Page 19 of Sideline Sweetheart (Greenville Generals #4)
Chapter Nineteen
Bryce
I don’t when I’ve seen my parents smile more. Mackenzie was utterly charming from the moment we entered the lobby until we walked my parents to the elevator after arriving back at the hotel. As the elevator doors slide closed, I tip Mackenzie’s chin up and kiss her. “You were phenomenal tonight.”
She smiles softly up at me. “I’m not sure phenomenal is the word I’d use.”
Of course she wouldn’t, Mackenzie Flynn is much too humble to describe herself in such a way. “Well, fortunately, I would. And judging by the way my phone is vibrating, my parents agree.”
She threads her fingers with mine as we make our way to the hotel bar so she can meet the, as Cassie calls them the Significant Others Club.
“Your parents are amazing. Thank you for introducing me to them.”
“Don’t thank me yet, Mom is probably in their room right now adding you to a group text.”
Mackenzie tips her head back and laughs. “I can’t wait.”
“You say that now,” I reply as we step up to the group making her laugh again.
Cassie is the first to spot us and makes her way over. “Hey, you made it.”
“I hope I’m not too late,” Mackenzie says.
“Not at all, we’re just getting started.” Cassie turns to me. “Justice is over in the corner if you want to join him.”
“I think I will.” I turn my attention back to Mackenzie. “Do you want a drink?”
“A glass of red wine, please.”
I place a kiss on her temple. “Be right back.” I make my way over to the bar and order myself a beer along with Mackenzie’s glass of wine.
I watch as Cassie introduces Mackenzie to the group.
She laughs easily at something one of the women says and I feel the warmth of her happiness in my chest. The bartender returns with our drinks and I hand him my credit card. “Put all of their drinks on my tab.”
“Mr. Mathis has already taken care of it, sir.”
“Of course he has,” I reply as I sign the receipt for our drinks leaving a significant tip. I pick up our drinks and deliver Mackenzie’s before heading over to where Justice sits.
He holds up his beer bottle in a welcoming gesture and I tap mine against it. “Hey, man,” he says as I take seat. “How was dinner with your parents?”
My parents are a common fixture around the team, especially for the first game of the season.
“It was great. I’m pretty sure their changing the will to leave everything to Mackenzie because they like her better than me.
” Or planning our wedding. The thought should probably scare me but for some reason it doesn’t.
He lets out a boisterous laugh as I take a sip of my beer and then tips his bottle toward the group of women. “Well, if she charmed them even half as much as she has this group, you might be right.”
My attention drifts across the room where Mackenzie laughs and talks with the group, she was so nervous to meet yesterday. Her gaze catches mine and she smiles before taking a sip of her wine.
Justice chuckles across from me. “Man, you’ve got it bad. You haven’t taken your eyes off her since you sat down.”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t been watching Cassie like a hawk since you got here.”
“I didn’t say I haven’t, but I can see the hearts dancing in your eyes like one of those emojis whenever you look in Mackenzie’s direction.”
As much as I hate to admit it, Justice is right. Whenever I look at Mackenzie not only does my heart do a little flip, but I feel more settled than I have in a long time. Maybe the thought of my mom planning our wedding wasn’t so bad after all, but I wasn’t ready to share that information yet.
Over the next hour, we sit at the table and talk about the upcoming game, all the while keeping an eye on the ladies to ensure their safety.
Justice and I go on alert when a couple of young guys, possibly military from the haircuts they’re sporting, make their way over to one of the tables the ladies occupy and offer to buy them a round of drinks.
Before either Justice or I can intervene, Cassie has them looking our way and then moving to the end of the bar.
I watch in disbelief as they take a seat at the opposite end of the bar. “I’d love to know what she said to them.”
Justice slowly grins. “If I know my wife like I think I do, she said something like, why would we mess around with boys like you when our men are sitting right over there?”
I can’t help but chuckle. “Which would explain why they looked in our direction before moving away from them.”
“Glad it worked,” he says before draining his beer. “Coach would have our ass if we got arrested and missed the game.”
“You’re not wrong.”
