Page 98 of Forever Offsides

Braelyn shakes her head. “Definitely not. Micha and a bunch of guys are taking Aston and all the kids to a Red Sox game.”

“Oh, that’s fun.”

“It’ll be nice,” Sorel agrees. “They have the Fritz box so the kids can run wild. I’m glad they’re not planning any secret shenanigans.”

I snicker. “I’m glad I’ll be at the shower.”

She hiccups out a laugh. “Me too. Except Skylar and I will be enjoying mocktails while the rest of you get champagne.”

“We’ll drink for all four of you.”

“Damn straight we will.” Braelyn looks up and down the street. “Where is the cold weather? It’s fall.”

“This weekend it will be. You’re at the game on Sunday, right?” Sorel questions.

“Working it.” I twist my lips as we linger in the area between the sidewalk and the garage. Brae is likely dropping Sorel home on her way to the Seaport District now that she and Roman are married for real and live in his ridiculous penthouse there.

“I’ll be there with Nolan,” Sorel promises. “We’ll pop down and say hi.”

“I’ll be working,” Brae laments. “But you know, we should plan a spa day or something for us. Something that helps us all chill out and relax.”

“I’d love that,” I tell her.

“Same.”

“Cool. I’ll shoot something to the big group text and see if we can figure out a date.”

“Sounds good. I’m going to head home.” I wave to both of them. “Have a good one.”

“You too,” they singsong.

This is why I love working in this hospital. It’s so much more than simply the grind of work and then home. I get to run into my people. I was hoping that sometime this week, I’d get to shoot up and do some indoor boarding, but with how this week is looking, I don’t think I’ll be able to.

I cross the street and a few blocks up, take a right. I’ve resisted it all day, but now I pull out my phone and scroll through my texts. They’re mostly random ones from our various group chats, but the one that’s missing is from Rhett.

I get closer to my door, but my eyes are on the building at the top of the cross street where his house sits. There are lights on, and I debate being the big girl and texting him. But then I think about Sorel’s question and my conversation with Crew. About the fact that I was smiling and singing today at work.

I’ll fall in love with him.

I can already feel the beginnings of it happening.

But the reality is, he’ll choose his son if he needs to, as he should. It’s his son. And I have my family to think about as well as my life and my heart.

I put my phone into my scrubs pocket and continue up the hill. Maybe I’ll take a page out of Sorel’s book and take a bath. With a glass of wine. And a good book. Possibly even one of my vibrators, since I don’t have the guy to take my bath with.

Except when I reach my door, there’s a man sitting on my stoop.

“What are you doing?”

Rhett lifts his head to peer up at me before he stands. “That’s a really good question.”

I blink at him, his body illuminated only by streetlights since it’s dark out.

“How long have you been out here?”

He chuckles ruefully. “About an hour and a half or so. I didn’t want to miss you, and I thought you got off at seven.” There are white plastic bags on the top step, but more than that, there’s something in his tone. In his body language and the way he’s looking at me.

I stop in front of him. He’s so tall. So broad. It makes me feel so small when I stand before him like this.