Page 1 of Mad Love

CHAPTER ONE

COFFEE WITH THE DADS

WESTON

The bathroom mirror is too fogged up to see anything when I get out of the shower. I wipe it down with my towel and turn to see if any bruises are fading yet. Tomorrow will be a week since my team and I won our second Super Bowl, and it does not get old, even though my body is paying the price.

I’m young enough, I can handle it.

I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do—playing professional football. After a couple years of doing this, I’m still in shock that I’m living out my dream.

My phone buzzes and I check it. Penn Hudson. We joined the Colorado Mustangs the same season. I’ve made a lot of great friends on the team, but Penn and I are probably the tightest. As the quarterback and running back, it’s a good thing we get along so well.

Penn

Should we bust the dad group this morning?

Why not? It’s always entertaining to hear them vacillate between how great their kids are and how hard they have it as single dads.

Penn

I’m in the mood to annoy them.

You just want an excuse to hang with the greats.

Penn

You’re not wrong.

The biggest draws of coming to play for the Mustangs were Henley Ward, the best wide receiver in football, and Bowie Fox, my favorite linebacker. Bonus was when tight end Rhodes Archer was drafted along with Penn and me. All of them have been at it longer than we have, and they’ve accepted us with open arms in every way…except for this little single dad club they have.

I’ll see you there in fifteen.

Penn

Word.

The mountains look close enough to touch on this beautiful, sunny February morning. I’m lucky that I was drafted from college to play for my home state. I’d miss Colorado if I had to live anywhere else. The snow is crunching beneath my feet, and Silver Hills is just starting to wake up for the day.

It’s only been a week since Valentine’s Day, but every heart and cupid that took over the town is gone, and now there’s green and silver everywhere I look for St. Patrick’s Day. Silver Hills goes all out for the holidays.

I love relaxing mornings like this, maybe because they’re rare for me. I’m usually rushing off to practice or still working out at this time. I walk into Luminary Coffeehouse with Penn on my heels, both of us scouting the place for the guys.

“Did we miss them?” Penn asks.

A bubbly girl walks up and puts her hand on my arm. “Weston Shaw and Penn Hudson at the same time? Pinch me,” she says to the girl next to her.

I look at the two girls and smile, holding back my laugh when they both sigh. It’s hard to tell who they’re into more, Penn or me—I think they could flip a coin and be happy.

As much as I enjoy a good time, I’m still exhausted from playing so hard last weekend, the parade in downtown Denver, and all the partying that ensued afterwards.

I really just want to chill with my boys.

Or give them shit. Same difference.

You’d think I wouldn’t miss the team since we’ve been together nonstop for months, and I don’t miss all of them, but this week, with all the interviews and parties and hangovers, I’ve actually missed chatting with my favorite bastards.

“Is it me or is it more crowded than usual?” Penn asks under his breath.

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