The Strong Family Romance Collection

by Cami Checketts

  Stetson wrapped his hand around the steering wheel and squeezed. “I am sorry,” he admitted.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  He shrugged, released the steering wheel, and angled toward her. “I was embarrassed,” he admitted. He didn’t know how much of a story she wanted, or if she’d forgive him, but he had to try. “Football was my life. I was supposed to be a shoo-in for the NFL, but … nobody had a position for me. I got my latest rejection from the Texas Titans the day my dad died.”

  Teal’s green eyes softened, but she didn’t lean toward him or say anything.

  “I’m sorry I kept it all from you, but I’ve felt like such a loser. It’s hard to explain how it feels to have all your dreams, everything you’ve worked for your entire life, ripped away from you. I feel like I have no purpose, and …” He stared at her beautiful face. “You didn’t look at me with compassion or ask me what NFL team was going to sign me or act like all the girls who chased me in college. You seemed to like me for me. The truth is, I’ve been falling for you hard and fast, and I know I’m so far from worthy of you.” He shook his head and looked away.

  Teal touched his arm, and he focused back on her. “I was falling for you too.”

  He smiled tentatively, hopeful again. “And …?”

  She shook her head and pulled her hand back. “I hate that you lied to me, especially after I asked you not to.”

  He nodded. There was no excuse for that.

  “And I think you need to figure out where you want to be before you can even think of pursuing a relationship with anyone.”

  Stetson’s breath caught. She was ditching him. He didn’t blame her. It still hurt, but he still had to try. He didn’t touch her, but he leaned closer and said, “Teal. I’ve worked my entire life to be successful and make the NFL. It might not happen, but somehow, someway I’m going to find my spot.” He looked over her beautiful face. “When I do, I’m going to find you. You’ll be the first person I come to.”

  She stared at him, her green eyes suspiciously bright. “Is that a promise?”

  “Yes.” He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t even know where his spot might be, but as soon as he figured himself out, he was going after Teal. He’d prove to her that he knew he shouldn’t have hidden football from her, and that he wouldn’t hide anything from her in the future.

  She leaned across the console and gave him a quick kiss, so quick he barely registered it. He wanted to grab her and hold on, but he forced himself to let her go. She gave him a sad smile, pushed out of the door, and ran lightly for the house.

  Stetson watched her go. He had fallen in love with Teal Leah Jardine, and he’d messed it up. She was so far out of his league that he should be laughing at himself, but somehow, someway, he would make this work.

  Chapter Eleven

  That night, Stetson’s siblings treated him with a lot of gratitude, but they also acted like he was made of glass. Someone had probably shared how Teal had ditched him, and now everyone was worried about the baby brother who couldn’t find the person meant for him or his place in life. He hated it. Thankfully, Austin, Will, Izzy, and the fat baby Tate didn’t treat him any differently. Well, Austin and Will treated him like a hero, but that was pretty normal for those two.

  Early the next morning, his siblings started peeling off for their own homes. Nick and Mary headed for their home in Golden, west of Denver; Heath and Hazel took Jed, Cassie, Will, and Izzy with them on their private jet back to Park City; and Trey and Ella decided to stay in their house in the valley rather than fly back to Kauai so they could be there for Mama.

  Stetson worked out with Gavin and Austin in their garage gym, then spent the rest of the morning on his laptop, applying for every head coach or defensive coordinator position he could find for high school or college teams. There weren’t many. Most of the hiring had been done months ago. He was behind the game, but maybe getting the word out would at least get his name in front of people. He hated to wish ill fortune on anyone, but sometimes things happened and a position opened up.

  He tried to ignore the longing to drive to Denver, pound on Teal’s parents’ door and beg her to forgive him for hiding the truth, but he thought the bigger problem was: she was right. He did need to figure out who he was and where he wanted to be before he could be part of a relationship, especially with someone as amazing as Teal.

  There was a rap on his door. He stretched and opened it.

  Austin held a football and grinned up at him. “Will you play catch with me?”

