Page 2 of Run the Play (Nashville Rampage #2)

Chapter One

L andry

Sitting on this white sandy beach with my toes buried deep in the white powder, I look out over the clear blue water. The setting sun is food for my soul. It almost feels as if the world is paused.

For me.

For this moment.

Closing my eyes, I let the gentle hush of the waves lapping at the shore fill the void around me. This last month has been a busy one, to say the least. We won the championship, there were celebrations, a parade throughout Nashville, press meetings, and, of course, getting ready for this week.

My little sister married my best friend today.

Technically, he’s now her best friend, too, but that’s okay because he makes her smile, and I’m certain there is no one on the planet who would love Corie the way Knox does.

The reception is going strong here at the Bahamas resort, where Corie and Knox tied the knot.

Knox’s family, his parents, sisters, his new brother-in-law, and his aunts and uncles, a few of his cousins, along with me, Reid, Baker, Foster, Sloane, and Rowan.

For a destination wedding, there was quite a guest list.

Tears sprang to my eyes when I watched Knox’s dad, Ridge, spin my sister around the dance floor while Knox danced with his mom, Kendall.

Not for the first time today, either, but it was the first time I was able to excuse myself for a few minutes to take a short walk down to the water to clear my head.

I miss my parents every damn day, but today, I’m missing them a little harder than usual.

I would have given anything to have been able to see my dad walk Corie down the aisle.

I was honored to do it, don’t get me wrong, but I’m a sorry replacement for our father.

And Mom, she would have loved Knox. I can picture her laughing and smiling with him as they danced.

She wouldn’t need to tell him to take care of her baby girl, because you can see it in every look and every touch they share that Knox worships my sister.

Instead, she would welcome him into the family and tell him how happy she is to have another son.

I know this with my entire being, and yeah, I just needed some air.

They’re here with us today, but fuck, I miss them. Corie does, too, especially today. I’m happy that she has Knox’s family to welcome her with open arms and shower her with all the love she deserves.

My baby sister is a wife, and my best friend is now my brother in the eyes of the law. Today was good, watching them pledge their love for one another.

I’ve been gone far too long, and someone will notice my absence soon. With one last look over the ocean and the setting sun, I say a silent I love you to our parents before standing from the lounge chair and heading back inside.

I’ve barely taken two steps when I see her.

Rowan Mills.

I wasn’t surprised when Corie told me Rowan was coming with us to the Bahamas. She and Sloane have taken Rowan, who was new to Nashville, under their wing. The three of them quickly became the three musketeers.

She’s walking along the beach alone, and her presence pulls me toward her. What kind of gentleman would I be if I let the beautiful lady walk the beach alone as nightfall sets in a foreign country?

Decision made, I take off jogging down the beach to catch up. When I reach her, I step beside her, matching her gait. She stops walking and there’s a little fear in her eyes, until she registers it’s me who has snuck up on her.

“Fancy meeting you here.” I flash her a grin.

Her hand is resting over her heart, where her chest rises and falls with a rapid beat. “You startled me.”

“Sorry about that.” I smile as I lean my shoulder into hers. “Watcha doing out here all on your own?”

“Just enjoying the view.” She nods toward the ocean. “What about you?”

“I was doing the same. I spotted you as I was headed back inside.”

“Don’t let me keep you,” she says.

“I’m sure the newlyweds have long since retired.”

“Everyone was still at the reception when I snuck out.”

“Not a fan of weddings?”

She shrugs. “Sure, Corie and Knox seem happy.”

“They are.” I nod. There’s no denying that those two bring out the best in one another. “Ever been married?” I ask.

She stops walking and stares at me with her mouth hanging open. “No. Have you?”

“Nope.” I grin. “Ever engaged?” I ask as we start to walk again.

She exhales a heavy sigh, and that tells me there’s a story there. “I was engaged once.”

I’m walking on her left side, so I’m able to lift her left hand, spying her empty ring finger. “Not anymore?”

“Has anyone ever told you you’re nosy?” she asks. There’s a hint of humor lacing her tone.

“Yep,” I say, popping the p . “In fact, Harry and I know just about everything there is to know about the Rampage, and those who work within the walls of the stadium.”

