When I come back to the living room, Taylor is texting on her phone. “Hey, no phones.”
“Don’t act like you didn’t just check in with Teresa.” She rolls her eyes at me. “I needed to check in on Gabby. Her and Chase got into a fight before he left.”
“I was curious what was going on with him. He’s been off this away series.” The team left town Sunday night for a three-day away stretch. They’ll be back late tonight for a day off tomorrow and then a weeklong home stand.
“She’s been really quiet lately and it worries me, but she keeps things close to the vest until she’s ready to talk about it. Hopefully this stuff with Chase blows over once he’s home and they can have a conversation.” Taylor drops her phone back on the table in front of the couch and lays down in my lap.
“They’ll figure it out. Just like we did.” I drape the blanket from the back of the couch over her and she graces me with a sweet grin. Pressing play, we spend the rest of the day snuggled on the couch watching movies, and when the Troubadours play later that night, we watch that together too. Then I take her to bed, strip her down, and we lose ourselves in each other’s bodies. It hits me as sleep overtakes me that I never want to spend another night without her again.
“Hey, Mills, what are you doing here?” Taylor asks, subtly dropping my hand as we step off the elevator and walk toward my office.
Normally players aren’t in the office on off days, and it’s pretty early considering how late they landed after the game last night.
“I was looking for Gabby. Have you talked to her?” If I’m not mistaken, he seems worried and jittery at Gabby not being in her office.
“We texted last night, but I haven’t seen her or talked to her this morning,” Taylor answers, looking at him curiously.
“Beth?” I call out to Gabby’s assistant. She pokes her head into the hallway. “Have you seen Gabby?”
“Oh, she texted this morning and said she was taking a sick day,” Beth responds and ducks back into the room.
“Weird,” Taylor muses.
“I have to go.” Miller pushes past us, urgently jamming the button on the elevator. When it doesn’t open fast enough, he gives up and runs to the stairwell.
“What was that about?” I ask.
Taylor watches the entrance to the stairwell with a scrunched brow. “I have no idea.”
“What do you have going on today?” I press a hand to the small of her back, directing her down the hall to my office.
“I have a meeting with Mary soon to go over final numbers from Bark in the Park as well as any outstanding items related to Chase’s community service appearances. We have the final status meeting with him next week and I want to be sure everything is wrapped up perfectly.”
“I’m sure it will be. You, Gabby, Mary, and the entire team have done an amazing job. I should talk to Teresa about sending you all a gift to celebrate.”
“There’s only one gift I want to celebrate with.” Taylor leans up and bites my jaw. “You.”
“That can be arranged.” I palm her ass and give it a tight squeeze.
She kisses me deeply and I’m close to laying her down on the table in my office when she drops back and says, “Later. Right now, I have to go.”
“Tease,” I call after her, readjusting myself in my pants, something I’ve been doing a lot lately with Taylor around.
Something about the way Miller was frantically searching for Gabby and then took off when Beth said she was taking a sick day has been on repeat in my mind since this morning. Last night when I texted her, Gabby was very short with her responses. I didn’t want to pry because it always backfires, so I figured she was just trying to get her thoughts together before Chase got home.
At first, I assumed Gabby did what I did and wanted to spend the day lost in Chase after they made up, but Miller seemed more anxious than I’d ever seen him. When I don’t hear from him or Gabby by the afternoon, I send Miller a text to make sure everything really is okay.
ME
Did you find Gabby?
MILLER
She’s at home. Wasn’t feeling good.
ME
Should I come over? Does she need anything?
