This wasn’t my first rib fracture. The first time it happened was when I was in Green Bay. I was younger and only missed one week of practice and one game. With this fracture we were already nearing two weeks.
By the time I made it back to Vee’s place, I had two bags of groceries I carried up from the garage. Vee was welcome to show off her culinary skills, but if she’d forgotten or was too exhausted from her day, I had a backup plan along with more eggs, bacon, and veggies for my breakfast specials.
I supposed there were men who didn’t want to cook. If that man was a bachelor for most of his life, he better either enjoy delivery or unhealthy fried fast foods. Eating healthy was always more important to me. I could wait and eat breakfast at Maker’s Mark. I’d eaten two meals a day at the football complex while in LA.
Starting the day by cooking for Vee was almost the perfect start. Add some morning sex to that schedule and it was perfection.
The kitchen was cleaned and my groceries were put away when I received a call from Ethan, the resident concierge at the Vine.
“Hey, Ethan.”
“Mr. Graham, there’s a visitor here who would like access to Ms. Hubbard’s condominium.”
“Did you try calling Ms. Hubbard?” I asked.
“Yes, sir. My call went to voicemail. Um, the visitor thinks it would be better if she were allowed up rather than waiting down here.”
“Who is the visitor?”
“Ms. Bre Stanton.”
Shit.
Bre was right that she shouldn’t be waiting in plain sight. “Give her a one-time card for the elevator. No access to the condominium.”
“Are you certain Ms. Hubbard would agree?”
I wasn’t. “It’s better than Ms. Stanton waiting downstairs.”
“Yes, Mr. Graham.”
After I hung up, I texted Vee, warning her that Bre was on her way upstairs. I asked Vee to tell me if she wanted Bre to be gone before she came home.
While I probably should have declined Bre’s visitation, my thoughts immediately went to Clark and his story. He believed Bre was framed. And he also believed Reid’s death wasn’t an accident. I’d wanted to talk to Bre but decided against going to her. Now she’s come to me.
I couldn’t practice with the Coopers, but I could work to untangle the knots threatening Vee’s future.
Looking down, I realized I was still wearing the blue sweater and blue jeans from earlier today. I hadn’t practiced so changing clothes hadn’t been an issue. I turned as a knock came to the door. Without a smile, I opened the door.
I’d only seen Bre Stanton a few times. In my mind she wasn’t that remarkable. That didn’t mean she wasn’t attractive, only that to me, she didn’t stand out in a crowd. Bre was slender, with a runner’s body—not many curves. Her brown hair was short and lacked style. Her eyes were puffy, their color a strange mix of gold and brown.
The last week had no doubt taken their toll on her, and she wasn’t doing much of anything to highlight her appearance. Wearing loose blue jeans and a puffy jacket, she probably wouldn’t have been recognized on the first floor.
“Mr. Graham,” Bre said, “I was hoping to speak with Vee.”
“She’s not home.”
Bre tilted her chin toward the doorway. “May I? I won’t stay long.”
I opened the door wider. “I’m not sure we’ve been introduced. As you obviously know, I’m Griffin Graham.”
Bre nodded. “And I’m Bre Stanton. You were there when the police—” She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. “The last week has been a nightmare.”
As I led her down the hallway into the living room, she surveyed the condominium. “Reid told me about Vee’s place. It’s as nice as he said.”
Not wanting to get into a long conversation, I asked, “Do you have a message you’d like me to relay to Vee?”
Her face contorted and her nostrils flared. “I’d never hurt Reid. I need her to believe that. The evidence they have…it doesn’t make sense.”
