Page 35 of Hidden Plays (Desert Football #1)

“Well, let’s take you in then.” He turned and stepped inside the doorway, onto large marble tiles. “We have the living room.” He swiped his arm over the area full of cream furniture with dark wood accents in turn-of-the-century style. “And?—”

“Why didn’t you tell me your boyfriend was here?” A young woman approached, her brown hair highlighted and falling in waves around her shoulders. Her wide-legged pants billowed around her legs as she walked, and her cropped brown sweater revealed a flat stomach.

“He just got here.” JJ scoffed. “Holden, meet my sister, Nicole.” He released my hand .

She took both my hands in hers and held them up, her blue-eyed gaze meeting mine, her forehead wrinkling. “It’s so good to meet you, Holden. JJ has told me great things about you.” Her genuine smile lit her face.

“Thank you. It’s great to meet you too.” She seemed nice. Just a regular girl in a multi-million-dollar home, probably wearing a grand worth of designer clothing. Fuck, I had to calm these thoughts, or my nerves would never settle.

“Everyone’s in the family room.” Twisting, she pulled me down the hallway.

I glanced at JJ, following us. She was assertive, sort of like JJ.

He shrugged and strolled beside me. “I guess the house tour can wait.”

She tutted. “Mom wants to meet Holden.”

As we came to the end of the hallway, a massive room opened to us with vaulted ceilings and wooden beams running across them. A modern kitchen with built-in appliances, marble counters matching the floor tiles and dark wood cabinets rested to the left.

A woman in a thin white sweater and a long skirt opened the double oven and closed it.

She tapped her manicured fingers on her red lips.

“I think it needs another hour and then—” Her gaze swung to me and widened.

“Oh, you must be Holden?” As a smile spread across her mouth, fine lines showed around her blue eyes, the same color as JJ’s.

Her straight blonde hair fell to her shoulders.

She must have given JJ his amazing blue eyes.

“Hi, uh…” What the hell was I supposed to call her? “Mrs. Matthews.” Stepping to her, I extended a hand.

Nicole hopped on her toes, a knowing smirk on her mouth.

“Kelly, please.” She grabbed my hand with both of hers and held it. “My, what a handsome young man. My son has great taste.” She swept her gaze over me, releasing my hands.

“Thanks, Mom. I told you he was stunning.” JJ hooked an arm around my waist.

Kelly clasped her hands in front of her. “You know, Jordan’s never brought a boy home before. You’re the first.” She ticked her brows. “You must be something special.”

“Oh, he is, Mom. He’s a keeper.” JJ kissed my cheek.

“Well, it’s too bad you can’t stay long enough to meet my brother. You could have talked football with him.” She glanced at JJ.

“Yeah, another day.” JJ pressed his lips together. “Let’s take you to meet Dad.”

“Okay.” It would have been nice to meet an ex-NFL player, but JJ was right. We’d do it another day. With a double take of his sister, I swung around and strolled with JJ into the family room, open to the kitchen.

A man sat in a leather reclining chair, a newspaper hiding his face. His blue pants exposed shiny black shoes on his feet.

“Dad.” JJ whispered in my ear, “He likes to read a real newspaper. He hates reading the news on a computer.” JJ cleared his throat.

“What’s all this then?” His father dropped the newspaper and folded it over his lap. His dark hair was gray at the temples, and black-framed glasses hung from his nose, covering his brown eyes.

“Dad, this is Holden, my boyfriend.” JJ freed me and lifted his chin.

His father eyed me and then pushed the recliner down to stand up. “Nice to meet you, son.” He held his hand out.

I gave his hand a firm shake. This man helped to save lives every day. He deserved my utmost respect. Okay, and he had fathered the love of my life. “The pleasure is mine.” I locked my gaze on his.

“Sit.” He waved his arm over the leather sectional, resting next to his chair, and glanced at Nicole. “Nicki, can you pour us some whiskey?”

“Sure, Dad.” She sauntered into the next room. “I thought you were on call tonight?”

“Holden isn’t staying for the meal, so don’t give him too much to drink,” Kelly called from the kitchen while stirring a pot.

Dan grumbled and sat in the recliner. “The best way to get to know a man is by enjoying a glass of whiskey together, and I can have one. It’s a holiday after all.”

“I’d have to agree, sir.” With a grin at JJ, I sank into the end of the sectional closest to his dad.

JJ twisted his lips and patted me on the thigh. “Holden’s sort of in the medical field too.”

I grasped JJ’s hand. Was he giving us a common interest we could discuss?

