Page 23 of Learn Your Lesson

“It would be my pleasure,” I said when he didn’t respond. “Truly. You should sit down and eat, get packed or whatever you need to do before the flight, and leave the rest to me and Chef.”

“She’s right,” Chef Patel said, and she was already scooping the garlic spicy shrimp out of the glass container and onto a plate. “There’s nothing we can’t handle, and you need to eat and get to the airport. Besides, Maven is in the throes of wedding planning right now. I’m sure any time she gets Vince out of the house for an away game is time she needs to get things done.”

The way Chef winked at me told me that Maven likely wouldn’t have minded taking Ava at all, but Chef knew exactly the buttons to push on Will to make him do what she wanted.

I chuckled.

“You’re sure?” Will asked, his eyes searching mine. “I’ll pay you, of course.”

“You already paid me,” I reminded him. “Yes, I’m sure. I want to. I love spending time with that grumpy kid of yours,” I said with a grin. “And it’s really not a problem, I promise.”

Will let out a long sigh, nodding in surrender, and then Chef was ushering him to the table just as Ava dragged herself back into the kitchen like Eeyore. The two grumps sat side by side at the smaller of the two dining tables, and I shared a look with Chef before grabbing my purse off the bar.

“I’m going to run home and pack a bag real quick,” I told them. “And call my mom about watching the cats.”

“Three cats,” Will grumbled, shaking his head as he forked his first shrimp.

I smirked, stopping by the table long enough to tuck Ava’s hair behind one ear. “I’ll be back in an hour. What do you say we read the rest ofWhere the Wild Things Aretonight?”

“Okay,” Ava said, not even looking up at me. She just scooped up her first bite of couscous, kicking her legs under her seat.

“Okay,” I repeated, and then I looked at Will, who was watching me with his brows bent together, his fork hovering over his plate, something I couldn’t quite read in those haunted brown eyes of his.

Thank you, he mouthed.

I nodded like it was no big deal, and then turned, scurrying out the door to my car before the unavoidable smile spread on my lips.

In the Habit of Lying

Will

“Don’t make any plans for June twenty-ninth.”

I blinked at my teammate, Vince Tanev, as he shot those words my way. We were filing off the plane late Thursday night after managing to squeak out a win against Boston. Despite the win, the plane was eerily quiet — which told me the rest of the guys were just as beat as I was.

“When do I make plans, ever?” I replied.

“Aw, shit,” Jaxson Brittain said, clapping Vince on his shoulders from behind. We filed off the plane and onto the tarmac, a cool rain greeting us — which was a rarity in Florida. Most of our rain came in the summertime in the form of hot, heavy storms. “Did you and Mave finally set a date?”

“Don’t act like my sister didn’t already tell you,” Vince said, shrugging him off.

“You ever going to stop hating me for loving her?”

“Depends. You ever going to stop making out with her in front of me?”

“Probably not.”

I flattened my lips as Jaxson tried to use me as a shield, Vince doing his best to get around me and slug his best friend in the arm. I loved them both like brothers, but like the younger, annoying kind — just like Carter.

“Enough,” I told them, glaring at Jaxson when he got in one last flick to Vince’s ear. “June twenty-ninth. Got it. Where?”

“Michigan, of course,” Jaxson answered for Vince.

“Hey, can you let me have my moment here?” Vince threw up his hands. “Next you’re going to tell me you’ve already filled Carter in on the news.”

Jaxson’s gaze slid to mine, eyes wide, and Vince let out a long sigh at the answer that silence gave him.

“I’m happy for you, man,” I said to Vince, clapping his shoulder and squeezing hard. “Maven is entirely out of your league, but thank God you managed to make her fall in love with you. She’s the best.”