Page 60 of Stealing Home

Taylor crosses his heart. “Keeping Ryan’s secrets has become second nature.”

21

Harlow

Charlie claps his hands together.“So today is the kid’s birthday. What are we doing to celebrate?”

“I’m sure they’d like to do something alone,” Griffin grumbles.

“His friends want to go out to celebrate,” I tell them. I pushed him to join them, but I’m not going to lie to myself and pretend I like it.

“Without you?” Griffin’s face is thunderous as if he’s ready to argue on my behalf.

“Calm down, caveman. What is he going to say? They don’t know he’s with Harlow, and he can’t exactly bring her around. It’s not strange that his friends would want to celebrate his twenty-first birthday,” Wren points out.

“Where is he going?” Charlie asks.

I shrug. “He was going to mention going to Donovan’s.”

Griffin and Charlie both nod their heads several times as if this is the best idea they’ve heard. They exchange a look. “I think we’re up for a night out, don’t you Charlie?” Griffin asks.

Wren groans. “You can’t go and spy on him. And Charlie, quit calling him a kid.”

“I actually like that idea,” Scott says, as he limps up to the table.

I scoot further into the booth so he can get off his leg. “I don’t want you to think you can’t hang out with your friends if I’m not there looking over your shoulder.”

Do I want that kind of reassurance? Yes, absolutely. After years of Nando cheating on me, it’s hard to trust easily, but those aren’t Scott’s sins to atone for. Sometimes trusting someone feels like stepping into the unknown. Scary as hell, but the only way to move forward.

Scott tugs on the end of my hair so I look at him instead of studying the tabletop. “Hey, I know you aren’t saying you want to watch me. Maybe I just want you there. Even if I know we can’t really talk, I want to be where you are. I’m only going tonight because the guys are getting suspicious like you thought. Hell, Coach Tucker recognized your voice earlier, so people are starting to find out.”

My eyes widen, and my heart pounds against my chest. I clutch his hands and squeeze. “Scott, no. I can’t come then. Nando is going to freak if he finds out.”

He brings one of my hands to his mouth and kisses the knuckles. “I won’t let him hurt you.”

I shake my head. “I’m not worried about me. He could bench you for the rest of the season, and you’d never get seen by the scouts.”

Scott shrugs one shoulder, as if his chance at a career in baseball means nothing. He looks at Griffin and Charlie. “I’d love it if you could drag her out tonight.”

Liam fidgets in his seat. “I’ll see if Claudia wants to come, but someone has to watch the kids. I’ll stay behind.”

“Hattie is working the night shift, and the girls will be in bed by eight. I’ll call our sitter and see if she can come over.”

Wren holds up her hand. “I’ll drive.”

Griffin shakes his head. “Nope, I’ll drive.”

She rolls her eyes. “You know you can have a beer every once in a while. Just because I can’t drink doesn’t mean you can’t.”

“We’re in this together, baby bird.” He rubs her growing belly, and I feel a pang of jealousy.

Scott watches me with an odd look on his face. I raise a questioning eyebrow, and he snaps out of it.

“You even going to be able to go out tonight on that leg?” Charlie asks.

Scott shrugs. “I don’t really want to go out at all. Once I get upstairs, I don’t think I’ll even want to move.”

“Can you climb the stairs?” I ask him.

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