“He is?” Dan peered at me. “I’m sure you’ve taken a few physiology classes then.”

Nicole left our whiskeys on a long coffee table in dark wood. “Here you go. I need to help Mom.” Lifting a brow at me, she gave me a small wave and strode away.

“I have.” I plucked my glass from the table and sipped it, the smooth liquor leaving a slight burn in my throat.

JJ’s dad sipped his drink. “What do your parents do?”

“My dad works in finance at Desert Solar, and my mom, uh…” What would he think of my mom’s job? “Well, she’s a bartender at Eddy V’s in the Scottsdale Quarter.”

“Eddy V’s?” Kelly rounded an immense kitchen island and stepped toward us, wiping her hands on a towel. “What’s her name? We go there for happy hour every other Friday. It’s a lovely place.”

My gaze cut to her. “It’s Leah. She loves working the happy hour crowd.” Shit, did they know my mom?

“Oh, honey, it’s Leah. She always waits on us. In fact, Dan won’t let anyone else make him a Manhattan.” With a tilt of her head, Kelly gave us a warm grin. “Right, dear?”

“That’s right. In fact, I won’t order it anywhere else.” Dan chuckled and drank his whiskey. “She’s a damn good bartender and has the sweetest personality.” Stretching to reach me, he patted my shoulder. “You’ve got an exceptional mother, son. I’m sure she raised you right.”

“Thanks.” My heart filled with warmth. They knew my mom. Damn. And they weren’t snobby about it. “She loves her clients, too.” I twisted my glass in my lap. Dan didn’t seem so terrible, but then JJ said he’d be using his bedside manner with me. Did he mean what he said about my mom?

“You have another year in school after this, right?” Dan asked, his eyes narrowing.

“I do.” I nodded, flicking a glance at JJ. Was he concerned about my future with JJ?

“When you get out of school, what do you see yourself doing? Working in sports or for a physical therapy office?” He sipped his drink.

“Either, or both. I’m not sure yet.” I pursed my lips. I wasn’t sure what answer he wanted to hear.

“Dad, I’ll see if I can get him signed to my NFL team.” JJ gave us a soft grin. “I’m sure the coaching staff will give him some great recommendations.” He set his drink on the table and extended his leg. “Look, my IT band doesn’t hurt at all anymore.” He rubbed his hip.

I dipped my head with a chuckle, heat flaring in my cheeks. JJ was really talking me up. It was nice, but would his father buy it?

“That’s great.” With a sigh, his dad slipped back into his chair, his face unreadable. “Has JJ met your parents yet?”

My heart lurched. Fuck, I didn’t expect that. “Um, no…”

“I’ll be meeting them soon. We just haven’t set it up yet.” Watching his father, JJ drank some whiskey.

I’d follow his lead. “Maybe sometime this weekend. He’s met my brother, though.” I winced. Fuck, why did I mention him?

“Oh? What does your brother do? Is he older or younger?” Dan lifted his brows.

“He’s two years older, and he works in construction. College wasn’t for him.” I’d leave it at that. An ache ghosted through my chest. Would the fucker show up at my parents’ place today, and if he did, how shitfaced would he be?

“I see.” JJ’s dad slowly nodded his head. “Well, it sounds like you’re on the right path.”

With a thick swallow, I nodded. What would he think if he knew my brother was an addict?

After chatting more with Kelly and Nicole at the dinner table while their turkey rested, it was time for me to head to my family’s house. I’d said my farewells to them all, and JJ walked me to the door.

Swinging the door open, JJ motioned for me to step outside, and he closed the door behind us. “What did you think?” His brows knitted.

“I think everyone was nice, even your dad.” I grabbed his hands. Had JJ seen something I didn’t?

“It’s like I told you. He’d be cordial.” JJ squeezed my hands. “He can turn on the charm when he wants to. He’s not one for showing family weaknesses.”

“Yeah, I guess I can see that.” I smirked. “You can be like that too, you know.” Maybe JJ was more like his father than he wanted to admit. He sure as hell was driven, and his father didn’t get to be the doctor he was without being driven.

“Whatever.” He walked me to my car. “Let me know how things go with your brother today. Okay?” He pressed a long kiss on my lips. “Love you.”

“Love you too, and I will.” With a sigh, I opened my car door and slipped inside.

A few hours later, I sat around the dining table in my family home, scanning the plates with remnants of food. Only one was still clean, where my brother should have been sitting. The meal remained quiet, with no one bringing up the obvious. Noel wasn’t coming. Again.

