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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

oakley

“I’d like that.”

Corbin uses his powerful arm to move my back against his chest. His head rests just above the crown of mine, and I inhale every time he exhales. Somehow I need to tell Corbin how I feel and that I don’t want my dad’s money. One day, he’ll wish he knew me because in my personal opinion, I’m pretty awesome. But tonight, I’ll absorb Corbin’s body into mine and revel in my ping-pong victory.

“Corbin?”

“Hmm.”

“Thanks for today. I thought you hated me.”

He kisses my shoulder and sighs. “Far from it, Oakley. Far from it.”

My stomach feels like it’s doing Olympic gymnastics moves. It’s flipping and twisting, hearing Corbin’s words.

I wonder if he might want something more than our marriage of convenience. The mere thought sends my pulse racing. But what if his attentiveness, the kisses, the hand holding was all for show? Because he hasn’t told me any differently. I thought I was a badass and could do this fake relationship thing, but I can’t. I’m wired to love people and take care of people, just like Corbin. In the end, we’re not as opposite as I thought, at our core.

Talk to him. Now is your chance.

And just when I work up the nerve, he lets out a soft snore. Instead of waking him, I replay the day's events in my head—every time he holds my hand or my back. Standing up for me with my dad. The toast he made. His family and our friends. All of it.

When I wake up, he’s gone and so is Dixie. Commotion comes from downstairs, and I remember his family is here. After putting on a bra, running shorts, and a tank top, I go downstairs and sure enough, the whole clan is here, even the ones who stayed at Becca’s.

I was hoping to talk to him about us this morning but what’s another day. At least when they’re here, he talks to me. He and Becca are in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. Becca lays her head on his arm, and he says, “Did he sign the papers?”

“Yeah, they were waiting on me at the house when we got home last night,” she says with sadness lacing every word. “Mamaw always said he wasn’t my one true love. But I did love him. I just didn’t stay in love.”

I pad over to the island and sit on one of the stools. "There has never been a sadness that can’t be cured by breakfast food."

Corbin’s head snaps in my direction, laughing. “Do you know every quote from every movie or show?”

“Do you know what show that quote is from?” I ask, raising my brows in quick succession.

“It’s either Seinfeld or Parks & Rec .”

Becca chuckles. “Definitely a quote from Parks and & Rec . I loved that show. I used to watch the reruns all the time in college.” She pauses and softly puts her hand on mine. “And thanks for listening yesterday. I hope you can forgive me for taking out my troubles on you and Corbin. I wasn’t in a good head space.”

“Are you better now that he signed the papers?” Corbin asks.

She straightens her tiny cheerleader body to full height. “You know, I am. It feels good to know where I stand. Not having to worry about what was going to happen. Now I can move on.”

Becca doesn’t realize she holds the key to what Corbin and I should do… talk.

After a breakfast of biscuits and gravy for everyone but Corbin, who’s drinking a protein shake, we take his family to the animal shelter.

When we get there, I say in realization, “This is the shelter where my mom and I picked out Dixie?”

The expression on his face is priceless—wearing his emotions in his eyes. “She’s from here?”

Nodding, I say, “Positive.”

Like I said, I don’t believe in coincidences, I believe in fate.

“That’s why she took to me instantly. Dixie was dropped off by a breeder saying she didn’t have time to bottle feed her, that she wouldn’t latch on to her mother. I bottle fed her every afternoon for four weeks after practice. I just called her ‘My Girl.’” His eyes seem to glaze over like he’s recalling his time with her as a pup. “That was a long time ago, but I’m sure it was Dixie. I’ll look through my photos when I get home.”

I throw my hands up. “Well, at least there’s a reason for her loving you so much. I have to admit I was jealous the day after our wedding when she stayed with you instead of going with me.”

He gives me a faint grin,

Corbin’s letting his little sisters and brother pick out a dog to take home. He’s a little Irish Setter, all black, and you can barely see his eyes. Corbin tells us all about him and asks the director if his siblings can take the puppy home at the end of the week.

Week? I didn’t know they were staying a week.

Layla, Levi, and Lorna are as animated as I’ve seen them, and this poor little dog is going to be loved, played with, and enjoyed by the Shearer family. When Jasper tries to take him from Levi, Levi says, “No, he’s mine.”

Corbin bends down, ruffling Levi’s hair. “Dogs are meant to be shared. They need lots of love. Oakley shares Dixie with me, even though she was originally her dog. Now, she’s our dog. And when you have a dog, you need to share him with the family. You have to take him for walks, make sure he gets lots of exercise, give him baths, brush his teeth, and clean up his poop.” He looks at all three of the kids. “And I don’t want to hear that you three aren’t the ones taking care of this little guy. This is how you learn to have responsibility.”

I straighten and lift my head and in my best male voice, I add, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Jasper says excitedly. “You have the best wife. She can quote Spider-Man !”

Corbin does the paperwork and at lunch, the family debates names for the puppy. They come up with Paddy. The next day, I take the girls and the littles to the pet store to pick out a collar, leash, food, and toys from Corbin’s list. Pets can be expensive, and he doesn’t want this to be a burden for his parents.