  “Sure.” Stetson sat in the side chair and slid into his running shoes.

  They walked out to the backyard. It was odd how quiet everything was with everyone gone.

  “I’m glad you’re still here,” Austin said as they tossed the football back and forth.

  “Me too.” Stetson meant it. It was good to be with family. He just wanted Teal here with them. Selfish. That’s what he was.

  “I wish Will lived here.”

  “I bet. He’s a great guy.”

  “For sure. So are you, Uncle Stetson.”

  “Thanks.” He caught the ball and tossed it back.

  “I’m glad football starts in a few weeks. Otherwise it would be so boring without everybody around.” Austin’s eyes lit up. “Hey. If you don’t have a job yet, will you help my dad coach our team?”

  Stetson smiled. It wasn’t the kid’s fault that he probably wouldn’t have a job in the next week. “I’d love to. Thanks for asking.”

  Austin beamed. “That’d be so cool. I’m so ticked you didn’t get the NFL. Those coaches are stupid, right?”

  Stetson had thought the same thing, but he knew it wasn’t true. “Naw, bud, they have to do what’s best for their team and what they have money for. There just wasn’t a position for me.”

  “Do you think maybe next year?”

  Stetson hated to disappoint the kid. He was disappointed enough for the both of them. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s the wrong dream for me.”

  “Is Teal the right dream for you?” Austin winked obnoxiously.

  Stetson wished he could laugh, but all he did was drill the ball back at his nephew.

  “Whoa. I guess not.”

  “Timing just isn’t right,” Stetson finally grunted.

  Austin hurled the ball back. “I remember when I was little and I didn’t get to play quarterback like I wanted. What did you tell me?”

  Stetson couldn’t remember. He shrugged.

  “You said that losers whine about not getting the spot they want; winners work their butts off until the right position opens up.”

  Stetson’s eyebrows went up. “You’re quoting a line from a cocky high school kid?”

  “From you, Uncle Stetson. You also told me the harder you worked, the luckier you got. Right?”

  Stetson didn’t like his words being thrown back at him. They were classic football motivation lines that he’d heard from coaches all his life. He used to believe them. He wasn’t sure what he believed right now.

  “So stop whining, figure out where you want to be, and figure out how to get Teal back.” Austin threw the ball hard at him.

  Stetson didn’t catch it. It drilled him in the chest, then dropped to the ground.

  “Oops.” Austin was fighting a smile.

  Stetson stared at him. He’d spent his life working hard and opening positions just like he’d told his nephew. Now, the first time something didn’t work out, he gave up. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. He’d tried hard and long to get in the NFL, but maybe that wasn’t his spot. Who knew where he was supposed to be? At least he was trying. Could he make things happen with Teal?

  He picked up the football and tossed it to Austin. Austin snatched it out of the air. Stetson sprinted at his nephew. Austin dodged away, laughing. Stetson grabbed him, lifted him off his feet, and tackled him softly to the grass. They lay there, laughing for a few seconds.

  “Thanks, bro,” Stetson said.

  “Sure. You�
��re kind of my hero, you know?”

  “You might need a new hero.”

  “Naw. You’re the best.”

  Stetson stared at his nephew. He loved this kid.

  Teal spent the next morning organizing her paintings, talking with galleries, and then packaging and shipping. She wanted so badly to go back to her meadow and paint. Now that Ike had been arrested, she wasn’t in any danger. She stared out the window of her second-story room at her parents’ massive home. What she really wanted was to go to Stetson. She missed him. How would it be to paint the meadow with him kissing her every break she took, teasing her and telling her he wouldn’t behave like a priest?

  She shook her head. He needed time to figure out where he needed to be, and she needed time to forgive him for lying to her. She’d been lied to so many times by her parents. You’d think she’d be used to it, but it still hurt every single time.

  Pulling out her laptop, she googled “most beautiful islands in the Caribbean.” There were various opinions on the subject, but she finally decided on St. Martin, or St. Marteen, depending on if you were on the French or the Dutch side of the island. A change of scenery would be good for her. She texted Jade her plans but didn’t worry about telling anyone else. Her parents wouldn’t care. Stetson might care, but she wasn’t so sure she wanted to be found.

