Page 63 of Their Perfect Daddy

I tilt my head to look at him. “That’s him. Do you know him?”

“Yeah, I know him. He’s the one who handles everything for me,” he replies, careful not to mention his social media persona with Grizzly around. I understand since it’s not like they really know each other. Even I was surprised to find out Daddy had this whole other life outside his prim and proper doctor vibe.

Taking the silence as his chance to continue, Grizzly tells me, “As for all the other events we had planned, I think we should postpone them. Or maybe see if some of your teammates are up for stepping in for you. I know you've always kept this part of yourself separate, but you're surrounded by some really good guys. I think they could do good work too.”

Biting my lip, I think over it for a second. "Sounds good. The getting my teammates involved part," I say. "Let me call them though. I want to make sure they understand the reasoning behind it all, and I need to know they're committed. This isn't PR for me, you know?"

Grizzly grins. "I know. I've been with you since the beginning, so yeah, I get it. And speaking of beginning, I can feel my stomach starting to rumble, so I’ll head out of here. If you need anything, I'm a text away. Same goes for either of you.” He points a finger at my guys. “If you're too busy taking care of him and need me to pick up food or send a delivery over, I can do it.”

"You're a good friend too, Grizzly,” I tell him. “I really don't say it enough.”

He dips his head, then turns and flees the room. Micah comes in a second later, his expression amused.

“Was that Grizzly who practically ran out of here? The big guy was walking like his feet were on fire.”

The three of us share a look and then nod. “He might have gotten a bit uncomfortable there at the end. I was being nice to him.”

Micah hums at my reply. "Oh yeah, poor Grizzly can never take a compliment. Such a softie.”

Yeah, he is,I think to myself. I hope one day he finds someone who nurtures his softness instead of expecting him to be the big, rough guy he looks like on the outside. He deserves his own happiness.

CHAPTER 20

MICAH

Leaving Monty with his boyfriends—still a mind fuck thing to say—is difficult. I want to stay and help my brother. Since the moment I realized he was hurt, I felt the need to come to his rescue. Granted, that’s kind of been my thing since we were teens. And I’m terrible about breaking bad habits.

Plus, I can see everything happening is taking a toll on him. His mental health has always been dependent on how he sees himself. If he’s not succeeding and gaining attention, then his mood tanks.

This is something worse than failing a test or being told he wasn't the best player on the team. This is him losing the ability to do what he loves. The thing he's passionate about.

How is he going to recover from this?

As I leave the hospital, I promise to be more active in his life. None of this avoiding him bullshit I’ve been known to do in the past. He's going to need me. He's going to need all of us.

I can't imagine not being a part of this journey with him. It would be like abandoning him when he needs support most.

My phone rings as I'm climbing into the car. I look down to see my mom's name on the screen. I answer right away.

"Hey Mom," I say. "Everything okay?"

She hums. "Yes, we’ve landed. We're waiting for our bags. I wanted to see if there’s anything we can do."

I blink at her words, surprised to hear she got here so quickly. Of course my curiosity won't leave it alone, so I ask how.

“You know your brother likes to send us money from time to time to pay bills and things. We have told him we don't really need his help because things are fine now that we don't have two ravenous teenage boys around. He hasn't listened, so the money has gone into an account for the last few years. Your dad decided paying for the convenience of a private flight would be worth it.”

I lean back against the seat and close my eyes. “What in the world? You two are something else,” I say.

I hear Dad chuckling in the background, which means he can hear me too. “You two are spoilsports. Monty would have loved me spending his money,” Dad shouts.

“Well Monty is currently in a hospital bed surrounded by…” I pause. “People who are worried for him. Soon you two will be encroaching on their territory.”

“Yes, we absolutely will,” Mom says firmly. “Because he is our baby, and we want to make sure he’s okay in person. The asshole who tackled him is going to get an earful when I meet him.”

I laugh at her fierce tone. “How do you intend get in touch with a professional player in the NFL? You just gonna knock on his front door, Mom?”

She scoffs. “I will do what I damn well please, young man. And don't speak as if I cannot find out information. I am pretty much a former FBI agent at the rate at which I can uncover things.”

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