His brothers and parents go with Corbin to watch hockey practice and when they get back to Corbin’s house, Corbin is beaming like a spotlight at a concert. “You should have seen Jasper. After practice, Stinson and Finnegan stayed to work Jasper out. He dashed and sliced through the ice, scoring multiple times on Finnegan. Can you believe it?”

“Jasper, if you got the puck past Adam, then you’re the real deal.” I high five Jasper and do my winner’s dance while Jasper rolls his eyes.

Corbin wraps him in a hug. “Now I have to figure out how to stay in the league five or six more years so we can play together.”

“I’ll wipe you off the ice, old timer.”

Seeing Corbin with his family gives me tingles. He’s so loving and caring. I’ve been the recipient of it at times, but it seems Corbin is struggling with whether to move our relationship into the “real” realm. And I plan on making it clear what I want once we have some alone time.

The Shearer family is on the go, all of the time. The next day is filled with Opryland, and I ride the big rides with his twin sisters, and Levi asks me to ride the teacups that go round and round. I think we ride three times before I throw up. His mom sits with me, eating a big pretzel while the older siblings take the younger ones into one of the iMax movies. She clears her throat and says, “I know you didn’t date long and since he hasn’t dated too many girls, except in high school, it’s hard for me to know whether this relationship is too fast. But I can tell he loves you.”

I blurt out, “Well, he better love me. He married me.”

Her eyes crinkle around the edges, but the wrinkles only show when she smiles. Like I said, good DNA. “It wouldn’t take long for him to fall in love considering his personality. Your mom passing away and of course, he loves dogs. He needs to take care of people to feel whole. But like Mamaw told me after the reception, ‘The boy needs someone to throw him off balance, and she’s perfect.’ Then Becca told me how you listened to her when she felt like she couldn’t bother us, Mamaw, or Corbin, and that means the world to me. It takes a village to take care of ten children. Thanks for pinch hitting for us.”

“Becca’s done a lot for Corbin and me. Getting our marriage license backdated and making me feel welcome. Corbin and Becca’s connection is one I admire, but I’m also a little jealous, having been an only child and my mom dying when I was eighteen. I think Becca and I are in a good place now.”

“You are, but if you hurt her brother, skip town to Mexico because she’s coming after you.” She cracks herself up, kind of like Corbin does. He’s the perfect mixture of his mom and dad. Caring, practical, generous, loving, and hot as a tamale with ghost pepper sauce.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

After Corbin’s practice, we all meet at Dane and Lettie’s house. Their families are from the same county but different towns, so it’s like a big reunion. Dane’s mom and Lettie’s grandparents tell us stories from when they were little and the bestest of friends.

Corbin and I go down to the recording studio with his sister Pepper and Lettie. She shows us their platinum albums on the walls, but then she asks Pepper if she would like to record a song. Corbin gives her a nod, and Pepper claps her hands. “Yes, that would be awesome.”

As Corbin and I sit to watch, once Pepper gets to the chorus, her nervousness melts away. “She’s really good,” I whisper. “What’s in those eastern Kentucky mountains?”

“Nothing, so we practice what we love. I have a feeling Pepper will be on Broadway someday.” He pulls me closer, and I rest my head on his shoulder, taking in the harmony and feeling that Corbin and I are no longer fiction—we’re real. I want so badly to ask, “Do you love me?” But Lettie’s water breaks as she hits the last high note. Corbin calls Dane who’s outside playing basketball with Corbin’s siblings.

Dane and his family head to the hospital while we watch Laney and Kingston and let his siblings play for a while, then we meet Dane’s mom to drop off their kids at the hospital. He says to Mrs. Greathouse, “We’ll come by next week to meet her. Congratulations.”

Corbin and I sleep together every night. He never misses kissing my cheek or my shoulder, but he’s had team meetings, film sessions, practice, then an extra practice with Adam, so with his family here, there hasn’t been any time to have a serious talk about my feelings for him. And if I bring it up while they’re here and it’s not the response I need to hear then I won’t be able to fake it. I fell off the cliff headfirst.

His family leaves today so we have one last late lunch together and another ping-pong tournament. This time, Corbin and I win. And I don’t mind letting everyone know that I’m a two-time tournament champion. He gathers me around the waist, swinging me around like a rag doll as we celebrate our victory and being wrapped in his arms is the only trophy I need.

I take his family to the commercial airport and Corbin to the private one where he catches the team plane for the first game of the regular season in Seattle. He asked if I wanted to go, but we don't have a sitter for Dixie, so my job is to find a dog sitter we can trust to be in Corbin’s house. We kiss goodbye, and I drive the truck back home.

Becca and Winnie come over to watch the game the next day. Becca makes an incredible number of snacks, and Winnie brings the wine. So, we sit around waiting for the game to come on. Before we know it, the wine is gone, and I have to go to Corbin’s basement wine cellar.

“Why does he have a wine cellar? He doesn’t even like wine, does he?” I ask the girls.

“He’s never been a big drinker, usually one cocktail or beer,” Becca informs me. “You seem to bring out the fun side of my brother.”