  She had barely packed her bag and got an Uber coming when her phone rang. She smiled, pushed to accept, then cradled the phone between her ear and her shoulder. “Jade.”

  “Sassy sis. What’s this about St. Martin?”

  “Just a new spot to paint.”

  “You stopping to see me on the way?”

  “My layover in Fort Lauderdale is only an hour.”

  “That’s Lame Lucy planning, my sis. I’ll forgive you. Maybe I’ll fly down and see you. How long will you be there?”

  “As long as it takes.”

  “To what?”

  Teal carried her suitcase down the stairs, then headed out the front door and down the walk. Might as well wait outside the gate for the Uber. It was twenty minutes out. Walking out into the bright sunshine felt good. She never liked being at her parents’ house too long. She appreciated that they let her use it as a home base to store paintings, but as well as she was doing financially, she should probably buy a condo for the tax write-off and so she didn’t need to come back here. They wouldn’t notice either way.

  “Takes to what?” Jade prodded.

  “I just need a fresh start.”

  “Why? There’s something in your voice. Is it about that guy you told me about? No Lying Lexi, girl. What’s up?”

  Teal went through the smaller side gate, and it clanged locked behind her. She leaned against the fence and sighed. “Google Stetson Strong.” She should’ve asked Jade to do that the first night she’d met Stetson and saved herself the heartache. Yet then she would’ve missed out on him. She’d rather have the memories, and maybe the hope he’d figure things out, and help her somehow trust him.

  “Stetson Strong. Ooh, I like that name. Just a second.” There was a pause and a clank; then Jade came back on. “I had to lock my office door. Creepy Curtis is always lingering around.”

  “How do you put up with that guy?”

  “Climbing ladders, sis. I just won a trip to Puerto Rico and a cruise. Two weeks in November. We’ll be staying at a Jewel resort and then going on a Royal Caribbean ship, and rumor is that Joshua Jewel will be on that cruise with us. I can’t miss this chance. Finally, finally, I’m going to meet him.”

  Joshua Jewel was the oldest son of the Jewel family and the managing head of Jewel resorts. He was ultra-successful and reclusive, forming various charities but somehow evading the media, nobody had a decent shot of his face. It was an impressive trait in this day and age, but it made Jade even more obsessed with meeting and interviewing him. Jade had a blog, a podcast, and social media dedicated to showing behind the scenes with famous people. It was amazing the doors she could open using their parents’ connections and her own ingenuity and personality.

  Right now, Jade was the assistant to the CEO of the management company for the Jewel resorts that was based out of Boca Rotan, Florida. Teal thought she should move on because her boss, Curtis Slade, was more than creepy, but she was pretty certain Jade didn’t quit and find a job worthy of her skill set, education, and abilities, because she kept holding out hope that she’d be able to expose Joshua Jewel. She was more than complimentary on her sites when the famous people were stand-up, but if they had hidden secrets, she didn’t hesitate to share. She hated lies and secrets as much as Teal did.

  “We’re not talking about me. It’s you, sis, and … Holy heaven with a halo and a massive set of muscles.” She whistled, then yelled, “Yes to Stetson Strong!”

  Teal smiled. Jade’s Google search must’ve just come up.

  “Now that is one magnificent man. And a football player to boot? That will tick Priscilla Prude off to no end. How serious is it, my sweet sis?”

  Teal didn’t care about ticking her mother off. She did care about Stetson, but it wasn’t meant to be. “It’s not. I fell hard and fast, but he lied about a couple of things, didn’t even tell me he played football, and went out of his way to keep other people from sharing with me as well.”

  “Oh.” Jade’s voice fell flat. After being lied to about one thing or another their entire lives, they both rated honesty as the highest priority in a man. Teal didn’t even have to get into Stetson’s other issues for Jade to know it was over. “Sorry, sis.”

