Page 31 of Their Perfect Daddy

MONTY

Chadwick: MO! How’s it hanging? Up for a party this weekend?

I stare at the screen in my hand, hesitant on how to respond. Part of me wants to say yes. It’s the automatic side of me. The one who finds joy in doing what people expect of me.

But things are different now.

For one, I don’t feel the urge to party like I used to. Having my men around all the time has filled the void of space surrounding me. The idea of having a house full of guests I need to entertain doesn’t even appeal to me.

Another strong reason to resist is because I want to keep said men to myself. The guys would want me to get completely trashed. The idea of it makes me nauseous.

And to top it all off, I feel utterly ridiculous even considering partying when I’m still healing. Past me might have tried, but this current Monty doesn’t even want to attempt it. Why risk hurting myself all over again?

This isn’t even about football anymore. It’s about knowing when enough is enough.

Ever since I decided to stop partying and drinking so much, I’ve felt better. Sure, my leg fucking hurts and PT is a pain, but I’m not doing it while hungover either. I consider it a huge win.

Monty:

Not this time. Still need to rest.

Chadwick:

Bullshit. I saw the article. You’re fine.

I groan as I think about the article featured in the Bellport Gazette this week. Thankfully neither of my men were bothered at being caught so candidly by paparazzi. Danny laughed about it, noting how he wanted to print it out and frame it, while Skye only commented about how happy we all looked.

Part of me didn’t think they’d take it all so easily. Most people would be furious to have their privacy invaded in such a way. I mean, who expects cameras on you when going to the grocery store?

No one who isn’t famous.

Ignoring the frustration I feel about the gossip piece, I respond to Chadwick.

Monty:

I’ll be blunt then. After everything that’s happened, I’ve decided to not go back to my old ways.

Chadwick:

***

Chadwick:

What the hell do you mean?

Monty:

It means no more partying or drinking in excess. Sobriety and peace. Later, C.

I mute the text thread between us, then focus back on what I was working on before he called. The paperwork before me is extensive, yet it’s absolutely necessary for this part of the journey.

The idea of having a youth sports center with LGBTQIA+ athletes acting as mentors has been on my mind for a long damn time.

Growing up, I would have felt much more confident had I seen others on the field like me.

If I knew it wasn’t taboo to openly date other guys, I might not have kept to myself for so long.

Grizzly’s note on the front of the stack draws my attention again.

“Don’t overwhelm yourself. Call the guys today. Let them handle it. You can jump in when you recover.”

I scoff as I peel the sticky off the top of the pages. As I scan the documents, I note the various dates and events I’d emailed him about last week. All of it was scattered thoughts I’d had through the years of what I believed could be done once I got the center off the ground.

My friend has taken my ideas and molded them into something sensible. Rightness settles over me with each new detail I notice he’s included. Not a single thing is left off the list. It’s obvious he favors some of my ideas more than others.

Before I can lose the courage to do so, I pick up my phone and send a group message to Bellport and Merry. If I can get them on board, then the rest will follow. They always do.

Monty:

Can you two jump on a call with me later today? Or maybe tomorrow?

I don’t get the chance to lower my phone before it rings with an incoming video call.

Rolling my eyes, I answer to see the two men side by side on Merry’s god awful orange couch.

The man swears it’s extremely comfortable despite its odd color.

I’m usually not one to hate on people’s likes.

But it’s so… orange . How he manages to decorate around the giant thing is a wonder.

Shaking my head, I grin at the guys and lean back to ensure I’m not putting any unnecessary pressure on my leg. No need to aggravate the damn thing.

“Didn’t expect immediate service, Merry. I’ll have to rate you high on the app.”

Bellport snorts at the joke. “Good one.”

“Yeah, yeah. No need to be a tool, Monty,” Merry replies. “You wanted to talk?”

I swallow down my rising apprehension. No need to be nervous. These guys understand me. They know I have the best of intentions. Plus, they love kids.

