“That afternoon was only part of it.”
Beneath me his legs hardened, tension moving through him into me, and that beatific smile dropped right off his face. “It gets worse.”
“It does.” I blew out a breath. “Turns out, they’d started seeing each other in the spring, but things took off between them the week of the Fourth of July. Charlie went with me to my family’s lake house on the shores of Flathead Lake for our annual family celebration. I had to leave early for my internship, and he stayed behind.”
Pain radiated through my hands, and I glanced down to my lap to see them balled into fists. With effort I flexed them and continued. “He gave my parents some bullshit story about how we were having trouble in our relationship and had broken up over the holiday. Pippa, being such a good friend to him”—sarcasm dripped from my tone—“comforted him through his pain.” My eyes took a tour of my head as I remembered how at Christmas Dad had excused Pippa and Charlie’s behavior. “She brought him to the condo to ski at Christmas. I spent the holiday on the slopes doing my best to avoid my entire family and drinking way too many lemon drop martinis when I had to spend time with them. My parents gaslighted me, telling me if I hadn’t left to do the internship, Charlie wouldn’t have broken up with me.”
Both of Wyatt’s brows shot up, and I nodded.
“Translation: they wanted me to intern with their firm because they want me to join it and grow the family business even though they know I have no interest in finance. My internship was with a major retailer because I want to build my own business. Using my internship as a reason for Charlie’s infidelity and Pippa’s betrayal puts the blame for all of it on me.”
Giving me a tiny squeeze with the arm wrapped around my back, Wyatt said, “You’ve mentioned wanting to start a business. It’s an impressive goal. They should be proud of you.”
“You think? But that’s not the way it works with us. I do what I’m told, take on the responsibilities my parents assign—including basically raising my sister through her teens, which I obviously did poorly.” The corner of my mouth lifted in a wry smirk. “Follow them into the family business where I can take care of the things they don’t want to do.”
“What about your sister?”
“She can do pretty much what she wants. Although they weren’t happy when she declared an education major.” I stared out the window at the fresh snow coming down. “When she announced at Christmas that she’d changed her concentration to economics, they were over the moon. Dad said her change of heart came from ‘Charlie’s influence,’” I said with air quotes. “I don’t think she wants to change majors, especially not to econ.”
The corners of his eyes crinkled. “Let me guess. She hates math.”
“Yep. But now she’s the golden girl. Dating the politician’s son, pursuing the right degree, all the things to impress our parents.” A conversation Charlie and I had about me maybe toning down my ambitions came to mind, and I added, “Her behavior at the condo didn’t strike me as someone who’s doing what she wants. She’s doing what her boyfriend wants her to do.”
“Your boyfriend wants you to kick all the ass you want on your way to CEO.”
My brow shot up. “My boyfriend, huh?”
He didn’t even slow down. “Your boyfriend thinks it’s hot the way your eyes sparkle when you talk about busting through glass ceilings the way he loves to blow through offensive lines.”
A subtle shift beneath me alerted me we’d been sitting together on one barstool for too long.
“Hey, where are you going?”
“Somewhere more comfortable.” Standing beside him, I allowed myself a long stretch.
Narrowing his eyes, he spanned my waist with his massive hands and pulled me between his powerful thighs. “Are you saying my lap isn’t comfortable?”
“I’m saying the two of us sitting on the same barstool can’t be comfortable for you.” Shrugging a shoulder in the direction of the living room, I said, “Either the lounge chair or the couch is better.”
Tightening his hands on my waist, he smirked. “I like how you’ve extended our first date into a second one.” Walking me backward, he led me to the couch where I sat in a rush with Wyatt straddling my lap, his knees on either side of my hips pressing me down into the cushions. “From the night we met, I could tell we were on the same page.” Caging me in with his hands resting on the back rest above my shoulders, he added, “You just took your time reading the lines.”
“Wyatt—”
Whatever protest I thought to lodge Wyatt disappeared when his oh-so-talented mouth covered mine.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Wyatt
“Jamaica says Piperwent through a hell of a breakup with her ex.” Callahan waited for me to fill my travel mug with coffee. Wordlessly, I handed him the pot. Winter workouts consisted mainly of weight training, but Coach Larkin believed in consistency, which meant dragging our asses out of bed at dark-thirty even when we could be lifting instead of afternoon practice.
“Your point?”
“We’ve been teammates for four years, and I’ve never seen you with one girl for more than a night, maybe two. Now you pick one who’s on the rebound. I don’t want to see you with a broken heart is all.” Eyeing me over the rim of his mug, he added, “Fucks with your game.”
“It’s lucky Piper and I started this thing outside the season then, huh? Unlike, say, before Homecoming like some people.” I didn’t bother to rein in the attitude coloring my tone.
The timer on the stove beeped, and I set my mug down to pull warmed breakfast burritos from the oven.
