Page 12 of Winning Brynn

“No, but your ban on me bringing girls home is.”

“It’s been less than twenty-four hours, dude. How much sex do you even need?” I ask then instantly regret it. “Actually, no, don’t answer that.”

“Sex is a perfectly healthy and natural part of life, little sis.”

I narrow my eyes, knowing exactly how to wipe that shitty-ass smirk off his face. “Well, in that case, let me tell you about a guy I met in London who could do this really amazing thing with his ton—”

Alex throws his hands over his ears and sings loudly to himself. “Nope. No. Not listening. Don’t wanna hear it.”

“But sex is a perfectly healthy and natural part of life,” I mimic, my face smug as all hell.

My brother growls. “Not for you, it isn’t.”

All the while, Leo watches our argument unfold in abject horror. “You can’t possibly think that I can trust little Miss Kim K over there to take care of my child?”

Rather unhelpfully, depending on which way you’re looking at it, Arun pipes up, “Kim Kardashian is a really great mom, actually. You should watch her show.”

“He’s right.” Theo nods. “She is.”

Leo’s scowl grows three shades darker. “You all actually think this is a good idea, don’t you?” He shakes his head with a disbelieving laugh. “Bloody unbelievable.”

I fight to hide a smile at his adorable British idiom, redirecting it to the tiny little girl fiddling with my necklace in my lap.

“To be fair, man,” Roman says, “as ideas from Alex go, it’s one of his best.”

Leo rounds his glare on me, eyes flaming with fury. “Do you even have childcare experience?”

“I volunteered at a kindergarten once in high school,” I tell him with a shrug, though I'm selling myself short on purpose. I haven't decided which way I want this to go yet, and truthfully, expanding on my experience would reveal information about me that I'm not comfortable sharing.

Harley pats me on the shoulder like a proud father, as if I’ve just announced that I have a secret PhD in education. “See, Sully? She’s perfect.”

I would say that I don’t know why all the guys seem so hellbent on this idea, but from the looks on their faces, I have a pretty good feeling that they just like to see how far they can push their midfielder before he snaps.

Apparently, I’m just collateral damage.

“Do I even get a say in this?” I ask, stroking Salem’s hair absentmindedly as I narrow my eyes at the group.

“No,” everyone replies—even Leo.

I guess no matter which way this goes, the decision won’t have anything to do with me.

Whatever.

Turning my gaze to the window, I stare out at the winking city lights. They’re barely visible through the reflection of Alex’s apartment swirling on the glass, but I watch them anyway.

As proud as I am to have taken my career to the level that I’m able to travel, home really is where the heart is.

I love every country I’ve visited, every new culture I’ve learned about, every delicacy I’ve tasted in foreign markets and restaurants. My wanderlust is up there with the best of them.

But there’s just something about Seattle that brings me a serenity I can’t find anywhere else.

It’s where my family is.

And, truth be told, I hate being away from them for too long, despite how pig-headed my brother can be.

“Look, man,” Alex says, “pre-season starts on Monday. That gives you four days to find a nanny, and you’ve been searching for two months already.”

Leo deflates, falling back on the sofa cushions. “You think I don’t know that?”

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