Page 93 of Last Fall

“A little,” he shrugged. “She doesn’t mind most of the time. She’s got nothing to worry about and really?” He shoved a finger in my chest. “That’s the key to a goodrelationship.”

“Trust?”

“And respect,” he said. “My woman knows that she owns me and I couldn’t be happier about it. If she had doubts I’d erase them, not so I could have my freedom but because we don’t work if we aren’t on the same page. The lives we lead? Me on the road half the year? Her being all sexy and successful...we got to know that we’re a team. An unbreakable team. She needs me? I’m fucking there. She comesfirst.”

“But who would catch for us?” I joked before quickly realizing that to Wes this was not a jokingmatter.

“Not funny, man. At some point there’s going to be something. And you two will need to know how you’re going to handle thepressures.”

How did we plan for what we didn’tknow? “Okay.”

“If I got hurt this week you know Carrie would be on the first plane. She wouldn’t have to think. I don’t have a road mistress. I don’t fuck around on her. She doesn’t need to go through my agent to know where I am. We have no secrets. She’d drop everything without a second thought because I make sure she has nothing to doubt. Plus I don’t ever see her letting another doctor touch me everagain.”

“Truth,” I chuckled. “You’d really abandon us on the road?” I knew the answer but I’d never really thought through it before. If Zoe called and said she was hurt, of course I’d go. No question. That was my first thought. But as Wes started walking through the steps—when he said he’d leave us high and dry on the road—it hit me how I’d be torn in the samesituation.

This was the team I built. They were myfamily,too.

“I love you, brother, but I love my wife more. We have Stanton for a reason. Everyone of us has someone who can fill our shoes for a gameortwo.”

That’s the moment it hit me. Where that hesitation I was feeling wascomingfrom.

I had my job because someone left the Mantas.Iwas the fill-in. If I left, would someone fill my shoes and put me out of a job? I hated myself for thinking it. “Thanks for bringing this up.” If he hadn’t, I might have ruined my life with Zoe, because I had no doubt now that when she called I’d have hesitated. It wouldn’t have lasted long and I would have screwed my head on straight, but you don’t hesitate with the people you love. “I think you just saved me from a worldofpain.”

He patted my shoulder. “I think this means I’m officially betterthanyou.”

“Nope. Not evenclose.”

I made my way back to the bedroom and found Zoe dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed with her phone, grinning like a fool. “Why do I have a feeling you’re posting pictures of me in anapron?”

“Because I am.” Sheglancedup.

“Damn...” I whistled low. “You look hot.” And almost like a different person. The hair was bigger, the makeup heavier. It was Zoe, butamplified.

She touched her hair. “Does it look okay? They suggested this makeup that was supposed to be good for pictures and I thought it looked fine in the bathroom mirror, but it feels like I’m wearingamask.”

“You look beautiful. Just more glamorous than normal.” Yeah, more glamorous. I gave myself a high-five forthatone.

She shook her head and laughed, then went back to her phone. “You’re already causing quite the sensation on Wes’saccount.”

I wasn’t so sure I liked that. “You’re bad news, you know that,right?”

“Me?”

“Yep. I have never, not once, been roped into a Wes Allen stunt until now.” Oh, sure I helped clean them up and watched from the sidelines, but I neverparticipated.

Untilnow.

“I wouldn’t say it was astunt...”

“It was totally astunt.”

She laughed, tossing her phone onto the bed. “Okay fine. I’m sorry I’m such a bad influenceonyou.”

Man how I wanted to ruin hermakeup.

“What are you thinking?” she whispered. A flush crept upherneck.

“How if you weren’t all ready to go I’d be a bad influence on you and ruin your hair andmakeup.”