“You will forever be my favorite of all of his nannies.” I pull back from hugging her and finger wave at my brother. “Silas. Hope you brought your safety knife.”
He glowers.
Flat-outglowers.
Good.
Serves him right for what he’s done to chase away the four guyswho were fabulous long-term, casual-relationship material for me over the past two years.
I’m well aware that Silas’s heart is in what he thinks is the right place. My breakup with my last serious boyfriend wasn’t pretty, and more, my life wasn’t pretty for a while afterward. Miller Boynton shredded my heart and took more of my confidence—and friends—with him than he should’ve.
So Silas chasing away every guy I’ve dated since—I get it.
And that ends.
Now.
Do a publicity stunt with Fletcher to help the team?
No, thank you. He’s the kind of guy who could find any number of other publicity stunts to achieve his goals.
Show up to a team publicity event on the arm of my brother’s least-favorite teammate to make a statement about the opinions he gets to have in my dating life?
Yes, please.
We pass Nina and Silas to get to the two empty seats, and because I’m a total giver, I walk one step farther and take the seat next to Crew.
Which leaves Fletcher sitting next to Silas.
Oh.Whoops. However could I have overlookedthatdetail?
Silly, silly Goldie.
Whereismy brain?
Crew eyeballs me. He’s a six-foot-two Black man with kind eyes off the pitch, but don’t piss him off on the pitch. Yes, yes, I know more about my brother’s team than I need to. Despite the parts of our relationship that are complicated, we do see each other frequently enough that I’m aware of the people in his life.
“You understand we’rein a kitchenwith all of the dangerouskitchen things?” Crew mutters to me with a jerk of his head toward my date and my brother.
“We’re all adults here,” I reply happily. I lean around him andsmile at his date, a stunning woman with brown skin and black hair swept back in a low ponytail. “Hi. I’m Goldie. I’m here with Fletcher. Funny story—we met when he passed out on me after giving blood. So cute, right? What’s your name and how do you know Crew?”
While Triya introduces herself, I hear rumblings behind me and murmurs all around the whole table.
We haven’t even started, and already, I’m calling tonight a success.
7
Fletcher
There’ssomething going on between Goldie and whiny-ass Silas that she hasn’t told me about.
Not my problem though.
Not when my camera person isn’t the only one here. The team sent the official photographer too.
Best behavior, Fletcher.
Easier said than done when I hear the reminder to myself in my old man’s voice every time.
