Page 91 of Calamity Rayne Knocked Up

“We’re fashionable, Rayne, not fragile. I gotta get back.” He kissed my cheek and jogged across the field while the ball wasn’t in play.

I looked down at the two men wobbling to their feet. They laughed and patted each other on the back, then returned to their teams. Those grass stains were never coming out of those white pants.

The first half of the game was entertaining—until it wasn’t. Football involved a lot of stopping and starting. Hale was a faster runner than I realized, and he’d scored two touchdowns. I cheered, as did Elara, but everyone else seemed content to ignore the game and sip tea.

“Come on, Xander!” Seraphina cheered, rising to her feet. “Run! Run!”The whistle blew, and she threw her hands in frustration. “He had that.”

“So,” I said as she returned to her seat. “What did you two do yesterday when you left the house?”

She twisted her lips. “Nothing. We walked for a while, but he never even tried to hold my hand.”

“Now that you had a chance to get to know him, do you like him?”

“Rayne, he’s gorgeous. And Daddy seems impressed with him.”

I pitied how desperately she wanted her father’s approval. “Your dad wants to buy out his company, Phina. That’s why he’s interested in him.”

“Oh, well, Xander’s not selling. He told me so yesterday.”

“Everything’s for sale.”

She laughed. “You’re starting to sound like Hale.”

I was actually quoting Remington, but Hale would agree with me.

There was a commotion, and Remington was on his feet. “Go! Run!”

Barrett had the ball and was closing in on the mark when another man charged him out of nowhere. He threw the ball, and Hale caught it. I was up and screaming for him to move when a body flew through the air and toppled him into thedirt.

I gasped. “Oh, my God.”

Remington caught my arm. “He’s okay.”

Hale wasn’t moving. The other guy pushed himself off Hale, and I recognized Xander’s dark hair. “What the fuck?” I waited for Hale to sit up, but he didn’t move. “I have to go to him.”

Remington’s hold tightened. “He’s a big boy, Meyers. And you’re pregnant. Sit down.”

I looked back at the field, my lip trembling as the men huddled around Hale’s sprawled body, making it hard to see. If he didn’t get up in five seconds I was going out there.

Barrett walked over to his brother and laughed. Then he held out a hand and plucked him off the ground as if nothing happened. My heart spiked with relief, and I exhaled as Hale brushed the dirt off his pants and blew me a kiss.

Was he laughing? He could have broken his neck or worse.

Xander patted a hand on his back and pulled him into a headlock, swatting his wool cap against his chest. It must have been knocked off his head when he savagely tackledhim to the ground.

I sat at the table and chewed my lip. I wanted to punch Xander right in the dick.

Hale returned to the table at half-time, but my nerves still hadn’t settled and I didn’t trust myself to talk without getting overly upset.

“What the hell were you thinking, letting him come at your blind spot like that?” Remington snapped. “Your wife doesn’t need to see that in her condition.”

Rather than tell his father to butt out, Hale’s attention turned to me and laughed off my concern. “I’m fine.”

I shoved him away when he tried to hug me. “I thought you were really hurt, Hale. What the hell’s wrong with Xander? He didn’t have to come at you that hard.”

“It’s how the game’s played, baby. Believe me, I’m completely fine.”

I scowled. How dare he minimize this to make me feel like I was overreacting? “There’s mud on your shoes.”

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