Page 44 of My Brother's Teammates

“And on that note, I’m going for that walk.” I saw movement from the guys and hesitated. “Alone.”

“Take your phone.” Ryder sank heavily onto the couch and rolled his neck. “I think I need a drink, too.”

I hurried out of there before anything else could come up. I didn’t stop to grab my phone on the way because the idea of more calls from Landon rattling the thing around in my pocket soured my mood more than it’d already been soured.

***Hudson***

“I’mgoingtoheadover to-” Axel started to spin whatever tale he’d thought of to chase after Jenny, but Jason cut him off.

“No. You and the Kitten bullshit… You’re not going after my baby sister when she’s upset.” Jason shuddered and mimicked Axel’s slight accent. “Look at this shoulder to cry on, Kitten. So big and strong.”

Ryder snorted and eased forward on the couch. “Your opinion about me going to make sure she’s okay?”

Jason threw up his hands and mocked Ryder’s deep voice next. “Look at my face. Look how I brood. I can help, Jenny.”

Ryder sighed and leaned back again. “I don’t brood.”

I grinned when they all turned to me. Shrugging, I stared back at Jason. “I’m not asking.”

“Goddammit, Hudson, you know my sister is off-”

“I know your sister is sad and having a hard day and she just walked right out of here without stopping to grab her bag. Didyounotice a phone on her?” I thought of the tight leggings and knew at least three of us in the room had looked closely enough to know there hadn’t been a thing out of place. “I didn’t. So she’s upset, walking around in the dark, and didn’t take her phone. She expects you three to listen to her. No one expects me to listen to anything.”

“She didn’t grab her phone.” Ryder shook his head and glared at Jason. “Did she not get in trouble as a kid? She listens about as well as Hud and we all know he didn’t spend enough time getting punished for the shit he pulled.”

Jason scowled back at him. “I mean, she didn’t do anything to get in trouble that I remember. I was always the one in trouble. But why am I talking about that with you? Jesus. I don’t know what the hell is going on here, but I’m starting to feel like you three are a little too concerned about my sister.”

We all stayed silent, letting him work out his thoughts. I didn’t care if he figured it out, more than that it might upset Jenny. I wasn’t sure how Ryder or Axel felt, though, so I wasn’t going to blurt anything out.

He finally pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m an asshole. She needs all the extra concern right now with that fucker walking around campus. Just go, Hud. If you put your hands on my baby sister, I’m going to break your face, though. Understand me?”

I waved my hands at him. “These hands?”

Axel shoved me towards the door. “Leave before he changes his mind and decides that Kitten can take care of herself.”

I flipped them all off as an exit and grabbed my keys as I left. Looking both ways, I almost laughed when I spotted Jenny sitting at the bottom edge of the step. I shook my keys at her and winked. “Want a ride?”

She pouted. “I think someone turned the streetlights down. It feels darker than when I walked home.”

I took her hand and pulled her up. “Is the sweet little baby afraid of the dark?”

“Hudson, I’ll fight you right now.” She slapped my chest but there was a ghost of a smile on her mouth.

“Come on. I’ll show you where I go when I need some fresh air and remember I’m afraid of the dark.” I pulled her with me towards my car and opened the door for her. “Jenny, meet Bianca. Bianca wasn’t my first and she may not be my last, but she’s my greatest love story so far.”

Jenny looked up at me and tilted her head. “Are you sure you want me to get in? Seems like you two have a pretty serious thing going on. I don’t want to upset Bianca.”

I cupped the back of her neck and pulled her closer until there was just a breath of space between our lips. “Don’t tell her but I would scrap her for this other woman I’m seeing. In a second.”

“Bianca and I are scandalized.” She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, she seemed like she was on the verge of crying again. “Take me where you go. Bonus points if it's off campus.”

“I’ve got you, Jenny.” I hugged her tight and forced myself to let her go after a few extra seconds of holding her. “Alright. Be thinking of what I can get with these bonus points. I’m okay with an arcade system as long as the cheap prizes aren’t all paper.”

I helped her in and then slid behind the wheel on my side and started Bianca. The engine probably woke up anyone who’d fallen asleep early, but when I folded the top back and the night sky twinkled overhead, I didn’t give a fuck. Everyone knew who drove the old school Mustang that woke up the neighborhood. They could leave a note. I had a woman to cheer up.

She tipped her head back and watched the stars as I drove. Once we were out of the city, I reached out and held her thigh while navigating the back roads. I’d had plenty of women in my car but I’d never driven one of them to where I was taking Jenny. It felt right, though, when I glanced over at her and found her watching me with a smile on her face.

“What?”

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