“For the last few years, I’ve been wanting to start a program that'll require help from some of the team. There was always some reason or another for me to get behind on my progress, so it never really went anywhere.”

“And now you have time,” Bellport finishes.

It’s not said in any type of negative way. More like he’s stating the obvious facts.

“Exactly.”

“Ok, so what do you need from us?” Merry bounces in his spot waiting for my answer.

I smile at the familiar expression of curiosity. He’s done it a lot through the years. Most recently though, I watched Danny do it while waiting for Daddy to bring us snacks. The thought alone has the rest of my nerves vanishing.

“What I want is to offer a mentorship program for youth in our city. But the catch is I want it run by players who are LGBTQIA+. Not because the other guys aren’t qualified?—”

Bellport interrupts me with a chuckle. “We get it, Monty. You want to create a safe environment for kids to feel safe around other out and proud athletes, right?”

“Yeah,” I whisper.

“It sounds like a great cause. My mother has connections and buildings we can lease if we want. We’ve also got a ton of resources in the media and local governments. Anything you want for this, we can make happen.”

“Well… that’s… easy?”

Merry scoffs. “Did you think we wouldn’t want to do this? We’re always happy to volunteer, especially when it comes to the kids. Plus, Cherise will love us for it. Makes her job easy. The woman still isn’t sleeping great thanks to a night owl newborn.”

I smile as I think about our PR coordinator. She keeps us in line, all while balancing her own chaotic life. It’s probably good I’m no longer partying like before. She has enough to deal with. I would only add to her troubles.

“Let’s go over the details we need to know now. Once we square it away, we’ll get a better picture of the plan. From there we can decide the next step.”

“Deal,” I tell Bellport.

An hour and a million questions later, my cheeks hurt from smiling for so long. Bellport didn’t lie when he said he could make it all happen on a rapid timeline. Things moved at lightning speed to the point I had to get Grizzly in on the call to help me keep up.

All of it will be worth it when we see the smiling kids who finally feel like they have a place to fit in.

Merry even made the suggestion to include special needs children since they’re often overlooked as well.

Anytime they're included, it’s meant to be about the press behind it rather than simple for the kids to enjoy themselves.

Once we get it all settled, I’m worn out enough to need a nap.

Skye and Danny have been running errands for the day, which is the only reason I managed to get through the phone call without any distractions.

As if thinking of them is enough for the universe to make them appear, my men come into the room with their arms loaded down.

“What is all this?”

“We went shopping!” Danny cheers as he drops onto the couch beside me. The bags rumble as he lets them slide off his arms onto the floor.

Skye shakes his head from where he’s easing his own armloads down onto the chair. “I took our boy out to spend his gift cards.”

“The ones I gave him?”

“Yeeeeeppppp. It was so much fun. I missed you though.”

Danny nuzzles his face against me as he wraps his body around mine. I chuckle as I grab hold of him. He’s like a koala when he’s cuddly like this. I don’t dare say how much I enjoy it aloud. No need to encourage him. It’s better when he wants to give affection on his own.

I never want either of my guys to think they’re required to care about me. The minute I become a burden is the minute this no longer works.

A knock at the door has us all confused. “Did you invite someone over?” Skye asks as he takes off to answer it.

Danny stays wrapped around me, not a care in the world about it. He knows our Daddy will take care of everything.

The sound of Chadwick’s voice has my brows rising. What is he doing here??

“You’re the guy from the picture.” Hearing Mintz is here too lets me know something is up.

Sure enough, when Skye reappears, he’s being followed by several of my teammates. Chadwick, Mintz, Wilson, Fellowes, and Daughtler are far too comfortable in my space. Logically, I know it’s because they’ve been here several times. I’ve always said my home was open for them to visit and hang out.

But that’s changed.

Now I have two men in my life who I want to keep to myself. We deserve to have some peace and privacy instead of hosting guests — even men who I consider friends.

“Why are you here?” I ask when none of the guys say anything.

Chadwick steps forward first, his hand moving across the back of his neck. “We, um… we wanted to talk to you.”

