Page 39 of Catch
I knew she was joking. They were a handful, but they were sweet and fun. I reminded myself to get over there and play with them soon. Coaching was important, but I had to remind myself that it wasn’t everything. “Are you ready?”
She turned to me. I saw the fire in her eyes and something sinister perched on her smile. “Oh, I’ve been waiting for this for fifteen years.”
I gave her the look. The same you-better-behave-or-else look she bestowed on her boys. “Play nice. I have to work with him for the next several months,” I whispered. We walked up the stairs to the front door in silence. Grayson opened the door before I even rang the doorbell, and for a moment, I wondered if they heard our conversation on their cameras.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” He looked pointedly at Hayley. “I know you. I remember you from the high school games from way back when.”
She studied him for a brief second before holding out her hand. “I’m Hayley, Sutton’s best friend since grade school. I went to all her games.”
Hayley was being kind. I begged her to go to my games. “My biggest cheerleader.” Fuck. Did I really just say that?
She looked at me wide-eyed. “This is a lovely home, Grayson. You have children, don’t you?” she asked, quickly changing the subject.
“Yes, come on in. Unfortunately, Vee and Rose are already upstairs and in bed.”
I looked at the time. It was only eight and a Saturday night. Grayson must’ve seen my reaction.
“They played in a soccer tournament all day. They were exhausted. Can I get you anything to drink?” He motioned for us to follow him into the living room. It was an open floor plan and both Hayley and I aimed for Parker in the kitchen. She pulled something out of the oven and I was able to study her for a moment without her seeing me. She wore a red V-neck cashmere sweater and high-waisted jeans that hugged her curves. Her hair was pulled back in a casual ponytail and her accessories were minimal. Grayson waswearing a dark blue button-up and jeans. They complemented each other well.
“We brought a nice red if it fits the meal.” Hayley handed Grayson the bottle.
When Parker put down the oven mitt and joined us, I felt my heart thud. She still had it. That undeniable hold over me. I knew Hayley felt it, too, because she tapped her foot against mine.
“Oh, my God. Hayley. What a nice surprise,” Parker said. She offered a hug, which Hayley accepted. Parker turned to hug me, too. It would have been too awkward to refuse so I bit down and held my breath as she gently pushed her body against mine. I forgot how tiny she was until I felt her in my arms again.
“Surprise! I’m Sutton’s date tonight,” Hayley said.
“Where’s Lexi?” Parker asked. She quickly intercepted Buttercup from jumping on us and sent her upstairs to be with the girls.
“We broke up,” I said.
Parker’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry to hear that. You seemed so…” She dug around for the right word. “Connected.”
I barked out a laugh. “She didn’t like my work schedule or my dog so I had to kick her out.”
“You didn’t kick her out.” Hayley put her hands on her hips. “Lexi met somebody else because Sutton is apparently emotionally unavailable.”
“Or that,” I said, knowing Hayley was trying to make it sound like it wasn’t my fault, but in the process, made everything sound a lot worse. Grayson shot Parker a look. She returned it with an equally puzzling one. Hayley glanced my way and furrowed her brow. Great, Hayley was going to make something out of nothing.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Parker said. She meant it. Her features were pinched in concern for me and suddenly the dinner party felt more like a pity party.
“Really, it’s okay. We weren’t meant to be together. I don’t know why she moved with me to Connecticut.” I felt like a failure because I was talking to an ex and her husband about the woman who just left me.
“Well, I commend you for being professional at work. I had no idea you were going through anything personal.” Grayson shrugged. “I wish I had better control over my emotions.”
“Breaking up and dealing with a death are two very different things,” I said.
“Why death?” Hayley asked, even though she knew. It was her way into the conversation without telling them she knew.
“Grayson’s childhood best friend died very recently and he showed up to practice intoxicated. Sutton tried to sober him up and sneaked him home,” Parker said.
Grayson blushed at her explanation. “So, Parker’s excellent cooking is our way of saying thank you. I don’t want to lose my job over one stupid mistake,” he said. He stood by the bar in the sitting room. “What can I get everyone to drink? Dinner should be ready in about thirty minutes. We should save your wine for dinner. How about a martini?”
“I’ll have one dirty,” I said.
“Tanqueray?” he asked.
“Perfect.”
