“That’s awesome, man. Do you think you want to play in college? Or even professionally?”
“I’m not sure I’m good enough for all that, but it would be cool. I don’t know. So many of those guys go to expensive camps and have personal coaches. I’ll never be able to do that.” Reed says it all so simply. I know he doesn’t resent me or the fact that we don’t have the kind of money Mom and Dad used to have, but I still feel the persistent weight of guilt pushing down on me.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Reed’s life would have been better with our parents in it. Emotionally, socially, financially… I can’t stack up, and I never will. I could get a second job and work eighty hours a week, and it still wouldn’t be enough.
“Sure, some guys that make it to the NFL get a head start with private coaches and camps, but there are also a ton who work their asses off and prove themselves on the field, day in and day out. If it’s something you want to do, don’t give up. You’re good, Reed. You have so much potential.” Logan alternates between watching the road and Reed in the rearview mirror.
I want to thank Logan. I want to reach across the armrest and grab his hand. Hearing something like that from a professional athlete carries so much more weight than hearing it from your older sister. It’s so sweet, I have a hard time reconciling the man sitting next to me with the guy who treated me like shit when I came face-to-face with him that first day at work.
I like this version so much more.
“Thanks, man,” Reed says, his voice a little tight.
“Of course. And I’m not bullshitting you, either. I know what it takes to make it in professional sports. I wouldn’t lie and tell you I think you could hack it if you couldn’t. That would be cruel.”
The rest of the ride is quiet as we all get lost in our own thoughts, and before I know it, we’re climbing out of Logan’s car in a parking garage and piling into an elevator.
Griffin smiles brightly at the three of us when he opens the door. He slaps Logan on the back, gives me a big hug, and holds out a hand for Reed.
“Reed, right? Come on in, bro. It’s so nice to meet you.”
My little brother stares up at Griffin with wide, starstruck eyes. It’s cute, and I’m totally going to give him shit for it later. His eyes grow impossibly larger when he walks inside the apartment and is greeted by Maddox, Sebastian, and Ryder.
The girls all surround me, welcoming me and giving me hugs, telling me they’re so glad we’re here, then they demand I introduce them to Reed. It’s overwhelming in the best way, and all I can do is stand back and watch as these people I barely know pull Reed into their midst and treat him like he’s their little brother too.
“You okay?” Logan asks quietly as he comes to stand beside me. His arm brushes against mine, warming me and sending tingles through my body where we touch. And when the back ofhis hand grazes mine, my fingers twitch with the impulse to grab his hand.
“Yeah. I’m good. It’s just…”
“A lot?”
“In the best way,” I admit. “We’ve always had people who invited us to Thanksgiving dinners, but it was never like this. They were either my friends or Reed’s friends. But this… You all just…”
My stomach flips pleasantly when Logan’s fingers lace with mine. “You’re both one of us now. You and Reed. We won’t let either of you feel alone.”
My throat tightens, emotions too large and overwhelming to name choking off any words I may want to say. Instead, I let my head fall to the side and come to rest on Logan’s shoulder. We stand silently like that for a minute, watching the chaos unfold around us.
“Thank you.”
Logan gives my fingers a squeeze. “Come on, angel. Let’s get you a drink.”
I’ve never laughed so muchin my life. The kitchen is crowded with both Rogues players and their wives and girlfriends as everyone dances around each other, working to pull the meal together.
“Shit,” Mira curses, her lips twisting in a frown as she shakes the last grains of brown sugar out of the bag in her hand. “I need more brown sugar, or these sweet potatoes are going to suck. Blair, would you mind grabbing a new bag out of the pantry over there for me?”
She points to a door only a few steps away from me. “Of course.”
“You’re a lifesaver, thank you.”
I open the door and flick on the light, stepping into the large pantry. It’s bigger than my closet. The shelves are organized and full, and I scan them, looking for brown sugar. Grinning, I spot it on one of the lower shelves in the back of the pantry.
“Shut the fuck up, Wright. I’ll get you a new container of sage.”
I don’t even have time to straighten up from where I’m bent over, reaching for the brown sugar in the back of the lower shelf, when Logan’s voice fills the small room. Then there’s a quiet curse, and I’m being pushed forward into the shelves until two large hands grip my hips and bring me to a stop. I’m pulled against a hard, warm body. Hard being the operative word.
“Shit, angel, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were in here, or I wouldn’t have come barreling in like a bull in a china shop.”
I don’t trust myself to speak as I stand, my back now flush against Logan’s solid front. His hands still grip my hips, and when I shift and my ass drags against his hardening dick, he groans, his grip tightening.