A few minutes later, Mackenzie makes her way over to our table. “Hey handsome, you ready to get out of here?”
I reach for her hand and tug, pulling her down on my lap and dropping a kiss on her waiting lips. “Whenever you are.”
“We’re all a little jet-lagged and ready to get back to our rooms. Besides, we have to be at the stadium early tomorrow.”
Justice stands. “I’ll close out the tab and meet you at the door.”
He walks across the room and over to the group of women, kisses his wife, and then heads to the bar.
I turn my attention back to Mackenzie. “Did you have a good time?”
Her fingers sift through my hair. “I did. I can’t believe I was so nervous about joining them.”
“I knew you’d win them over. It took you less than five minutes to win over my parents, why would these ladies be any different?”
She tips her head back and laughs before standing. “I’m pretty sure your parents would like anyone you introduced them to.”
I wrap my arm around her waist as we walk to the door. “I can assure you, they would not.” I can also promise my mom would have no problem letting me know she does not approve either. We’ve had one or two of those conversations in the past, the most recent a few years ago.
As we join the ladies waiting at the door, Martina Greer, our quarterback’s wife comes over and puts her hand on Mackenzie’s shoulder.
“Mackenzie, it was such a pleasure to meet you,” she says before turning her attention to me. “You’ve got a good one here, Bryce.”
I pull Mackenzie close and kiss the side of her head. “Yes, I do.”
When Justice joins us, we make our way to the elevator and step inside once the doors open.
We select the two floors designated for the team and ride up stopping on the first of our floors.
“See you in the morning,” I say to Justice before Mackenzie, and I step out into the hallway with several of the ladies.
As we all go our separate ways, I watch making sure they get safely to their rooms before walking Mackenzie to her room.
When we reach her door, Mackenzie pulls out her key card and taps the lock. “Are you coming in?” she asks as she opens the door.
“I will if you want me to,” I reply as I watch her closely. Turmoil swirls in the depths of her blue eyes as she tries to decide if she wants to show the team this much of our relationship.
A slow smile tips the corner of her mouth as she offers me her room key. “Take my key, get your bag, and then you can let yourself back in when you return.”
I tip her chin up and drop a kiss on her lips. “Be right back.”
I wait for the door to close once she steps inside then head upstairs to my room to retrieve my bag. I open the door and Clayton Jacobson steps out into the room. “Hey, man,” he says around the toothbrush in his mouth before ducking back inside the bathroom.
“Hey, Clay. I came by to grab my bag and I’ll be out of your way.”
He leans against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. “You staying with Doc tonight or am I kicking your ass for cheating on her?”
I hold up my hands in defense. “Okay, first save the ass kicking for the field. Second, I don’t owe you an explanation but yes, I’m staying with Mackenzie.
Finally, and I want you to listen to this one carefully.
I would never cheat. Especially on someone as amazing as Mackenzie.
I’ve been on the receiving side of infidelity, and there’s no way I would put someone I loved through such a horrible experience. ”
A wide grin takes over his face as he pushes off the doorframe. “Exactly what I wanted to hear. Now get out of my room and get back to your girl.”
A laugh escapes me as I realize what I confessed to him. “You’re good. Now I know why Sylvia booked us as roommates.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “I’m convinced she used to work for a secret government agency.”
I laugh in return. “You may be right. Have a goodnight, man. See you in the morning.”
I grab my bag and make my way back down to Mackenzie’s room.
I tap the card on the lock, step inside her room and close the door.
I click the lock in place and begin to apologize for taking so long.
“Sorry, had a little chat with Jacobson,” I say as I drop my bag on the nearest chair.
I turn to continue, only to find Mackenzie already asleep in the king size bed.
She looks so beautiful I can hardly take my eyes off her.
I walk over to the bed and kiss her lightly on the cheek before picking up my bag and heading to the bathroom to prepare for bed.
When I finish, I crawl in bed behind Mackenzie, wrap my arm around her waist and pull her back to my chest. She sighs softly as she settles against me, and I kiss her bare shoulder before falling into a sound sleep.