Page 28 of Tempting the Goalie (Riverside U #5)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

I sabelle

“Your dad gave us his blessing. Well, kind of. He already knew we were together,” Luc reports impishly.

“You know Daddy. He just knows things,” I say as I take Luc’s hand. I want to guide him to my room, but he stops me.

“There’s no way I’m going up there now,” he balks.

“You’ve been in my room a million times,” I remind while giggling.

“This is different and you know it,” he says, looking at me like he means business.

I huff. “So what do you want to do?” I ask him.

“Let’s take a walk.”

“Fine,” I pout.

Luc laughs. “I’ve created a monster.”

“You have,” I agree. “For the first time in my life, I’m enjoying sex. I want to be having lots of it.”

Luc chuckles. “I want that too but time and place, Isabelle.”

“Oh no, you can’t call me Isabelle now. You know that makes me horny,” I warn.

“I know.” He grins conspiratorially. “I’m working you up and stringing you along. It’ll make your orgasm that much stronger when you finally have one.”

“I hate you,” I snap, shooting daggers at him with my eyes.

“No, you don’t. There’s nothing about me you hate,” he says as we make our way to a trail. Luc checks both sides and then he lifts me up and kisses me. That shuts me up as the touch of his soft warm lips against mine causes sparks to go off inside me.

“Ew, gross. What the hell is happening here?” I know it’s Becket before I see him. Luc practically drops me and takes a step away from me.

“Becket, uh, I’m dating your sister. Your father knows,” Luc mumbles awkwardly.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Okay, that makes a lot of sense. This is years in the making,” Becket says. “You better treat her right.” He points a finger at Luc in warning. Becket is a lot like Daddy. Big and scary on the outside and a soft teddy bear on the inside.

“I plan too,” Luc replies.

Becket gives a nod. “Happy for you guys.” Then he walks away.

All four of my brothers are single. After the way Mom left, they were turned off from relationships.

Each of them is handsome in their own way and they’re good reliable men, but they refuse to ever settle down. All of them are a bunch of workaholics.

I take Luc’s hand. “I’m guessing Daddy also told you about the letters,” I say carefully. “For the record, I only found out last night.”

“I feel bad for having you over last night. If I knew my papa was that unhinged, I would’ve never had you over,” he says, stopping to look at me. He moves a stray hair off my face and I get lost in his gray eyes.

“I know you would never put me in danger,” I assure him.

He bends his head down to kiss me.

“Oh, wow, look at you two.” This time I know it’s Elyna before I see her.

We break apart and I lick my lips.

“You two are adorable,” she continues.

“We’re not adorable,” Luc insists, taking it as an insult.

I laugh. “Hi, Elyna, it’s so good to see you.

” I give her a hug. “I met this handsome fella last night.” I smile down at Braden.

“Hi there, yes, you’re handsome,” I coo and Braden smiles and makes a cute little giggling sound.

I straighten up to look at Elyna. “I’m actually happy we bumped into each other. ”

“Oh yeah,” she says. “What’s up?”

“I spoke with Phoenix last night about some housing arrangements,” I begin.

She frowns. “You don’t need to worry about us. We’ll figure it out.”

“I do worry because you and Luc are family,” I state and it’s true. We may have become close because our moms were best friends, but it was growing up close together and always being around each other that solidified our bond.

“That’s sweet, Izzy, we feel the same way.” She grins looking at her brother.

“Phoenix mentioned that we have no vacant cabins, but he has a loft above his garage that would be perfect for you and Braden. It has two bedrooms and a pull-out couch. It comes furnished.”

“I couldn’t afford that, and I doubt Phoenix would want me and a baby living over his garage. Braden cries at night. It’d be a hassle for him,” Elyna says.

“Stop being stubborn, Elyna,” Luc cuts in. “Let’s hear what the rent is first.”

“The place would be free. We offer housing to our seasonal employees, so you would be no different,” I explain.

“Only that isn’t a cabin. I’ve walked by Phoenix’s house. It’s huge and fancy. There is no way on earth he has agreed to this arrangement,” Elyna insists.

