Page 35 of Mad Love

We’re all quiet for a moment, processing everything.

“Guess you got yourself into The Single Dad Players, Weston. Aren’t you jealous, Penn?” Rhodes asks, his shit-stirring grin in full effect.

Penn holds up his hands. “I don’t need to be part of The Single Dad Players, thank you very much. I’m just fine on the outside looking in.” He lifts his beer bottle.

“You know you want to be,” Henley scoffs. “Because we’re so dope.”

Penn puts his fist over his mouth as he cracks up. “Okay, Pops. Do you hear yourself?”

“Watch it, Pretty Boy,” Henley says, his look teasing but still fierce enough that Penn’s cocky grin fades. He’s in awe of Henley and loves to give him shit but gets afraid when he straddles that fine line.

“It’s pretty great being on the inside,” I say, shrugging.

They laugh and as we hang out talking about kids and nonsense, I can’t stop thinking about how glad I am to have them in my life.

It’s only been a couple of days, but my whole world expanded when I realized I had a son.

Life is short and could turn upside down at any moment. I need to figure out a way to not miss out on a moment of it.

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE GUYS

SADIE

After another painful day, the last thing I want to do when I pull into Weston’s driveway is see anyone. My mom took one look at me earlier and pulled out her concealer. I cried it off at the funeral home and she reapplied before I left.

So something in your life will feel normal,she said.

I don’t know how concealer will help the way I feel, but when I see four honking SUVs parked in the back, I’m glad for mymom’s help. I don’t normally give much thought to how I look, but even I know I was looking rough earlier.

I step in the back door wondering how I can get to the basement stairs without anyone noticing me and I walk into a madhouse.

The first thing I hear is the string riff that I think everyone alive knows. That line throughout Britney Spears’ “Toxic” is being sung way up high and a couple are singing it as low as they can go. I think it’s Weston singing the chorus in a high falsetto.

I walk into the kitchen and see five very large men dancing their asses off and singing, while they’re surrounding Caleb, who’s on a blanket on the table getting his diaper changed. When I realize who they are, I’m stunned and on hot man overload, but the sight is too hilarious. Penn Hudson and Rhodes Archer are dancing like they were meant to be Britney’s backup dancers, and Rhodes is the one singing the high string line, while Penn just throws in random lines while he focuses on his dance moves. Henley Ward is twisting his hips and taking the bass, and Bowie Fox is bopping his head, also singing bass. Weston’s changing the diaper, but his hips are swiveling like Channing Tatum on whatever that dancing movie he was in that made me look at him with new appreciation.Magic Mike, yes.

I start sweating, but I also start laughing…hard.

They immediately turn, Weston lifting Caleb up to his shoulder, and the singing and dancing comes to an abrupt stop.

“Please. Don’t stop on my account,” I say, trying to rein in the hysterical laugh in my gut.

My insides are shaking with being face-to-face with some of the players I’ve loved for years. Henley Ward is anicon. I mean, all of them are. I still haven’t gotten over the fact that I’m living in Weston Shaw’s house, but we’ve sort of been thrown into a situation where I have to deal. But holy fucking hell.

One by one, they come over and introduce themselves, shaking my hand. Their earlier humor is gone, earnest expressions on their faces.

“I’m so sorry to hear about your sister,” Rhodes says.

“Weston told us what the two of you are doing together, raising this little guy,” Henley says. “It’s commendable. It really is. And we’re here to help whenever you guys need it.”

“It’s hard to say who Caleb looks like more now that I’ve gotten a better look at you,” Penn says. “But your dark hair and blue eyes…I think it’s you.”

My cheeks are on fire by now. Sasha always said she thought Caleb looked more like me than her, which I loved so much, but now I wish he looked like her.

“It’s really nice to meet you,” Bowie says. “And like Henley said, we want to help.”

“That’s so kind of you, all of you. Thank you.”

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