Page 15 of Teasing

And there goes that train of thought... right off the fucking tracks.

Every time she’s outside, my mind goes places it shouldn’t.

And it’s not just when the sun is shining either. Just the other night, I caught her sitting on her porch reading a book in a storm. She was bundled under a blanket, reading a paperback by candlelight.

Who does that?

My fucking smoke show of a neighbor, that’s who.

“Is that the neighbor Ryker was telling us about?” Mom asks with a curious smile from her spot on the blanket as Rosie hands her an apple slice.

What the hell has Ryker been saying and why does him talking about her to our parents make me angry?

“That’s Emmie,” Rosie announces. “She’s nice, and she teaches ballet.”

“Oh... she does, does she?” Mom’s smile grows. “At Belle’s studio?”

Fuck me and my interfering family.

I’ve got a pretty good idea where her mind is going, and it’s not going to happen. And I already know Mom is going to be calling my godmother later to get the dirt on Emmie. Fucking fantastic.

“Apparently,” I grumble and try to ignore the beautiful woman pulling weeds from a vegetable garden. Today, her hair is held back by a red and white bandanna tied in a bow on the top of her head. It matches the red tank top pushing her tits up so high, I feel like if I was close enough, I might even be able to see nipple. Cut-off jean shorts sit frayed high up on her toned, tanned thighs, and she’s barefoot. Emmie’s always barefoot. And I’m willing to bet her toes are painted the same color red as her shirt. Every time I’ve seen this woman, her nails are a different color.

Not that I noticed.

Dad nods toward the house, and I follow him before Rosie can start asking about a pony again. One problem at a time.

He stops under one of the outdoor fans cooling off the covered paver patio and leans against a brick column. His still-muscled arms cross over his chest as he stares at me, waiting.

Dad’s always been the more patient parent. He’ll wait you out if he has to. But he rarely has to. Mom usually got us to crack pretty fast. She’s his opposite in almost every way. But for them, it worked. Still does.

“Spit it out, old man,” I tell him, in the mood to get it over with.

He looks over my shoulder at his girls before finally looking at me. “You ready for training camp?”

I shrug, feeling a little defensive. I’ve never needed anyone to question whether I’m ready or not. You don’t get drafted to the team your family owns and not work your ass off to prove to yourself and everyone else that you earned that position.

No one can ever doubt I’ve earned my spot. I may have been a hot topic my rookie year, but I proved my worth that season and every one since. The commentators can all fuck right off, and if they have a problem with that, they’re welcome to line up against me on the field any day of the week so I can show them how good I am. “I’m in good shape. I worked with that trainer the entire offseason, and I definitely see a difference. I’m faster, stronger, and more explosive than I was at the end of last season. I’ve got this, if you’re worried.”

Dad’s eyes narrow, and he adjusts his stance. The days of looking down at me are long gone. I’m the only family member who looks my father in the eyes, and I come from abigfamily. He and I both say we’re six foot six, but I think I’ve got an inch on him these days. Pretty sure you shrink with old age.

No doubt, he’d kick my ass if I said that to him though.

“How do you feel about playing on the same team as your brother?”

Oh. . . that’s where he’s going with this.

A fire burns in my stomach, thinking about the possibility. Ryker lost his hearing right before his freshman year, so he didn’t play at all that season, which meant the only time we’ve been on the same team since was my senior year, and it was a rough one. He was determined to play, even if it meant he had to relearn everything... and it really did mean he had to relearneverything.

Kids are cruel, and I got into a lot of fights that season. But that’s the thing. We were kids. Professionals can be assholes, but for the most part, they’re not. They’re here to do a job, and I’ve been on this team long enough to know no one is going to try toscrew over my brother. Not and live to see the next practice. “No one is going to fuck with him, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’ll make sure of it.”

“That’s what I’m worried about, Mav,” Dad groans.

My phone rings, and I pull it from my pocket to see my cousin Aurora’s name flash on the screen. “Hey, kid. What’s up?”

“You trust me to watch your kid. Might want to stop insinuating I’m still one myself,” she sasses back.

Aurora refuses to let anyone have the last word. Kinda like her dad. Lucky for me, she’s changed her major about ten times over the course of the two years she’s been in college and doesn’t have an internship or some kind of job lined up for the summer. She’s also fantastic with Rosie, and she’s saved my ass since my former nanny decided to move.

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