“Harry? The maintenance man, Harry? That sweet old man who greets me every morning?”

I can’t help but chuckle at her response. “That would be the one. Harry and I are thick as thieves.”

“Is that another way to say nosy gossipers?” she asks, her lips twitching, fighting off her smile.

“I call it being caring. Sure, we know who’s flirting with who, and who’s on the list for trade, but we also know that Sara in accounting is a new grandmother, and Tasha, who handles the vendors, just got a clean bill of health from her breast cancer diagnosis early last year.

We made sure they both got gifts from the Rampage. ”

“Okay, fine,” she concedes. “Maybe your nosy tendencies do some good.”

“Apparently, our skills are not that good. Neither one of us had any idea Knox and Corie were secretly dating. I mean, I knew Knox had a girlfriend he was hiding, and that Corie was smiling more, but I didn’t see their relationship coming until it slapped me in the face.”

“Corie said you handled it well.”

I shrug. “Yeah, I mean, at first, I was floored, but with each word Knox spoke, I could hear it in his voice. Corie wasn’t just another woman to him.

She was the woman. By the time he finished his ‘I’m in love with her’ speech, my anger had seeped away, and all that was left was sadness.

I wish they’d come to me and explained.”

“Yeah, but in the beginning, they had no way of knowing this is where they would end up.” She motions toward the white sandy beach we’re walking on.

“Sometimes, things change, most of the time for the better, but sometimes, for the worse. I can see why they wanted to make sure they knew what this charged thing between them was before making any bold steps. It was smart.”

“Something tells me, there was a bold step in your past that guides your observation.”

“You could say that.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” I’m dying to know more about this woman.

She’s gorgeous, which admittedly is the reason I flirted with her that first time, but she’s not like most women I know.

She doesn’t want my attention, or she’s good at hiding it if she does.

She’s also become important to my sister, which means she’s important to me by default.

That’s what we do as a family. We stick together and appreciate those in our lives because none of us knows if we have tomorrow.

“You don’t want to spend your night in paradise listening to my sob story.” She keeps her eyes locked on the expansive beach before us, while I keep mine on her.

My gut twists. There’s something about this beautiful girl feeling pain, having a sob story that’s not sitting right with me.

Reaching out, I take her hand in mine and pull her to a stop.

“I do. If you want to tell me, I’ll happily listen.

Not because I want to gossip with Harry, but because something tells me you need a strong shoulder, and I’m offering you mine. ”

Even with the sun setting and the low lighting, I see the tears shimmer in her eyes. “Thank you,” she says, clearing her throat, “but I think we should head back.” She pulls her hand from mine, and I loosen my hold and watch as she turns and heads back toward the resort.

I watch her for a few seconds, wondering what happened in her past to bring on those tears in her beautiful blue eyes.

I have to jog a little to catch up with her.

When I reach her, I sling an arm around her shoulders and pretend as if the heaviness of the moment didn’t happen. “So, how are your line dancing skills?”

“What?” She turns to look at me, trying not to laugh. Her brow is furrowed as if she can’t keep up with the shift in conversation.

“Line dancing? How are you?”

“Um, okay, I guess. Why?”

“Because the guys and me, we’ve mastered the electric slide.”

“Really?” she asks in disbelief.

“Come on. I’ll rally the troops, and we’ll show you, but you have to join us.”

She smiles up at me. The sadness in those pretty blue eyes is gone, replaced with something lighter, and I want to beat on my chest like a caveman that I was able to do that for her.

“Okay, Landry Reynolds, show me what you’ve got.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her I’ll show her everything I’ve got, but even I know that’s pushing it too far.

There’s a right time to flirt, and that’s not what she needs from me right now.

She needs fun Landry, and I want more than anything to keep that smile on her face, so that’s exactly who she’s going to get.

Stepping back into the resort, very aware that we’re dragging in the sand with us, I drop my hand from her shoulder, placing it on the small of her back as we enter the reception hall.

It’s indoors, but there are open glass doors, so it’s kind of outdoors too.

My sister picked an incredible resort for her wedding.