Page 131 of How to Prevent a Fumble

The other day Briar seemed shocked when I had asked her what she was doing for Christmas.

“I don’t know,” she told me, her eyes wide and inquisitive. “I was just going to get Elara a few things and make dinner.”

I had leaned against the wall, very aware of how hard she was working to keep her eyes on my face and not on my arms. “What do you guys usually do?”

Briar had started to fidget, her eyes shifting as she looked around for the measuring cup right in front of her. She had been making Christmas cookies for the team, perfecting a recipe for her cookbook.

She still hasn’t shared many details about the book with me, but I’ve been so excited to see the finished product, ready with money in hand to push the marketing as much as I can.

She shrugged, brushing the few strands of hair much too short to stay in her ponytail out of her eyes, some flour from her fingertips falling on her black top. “I don’t know Leo,” she said almost exasperatedly. “We just have our little Christmas. We haven’t had much, and that’s totally fine.”

Briar has been fairly open about her struggle with money in the last few years. She doesn’t like material things. She’s been frugal. She’s made by on what she has and the little money she’s been able to bring in.

But she gets embarrassed whenever it comes to how that affects Elara, and I get it. She’s done the absolute best she can for her daughter, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t some shame there.

She had, however, ensured me that if there was ever anything she really needed for her, she swallowed her pride and did ask Owen. He would ask her what else he could do, and she would say nothing. Things were just tight that week.She had to miss some shifts from work but it would be okay. Things were good.

Elara’s needs always came first, but she wasn’t about to admit her secrets to her brother.

I still haven’t quite figured out exactly why.

I respect her and Elara’s cozy Christmases, and I’m sure she’s going to have some kind of problem with what I’m doing. That’s in her nature. But I want to make sure this is memorable for them. I want to make sure Elara knows that one man in her life adores her—me? Adoring a kid? I can’t believe it, either—and wants to spoil her.

And hopefully, if everything goes well, maybe her mom will allow me to spoil them for the rest of their lives.

Dirwin looks around at the dozens of presents around us and chuckles. “I think this is more than enough, man. I think you’re going to have your ass handed to you.”

I bristle at the idea.

“It’s about Elara,” I tell him, sitting back.

“I’m sure it is,” Cooper mutters.

“How’s the list coming along?” Emmett asks, adding tape to the end of his present. His daughter is spending the day at a friends, and it’s one of the first times in quite a bit we’ve been able to hang out. He still hasn’t found another nanny.

“I, well, I haven’t done much of it,” I admit. There hasn’t been a huge opportunity. She hasn’t made soup yet, but I guess I should be the one to initiate. “I’m going to though, and I have things to add to it, actually,” I tell them.

“Wait, how far have you gotten with her?” Coop nudges, and I know him well enough that at least this time, he doesn’t mean sex.

Which is great, because I’d never tell them anyway.

“We’ve been friendlier,” I admit, grabbing my water off the coffee table and downing half of it in two seconds flat. “But I think she believes it’s just because we’re stuck in this entanglement.”

The guys look at each other.

“Are you going to tell her that it’s not?” Dirwin asks hesitantly.

I worry my bottom lip, wincing. “I want to, but I don’t want to scare her off, you know?”

Cooper looks around at all the presents with a raised eyebrow but stays silent.

“Anyways, there’s more interesting things to talk about. Like how Dirwin is absolutely leaving us at the end of the season,” I say flatly, my eyes narrowing.

“What do you mean?” he laughs nervously as we stare.

“You know what I mean. What the hell? I knew you were good but that’s not backup quarterback good, Dirwin. If you don’t leave us I’ll kick your ass.”

I watch as a deep crimson blush heats his cheeks. “You know I’ll miss you guys, right?”

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