Well, I moved away when we were thirteen.”
Brooke nods, “Right, but from what it sounds like you guys were really great friends.” She looks at my face trying to read my expression, which I sure shows how uncomfortable I am. “Oh shit, I’m rambling, people tell me I need a filter sometimes.”
I shake my head, “No, it’s just we kinda drifted apart for a few years. Didn’t talk at all.”
I know she wants to know why, but there is no way I can tell her, although I’m genuinely worried that if this were a longer trip, she could get it out of me. “I’m sure there were reasons.”
I try to shrug it off, “Yeah, well we were really young, and people drift apart.”
She smiles, “It’s pretty cool that fate brought you back together.”
I glance at her and then focus back on the road, “Fate?”
“Yeah, fate. I mean you guys ended up at the same college, and it’s a big college. The fact that you guys ran into each other at all is pretty cool. I would say you are fated to be at least friends.”
God, I pray she’s right.
Chapter 25
Luke
After the game, I take a quick shower and ride with Cameron and Hunter out to the cabin Dylan rented for the weekend. Today, they have a big barbecue planned. Hannah texted me earlier that she rode with Brooke. That has me wondering if Brooke may have been able to get some information out of Hannah. She is a master at it, after all.
Cam pulls up to the cabin, “Hell yes, I am so ready for some of Brooke’s cooking.”
I laugh and hop out of the car, “Don’t hit on Brooke, Cam. Dylan will kill you.”
We all laugh at that and walk toward the door, but then detour to the back when we hear voices coming from behind the cabin. I see Hannah sitting at the table with Cassie and Alex. The guys are all standing around the grill. Gabby is playing with her dog, Toby. And Brooke is nowhere to be seen, so the obvious deduction is that she is in the kitchen.
I smile over at Hannah, who waves before going back to her conversation with Alex and Cassie. We walk over to the guys, and Dylan greets us happily, “Hey, we were wondering when you guys would get here.”
He greets Cam and Hunter and introduces them to Shriller. Cam is a huge fan and it reminds me of myself the first time I met him. Now, he’s just part of this crazy group whenever he’s in town.
Jax bumps fists with us, “You guys looked damn good on the field today. I think this season you may go to the playoffs.”
After that, he and Hunter begin a lengthy conversation about the team and our chances of a successful season. Football is Hunter’s passion, so he seems content.
With the guys settled in, I leave the group and make my way over to Hannah, still deep in whatever girls talk about.
She springs up from the picnic table, “Hi!”
I examine her hair, it’s in two braids with purple and white ribbon entangled in it, and it looks sexy. Of course, just about anything looks sexy on Hannah. I look at A
lex, “Your work?”
“Of course, she’s part of the gang now.”
I laugh and take Hannah’s hand, leading her a little way away from everyone else, “Did you have fun today?”
“I really did. Everyone is so amazing, Lucas. And Alex is a riot. I sincerely doubt that the girl has a filter, because she will say just about anything.”
“Uh oh, what did she say?”
“Oh, nothing bad, I just like how open, and honest everyone is. It’s really great.”
I nod, “Yeah, no one here really has a filter. How was your ride with Brooke?”
“It was a lot of fun, she is so nice, and she’s pretty outspoken and honest as well, kind of in a ‘get to know you’ way.”
“She’s not always so open. Remember, she and Dylan hid their relationship for quite a few months. She definitely has a secretive side.”
Hannah just shakes her head, still smiling, she seems really happy lately and I’m right there with her, “They had to, I can’t imagine risking everything they did. They had to have been terrified the entire time, but they did it for love. I admire that.”
I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her to me, “Did you tell her all your deep dark secrets? She has a way of dragging that shit out of you.”
She laughs, “Oh of course not.”
“Is she in the kitchen?”
“Yes. Alex said she’s in a zone.”
I know exactly what zone she’s talking about. Brooke is a little crazy when it comes to cooking. “Well, I’m going to go risk it and talk to her for a sec, you good out here?”
She nods, “Of course, I’m enjoying hearing about all the older Lucas stories and sharing the younger ones with them.”
I groan, “Fantastic.”
She gives me a quick kiss and then rejoins Cassie and Alex, all giggling happily, probably at my expense.
I walk into the back door of the cabin that leads into the kitchen and see Brooke dancing around to her loud music while she cooks. I just shake my head at my soon to be sister-in-law, “You need any help?”
She turns to me a little startled, “No, I’m okay. That was one hell of a game today.”
