Page 23
CHAPTER 23
Tempe
A s Rafferty and I step into Foster and Mazzy’s sprawling Squirrel Hill home, the ambiance shifts from the crisp winter air to a warm, festive interior that buzzes with the promise of a fresh start in the new year. The large foyer opens into a spacious living room where the holiday decorations mingle with festive New Year’s Eve embellishments. Strings of silver and gold garlands drape from the ceiling, adding a sparkle that competes with the twinkling Christmas lights still wound around the banisters wrapped with fresh pine boughs.
We greet several players and their SOs as we head toward the kitchen where we’ve been told to fill up on food and drink. Only the players were invited to this party, so there’s no chance Tansy will be here.
Food is top of the agenda because we’re both starved after not eating all day. After we left Brienne’s office, we ran a few errands and then stopped by my house to hang with my mom and Cooper for a bit. We ended up watching a football game and I’m not sure who fell asleep first, but all I know is that when we woke up, we had to rush back to Rafferty’s place to get ready.
The kitchen is so lovely. The expansive white granite island, streaked with black and flecked with silver, serves as the centerpiece for the night’s festivities. It’s laden with an array of finger foods and a punch bowl filled with a fizzy red concoction, surrounded by crystal flutes. A massive silver tub on a pedestal holds bottles of champagne, presumably chilling for a midnight toast.
Rafferty and I fill our plates, ignore the punch for the time being and head out onto the back deck that’s covered with dozens of strands of Edison lights wrapped in more silver and gold garland. Several gas heaters are positioned every few feet, so it’s quite pleasant as the chilly air just barely reaches us.
We eat and chitchat with some of the players, exchanging pleasantries and holiday wishes. The women are all in glittering dresses and the men in sharp suits, and I find it interesting that no one brings up the drug allegations. I mean, the team has clearly rallied around Rafferty and no one believes the accusations, and maybe that’s why it’s not a subject of conversation. In everyone’s minds, there’s nothing to discuss.
A rapping on the living room window gets our attention and I see Willa and Mazzy, peering out at us. They grin and motion for me to come inside.
“I’m going to see what they want,” I say to Rafferty.
He takes my empty plate, sets it under his that still has food on it since he took twice as much as I did, and leans toward me to whisper, “I bet they want to find out all the juicy gossip.”
I blink in surprise. “You mean about you?”
“Sure,” he says with an easy shrug. “I mean… everyone wants to know what’s going on.”
“But no one’s asked you yet,” I point out.
“Yet,” he says with a wink. “Few more drinks in everyone and I’ll be ambushed.”
“And you’re okay with it?”
“Sure. Why not? Brienne didn’t say we couldn’t tell anyone about our meeting today, and besides that, all the guys know this is Tansy’s doing. I guess there’s really not much to tell other than Brienne’s looking into it.”
I glance back at Willa and Mazzy and hold up my index finger to give me a moment. With a sigh, I rub his lower back soothingly. “I wish we’d get an answer soon. The suspense is killing me.”
“Me too,” he admits ruefully. Then a smile breaks free. “But hey… maybe if I get fired, I can go to college with you.”
I snort. “No way you’re getting fired. You’re too good, and besides that, you’re in the right and Tansy’s in the wrong. Brienne will set things straight.”
“Yeah, I have to believe that.” Rafferty presses a kiss to my forehead. “Now go hang out with your girls. Just make sure to find me before the clock strikes midnight.”
“I’ll find you well before that,” I promise him and then head inside.
Mazzy and Willa are on the couch, each holding a flute of the red punch. I once again hold up my finger asking them to give me a moment so I can grab one for myself.
Settling into a chair adjacent to them, I take a moment to look around. The living room is both beautiful and comfy with plush cream chenille furniture accented with throws and pillows in shimmering metallics, echoing the New Year’s theme. Remnants of Christmas remain with stockings hanging on the mantel alongside fresh pine garlands interspersed with small silver bells and twinkling fairy lights. Foster’s daughter, Bowie Jane, had to be wowed by how magical everything is, especially on Christmas Day when she woke up.
A massive Christmas tree stands in the corner, its branches adorned with a mix of traditional ornaments and crystal balls tucked between the branches. The gray ottoman in the center of the room is topped with a mirrored tray that reflects the light from votive candles and a centerpiece of winter white flowers surrounded by delicate silver tinsel.
My eyes land on Mazzy. “Your house is exquisite.”
“Foster’s house,” she says with a laugh. “I mean… I live here, but this is Foster’s house and well, it looked this way before I moved in. Minus the New Year’s decorations, that is, but everything else is all him.”
“Then let me correct myself… Foster has exquisite taste.”
Mazzy laughs. “Yes he does. He chose me, after all.”
