“She’s his regular,” Decker chimes in, and Jagger’s head whips toward him.“You know, like they sleep together a bunch, but don’t do dinner or dates.”
“I get that I’ve been married a long time, but I do understand what a regular means.”Jagger cuts his gaze away from Decker, looking offended.“Answer me.”
“What was the question again?”I ask, knowing full well what he asked.
“Do you love this Hadley?”
“God, no.I mean, I like her.She’s cool and fun and stuff, but I’m not looking for a wife.”
Jagger’s lips purse, and he nods.“You’re not looking for a wife unless someone wants to inherit a bookstore, then you’re all in?”
I point at him.“You’re missing the part about her being my nanny.”
He rolls his eyes, seeming exasperated.“Have you heard of these things called day cares, or special nanny services where you hire someone, or hell, can’t one of your family members watch the baby?”
“All good options.”Hayes’s smile is kiss-ass.
“Which were available to Leighton when you stepped in to help her.”I arch an eyebrow.
“These three all got themselves into situations and just waited for the fallout.They embarrassed me, and I’m not going to allow you to do that same thing.So, this is what you’re going to do…” Jagger stops and looks as though he’s thinking.
My teammates and I all share a look.
“What?”I finally ask when Jagger paces again.
“These three are going to help you.”He thumbs toward them.
“Jagger, I’ve got Ellis and Callie—” Foster says, but Jagger raises his hand.
“You’re going to be good friends and help Easton out of this shit situation he’s gotten himself into.I don’t understand.I tell all of you condoms, condoms, condoms, and still two out of the four of you end up getting someone pregnant.”He throws a hand toward Foster.“At least he got with the mother of his baby, but you…” He sets his gaze on me.“You’re making it more complicated because you can’t remember who the mom might be and you’re marrying some other woman.”He sits in Ripley’s chair behind the desk and motions to the three of them.“All of you, sit.”
As they shuffle from the wall and sit next to me, they look like grade schoolers in the principal’s office for starting a food fight at lunch.All four of us are hip to hip on the small sofa.
“Someone is going to take pictures for Easton of him and the baby, and you’re going to post them to your social media.Don’t say anything about the mom or that he was left for you.Just pictures.I assume your parents know?”
“Yes.”I nod.
“Good, I do not need the Bailey clan calling me.Then once that’s out, you’re going to do a very public proposal to Hadley, and the three of you guys will be there recording and taking pictures documenting everything.And then you’re going to leak it and let it spread.That you had the proposal planned before you knew about Tanner, but now that he’s arrived in your life, you know more than anything that she’s the one you want to marry.She’s going to come to games and sit with the wives.No one except everyone in this room knows what the actual situation is, got it?”
“The girls know.”Decker scratches his jaw.
Jagger growls.“Fine, no one else.”I raise my hand, and he grunts.“What?”
“So… I think her brother might know.He’s the executor of the will and has to make sure Hadley meets all the stipulations.He’ll know she didn’t have a serious boyfriend before all this.”
He blows out a breath.“Well, let’s hope the sibling bond is strong.”He points at all of us.“No one else.You hear me?As far as everyone knows, you are head over heels in love with your new wife and son.I don’t care what kind of wedding you have.You can marry her at the courthouse like—” He nods at Decker.
“Whoa, I didn’t do anything wrong.”Decker raises both hands.
“But I want daily posts with you guys and Tanner.You’re one big happy family.Got it?She should agree to it.She has as much to lose in this scenario as you do.”
“I don’t have much to lose,” I say.
All three of my friends’ heads whip in my direction.
“Look at this guy.”Jagger throws his hand in my direction.“So confident when he’s never been in a media storm except for when they’re talking about how great he is, how hot he is, and how athletic he is.How his cocky smile and jokester attitude make him the most lovable Colt on the team.”He sits up in the chair and places his arms on the desk.“You don’t get to decide if this story comes out.You only get to decide if you’re the one telling it and spinning the narrative.And when the fans who adore you hear it from someone else first, you’ve already lost.”
Okay, good point.I don’t really have an argument for that.