“You’re wrong. He has agreed it would be rent free and it’s available immediately,” I say to her.

“Elyna, say yes. This place is safe. It will be good for you and Braden,” Luc urges.

“No, Phoenix really dislikes me. I just can’t imagine he’d agree to this and, if he did, I would want to pay him rent. It may not be what the place is worth, but I don’t want any handouts.”

Luc groans beside me.

“I’m sure we can work something out. Please just say you’ll take it,” I urge.

“I’d need to speak with Phoenix and hear it from him,” she insists.

“Sure, we can arrange that. I’m pretty sure he’s at the restaurant now. Let’s take a walk,” I suggest.

“Okay,” she agrees, turning her stroller around. We head away from the orchards where Elyna must be coming from and take the path the other way toward the microbrewery.

Elyna mumbles to Luc that this is a bad idea. Luc tries to convince her it’s her best option and he’s right.

When we get to the microbrewery, Phoenix is at the bar looking at his phone and having a beer.

“Hi, Bean,” he says. “Luc. Elyna,” he says curtly. He shakes Luc’s hand and gives Elyna a head nod.

“Hi,” I say to my eldest brother. The man is handsome but he’s also a big introvert, so peopling isn’t on the top of his list. “I was just telling Elyna the loft is hers if she wants it. She wanted to hear it from your mouth though,” I explain.

Phoenix looks over at Elyna and scowls. I internally cringe.

“The place is yours for as long as you need,” Phoenix says. That a boy.

“You do realize I have a baby who can cry loudly?” Elyna says to him.

Luc hisses beside me. “Are you trying to convince him not to give you the place?” he asks Elyna.

“Won’t matter, place is hers if she wants it,” Phoenix says matter-of-factly. He reaches into the pocket of his jeans and passes her a key. “The place is furnished, but I don’t have a crib.”

Elyna extends her hand and he drops the key in her palm. Elyna’s mouth falls open and then her lower lip quivers. “Thanks, Phoenix. I appreciate this, but I’m paying you rent.”

“I don’t want your money,” he tells her.

“I won’t take it for free. Tell me what I can do,” she says to him.

Phoenix narrows his dark eyes on her. “Fine, if you really must do something, then you can fill in when one of the servers calls in sick.”

“As long as I have a babysitter for Braden, you got it,” she assures him.

“I’m happy to babysit him. He’s the sweetest baby I’ve ever seen,” I volunteer.

“He’s probably the only baby you’ve ever seen,” Luc jokes.

“He is not. Young families come here all the time,” I feign.

“But you don’t watch their babies,” Luc says.

“Can you believe these two?” Elyna suddenly says to Phoenix.

Finally, Phoenix cracks half a smile. “Glad to see you happy, Bean.”

And with that my brother gets back to work. We leave the restaurant and head out to the sunny day. “Okay you two, I’m watching Braden, you go move Elyna into the loft.”

“You Thornes don’t waste time.” Elyna laughs.

“We do not.” I nod.

Elyna passes me her diaper bag and shows me all the different compartments with diapers, bum cream, bottles, and formula. I assure her I can handle it, and she and Luc head back to their house to pack while I take little Braden to the main house.

When I arrive, Daddy is there. I leave the stroller out on the porch and carry Braden in on one hip and the diaper bag on my opposite shoulder.

“Now that’s a sight.” Daddy laughs. “With your brothers so attached to being single I gave up on the hope of becoming a grandfather.”

“Don’t get your hopes up. Luc is just as terrified of settling down as my brothers,” I warn Daddy.

“I think there’s hope with Luc. I can see how much he cares for you,” Daddy says.

Braden starts to complain in my arms and he’s getting a little heavy for me to hold. “I better get this little guy settled in the family room,” I mention to Daddy.

“Okay, Bean. I’m off to work,” he says, and he leaves through the front door.

Spending the afternoon with Braden leaves me to my thoughts.

I always wanted a big family, and that hasn’t changed.

I just wonder if Luc will ever be able to give me everything I want.

I never believed he would be in a committed relationship with me, and here we are.

I just hope with time he’ll see the forever I’ve always wanted for us.