He grins. “Iris made me promise. But I’m betting they’ll still be here when she gets back.”
“Fair enough.” I grab a few carrot sticks anyway. Tyler would be proud.
Eric reaches for the nachos. “Do you think they’re talking about us?”
“We should be so lucky.” Chase snorts. “But also, of course they are.”
“Probably planning our lives for the next ten years,” Jake adds. “They know what they’re doing.”
“Piper took Ellie because the twins wanted to meet her,” I say, surprising myself by volunteering the information. “She’s two. My best friend and his wife named me as guardian in their will, and they…”
I break off, wondering how to stop this embarrassing case of diarrhea of the mouth. It’s awkward but also comforting to talk about how the toddler came to be with me. Instead of the looks of shock I expect from the guys, they seem to take my revelation in stride. There’s a good chance either Ian or the book club ladies prepped them, but I still appreciate it.
“Luke and Laurel are the best,” Chase says, unmistakable affection in his voice. “They’ll take good care of her.” His thick brows draw together. “Their dad died a few years ago. We were best friends growing up, and I certainly didn’t expect to be raising his kids, but it’s a fucking honor, you know?”
The tight ball of emotion in my chest loosens ever so slightly. “Yeah,” I agree. “I know.”
“I came back from Germany to take care of my nephew when my sister was having some issues,” Eric says quietly. “Talk aboutshit not on a bingo card. Raising a teenager. But we do what we have to when the people we love need us.”
“Right.” I nod, and damn if that ball hasn’t shifted higher, making the backs of my eyes sting. This is about to get epically bad if I don’t pull my shit together. “The book club vibe,” I say, needing a subject change. “Are they really as close as they seem?”
Ian nods. “Sadie says the book club is the best thing that’s happened to her. Well, second best.” His smug-ass smile should be annoying, but it just makes me think about how lucky the bastard is.
“They’re tight,” Eric confirms. “Piper’s new to the group, but she’s one of them now. Which means, by extension, you’re one of us.”
The idea of that settles over me like a soft blanket. Piper’s life is becoming tangled with mine in ways that have nothing to do with the baby or our temporary nanny arrangement and everything to do with this town, these people, and the strange new normal I’m stumbling into.
“You doing okay with the whole instant dad thing?” Jake asks.
I take a long drink of my sparkling water, trying to decide how to answer that. I figure the truth is the way to go. “I have no fucking clue what I’m doing most days. But Piper’s great with Ellie. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“That’s a common theme around here,” Chase says with a laugh.
“You just show up and do your best,” Eric tells me.
I’m not sure I’ve got that part down, but damn I want to.
The conversation shifts to safer territory. Chase’s truck breaking down, the new brewery opening in town, and whether the Rockies have a shot at the playoffs this year (they don’t). It’s oddly normal, and I find myself relaxing into it.
“So,” Eric says after we’ve demolished most of the food, “you want to weigh in on the upcoming season? The Grizzlies’ chances and all that?”
I glance around the kitchen. They’re all watching me with varying degrees of interest. Eric is avidly curious, Chase politely attentive, Jake somewhere in between. Ian’s trying not to look too invested, which means he’s absolutely invested.
“For the record,” Jake adds, “We didn’t invite you here to grill you about football.”
“We invited you to take your money at cards,” Chase adds, deadpan.
“Good luck with that.” I’m grinning now, feeling the last of my tension drain away. “But I think we have a hell of a chance at going all the way, and I’m going to work my ass off to make sure the fans have something to cheer about.”
“Fuck yeah,” Eric says with a fist pump. “Now let’s play some poker.”
“The table’s already set up in the basement.” Jake grabs his beer and the remaining wings.
The guys file out of the kitchen, and I’m about to follow when Ian catches my arm.
“You good?” he asks quietly.
I look hard at my brother—at the contentment in his face, the peace that’s settled into the lines around his eyes. He found a life beyond the noise of the pundits and the constant pressure to perform. He repaired his relationship with Riva and found Sadie and this town in the process. Now he has friends who actually give a shit about him, not just the quarterback he used to be.
