“Brody, I was worried. You just walked away and didn’t say anything. I had no idea where you were or…anyway.” She drew in a deep breath. “Did you find out anything new about Dev?”
“I think we should go to the hotel and talk.”
I called for a car, and we returned to the hotel. My phone was blowing up with texts from teammates, other players, the media. I sent a message to my PA, Lizzie, to please handle everything, making sure any statements came through official Kings public relations, then shut it all off.
“Dev told his mother. About us.”
Momma’s eyes popped wide, and her hand covered her mouth. “Oh, my. Why…what did she say?”
“Typical nonsense at first. Like how could he be gay, he plays football.” I rolled my eyes before getting serious again. “But Dev wanted to make sure she gives me any information she receives about his health. And she was not happy about it.”
Momma sat and listened but surprised me with her response. “You’re not gonna let her stop you, are you? Because it isn’t up to her. It’s Dev’s life, and you’re part of it.”
“I know. It’s just that she’s gonna make it real difficult, with Dev staying there.”
“And?” Momma raised a brow. “You’ve been in other, real difficult situations. You spend your training time studying and learning the opposing team. Think of it like that.”
I grinned. “Momma, you devil.” She was right. This was a playbook for my life, and I didn’t plan on losing.
Chapter Twenty
Dev
I folded my arms and glared at my mother. “That was rude and uncalled for.”
Unperturbed, she pulled out her phone. “What was?”
“The way you spoke to Brody.” When she continued to study her phone and not answer, I snapped. “Mother. Put the damn phone down and listen to me.”
She managed to drag her attention away from the screen. “Yes, Devlin. What is it?”
“I said you acted rude toward Brody for no reason.”
“He’s a stranger.”
Astonished at her utter lack of capacity to understand, I managed to keep my anger under control. “Did you hear what I said? Brody is my husband. We’ve been together since college. We’re married.”
“Married?” Her gaze met mine. “How did two men so in the public eye manage to keep that a secret?”
“That’s not your concern.” No way in hell would I tell my mother any of the details. “The fact remains that Brody is the most important person in my life. And you will not shut him out. Is that understood?”
“I’m certainly not going to have such a personal discussion about a family issue here.” With disdain, she surveyed my room. “Now Hugo has packed up your things and will meet us at the airport. I’m going to get someone to help you dress and have you discharged so we can leave.”
With that pronouncement, she left, and I closed my eyes. How had this become my life? One minute on the road to glory, and the next stuck lying here, dependent on someone else to help me. I rolled my shoulders to get the creaks and aches out, then decided to attempt to sit up again. With that major feat accomplished, I lowered the bed rail and swung my legs over the side. I slowly levered upward and released a sigh of relief that the nausea and pain hadn’t returned. The door opened, and a nurse entered.
“Mr. Summers, you shouldn’t be getting out of bed by yourself. You need to call us to help you.”
I hung my head. “I’m so sorry. I needed to use the bathroom and didn’t want to bother you. Could you help me?” I flashed her a smile.
She blushed. “Of course.” She slid an arm around my waist, and breathing deeply, I waited a moment before taking a step and was relieved that I felt steady on my feet. The nurse walked me to the bathroom, and she was waiting for me when I came out.
“Thank you. I feel so silly asking someone to come with me.”
“You had a head injury, so you have to be careful. Make sure you always have someone there with you.”
“He will.” My mother reappeared. “I’ve signed all the necessary papers. As soon as Hugo arrives with your clothes, we can leave.”
Ignoring her, I addressed the nurse. “Thank you for your help. I really appreciate everything you and the staff did while I was here.”
