We bicker it out for a bit, but the same stubborn drive that made him the top draft pick rears its head, and I concede, fearing that I just might have a bit of a phobia over big changes. He gives me points for accepting defeat with such grace. His sarcasm is not amusing. Sadly, he can’t see me sticking my tongue out through the phone. But I have a feeling he knows anyway.
At twelve on the dot, he knocks and I answer. A wall of man flesh stands in the threshold.
“Pen,” Augusts says by way of greeting. “Meet your movers, Trent Gellis, aka Jelly, tight end. And Roderick Rhodes, wide receiver. He goes by Rhodes.” He cants his head toward me with a smile. “Gentlemen, my dear sweet Penelope.”
God. If I’m not beet red it’s a miracle.
“Miss Pen.” The tight end Jelly tips an imaginary hat as he gives me a friendly smile. About two inches taller than August, he appears to have naturally pale skin that’s gone ruddy and freckled in the sun. The ends of his spiky light brown hair are bleached almost white, as are his lashes, which makes his brown eyes seem stark. But they hold good humor and warmth.
Feeling awkward, I give him what I hope is a good smile—not too much teeth, damn that August. “Hey.”
Rhodes steps in with him. Rhodes’s copper-brown skin glows with good health. He’s shortest of the three at around six feet, but incredibly built. Muscles on top of muscles, but moving with such graceful swagger, I just know he’s more limber than I’ll ever be. With curled lashes framing shining brown eyes and a deep dimple in his right cheek, he has a sweetness that belies his size. “Good to meet you, Penelope.”
Yes, I’m most definitely blushing. I shake his offered hand and return the greeting.
August fights a smile as he guides his friends farther into the living room, like he knows how disarmed I am and thinks it’s cute. “You ready, Sweets?”
“Yes, but it’s not that much.” I look at his friends. “You didn’t have to take time out of your day for this.”
“Of course we did,” Jelly insists. He glances around in interest, then his gaze returns to me. “I was looking forward to meeting you.”
I bet.
Rhodes gives me a lopsided smile. “It’s nothing. Happy to help, darlin’.”
He’s so pretty, I don’t know how to answer.
August clears his throat and gives me the beady eye. “Want to show us the way?”
Still a little miffed at his high-handedness, I sniff and am about to head for the bedroom when Sarah comes out.
“Penny, I wanted to ask if—” She stumbles to a halt, her eyes going round as moons as she sees the guys standing in her living room. “I...”
That’s all she gets out. She gapes as though struck senseless. The silence stretches.
“Ma’am.” Jelly’s greeting is a little less personal than the one he gave me but polite nonetheless. As is Rhodes’s brief, “Hey.”
Sarah gurgles like she’s choking on her spit.
At my shoulder, August leans close and murmurs, “Rhodes is a Super Bowl MVP. Team picked him up as a free agent this season.”
“Ah.”
Sarah whimpers, mouth agape, eyes wide and darting between Rhodes and Jelly.
“And Jelly,” August continues, “is the best tight end in the league.”
“Hmm.” I slide August a look. And find him smugly content. Shaking my head ruefully, I show the guys my room, and they stride past a frozen Sarah to begin grabbing boxes.
There aren’t many, and it’s soon apparent they won’t need multiple trips. Rhodes alone grabs almost half of them in one go. I stand back and let them work, knowing I’ll only get inthe way otherwise. August lingers behind as his boys head out, leaving a paltry box for him to take.
I watch them go, then watch Sarah gurgle out a weak “oh, my God,” before trailing behind them like a lost puppy.
“You picked them on purpose, didn’t you?” I say to August, knowing this was a little tweak on Sarah’s nose before I left.
“I might have done.” He grins but then his gaze narrows coolly. “Besides, they wanted to help after hearing how you got abruptly booted.”
“You told them about that?”