I’d heard all about Mazzy and Foster’s love story. She was Bowie Jane’s nanny after Foster got custody of his daughter from his crazy ex-wife. And Willa and King met under unique circumstances as well—she was coaching peewee hockey and he took pity on her, helping her out. It was apparently true love after that.
I know all this because the three of us watched the Atlanta Sting game last week at Willa’s place, joined by her sister Brittany—who’s a hoot—and her adorable niece, Izzy, as well as Farren. We sipped wine, watched our men on the big screen and talked about anything and everything under the sun. We’ve all become fast friends.
“Why didn’t Farren come tonight?” Willa asks.
“I don’t know. At the last minute she said she wasn’t feeling it.”
I am worried about her. She seemed almost glum when we left but insisted we go and have fun.
Mazzy looks around, ensures we’re alone and says, “Spill it, Tempe. What’s going on with this bullshit doping allegation? Foster has been beside himself. I’ve only seen him this angry one other time and that’s when his ex showed up here and tried to take Bowie Jane.”
“Where is Bowie Jane?” I ask.
“At my house,” Willa says, waving her hand impatiently. “Brittany’s on babysitting duty. Now quit stalling.”
Laughing, I sip my drink and hum with approval. “Oh, that’s really good.”
“Spill it,” Mazzy orders with a stern look.
“Okay,” I say, setting my glass on the side table. “We all know Tansy’s behind this and so Rafferty decided to tell Brienne everything.”
Willa’s hand covers her mouth in shock before falling away. “Oh wow. Really? Wasn’t he afraid Brienne would take Tansy’s side?”
“Yeah. We knew that was a risk, but he’s so angry about all of this, I think he thought it was worth it.” Willa and Mazzy stare at me expectantly. “Oh? You want more of the story?”
I get double eye rolls, which makes me chuckle. “The meeting was very short. Rafferty told her what happened, start to finish. I think Brienne was a little disappointed he didn’t come to her sooner, but she said she would confront Tansy. She was calling her as we were leaving.”
“But that’s her cousin,” Willa points out.
“Yeah, I know. But I got the impression they aren’t that tight. Or at least, Brienne pretty much said their relationship had no relevance to any of this.”
Mazzy leans in. “Foster heard through the grapevine that Tansy’s like a second cousin and is from the West Coast and that she and Brienne aren’t close.”
I nod, because that jibes with what Brienne said. “Brienne didn’t hire her. Doesn’t have anything to do with her position and doesn’t supervise her. Regardless, I think Tansy could’ve been Brienne’s twin sister and I got the impression that Brienne would have set family loyalty aside to make sure the right thing happens.”
“She’s a businesswoman, after all,” Mazzy says with a knowing nod.
“And she’s fair,” Willa adds. “I haven’t been associated with the team very long, but that woman has the unmitigated respect of every person in this organization. I’m not sure she has a character flaw.”
“It’s why this team is going to win the championship this year,” Mazzy says with authority. “They’re all so tight.”
“Except for Penn,” I point out. He was the subject of conversation when we were together the other night. As problem solvers, we women tried to fathom a way for the guys to reach through to him but came up short.
Willa did say though, “King knows something about him. I don’t know what it is, and he wouldn’t tell me, and I’d never push him, but something brewing down deep is causing this behavior.”
“I hope it gets worked out before Penn blows and ruins his place on this team,” I say wistfully. I pick up my drink, prepared to take a sip. “And ruins this team’s chance at the championship. I know one man can’t carry everyone, but Penn is so integral to the success they’ve had.”
“Ugh,” Mazzy says dramatically. “Let’s stop talking about depressing stuff. The new year is starting soon and we have a lot to be grateful for. For example, let’s take a moment to marvel at how we’ve each scored a hot hockey player.”
Unfortunately, I happen to be taking said sip and I inadvertently snort over Mazzy’s proclamation, which isn’t untrue, but completely unexpected. Red fizz shoots out my nostrils, which seems to be an annoying habit I’ve developed, and down the front of my black velvet dress. My eyes bulge as I grab the tiny napkin, wiping my nose and dabbing at my the dark fabric, which easily hides the liquid.
Mazzy cackles, leaning forward with one arm across her stomach. Gasping, she asks, “Am I wrong?”
Willa laughs. “Not wrong. It’s like something out of a movie. Me, the older woman, snagging the younger man—”
“Please,” I scoff at the cougar comparison, setting the drink and napkin aside. “You’re only a few years older than King.”
“Hey,” Willa exclaims, slapping my knee. “Don’t rain on my parade. The age difference used to bother me but now I own that shit.”
Mazzy snickers. “And I slept with my boss. Nanny snags the dad!”
Enjoying the teasing banter, something I really don’t have because this friendship is more mature than the ones I have with my college friends focused on studies and parties, I boast, “Nothing beats the fake girlfriend turned true love, all because of a crazy ex scheming in the background. Boom!”
