Page 148 of Vegas Heat

I will not be thirty-three when I lose him.

“I’m here,” she says. She blows out a breath, and I can tell she’s nervous to go inside.

“Mom, it’s okay. You’ve got this. Call me anytime, no matter what it is. I’ll text my flight details when I have them. Okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks, baby. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

She ends the call, and I stare at my phone a beat while silence passes between AJ and me.

“Everything okay?” he finally asks.

I shake my head. “My older brother might be having a heart attack.”

“Oh, Jesus. Where is he?”

“Chicago suburbs.”

“What can I do to help?”

I shake my head as my eyes meet his, and it’s in that moment I remember exactly why I wanted to play again. It’s not just the love of the game. It’s the brotherhood. The atmosphere. The respect and the teamwork and the dedication to doing everything we can for each other. “Nothing, but thanks. I need to let Troy know what’s going on then catch a flight out of here.” I stand and throw some cash down on the table. “But you’re joining me in Vegas, right?”

He nods as he stands, too, and he reaches out to shake my hand, pulling me in for a quick hug where he slaps my back. “Yeah, man. You need anything, you call. And let me know how he’s doing, all right?”

I nod. “Thanks, brother. I’ll see you soon.”

I head up to the suite I’m sharing with Troy and Mike, searching for flights as I go, already knowing they’ll understand that I need to get to Chicago as soon as possible.

And I’m not wrong.

“Family first.” Those are Troy’s exact words, and part of me wonders whether those words would’ve been different before he found out he had a daughter.

The daughter I’m banging on the sly.

What the fuck am I doing?

CHAPTER 18: GABBY

When my phone rings a little after one in the morning, I’m still awake even though I know I need to go to bed. I’ve been catching up on some trash TV I’ve missed out on over the last few weeks, and my chest tightens when I see Cooper’s name on the screen.

Is he calling to talk about what I said earlier?

A dart of nervousness pings my stomach.

“Hey you,” I answer, trying not to sound guarded.

I hear a sniffle on the other end of the line, but no words accompany it.

“Cooper?” I ask, sitting up in bed.

He clears his throat.

“What’s going on?” A sense of alarm pinches my heart. Is this it for us? He can’t take being with someone who doesn’t want kids tomorrow, and he’s calling to break it off with me over the phone?

He wouldn’t do it over the phone. He’s not that kind of guy.

He doesn’t answer, and the sense of alarm turns from a pinch into a cold, icy grip.

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