Page 53 of Pucking Wild

“The team captain’s wife,” Tess replies, looking at the hand but not taking it.

“‘Til death do us part,” Shelby says with a laugh, dropping her hand back to her side. “Langley here was just telling me about you. He says you’re roommates now?”

“I wasn’t,” I say, leveling my gaze at Tess. I don’t want her to think I’m gossiping about her. “I didn’t say anything about you.”

“It’s temporary,” Tess replies, her gaze still on Shelby. “I’m only in town to help Mars with his nonprofit.”

“Oh, that’s right,” says Shelby, making herself at home as she starts unloading all the groceries. “Sea turtles or something like that, right? Josh told me a bit about it.”

Tess nods. “Rachel offered me use of this place while I’m in town. Seeing as they’re all newlyweds, I thought it best I not be underfoot.”

Shelby laughs. “Yeah, I can imagine it’s a bit chaotic over there.”

“And I’m only here because of this,” I add, gesturing down at my braced knee.

“Well, then it’s kismet,” Shelby replies. “You’re welcome to any of this food by the way,” she calls over to Tess.

“I’m fine,” Tess says, moving towards the coffee maker. Her phone on the kitchen table lights up.

“Tess, your phone is ringing,” I say.

She ignores me…and the phone.

“You don’t like me,” Shelby presses, leaning her hip against the fridge, her gaze following Tess.

“Shelbs…” I say in warning.

“You don’t know me,” she goes on. “But you don’t like me.”

“I’m just having an off day,” Tess replies, closing the lid on the coffee maker. “An off decade,” she adds under her breath.

Her phone lights up again with another call.

“Tess, your phone—”

“Leave it,” she snaps at me.

“It’s fine,” Shelby says. “Most women tend not to like the WAGs. They usually have a lot of ideas about us. We’re all silly bimbos looking for a sugar daddy or we trapped our men with babies and now they’re stuck with us. Trust me, I’ve heard it all.”

“I don’t have any ideas about you, Shelby,” Tess says. “I’m just having a bad day.”

Shelby glances at the clock over the stove. “It’s barely 8:00 a.m.”

Tess slips her fresh cup of coffee out from under the drip spout and transfers it to a travel mug. “Yeah, and I’m already this level of done. So, trust me when I say that it’s not you, it’s me.”

Damn, where is the fun flirty Tess from last night? The Tess that teased me and laughed as she held my hand? What’s wrong with her? Why is she so on edge this morning? There’s something she’s not saying.

“Tess, your phone,” I say for a third time.

“Fuck’s sake, Ryan,” she cries, snatching it off the table. “If I wanted to answer it, don’t you think I would?”

A chill seeps down my spine as I take in the haunted look on Tess’s face. Her sudden appearance here in Jax is making more sense by the minute. “Who’s calling you so many times?” I need her to say it. I need her to confirm my suspicions.

“Mars is almost here,” she says. “I gotta go.” She slips the phone in her pocket unanswered and tucks her laptop and legal pad into the leather backpack. “You two have a good day.” Not waiting for either of us to say another word, she ducks around me. I hear the front door shut with a snap.

It only takes a few seconds before Shelby lets out a whistle. “Jeez, she’s kind of a capital B bitch, huh?”

My gaze lingers on the window as I watch Tess climb into the passenger seat of Ilmari’s big silver truck. “No,” I hear myself say. “She’s just going through some tough shit right now—and no, I won’t elaborate,” I add, giving her a glare.

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