Page 36 of The Playmaker
"Aw, honey, he's a powerful force in the NFL, so of course he's gonna have an ego to go with it! Maybe you just need to try a different approach next time?"
"Like what? Sit on his lap and dance?" I'm being sarcastic.
Pen laughs, then looks at me. "Oh. You're not trying to be funny." She faces me. "Look, I love you like a sister," that word makes my stomach flip after just seeing Riley, "but you might benefit from remembering that not every guy is like…well, like your dad, honey. Some men stick around. In fact—a lot of men do! I'm sorry he abandoned you."
I can see the sincerity on her face and I sigh. "I guess I'm good at holding onto grudges, huh?" I try to chuckle.
Pen throws her arms around me, dress whacking me in the side. "We all are. It's part of being human."
I'm more than ready to stop thinking about my dad, so I pretend to check out a bright pink dress.
Pen hums as she picks out a smaller sized dress. "Got it! Let's go check out and then you need to get yours altered… or not. I know if my bra size was as big as yours, I wouldn't be hiding those assets away." She giggles at herself and we walk to the counter.
Pen is a delight to be around, so it's not until that night when I'm home alone that I can process my feelings about what I discovered. I pull up my online journaling app and pour my thoughts out on virtual paper, putting together the secret sister story I will never get the chance to write…or publish.
Why?
Because somewhere along the way I've gone soft in the heart for Jaxon Carter. Betraying his secret would feel like betraying myself.
I stare at my screen, at the words I've written, and realize what this means. All my life, I've defined myself by exposing the truth about athletes like my father—men who abandon their responsibilities, who live for fame and glory while leaving broken hearts behind. It's been my mission, my identity, my way of making sense of the pain my father caused.
But now I have the biggest story of my career in my hands—and I can't bring myself to write it. Because Jaxon isn't my father. He's not running away from responsibility; he's embracing it. He's protecting Riley, shielding her from the harsh spotlight that follows him everywhere.
I close my laptop and curl up on my couch, hugging a pillow to my chest. The realization is terrifying: I'm falling for him. Not the bad boy image he projects to the world, but the man behind it—the brother who buys his sister necklaces that match her dress, who guards her privacy so fiercely he's created an entire persona to distract from her existence.
The man who, despite everything, might be worth trusting with my heart.
CHAPTER 16
JAX
Hawk:Tonight is gonna rock. Just hitting up a bar or two. Then I'm there.
I groan. I'm not sure going in on a restaurant chain or even just a single restaurant with Hawk is proving to be a good idea. He has the money to co-invest, but he also has the attention span of a gnat sometimes.
I text him:So basically you're going to be late. To the event you invited me to.
I add a thumbs down emoji.
His reply?Hahaha.
"Jax, we should get going," the voice of Mrs. Mathews pulls me out of my thoughts. "Riley, do you have your new clutch, dear?"
I look up and grin at my kid sister, the light of my life, the one good thing in this world worth fighting for. Then, Avery's beautiful face pops into my mind unbidden—those warm brown eyes that seem to see right through me, the curve of her lips when she's about to challenge something I've said. Well, maybe there are two good things in this world. Maybe. It's been over a week since I've seen her. That fact might be bothering me…just a little.
"You ready for this? It's your first time being up for an award at your ballet school!" I inject enthusiasm I'm not quite feeling into my voice. I might try to deny it, but without Riley in my life it's like a cloud hangs over me. She is the first woman I've known since entering the NFL who doesn't seem to want my money or my fame.
"Three awards," Riley and Mrs. Mathews say in unison.
That brings some genuine laughter into the room, so I get to my feet and escort them to one of my cars in my garage.
"Jax," Riley says as we pull up to her ballet school, giving me the voice I know all too well. She's about to ask me for something she knows I'll say no to.
"What's up, Riles?" I arch an eyebrow at her in the rearview mirror, then add, "If you're about to ask me again to come to your ballet ceremony tonight, I can't."
Instead of giving me attitude, she looks sad, just nodding her head and sitting back in her seat. The defeated slump of her shoulders hits me like a tackle I didn't see coming.
"I'm sorry, Riley. Your ballet school has been the soul of discretion about who you are and who I am, but the minute I walk in there with you…well, suddenly everyone's going to want a piece of you. I'm sorry. I can't let that happen to you."
