“Oh! Shit. Yeah. Hi.” He wiped his palm on his pant leg before shaking Cat’s hand. “I’m beautiful.” He coughed. “I mean. Fuck. Shit. Sorry.”
The apology was thrown Clare’s direction. Pippa folded her arms and watched the exchange with a huge smirk and a twinkle in her eye.
“I mean…” A nervous laugh, a glance around the semi-circle at each of the grownups, and another swallow before he tried again. “You’re beautiful. I’m Theo.” His shoulders heaved like the relief of being able to introduce himself was palpable. “Thanks for coming.”
Cat’s face twisted with something Clare couldn’t place. Was she amused? Disgusted? Did she need to fart? But then Cat nodded, looped her arm through the elbow Theo offered, and they walked toward the door to the ballroom.
“Wow.” Pippa exhaled. “That was quite the train wreck.”
“Right? When I first saw him I thought he’d be trouble, but now…I’m not so sure.” Clare slipped her thumb nail between her teeth.
Pippa bumped hips with Clare. “Oh, he’s totally gonna be trouble alright.” She winked. “Go ahead inside. I have some more guests arriving.”
On their walk through the double doors that led to the ballroom, Elliott’s palm made its way to the small of her back, sending a tiny shiver snaking up her spine.
“How do you know Pippa?” he asked.
“Honestly?”
His brows pinched. “Of course.”
She stopped and turned to face him. “I came to Pippa’s Place when I got pregnant with Cat. I was scared, alone, I didn’t know how to tell my parents I got knocked up.” She shrugged, fighting the draw of the old memories tugging her back to darker times. “I considered termination. Coming here, talking to Pippa… She saved me.”
Blinking back the welling tears she tugged his arm so they’d move again. She couldn’t bear looking at the sadness in those hazel depths for another nanosecond.
“Coach, you made it.”
Elliott’s eye roll rivaled her own daughter’s before he schooled his face and turned to the two men who stood close by, but Clare was grateful for the interruption, needing a moment to compose herself.
“Lincoln. Russell.” He nodded at each of them but they didn’t leave.
The blond one wiggled his eyebrows, and the darker haired one tilted his head at Clare and widened his eyes.
Clare giggled as Elliott’s scowl deepened.
“Can I help you boys?”
Elliott had resorted to grinding his words out between gritted teeth, and Clare rolled her lips to stop the brewing laughter from escaping.
“We uh…” The blond’s brows rose with expectation before Elliott sighed.
“If I introduce you, will you leave us alone?”
Two heads bobbed with solemn nods. “For now at least.”
The corner of Elliott’s mouth twitched. “Clare, this is Lincoln Scott and Russell Stewart. Linc, Russ, this is my better half, Clare.”
A ripple of warmth passed through her. Better half. She wouldn’t go that far, but it was nice that he basically claimed her as his girlfriend to two of his players. She stepped forward to shake their hands.
“It’s nice to meet you. Elliott has told me so much about you both.”
Lincoln paused before accepting her hand. “Only believe half of it.”
“He speaks very highly of all of his players.”
The two men’s eyes widened. “I bet that’s not true, but thanks for saying it.” Russell shook her hand.
“Where did you meet?” Lincoln clearly wasn’t going to let it drop without details.