I flap my arms. “It’s on. It’s on.”

It shows the team warming up and Winnie fans her face. “Damn, when Adam does those butterfly stretches, I get horny.”

“He is hot!” Becca slurs stumbling over her words.

“Corbin’s hotter.”

Becca squishes up her nose. “Eww. He’s my brother.”

“You have to know that your family won the beautiful gene pool lottery. And that Jasper is going to break some hearts.”

“We’re not ugly,” Becca cackles, but then it trails off, and she adds, “but it doesn’t stop someone from cheating on you. Isaiah’s divorced because his ex-wife cheated, and I guess it was my turn to be cheated on. I should have known when he had no interest in having sex.”

Winnie pats her leg, and I put my arm around her. “He wasn’t good enough for you anyway. You need a guy who at least likes sports. I mean, have you seen yourself and your family… Competition drives all of you.”

The game begins, and Corbin controls the puck, slicing out wide. Stinson passes it swiftly across the ice back out to Corbin. Number eighty-seven on the opposing team wrestles the puck away, and the Kraken race toward their goal, hitting a slapshot, but Adam blocks it, and it rattles against the iron bar, and one of the Notes gain control, passing to Corbin.

“Yes,” we shout at the television.

Corbin glides across the ice, weaving through the defenders. His agility and speed amaze me. Nearing the goal, he seems to slow down and unleashes a powerful slapshot to the back of the net. The crowd boos except for the small faction of Nashville Note fans.

I jump up from the couch and do the winner dance that Corbin and I did when we won the ping-pong tournament.

The score is 1-0 until the third period. The other team has seventeen shots on goal, and Adam has blocked all of them.

Dousier, the teammate that Corbin barely tolerates, strikes first in the third period, and we go up 2-0, and that’s the way the game ends.

Dixie and I call it a night and instead of sleeping in the guest room, we go to the master bedroom. Maybe it’s my bedroom too. Does he want me in here when he’s out of town?

An hour and half later, my phone rings with a video call from Corbin. This is a first, and I remember what my life used to be like with a flip phone.

“Great game tonight.”

“Thanks, it was a good start to the season. Did Becca and Winnie get home safe?” he asks.

That’s Corbin, always concerned with everyone else.

“Yeah, they texted me when they got home.”

He moves his head around, finally settling with one arm bent and behind his neck. I guess he’s holding the phone with his other hand. “Good. Hmm, are you in my bed?”

Instantly, I feel awkward and embarrassed. “Yeah, Dixie’s used to it now, but we can go in my room.”

“Oakley, when are you going to realize it’s not my house or my room? It’s our house and our room. I want you to sleep in our room when I’m gone.”

“What about when you’re home and your family isn’t here to keep up appearances?”

“I want you in our bed every night. I thought I made that clear.”

“But you didn’t try anything.”

“I’ve had to wake up and take a cold shower every morning. It’s taking every ounce of restraint to keep it PG with you. Because I realized you deserve all of me. This… us… we did this all backwards.”

I must lick my lips because he adjusts himself again. “Damn, Oakley, I’m hard as steel right now watching you swipe your tongue over your lips, remembering how you took me.”

“Show me how you feel. Right now. At this moment.” I encourage him. My mom always told me that courage was power.

“Only if you do it with me.”

“I can’t. Dixie’s in here.”

“Chicken. Just put the kennel in the bathroom.”

“Okay.”

I do as he asks because I really want to see Corbin get himself off. My core tugs, feeling heavy with desire. When I get back on the bed, he demands, “Take your tank off and play with your tits.”

When he can see skin but not my breasts, he says, “Make circles around the edge of your nipples. Show me, baby. Oh fuck, they’re more perfect than I remember.”

The more he talks dirty, their weight feels heavier. And need builds in my core as I watch the screen shake from him stroking himself.

“Can I see it? Please,” I beg.

He angles the camera phone where I can see his hand going up and down but doesn’t show the head of it. “Pinch your nipples, think about me sucking them. Licking them.”

“I wish you were marking me, like you did,” I strain as I drop my phone, needing my firecracker rubbed.

Soon, neither of us can talk, each breath labored. The sound of him makes me climax first. I mean when Corbin Shearer is talking dirty and struggling to choke out your name, who wouldn’t go off first. Only a minute later, creamy lava coats his hand and abs.

“I wish we were together,” I say as I put my tank back on and change my panties.

“I’ll be home tomorrow, and we need to talk. I have things to say that need to be said in person. Get some sleep and don’t forget to bring Dixie into bed. I don’t like you being by yourself.”

“I’ve been alone, completely alone for the last three years in a not so good neighborhood. I think I can handle living in a mansion in a hoity-toity community.”

“I know you’re capable of taking care of yourself, baby. I just don’t want you having to.” He looks into the phone and runs his hand through his hair.

“Night.”

I go to bed a nervous wreck as sleep evades me, thinking about what he has to say. After what Becca told me about her relationship with her husband, I know I need to confront this now and not wait until there is no chance of getting through it. Tomorrow afternoon can’t come soon enough.