Page 63 of My Brother's Teammates

He winced. “Jesus, Jenny, your parents are standing ten feet away. Can you not yell the word fuck in that context? I don’t want to die.”

Ryder’s angry growl gave me goosebumps. “Enough. Jason, spit it out.”

I looked at Jason and froze at the guilty look on his face. “What is it?”

“Shit, Jen.” He rubbed the back of his neck and shifted on his feet. “I really thought they were going to leave with those women. When I took that picture, I expected the worst.”

“What does that mean?” I looked up at Axel and over at Ryder and Hudson. “What are you saying?”

Hudson stepped closer. “He’s saying that we didn’t touch those women except to get them off of us.”

Jason cleared his throat. “He’s telling the truth. I saw it but I’d already taken the picture. I’m sorry, Jenny. I wanted to hurt them, but I wasn’t thinking. Of course, it would’ve hurt you, too. Especially when you obviously care about them.”

I wanted to be cool about everything. I’d been a pretty calm person before moving in with the guys. Knowing that Jason had done that to me, though, made me want to do my own tackling. I tried to break free from Axel, but he didn’t budge. Instead, I grabbed my shoe and chucked it at Jason. “I’m going to kick your ass, Jason! Why would you do that? You let me think they cheated on me! Even I wasn’t in lo-”

Axel laughed when I cut myself off. “Go ahead and say it.”

I clamped my lips together and didn’t make a sound.

“They didn’t cheat?” Dad’s voice was frustrated as he looked at Jason.

“No. They wouldn’t. Between last night and this morning while they were searching all over for her, I figured out that they love her.” He sighed. “I don’t like it. It’s fucking weird. But, they love her. They didn’t look twice at those women last night.”

I looked down at the ground and felt my heart speed up. “They don’t love me, Jason. Don’t do that.”

Ryder made an unhappy noise as he came closer. “Don’t speak for us, Kitten.”

Hudson hummed. “Especially if you’re wrong.”

Axel stroked my hair out of my face. “Want to come home with us now?”

***Axel***

Jenny’swhiskeyeyeswerered-rimmed and there were dark bags under them, but she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. She blinked up at me with those big eyes and her emotions all flashed across her face as clear as day.

I stroked my knuckles down her cheek and smiled. “I thought about you all night. We would’ve been in the room and responding to your messages but Coach pulled us aside and we got stuck. Kitten, you’re not getting rid of me. I want to be in the family photos. I want to see you cheering for me with my family every week and I want to be there, cheering for you through every step of the way. I’m kind of hung up on you.”

She relaxed into me. “Nothing happened?”

“Nothing will ever happen. I love you, Kitten.” I swallowed my nerves and stood taller. “I want you to come back home. I missed you.”

Her eyes watered and she threw her arms around my neck. Her hug was tight, and I inhaled her sweet scent while breathing for what felt like the first time since I’d last seen her. She pressed her lips to my cheek and then pressed them against my ear. “I love you, too.”

My heart was still racing when Hudson eased her out of my arms and into his. He pushed her hair out of her face and kissed her forehead before pressing his forehead to hers. He smiled brightly while searching her face and then she gasped. I looked down and realized he’d slipped a bag of candy into her hands. She laughed wildly and then hugged him tight.

“I love you, Hud. Even if you stop supplying me my drug of choice, I’ll still love you.”

“Excuse me? What’s in the bag?” Mike Ramsey stepped forward like he was going to take the bag from Jenny but she turned her shoulder to him and frowned.

“Mine. It’s candy and I’d fight you over it.”

The big man looked at Hudson and then me. “I’m still making up my mind.”

Hudson was quietly telling Jenny he loved her in a private moment between them when Ryder stepped up to Mike and held out his hand. “I’m sorry to meet you again under these circumstances, sir. I’m not sure if you remember me but I’m Ryder Tuff. I know that you got an impression of us today that was ugly. You should know that we’re loyal men. I love your daughter. I can’t promise I’ll always be perfect because I didn’t exactly have a great example of a happy relationship, but I can promise you that I’m never going to stop trying to make her smile. I’ll be there for her as long as she allows me to be.”

“I didn’t tell you this the first time I met you, son, but I knew your father once upon a time.”

Jenny pulled away from Hudson and put herself between her dad and Ryder. She pressed her back into Ryder’s chest and stared up at her dad with a stubborn look on her face. “Dad. I don’t know what your experience was with Ryder’s dad, but Ryder is his own man. He’s a good man. And I know that sounds silly after I cried about him cheating on me this morning but I was wrong. Thanks toyourson. I know you didn’t raise Jason to meddle like that. Men don’t always get traits from their fathers. Ryder is sweet and kind. I love him.”

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