Mazzy nods, still laughing. “Yeah… you win best meet-cute for sure.”
I chuckle, the surreality of it all still settling in. “And now I’m trying to wrap my head around Raff saying he loves me,” I confess, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks.
“He did?” Willa gasps, eyes rounding, her hand pressed over her heart. “That’s amazing.”
I nod, smiling at the memory. “Just this morning as we were heading out to meet Brienne. I’m guessing the gravity of it all provoked some feelings and they popped out, possibly unbidden.”
“No way.” Mazzy shakes her head. “Rafferty’s not the type to say things he doesn’t mean. He’s too steady for that. Those words were a manifestation of how he felt before these allegations surfaced.”
“Agreed,” Willa says. “I’ve gotten to know him pretty well and despite his fun-loving ways, he’s as mature as they come on this team. I think you two were destined to find each other and while I never really believed the soul mate thing before, after meeting King, I understand how very real that is.”
Soul mates , I think, rolling the words over in my head. It does seem to fit the depth of my feelings for Rafferty. Yeah… I like that.
Willa sips her drink. “So, what’s next for you guys? Moving in together? Wedding bells?”
I shake my head, the reality of my situation grounding me. “First, I need to finish college. My mom is insisting I go back this semester, which starts in two weeks.”
“But you don’t sound convinced,” Mazzy observes. “Is she able to take care of herself?”
I lift a shoulder, a nagging doubt persisting. “Physically, I look at her and say no. She’s still got another few weeks in the wheelchair and then she’ll progress to some sort of walking assistance. But she says that her insurance has approved an in-home aid full time and she seems comfortable having that help versus mine.”
“Again, I’m sensing hesitation,” Mazzy says.
“She can’t work. I don’t know how she’s going to pay the bills without me working.”
“And now I hear suspicion.”
I look between Mazzy and Willa before I glance back through the living room window to see Rafferty standing out there talking to North and Atlas. He’s probably filling them in on everything. “I suspect,” I drawl, turning my attention back to my friends, “that Rafferty has something to do with my mom’s newfound confidence and ability to pay the bills. I don’t buy that the insurance is all of a sudden able to pay for full-time help when she only qualified for part-time before. Especially as she’s improving.”
Willa’s eyes widen. “You mean, he’s paying for everything?”
“Maybe,” I admit, circling my finger over the edge of my flute. “He’s tried to pay me the extra five thousand dollars for my fake girlfriend services and I wouldn’t take it. I’m wondering if he offered it to my mom.”
“Did you ask?”
I shake my head. “No. Because I don’t want to put my mom in a position of lying to me, nor Rafferty, for that matter.” My cheeks warm at what I’m about to admit. “And part of me is… relieved. I really want to finish college. I mean, I know it will be tough being so far away and worried about my mom and Cooper. And it’ll be hard being away from Rafferty, but my degree is within my grasp. I want it and I feel guilty wanting it, and I feel ten times more guilty for letting Rafferty do this.”
“Stop,” Mazzy says, a little harshly. “When a man loves a woman, he wants to protect and help her. If that’s what’s going on, you let Rafferty do that. That’s nothing more than you accepting that love.”
“But it’s so much—”
“Stop,” Mazzy says again, holding up a palm. “And you accepting that gives back to him probably tenfold because that means you trust him and you treasure what he’s doing and that you’ll love him even more.”
I’d never thought of it that way. I’ve never been one to take handouts, having been taught the value of hard work because the reward is always sweeter.
“Swallow your pride, Tempe,” Mazzy advises.
“Swallow it deep,” Willa adds.
“We are T-minus ten minutes until the ball drops,” Foster yells out and we swivel in our seats to see him standing a few feet away. “Everyone get into the kitchen, grab your champagne.” He searches the room until he finds Mazzy. “And you, beautiful girl… get your ass over here and get those lips ready to be loved on.”
Mazzy groans with feigned embarrassment, but the smile on her face tells me she is not averse to such a notion.
We all stand up and I see Rafferty coming inside, his eyes locking on me. He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t motion me forward, but that look he’s giving me… my feet move his way as if in a trance.
When I reach him, he takes my drink, pushes it at Atlas who hesitates before taking it, and then both his hands cup my cheeks. He bends down, kisses me slowly and deeply, for so long we earn a few catcalls. When he lifts his head, I find that my fingers are clenching the lapels of his suit coat so desperately, they’re wrinkled when I let go.
“That was a little premature,” I murmur. “There’re still like nine minutes left until midnight.”
Rafferty smiles, and it’s so loving and tender, my belly flips over. “I don’t ever need an excuse to kiss you like that.”
No, he doesn’t. He doesn’t need an excuse to do anything where I’m concerned, and that includes if he wants to help my mom. I’m not going to ask him or her about it, but merely accept… he does this for us because he loves me.