Page 56 of Crazy In Love (Love & War #2)
“Bold of you to assume I know them.” I lead her around my truck and hold the door for her to climb in, then I close it again and jog to my side. “I’ve probably even met most of them. But assuming I listened when they told me their name is presumptuous of you.”
She giggles, setting her purse on the chair under her thigh as she pulls her seatbelt on. “We’ll figure it out. I have faith in us.”
“Holy shit! That’s Bobby freakin’ Kincaid!
” Fox bounces on my left, trembling with feral fangirl energy as the former world fucking champion, a legend amongst the fight world, approaches the front door of the gym with a bombshell blonde on his arm.
“You don’t even have to tell me his name,” she whisper-hisses.
“He was on the front cover of every magazine on every newsstand I walked past for years . Hi. Hello.” She extends her hand, squeaking when he shakes it. “Welcome to the Love & War gym.”
“Thanks for having us.” The dude is only in his forties. Top end, but still. He hung up his gloves a while ago, which means he no longer competes for the belt, but his gym is as alive and pumping as ours. His workout regime, as consistent and brutal as ever.
He’s considered old in the fight world. But in the real world, where we are right now, he’s fit, jacked, and not to be trifled with.
He releases Fox’s hand and draws his wife forward. Word on the street is, even after all these years, a handful of kids, and a grandkid or two on the way, he’s still obsessed with her. “We were honored to receive an invitation,” he murmurs. “Surprised,” he adds with a playful smirk. “But pleased.”
“We’re honored you accepted.” Fox fangirls for Kit Kincaid, too. Bobby isn’t the only fighter in his marital bed. “I won’t lie. When Cliff told me who he’d invited, I might’ve wet my pants a little.”
“Cliff?” Confused, Bobby glances around. “Who the hell is Cliff?”
“Troopy!” Evelyn Kincaid is blonde, loud, boasts massive bouncing curls, and wears a beautiful gown wrapped around yet another fighter’s body.
She strides forward to stop beside Bobby—her uncle—and beams when Cliff spins inside the gym.
He heard her. She’s loud . “Well, hey there, cowboy! I know you’re not making us line up outside like commoners. This is a wedding. Not a tournament.”
Stunned, I meet Fox’s eyes. “A wedding?”
“Ms. Kincaid!” Cliff sprints the length of the gym, blowing past me and Fox, and Bobby and Kit, too.
Ignoring us all, and ignoring her husband, too , he whips Evie in for a squeezing hug that brings her feet off the ground and her wild curls springing with the momentum. “Holy cow! You scrub up nice.”
He sets her back on her feet but grips her hips and takes a good long look. While, beside her, Ben Conner—the reigning world champ before Tommy slid in and swiped the belt—watches the pair with a twitching left eye.
I can fucking relate.
“You healed up good since December.” Cliff vibrates with the kind of happiness only extroverts possess. “We all heard that break in real-time.”
“It’s all fun.” She studies her wrist, rolling her hand to prove the limb is back and fully functional.
Then, with a grin and a sly peek my way, she brings her focus up again and hooks a thumb left.
Right. Wherever. “So, in the spirit of honesty and all that shit, you should know we’ve been speculating since the invitations arrived in the mail. ”
Cliff’s brows sling high on his forehead. “Speculating about what?”
“About Tommy and Ben. We know they were supposed to fight a couple of years back. We know things got kinda tense when Ben stepped down.” Smirking, she inches just a little closer to Cliff. “Is this an evil plot to get them into the cage? Will it happen today?”
“Eve!” Ben yanks her back. “Stop it.”
“Because he’s been training,” she teases. “He says he’s chill about all this, but he put in the extra hours, just in case. He didn’t wanna look soft if Tommy was looking to make a scene. ”
“Fuck’s sake.” Ben wraps his arm around Evelyn’s face, clapping his hand over her lips and crushing her into his side.
“She’s going to behave, I promise.” He looks at me, finally, and offers his free hand.
“I’m assuming you’re not Tommy. And if you are, ignore that thing she said about extra training. ”
“Chris.” I take his hand in mine and shake. “Good to see you again, Conner. Thanks for making the drive.”
“Honored to be here.” He releases me and looks to Fox. “Nice to formally meet you, Ms. Tatum. We talked via email for a minute there.”
“Had to make sure you weren’t a scammer,” she snickers. “I could only assume the-hairy-sasquatch-at-TheRollinOnGym-dot-com was a spoof email address.”
“Yes,” he rumbles, glaring down at his smug wife. “One normally would assume so. You ready for all the noise?” He hooks a thumb over his shoulder. “You invited a lot of us, and once Evie began speculating about a fight, the assholes I hardly tolerate decided they were coming, too.”
