27
FELIX
I havetrouble keeping my eyes on the road on the way back to Sadie and Ian’s. Piper’s too damn distracting in the passenger seat. She’s kicked off her heels and has her feet propped on the dashboard, my jacket still wrapped around her shoulders, humming along to my favorite playlist.
This is what I want. Not the crowds or the cameras or the people who only see Felix Barlowe, new star wide receiver for the Denver Grizzlies. I want quiet drives with Piper singing off-key to Luke Combs, her pink-polished toes on my dashboard, and her hair coming loose from whatever she did to it for the wedding.
I want her.
The idea of opening myself up again is slightly terrifying, but mostly it just feels right. A fractured part of me sliding into place when I didn’t even notice I was out of alignment.
The porch light is on as we pull up to Ian and Sadie’s house.
“Still doing okay?” I meet her gaze across the vehicle’s darkened interior.
Piper nods, then pauses with her hand on the door handle. “Thank you for showing up even though I didn’t ask you to.”
“My pleasure.” Emotion lodges behind my ribs because aren’twe a pair? Both of us so intent on proving we don’t need anyone that we can’t get out of our own way to let each other in. “But you can also ask.”
Her eyes go shiny, and she blinks and looks away. “I’ll remember that.”
We head up the walk together, and Ian opens the door before we can knock, grinning like an idiot. “How was it?”
“Your suit might never recover from these thighs,” I say, earning a laugh from Piper. It feels like I won the lottery every damn time. “How’s Ellie?”
“Asleep on Riva with Sadie watching over them in the family room. She actually sat on my lap for our Bluey marathon.”
“That’s progress,” Piper says as we step inside the house.
“I have Beast to thank.” Ian shrugs his big shoulders, but it’s obvious how happy that progress makes him. “The dog adores me, and I guess Ellie trusts his judgment. I’ll take what I can get.” He looks at Piper. “You look lovely. I assume my baby brother didn’t make too much of a scene?”
“He did alright,” Piper says, and I catch the teasing note in her voice.
“High praise.” Ian closes the door behind us and then claps me on the shoulder. “No white steed needed.”
Piper gives us a funny look before heading to the family room. Sadie is curled up in the armchair with a book. Riva is sprawled across the sectional, Ellie zonked out on her chest with one hand curled into a fist near her mouth.
My heart swells up so big I can barely breathe around it.
“Look who’s back,” Sadie announces, setting down her book. Her gaze goes straight to Piper, who’s still wearing my jacket. “How was it?”
Piper glances at me, then back at her sister. A soft smile tugs at her lips. “It was good.”
Sadie arches a brow. “Goodgood, or good as in you survived?”
“I had a great time.” Piper’s cheeks flush pink. “Once my personal wedding crasher showed up.”
“Always the life of the party,” I say, moving toward the couch. Ellie stirs slightly at the sound of my voice, but doesn’t wake. “Looks like you wore her out, Rivs.”
“She asked for you maybe fifty times,” Riva reports quietly. “But other than that, easy peasy.”
Ian snorts. “She begs for Felix. Meanwhile, Uncle Ian tries to engage, and she looks at me like I’m going to force broccoli on her.”
Damn. My brother referring to himself as uncle is powerful in a way I didn’t expect. I crouch beside the sofa and focus on Ellie so the adults in the room don’t see how close I am to completely losing my shit. “I have a way with the ladies.” I smooth back Ellie’s hair, and she makes a soft sound in her sleep. “Thanks for watching her,” I tell my niece.
“Anytime.” Riva shifts carefully, and I slide my arms under Ellie, lifting her against my chest. She immediately burrows into me, her chubby fingers curling into my shirt.
“Hey, Bean,” I murmur. “Time to go home.”