“Talk to me about what?”

“About the thing you texted me. The sobriety stuff.” He looks to the guys who all give him a solid nod. “We’ve all spoken, and we’d like to join you. Maybe not going totally sober, but we want to slow down.”

“C’s right. We’re all tired of being hungover,” Daughtler adds in.

Fellowes grimaces. “Especially on game days. It’s fucking brutal.”

“Would anyone like some water or an electrolyte drink? I have a feeling this visit might go a bit long.” Skye moves around the group to smile at me. I can tell from his expression he’s not mad about the surprise visit. He looks almost proud of me.

I’m warm all over thinking of the praise he’ll extend my way later when it’s only us three again. He might even find another way to show his appreciation.

No, wait. Can’t think of that right now. It’s serious discussion time, not sexy times.

After getting what everyone wants to drink settled, Skye takes off to the kitchen. Danny is still draped over me, his breathing far too slow for him to be anything other than asleep. Poor thing wore himself out with all the shopping.

The guys notice he’s out too because they all smile and drop into seats close enough to carry a soft conversation.

Skye returns with the drinks, then he slips into the empty spot across from me.

I immediately recognize his desire to give me space.

He’s allowing me to handle my own situation, while staying close enough to step in should I need him.

“Let’s start from the beginning,” I suggest.

Wilson leans forward first. “Ok, so, I think this on me. A few months ago, I made some really fucked-up decisions while drunk. Not ‘get behind the wheel’ type of stuff. It was more ‘implode my life’ type of stuff.”

I nod, careful to keep my face neutral. From the way he’s talking, it’s something he’s worried I’ll judge him for. Sadly, the old me might have. They’ll have to learn this new version of me is much more understanding.

“Anyway, the point is I’m currently balancing a lot of things at once.

The drinking doesn’t help, nor does it take the edge off how it used to.

I need to get my shit together before I completely self-destruct.

” Wilson sits back when he’s done. His eyes move to Mintz, who then goes into his own explanation of why he wants help.

By the time they all finish, it’s obvious there’s been more going on than any of us realized. We’d all been bandaging our feelings by acting idiotic and drinking ourselves into early graves.

“I think the best thing we can do from here on out is to support one another. There isn’t anything to be done about the past. The future is a clean slate.

If we work together to be accountable, I think we can all come out of this better than ever.

We’re used to being a team. This should be treated about the same. ”

At my words, I see some of the fight return to their gazes. They look better than the beaten-down and worn-out guys who came to ask for help. Now I see the guys I first met when I joined the Bulldogs.

“I knew you’d be able to help us,” Chadwick tells me with a big smile.

Mintz snorts. “He basically said you’re Bellport 2.0.”

“What the hell?”

“It means you’re good captain material,” Skye tells me calmly. “These men came to you rather than their captain or coach for help. You’re the example they need to do better. I’m proud of you, Brat.”

The affection behind his words has my body heating in a rather inconvenient way right now. Thankfully, Fellowes releases a loud burp to disrupt the lust I’d been feeling. We all laugh and then shift the conversation to other fun activities we can do outside of drinking or throwing raucous parties.

Skye decides he’s going to order food for everyone. When I give him a questioning look, he comes over to whisper in my ear. “They need you more than we do right now. I’ll spoil you all you want later, Brat. Besides, it will do you good to learn some patience.”

My jaw drops at his seductive tone. I shiver when his lips graze my ear as he pulls back. The move wakes Danny, who turns to see all the football players surrounding us with a frown.

“I don’t have these kinds of dreams anymore. What’s going on?”

A loud round of laughter breaks out as I try to explain to him what he missed during his impromptu nap. By the time I finish, he agrees to help everyone. The first order of business: board games.

Apparently, our naturally competitive natures and desire to create our own rules lends great to transitioning into tabletop games. I’m not so sure it’s a good idea, but I know no matter what, it’s worth a shot.

If I’d never gone after Danny, then I wouldn’t have both of my men. Sometimes the risk is well worth it.