Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
I step back from the door and welcome them in. “It’s nice to meet you all but what’s the occasion?”
“We brought food and wine and thought we would hang out for a bit. Callum said he didn’t think you had any plans this afternoon. He said you normally visit your dad in the morning, so we figured this was a good time to surprise you and welcome you to the team.”
“Welcome me to the team?” I ask with a frown.
“You’re Callum’s longtime friend,” Sophie says with a smile. “That means you’re part of the team.”
I’m a little rattled to have four strangers standing in the living room with me, bearing wine and cake. But it’s not like I can say no.
Actually… I don’t want to say no. This is exactly the type of social contact I’ve been missing for years.
“No plans at all this afternoon,” I say, turning for the kitchen. “Come on in.”
♦
The two bottles they brought weren’t enough, so I raided Callum’s wine stash, and by the time we poured the fourth bottle, we were all beyond tipsy.
These girls are a hoot. They’ve spent the entire afternoon bringing me up to speed on the team, all the love matches, heartbreaks, and crazy antics that have gone on over the last year and a half. I know that Sophie and Baden are getting married in a few weeks and Jenna and Gage in August. There’s a rumor that Stone and Harlow might tie the knot around Christmas, which is when they got engaged, and there’s another rumor that Tillie—Coen Highsmith’s wife—might be moving to New York.
I happen to know from Callum that this is a very real thing and it could have far-reaching implications for the team. He explained that if Tillie leaves, Coen’s going too. It’s why he’s spent so much time working late into the night, trying to come up with a game plan for that circumstance as well as a game plan if Tillie doesn’t go and Coen stays. It’s all very up in the air right now and it’s causing Callum some heartburn.
What I don’t know, however, is if these women know that level of detail and I’m not giving it up. Sophie and Jenna might since they’re engaged to coaches but Danica, probably not. Regardless, these are conversations between me and Callum that will go to the grave, so I ask questions about Tillie’s art instead.
We’re standing around the kitchen island, empty cake plates before us when the spotlight shifts to me.
“How did you and Callum become friends?” Sophie asks.
“Oh, to hell with that,” Ava says, holding her wineglass up so that a little bit sloshes over the edge. “How did you and Callum become more than friends, because you’re absolutely more than friends?”
I blink at Ava in surprise. “Why would you say that?”
She waves around with her free hand. “Because you’re living with him.”
“In a separate bedroom,” I point out with a laugh. My head buzzes, and it feels nice.
“Because Gage said there’s something there,” Jenna pipes in. “He said Callum sort of lights up when he talks about you, and he talks about you a lot.”
“Really?” I ask with guarded interest. “Like what?”
Jenna shakes her head. “He didn’t say specifics. He just said there’s something there, and since guys don’t really discuss that kind of stuff too much, you have to fill us in.”
“Yes, fill us in,” Danica demands, picking up a wine bottle to top off our glasses but frowning when she finds it empty.
“I’ll grab another,” Ava says, moving over to the built-in wine rack under the butler’s pantry.
“So, what’s the deal?” Sophie says, nudging me with her shoulder as she stands to my left.
My gaze drops to my glass, filled halfway with a delicious Merlot. At least I think it’s delicious. I’m not a wine connoisseur by any stretch, but it tastes good to me. “We used to be high school and college sweethearts,” I finally say as I look back up.
Jenna gasps, hand fluttering near her heart. “And you two have reconnected? That’s so romantic.”
“Not in the way you think,” I rush to assure her. “He’s helping me out of a bad situation.”
“What kind of situation?” Ava asks without any shame.
I’m buzzed enough to spill the beans, but I think even without alcohol, I’d tell my story. These women are so warm and genuine, I know they’d never judge and they’ll support me.
“I met Callum when I was fifteen and he was seventeen…” I walk them through my love affair with Callum, starting with how we met and making sure to include Joshua in the story. He was the end game, after all. They all sigh and swoon when I talk about Callum and how much we loved each other, and then get distinctly quiet when I tell them of the breakup. Next, they look uncomfortable when I tell them about my friendship with Joshua, except I don’t sugarcoat it. I tell it like it happened… the overly solicitous behavior and the way he set me and Callum up to fail via an ill-timed ultimatum.