  “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have said anything. So I’m going to lie low in St. Martin. I’ll paint gorgeous beaches, sea caves, and the nature preserve, drink piña coladas, and forget about him.” She perked up when she heard the Uber roll in. “Uber’s here. I’ll call you at the airport.”

  “All right. Love you.”

  “Love you.” Teal handed over her suitcase—which had more rolled canvases than clothes—and her painting supplies backpack and got into the car with her laptop bag and purse. Jade had understood instinctively why Teal couldn’t be with Stetson. If only Teal’s heart would listen.

  Chapter Twelve

  Stetson knew he should give Teal some space. Maybe if he could stand to wait a week or two, he would have a job offer and she would have the time to forgive him for not sharing everything with her. By the end of the day he was chomping at the bit, and he decided it was stupid to not go after her. She was only an hour and a half away in Denver. He’d learn how to beg and most importantly prove she could trust him.

  He cleaned up, borrowed Mama’s Land Rover, and drove much quicker than he should’ve. His fingers drummed on the steering wheel, and he couldn’t find a radio station that didn’t annoy him. Finally, he pulled up to the ostentatious gate surrounding her parents’ home. He pressed the button, and a woman’s voice asked, “Yes?” It wasn’t Teal.

  He swallowed down his disappointment and said, “Hi, I’m looking for Teal.”

  “She’s not here.”

  Silence. Stetson felt like his heart would crack apart. “Do you have any clue where she is?”

  “Who are you?”

  “Stetson Strong. Are you Teal’s mother?”

  “Yes.”

  He took a deep breath and admitted, “I’m in love with your daughter, ma’am.”

  He didn’t know what he expected, but all that came was a cold, “Oh. Jade said something about Teal falling in love, but he was a football player, so she went to St. Martin. I can’t remember details. I was very busy when she called. Are you the football player?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He could hear the disdainful sniff. “Yes, well, good luck to you.”

  Stetson sat there, confused and yet hopeful. Her sister said she’d fallen in love, but … St. Martin? And was she running from him because he was a football player who didn’t know his spot right now, or because he’d lied to her, or because she was scared of how quickly she’d fallen for him, just like h
e was of how quickly he’d fallen for her?

  The line suddenly came to life again, and Teal’s mother’s voice said, “Are you still there? I’ve got people coming for a dinner party and would appreciate you moving along.”

  Stetson was stunned. He couldn’t imagine his mother treating anyone like that. “All right,” was all he could think to say.

  He put the vehicle into gear and drove toward the airport, but then he realized he didn’t have his passport or any money or even a change of clothes. He changed direction and headed back toward Lonepeak Valley. He’d need to gather some things and would like to talk it over with Mama and Gavin before he flew to St. Martin. All that mattered was getting to Teal and letting her know how much she meant to him. His career would work out—he was driven enough that he’d find success somewhere—but Teal was the only important thing right now.

  As he hit the freeway, his phone rang. He pushed the button on the steering wheel to answer. “Hello?”

  “Stetson! It’s Jake.”

  “Oh … hey.” His agent was the last person he expected to hear from right now.

  “I don’t know if you heard, but Brady Giles ripped his ACL at practice yesterday.”

  “I haven’t kept up on the news.” Yesterday he’d been at the zoo with Teal, then dealing with the mess with Ike, then mourning Teal breaking up with him. Brady Giles was one of the top defensive ends in the nation. He played for the Texas Titans, and there were rumors that he would retire last year, opening up the backup position Stetson had been banking on, but Giles hadn’t retired.

  “Well, he’s out, and the Titans moved Jamison Yates into his spot, but that left a backup position. They want to negotiate a contract with you.”

  Stetson drifted, and the vehicle beeped at him and corrected before he ran into the car next to him.

  “Stetson? You’re in, right?”

  “Um …” Stetson didn’t know what to think. He’d basically given up on the dream of the NFL, and now it was being handed back to him. He needed to get to St. Martin and Teal first. Then he could concentrate on the NFL. “I’d like to look at the contract.”