Little asshole.
I couldn’t get Brody out of my thoughts and had no idea how to harden my outer shell again. Deep down, I think I knew that the floodgates were open. Instead of the relief I thought I should feel, my heart hurt for him and what he was going through right now.
Brody may have been a manwhore, but he wasn’t a predator.
“Lily, you have someone asking for you in the shop.” Startling in my chair, I scowled at the breakroom speaker and I shoved my cell into my pocket.
“Okay. Be right there.” Probably a student with a question.
When I walked into the shop, my jaw hit my chest.
The last people I’d ever expected to see: the Doublemint twins.
They weren’t half dressed this time, either. Erica had on a red power suit with black patent heels, and Staci wore yoga pants and a T-shirt that said The Boxing Academy—Head Trainer.
They both smiled, warmly.
“Umm, hey. Does one of you have a dog or something?”
Erica shook her head. “No, we were hoping to talk to you. Is there someplace we can go?”
“Okaaaay.” I motioned for them to follow and led them past the agility rings to the door at the back of a storage area that led to a staff picnic table. “So...”
“So,” Staci repeated. She seemed overeager, almost jumpy. “How have you been? Have you heard from Brody?”
I met her question with a glare. “We’ve texted about CC. That’s it. If you’re here to pump me for info—”
“Oh, God no. Sorry!”
Erica interjected. She was the calm one. All business. “I apologize for my wife, Lily. She tends to say whatever comes to mind.”
Uh, WIFE?
“Oh. You two are together?”
Staci nodded. “Married four years next month.” She took Erica’s hand and held it in her own.
Ohmygod, did they bring Brody in for threesomes or something? I really didn’t want to know that. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, I just didn’t particularly need to think about him having one with other women.
Erica set a manicured hand on top of mine. “We’re not in an open relationship, darling. We’re very much monogamous.”
I was both mortified and felt instant relief wash over me in a way that told me I didn’t think I was falling for Brody Shaw. I knew it in my soul.
“We’re Brody’s neighbors,” Staci put in. “We watch things when he’s gone. The picture you saw in the magazine—that was of a man who’s like a big brother taking us out for Erica’s birthday.” She turned to her wife. “A good man treating two friends to a night on the town. That’s it.”
Erica nodded her agreement. “I know what it looked like when I answered the door. If it had been Staci with two half-naked women, I wouldn’t have handled it well at all. It would have involved hair pulling. We’d just finished a workout, and dropped by to tell Brody goodbye before he left for camp. We let ourselves in,” she said. “Should have called first. Lily, we wanted you to hear this from us. We don’t see Brody that way. He’s family.”
“Besides, his equipment is all wrong.” Staci made an eww face. “All that man junk jumbled about on the outside. Just, no. Seriously, we’d be more inclined to invite you over for a threesome.”
Mouth falling open, I guffawed. These two were something.
“Honestly, my first thought was ‘who gives a shit what this chick thinks is going on,’” she continued. “Then, after you left, he told us who you are to him. Brody has eyes only for you, Lily. He told Erica he went by your house to explain before he left, but you weren’t home. He barely made the team plane.”
That was news. “I had a class. I brought CC back here with me.” I should have asked him to explain. Instead, I’d judged, and I was so, so wrong. I met their gazes in turn. “Thank you. I appreciate you telling me what happened, but Brody and I...” I shook my head, examined my nails.
In a move that shocked me, Erica tipped my chin up. “For some of us, fear is a natural reaction to love. It was for me. It is for Brody. And I think it is for you, too.”
“But Brody is a good man,” Staci cut in. “All this shit on the news and tabloids, the lawsuits, it’s bull. Most nights he spends with a beer and his dog.”
“Unless he’s camped on our sofa begging for chocolate and watching Supernatural reruns.” Erica winked.
I laughed, nodded. That was my Brody. “I believe you, but there’s a lot of baggage that comes with his job, too. My stepfather is the team’s general manager. Seeing me could hurt his career. I also grew up with this lifestyle. It’s not easy on anyone involved.”
Erica nodded, searched my face. “I get your hesitance, Lily. He’s afraid, too. Of more than your relationship getting outed. But you two either face your fears or you don’t evolve.”
I nibbled the inside of my cheek.
“Andra—” Staci blurted, but Erica squeezed her hand.
“They’re not our stories to tell.”
Staci nodded. “But they’re worth hearing. He’s worth it, Lily. Love is worth it, isn’t it?” She turned to her wife, who returned her smile.
“Yes. Yes, it is.”
“Anyway.” Erica cleared her throat. “I’m representing Brody in the civil suit. The woman may have a suit against the Bulldogs and another player, but her case against Brody is baseless. Her lawyer filed blanket suits to see who’d pay. Once they know Brody will fight it, they’ll drop the suit. I hope you’ll let him tell you those stories, Lily. Brody is a good man.”
“If he’ll tell me his stories.”
“He will. If you give him a chance.”
With that, I peeked at Staci’s watch. “Oh, shit. I’m late for class.” Jumping up, I hugged them both. “Thank you. I admit I leapt to conclusions, and we’ve both got some secrets to tell, I think. But I’ll listen.”
Erica cupped my arm. “It’s not easy, love. Nothing worth it ever is.” With that, I led them back in and made a run for my class.
If he called again, I’d answer, and I would apologize for assuming the worst. He had enough on his plate right now when he should’ve been concentrating on football. If I didn’t hear from him, when he got home from camp, I’d share my secrets and hope he did the same.
I’d also be able to tell him what Carrie had dug up about our possible puppy farmer.