Today had been amazing. Their connection was growingstronger by the day. He hadn’t imagined himself connecting romantically with anyone in Moose Falls. In and out—that had been his mindset about returning to his hometown. But spending time with True and Jaylen made him question things. Would it be so bad if he ended up here as one of the owners of Yukon Cider? He would be working side by side with his brothers. Spending time with his grandmother before she passed. Settling down. Maybe?
He’d dreamed that dream with Heather, and everything had blown up in his face.
She wasn’t the one.
She wasn’t even close.
He sank onto the bed and placed his hands behind his head and crossed his legs. Xavier let out a moan of appreciation. This mattress was incredible. Soft yet supple. He reached for the remote and turned on theSports Zone. Just because he wasn’t playing at the moment didn’t mean he shouldn’t keep up with the league and the various teams. That way when he was ready to wage his comeback as an NFL announcer, he’d be up to speed on all the teams and new players. Nothing was going to hold him back. Everyone in the NFL had written him off, but Xavier knew he could defy the odds and make his presence known in the industry. After being sidelined with his injuries, Xavier had a hard time getting his calls returned, A few of his buddies had been loyal, but so many of his teammates considered him a has-been. Maybe he’d been paranoid, but it had felt as if they had considered him damaged goods. But he still had a shot at a comeback. Sure, he wouldn’t be playing football, but he would still be in the football world! Announcing games would be a piece of cake for him.
“Now this is the wedding of the year,” Michael Strahan announced from the television screen. “Supermodel HeatherDenton and Cardinals wide receiver Chazz Garcia tied the knot over the weekend in a glamorous black-tie event at the Royal Palms Resort.” Pictures of the couple decked out in their wedding finery flashed across the screen. Xavier’s insides twisted. Heather and Chazz looked like a picture-perfect celebrity couple with their Colgate smiles and deliriously happy expressions.
Al Michaels let out a low whistle. “Fancy. Looks like everyone in the world of football was there.”
“Except maybe his former teammate Xavier Stone,” Strahan quipped. He flashed his gap-toothed smile.
“Ouch! That’s gotta hurt when your friend marries your ex-fiancée,” Michaels said, shaking his head. “With friends like that…” Both men laughed as if it were the funniest joke in the world.
Xavier felt as if he had been sucker punched in the stomach.
“We wish the couple well,” Strahan said. “Now back to those trade rumors coming out of the New England Patriots camp.”
Xavier turned off the television and sat still on the bed, not moving a muscle. His thoughts went into overdrive. Although he’d gotten wind that Chazz and Heather were together—Heather had been cheating on him with Chazz during their relationship—he’d never imagined that they would make things official. They had both wounded him so much, and the hits kept coming.
Just when it seemed as if things were finally going his way, this news broke, dragging him back to a past he’d rather forget. Heather and Chazz were married! He couldn’t even wrap his head around this turn of events. This was what it felt like to be stabbed in the back, he realized. It hurt way worse than he could ever have imagined. Hadn’t theyalready twisted the knife in by getting together in the first place behind his back?
If he hadn’t heard the news from such reputable sources, Xavier wouldn’t have believed it. Chazz had been his best friend in the league. Matter of fact, Xavier had been the one to suggest to his coach that he recruit Chazz as the Cardinals’ second-round pick. Although Chazz had a reputation for being difficult, Xavier had sung his praises. Not only had Heather cheated on Xavier with Chazz, but now they’d gotten married. Just like everything else in Xavier’s life, his relationships with two of the most important people in his life had crashed and burned. He didn’t think he still loved Heather, but the betrayal still hurt worse than being cut by the Cardinals.
Something was bothering him. True. She had been asking a lot of questions about whether Hattie had left him and his brothers the tavern. He didn’t want to think it, didn’t want to let it get into his head, but he wondered if she’d been using him.
His heart protested. True wasn’t like that. She wouldn’t use him like other women had in the past.
But did he really know her after such a short time? What if she thought he could sway things in her favor with Northern Exposure? No, he was being an idiot! He was allowing his mind to play tricks on him based on the past. Seeing the news coverage about Heather and Chazz’s nuptials had messed him up big time.
By the time he went down for dinner, Xavier thought his head might explode. The more he tried not to think about theSports Zonereport, the more he thought about Heather and Chazz walking off into the sunset with each other.Good guys finish last. There’s a sucker born every minute.And he really had no one to blame but himself after allowingHeather and other women in his past to walk all over him. The commentators—all men he respected—were making a joke out of him. That stung something fierce. Xavier Stone was now being served up as a punch line.
His brothers were already seated at the table, and as he entered the room, their eyes were on him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they’d been talking about him. Xavier walked over to the sideboard and filled his plate with an assortment of food—lasagna, vegetables, bread, and salad. With the daily spread being offered at Hattie’s home, he needed to be running the laps with the Mavericks every practice.
“Hey, you okay?” Landon’s expression was strained. “We heard the news.”
Xavier slid into his seat. “You watch theSports Zone?”
His brothers looked at each other, then back at him.
“Oh, it wasn’t just on there. I saw it on at least five other channels,” Landon said with a grimace. “I guess it’s big news on all the celebrity outlets.”
Great! Just what he wanted to hear. He wondered how many other networks and columns had added him as the joke of the week.
“Tough break,” Caleb said. “We’re here if you need to talk.”
“I’m fine, guys,” Xavier said, trying to act nonchalant.
“What happened?” Hattie asked as she entered the room on Jacques’s arm before filling a small plate with food. “I hope you didn’t drop the ball with True. She’s a keeper. The two of you would make some pretty babies,” she gushed.
“Don’t ever say that again. It’s creepy,” Xavier muttered.
Hattie forcefully placed her plate down on the table as she took a seat. “So what’s going on? Don’t keep me in suspense. I’ve been cooped up for days.”
Xavier sat back to let his brothers explain. He didn’t evenwant to say the words out loud. They would taste bitter in his mouth.
