“He’s in the shower, CC is back there with him. Hang on. CeeeCeee?” Erica called.
In the shower? Seriously? You are not making this easy on me, Shaw. I really didn’t want to overreact, to fall back on the assumption, but this whole situation was sketchy as fuck.
“Do you want to come in?” Staci studied me with an expression I couldn’t interpret.
“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea,” I said, trying to rein in my temper. I needed to hear his explanation, and if it started with it’s not what it looks like, so help me God... Only, as I stepped inside the door, CC barreled down the hall going full out. Before I knew it, I was on my butt and covered in dog kisses.
That’s when I heard Brody. “CC!” The dog glanced back as he rounded the corner of the bedroom soaking wet with a towel he held around his waist.
Red fucking handed.
When he saw CC sitting on me, he ran a hand through his soaked hair. “Shit, Lily, are you okay? Let me help you.”
I ignored his extended hand only to stare at his tiny towel. A scowl settled over my face. Deliberately, I swept my gaze up to his face and back to the towel, then over to the half-naked women before I pushed myself up off the marble. “Do you want to even try to explain this away, or should I just sit with the fucking assumption that’s on the tip of my tongue?”
Jaw ticking, Brody’s face hardened. “Lily...” He stood there looking all broody, as if he had a right to be pissed that my brain would jump there. No let me explain, or they’re not who you think they are. No, there I was, giving him the opportunity to tell me his side, but he wasn’t talking. Again.
Maybe he didn’t feel like he owed me an explanation. Which, I guessed, he didn’t. He wasn’t mine; we weren’t a couple and he hadn’t professed his undying love. I didn’t have a ring on my finger. We were just two people who’d screwed and that was it.
I was only one more notch in Brody Shaw’s bedpost.
“Do you have her leash?”
“Got iiiiitttt!” Erica handed it to me, and I clipped it on CC’s collar.
“Lil—” he rasped.
“The bag?” I cut him off, directing the question to Staci.
“Here you go.”
“Lily—”
I took the bag and stared at him, daring him to finish.
Go on and tell me it’s not what I think. I gave him that heartbeat of space, which was more than I thought he deserved. Going once. Going twice... Instead, something like disappointment moved across his face. “Her bowl and toys are in there. Let me get her food.”
You goddamned cliché. “It’s fine. Text me what she eats and how much and I’ll pick it up.”
He nodded, scratched CC’s head. “Be good for Lily. I love you, baby girl.”
I slung the bag on my shoulder. “C’mon, sweet pea. Mack has missed you.”
I didn’t hear the door shut behind me when I turned to leave. But as the elevator door slid open, Brody stood in the middle of the hall with one hand holding his towel and the other sitting on his hip.
This was exactly why I didn’t let myself get attached when I fostered a rescue.
Because you couldn’t keep them. They always moved on.
This was on me. I knew who Brody was from the beginning, and I’d gotten attached anyway. I was the idiot falling for the starting linebacker for the Dallas Bulldogs while he was out banging the Doublemint twins.
It was a good thing he was going away to camp. Out of sight, out of mind. I needed time to repair the damage, to harden the shell that Brody had taken a sledgehammer to.
When he got back from camp, I would have all the info we needed, my feelings in check, and be ready to move on the mill.
By the time I got CC in my SUV, the tears I’d been holding through sheer will were all dried up.
Back to business as usual.
Chapter Twenty-One
Does anybody answer their fucking phone anymore?
Brody
I barely made the team plane. Once I’d kicked the rookie out of my seat, I put on my headphones and crawled into my head, blocking everything out. The Bulldogs always held camp in a small town outside of Omaha. Peace, Quiet. Focus. Compared to the heat in Dallas it was a nice reprieve.
And after today, I was ready to start hitting some shit.
Anything to distract me from Lily.
I had linebackers’ meetings, defensive meetings, workouts, a playbook to help refine, films to watch, and practices to get my guys and myself ready. Our first scrimmage was a clusterfuck and I pulled a no-no.
I hit the red shirt. Full out.
I don’t even know what I was thinking, which was the problem. I wasn’t using my head, and letting my emotions rule me. Something I preached to my own guys about. It cost me $20K and a self-effacing apology in front of the entire team.
I didn’t get to dress for the first pre-season game last week, either. Coach told me it was because they wanted to take it easy on my shoulder, but my fucking shoulder felt fine. Better than ever. I’d spent the game sidelined, going through scenarios and technique issues with my backups. I was the defensive captain. I knew the job was part teacher, but I felt like I was training my replacement.
Leaning in a hall outside the main auditorium, I thought about her again as another text went unanswered. It had been almost three weeks since she’d picked up CC, and if it wasn’t about my dog, Lily wasn’t responding. I’d decided to try calling her again, then saw a rookie corner back coming down the hall. He didn’t realize my outside linebackers were a few steps behind.
Time for a little fun. “Hey, rook. I want the third seat in the eleventh row.” Truthfully, I didn’t even know where the seat was. I pointed at him. “You let anyone else sit there, I’ll make you hand-wash my compression shorts after practice for a week.”
He sent me a salute, shifting his backpack. Too bad the guys behind him heard me. They knew what was up. They were about to make his life miserable for the next hour, and my compression shorts would gleam like an ad for Clorox.
Not able to resist, I called Lily again. It went straight to voicemail. I didn’t bother. Hanging up, I texted her instead.
Brody: We need to talk, Lil.
Brody: I miss you.
The three dots appeared only to disappear a few seconds later. They didn’t pop back up again.
Staring at the ceiling, I banged my head against the wall behind me. Suddenly, I wasn’t much in the mood for the rookie talent show. I went back to my room and grabbed my lifting stuff. Time to punish myself.