Page 13 of Catch
“Do you sleep?” He moved closer and lowered his voice. “Is Lexi still around?”
I shushed him as I looked around in case she sneaked up on us. “She is. She’s even here tonight.” Max had met her once when we first started dating and told me to run the other way. He got bad vibes. Hayley felt the same. She’d helped us move here but was completely perplexed about why I was okay with Lexi moving to Connecticut with me. Lexi overheard and they got into a huge fight. Hayley ended up leaving early and now we only talked on my lunch breaks or on my way home, never when Lexi was around.
He pulled me close. “I don’t want you to freak out, but Parker and Grayson are here.”
My back was to the crowd which gave me time to prepare myself. “How does she look?”
He raised his eyebrow and paused. “You look better.”
“Shit,” I muttered.
“Uh-oh.”
My heart stopped and the blood in my veins turned to ice. “What does that mean?”
He smiled and nodded. “She’s coming over,” he said through clenched teeth as he kept a smile on his face.
“I’m not ready.”
“Not an option.” He turned me slowly to face Parker.
I held my breath, knowing she would take it away if I didn’t. I knew she would grow into a beautiful woman and I’d seen a few photos, but I just wasn’t prepared to see her this close and in person.
“Hi, Sutton. Hi, Max,” Parker said. She looked stunning. She still had the brilliant eyes that could sear right through me. She was wearing a short black dress that clung to her and landed right at the knee. She accessorized with gold jewelry including a small brooch of our team’s logo pinned to her dress. Motherhood had given her nice curves. She was cute in high school, but as an adult, she was a knockout. Her long blond hair was highlighted and pulled over one shoulder.
“Hi, Parker. It’s good to see you again,” I said. I wished I would’ve had that glass of wine.
“Hey, Parker. It’s so good to see you again after all these years,” Max said. He leaned forward and gave her a stiff hug. I didn’t move. It took my stomach ten seconds to stop quivering. Once my body relaxed, my anxiety at seeing her again after so many years vanished. I knew it was my brain protecting my heart. We had all moved on, but my guard was still up.
“Congratulations, Sutton. I always knew you would make it big. If anyone could break the glass ceiling at the NFL, it would be you,” she said.
After fifteen years, that’s what she said to me? I forced a smile. “Thank you. It’s always been my dream.” I was going to say something likewise, but I knew nothing about Parker’s life on purpose. Bits and pieces of hers popped up only because of Grayson.
After a long awkward pause, Max spoke up. “What’s Grayson’s charity?” he asked Parker.
She pointed behind her to the obnoxiously large Keeping in Motion banner. The organization donated bikes to kids to promote exercise and health. There was a crowd around Grayson in his booth. He looked happy and handsome as he flirted with the press.
“It’s getting a lot of attention. The idea is to get kids away from electronics and back to nature. You know, exercise and adventure.” Parker stared at me the entire time. It was unnerving. I tried to look bored, but not rude. I had no idea what to say.
“I think it’s great,” Max said.
“Max! What are you doing here?” Lexi swooped into our conversation and looped her arm around Max’s shoulder. He was nicer about my relationship with her than Hayley was.
“Hey, Lexi. Good to see you again.”
Lexi reached her hand out to Parker. “Hi, I’m Lexi. I’m with her.” She gave me a small hip bump and waited for somebody to introduce her to the sexy woman standing close to me.
“Hi, I’m Parker Moats, Grayson’s wife.” Parker shook her hand.
Lexi held Parker’s hand with both of hers. “Wow. Nice rock.” She studied the giant diamond ring embarrassingly hard. “I’m so glad to meet you. I need a friend to sit with during the home games.”
The absolute last thing I needed was for my girlfriend and my high school ex-girlfriend to be friends.
“Hey, Coach. Congrats on your charity,” Grayson said. I hadn’t even seen him slip up behind Parker until he put his arm around her shoulders. There wasn’t any animosity in his body language or his demeanor. Apparently, I was the only one who still harbored any anxiety over the situation. “Max, right?” Grayson shook Max’s hand. “Good to see you again, man.”
I felt Max tense. Maybe not the only one.
“Congrats on signing with the Cheetahs. You have the best coaches in the league.” Max bumped his shoulder gently against mine.