“There will be no fight,” Fox laughs. “I mean… unless you and Tommy want there to be. Though, if that’s the case, we could’ve promoted it properly and made a helluva lot of money.
” She lifts her purse, giving it a gentle shake, “If you decide to step into the cage, give me a thirty-second warning so I can film it.”
Evie drags Ben’s hand from her face, but she curls into his side anyway—he belongs to her—and when a new couple arrives with a cute little kid in tow, Evie takes the boy’s hand in hers and softens.
From loud and brash, to sweet and gentle.
“Chris and Fox, meet my mom and daddy and the best baby sasquatch that ever sasquatched.” Despite her dress and heels, she bends and sweeps the boy into her arms, setting him on her hip and a noisy kiss on his chubby cheek.
“This is Westley. He’s the future of fighting. ”
“Jesus.” Ben shakes his head, but damn if he’s not arrogant under the eye-roll. “Humility has been chasing you, Eve. But you’re always a little too fast.” He scoops his arm around hers and angles toward the door. “We should find our seats.”
“You should go meet Franklin,” Fox volunteers. “He’s not the future of fighting, but he’s sweeter than pie and my favorite little man on the planet. I bet he’d love to make a friend today.”
With nods and smiles, they head inside and make room for the next couple to inch closer. But I was given a job, so I lean in and whisper, “Aiden and Tina Kincaid. Bobby’s brother and sister-in-law.”
“Aiden.” She extends her hand and speaks his name like she knew it all along. “So glad you could make it. We really appreciate you taking the time to visit this tiny little town that hardly even exists.”
“Tiny little towns that hardly exist come with their own appeal.” Tina steps forward in a gown of gold and lace. A slit that goes to her knees, and heels that glitter under the afternoon sun. “Thank you for inviting us, Ms. Tatum. And just to clarify… will there be a fight today?”
Aiden, like Ben, side-eyes his wife.
“I’m not saying I’ve put money on a fight,” she explains. “I’m saying it would benefit my future financial endeavors if you could confirm one way or the other.”
Fox beams, entirely at home playing hostess. So I let her do her thing—sparkle within her element—and I do mine.
Stand. In silence.
“I had no idea this was even a conversation,” she giggles. “I didn’t realize there was beef between Tommy and Ben.”
“Not beef,” Aiden explains. “Merely, unfinished business. Tommy and Ben had been circling each other a few years back. Prepping for what was coming. The fight had finally been announced, but then…”
“Ben pulled out of the traditional circuit in favor of Evie’s tournament.” Tina’s lips twitch with amusement. “That boy knew where to place his loyalties.”
“Maybe later, when everyone has had a few drinks,” Fox quips. “Give them gloves and see what happens.”
“That’s how people get hurt.” I wrap my hand around her trim hips and pull her just a little closer. “Stop it.”
Smug, Tina looks from Fox to me, wiggling her finger back and forth.
“This is cute. I like this dynamic. Most people assume couples like you will never work out, like challenging your partner and bickering is a bad thing. But I promise, I’ve witnessed some of the unlikeliest pairings create the most magical love story. ”
“Love story? Oh!” Fox bounces out of my grip, nervously smoothing the side of her dress. “No. We’re just friends.”
Tina’s eyes swing to mine and narrow, holding like she knows the panic pounding in the back of my skull. The ache. The fucking devastation as just friends echoes in my brain. She tilts her head to the side, then looks to Fox and dips her chin. “So sorry. I misread the situation.”
Me too, Mrs. Kincaid. Me too.
“It’s fine.” Jittery, Fox grabs the woman’s wrist and starts through the doors. “You’ll stay here and welcome guests, won’t you, Chris? I’m gonna help Mr. and Mrs. Kincaid find their seats.”
Anything to get away. Anything to escape.
“Sure.” I dig my hands into my pockets, if only to keep them from my aching heart, and drop my gaze. But fuck, I can’t ignore Cliff’s pointed stare burning the side of my face. “Shut up.”
“This is the final round, Coach. Either you win, or you go home empty-handed.” He pastes on a fake smile, shakes hands, and directs guests through the front doors. Then he brings his ire back to me. “If you let her go without telling her how you feel, then I’m never gonna respect you again.”
I swing a glare up at the guy I thought was my friend.
“I could have gone out with her,” he growls.
“I know I’d have had a helluva time. And I would’ve made sure she did, too.
Some of us are out here willing to tell people when they matter.
We know what’s on the line, and we’re not willing to lose them because we’re scared.
But then there’s you,” he sneers. “Pussyfooting around and wasting everyone’s time.
” He shakes his head. “I can’t respect that. ”