With a frown, Mom rose from the table and grabbed Dad’s plate.

Dad snatched her wrist. “Leah, don’t worry about him. He’s a grown man and?—”

“Dad, he’s an asshole.” My chest ignited with heat. The fucker should have been here, and I was tired as hell of having him ruin everything.

“No, he’s…he’s sick.” Huffing a sigh, Mom set Dad’s plate over hers. “Cleaning up will help me clear my head.” She put my plate on the stack and brought it to the sink.

With a glare at Dad, I stood and grabbed a few glasses. I could at least help. “Why don’t you try calling him again?”

Dad scoffed and shifted in his chair. “Yeah, sure.”

I walked the glasses toward the sink and set them down on the counter. I’d wanted so badly to tell Mom I’d met the Matthews and how Dan only let her make him a Manhattan. But of course, then I’d have to explain my time at JJ’s house.

Swiping a lock of blonde hair from her forehead with her wrist, Mom exhaled. “I just don’t know why he wouldn’t call and tell us he wasn’t coming? Is he so much of a coward?”

“Mom…” I slid an arm around her shoulders, giving her a side hug. “He’s probably passed out drunk somewhere.”

“Or doing drugs.” She rinsed a plate and set it inside the dishwasher. “Do you think he’s doing heroin?”

“Uh, I don’t think so.” How could he hold down a job if he did that?

I ambled to the table, picked up some platters and brought them to the counter.

I wanted private time with Mom to discuss JJ.

Then, I might reveal my feelings to her and gauge her opinion of Dad.

But of course, my brother had destroyed my chances with that too.

I couldn’t put Mom through any more bullshit tonight .

“He’s not answering.” Dad threw his phone on the table and rubbed his forehead. “I’m at a loss regarding that boy.”

“There’s nothing you can do.” I spooned leftover mashed potatoes into a Ziplock bag. I’d be taking some of these home tonight. My head went through the conversation I’d had with JJ’s friends. “You both have to stop enabling him.” I flashed my eyes at Dad. “Especially you. Quit giving him money.”

Mom set another plate inside the dishwasher. “We have to help him, or something might happen to him.”

“An addict needs to hit bottom to get better, and you’re not letting him hit bottom.” I clenched my jaw. Fuck, were we about to have a family argument over him now?

Mom threw me a glare. “Holden, he’s my son, and I won’t have him living on the streets.” With a harrumph, she peeked at Dad.

“He’s right. We should cut him off. I’m done with this.” Dad hung his head, fingering his phone. “No more money when he asks.”

At least Dad was seeing the light. “We all should agree on this. It’s the only way it will work.” I put a platter in the sink.

Mom slumped her shoulders, her arms hanging limp inside the sink. “Okay. You both win.”

After cleaning all the dishes, I met Dad on the couch with beers to finish watching the last football game.

“So, who do you want to win? The Cowboys or Green Bay?” I asked and sipped my beer, my gaze roaming the dark sky outside the window.

Where the hell had Noel ended up? It was a holiday, for fuck’s sake.

A cell phone chimed in the kitchen, and Mom picked up her phone from the counter. “Hello?” Her brows furrowed. “Yes, this is Leah Cox.”

I cut my gaze to Mom. Who was calling her ?

“Oh, no…” Resting her forehead in her hand, she bent over the counter, planting an elbow on it for support. “Where is he?” She nodded. “But he’s alive?” Her voice cracked.

Fuck. I tagged Dad on the shoulder. “Something happened to Noel.” I jumped from the couch and strode to Mom, placing a hand on her back. “What happened?” My heartbeat thrummed in my ears.

“Thank you. I’ll be right there.” Ending the call, she dropped her phone on the counter as her breath hitched.

Dad appeared at my side. “Leah? What’s wrong?”

“N-Noel, he’s in the ICU. He was in an accident.” Breathing deeply, she straightened, and her eyes glistened. “We need to go to the Scottsdale Shea Hospital.” As her lower lip quivered, Dad wrapped her in a tight hug.

“He’ll be all right, Leah.” Dad kissed her head, skimming his hand over her hair.

I stared at them, my stomach twisting in knots. Was I about to lose my brother on fucking Thanksgiving? God damn it. God damn him . Couldn’t he give up the booze and drugs for one day? “Let’s get in the car. I can drive us.”

“No, I’ll drive.” Dad gave me a pointed look. “I’ve had less to drink than you, and we need no more problems tonight.”

As the moment’s gravity sank in, my eyes stung, and my vision blurred. Fuck, I needed JJ. If I were to lose my brother tonight…