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She’s referring to my dad and Uncle Tyler, who were all her clients at one time. The three of them shrug off her comment and laugh.
“Tyler was the most arrogant player I’d ever met,” Aunt Kennedy chimes. “He was infuriating. Trying to get an interview with him was like pulling teeth.”
“Hey, babe, you got more than an interview.” Tyler winks at her.
Ava, Tucker, and Trent make gagging sounds.
“Daddy, that’s gross.” Ava tucks her long blonde hair behind her ears. “People are trying to eat.”
Ava is a professional model who travels around the world. She’s drop-dead gorgeous and was my first crush as a kid. She’s not much older than me. I could never admit to Tucker or Trent how much I would fantasize about their sister when we were kids. Like way too much.
All of the Kanes have the same blonde hair, blue eyes, and light features. Their mom has dark hair, so they’re all the spitting image of their dad.
Ava looks down the table at Preston and Bex. “So, how did you two meet?”
Bex’s cheeks flush to a shade of burgundy. “I ran into him in the locker room.”
Ava raises her eyebrow, confused. “Like the men’s locker room?”
Bex nods.
“Oh, now this I have to hear. Sounds juicy.”
“More like horrifying,” Bex says. “My dad told me to meet him after practice. I didn’t realize the guys were still in the locker room, and well, let’s just say, that was kinda awkward.”
Coach Bryant shakes his head. “Needless to say, Bex found the side entrance to my office after that day.” He looks right at Bex. “No more entering through the locker room.”
“No, definitely not,” Bex says. “That’s one place I never want to walk through again.”
Everyone at the table laughs.
Midway through dinner, JP strolls into the dining room, his black pea coat covered with snow.
“Sorry, I’m late.” JP bends down to kiss his mom on the cheek, followed by the rest of the women. “I got stuck in traffic on my way back from New York.”
After he hangs up his coat, JP sits down and stares at Bex. “And who are you? I don’t think we’ve met.”
“Bex Bryant.”
His eyes travel from Bex to Preston. “I can’t believe Preston has a girlfriend. Would you look at that?”
Bex remains expressionless as she stares at JP. Coach Bryant notices her strange reaction, and his eyes narrow as if he’s just now figured out why Preston invited them to dinner.
“Bex and Preston are friends,” Coach Bryant says.
“I know my brother, and these two are definitely more than friends,” JP says, fixing himself a plate. “How come you didn’t tell me, little bro? I haven’t heard from you in over a month.”
Bex is fidgeting in her chair. Preston hasn’t spoken a word or touched his food. Coach Bryant is quick to pick up on their behavior.
“Is there something going on between you two?”
“Coach,” Preston says, and I keep my fingers crossed under the table that he doesn’t lose playing time. “I was gonna talk to you about this.”
“My bad,” JP says. “I didn’t know you guys were…”
It’s so awkward now, the tension building with each second we sit in silence. Thank God, Aunt Charlotte has enough sense to keep the conversation going.
“How was the weather in New York?” She asks JP to change the subject.
“Worse than it is here. They had at least two more inches of snow.”
As everyone else tries to forget about Preston’s confession, Coach Bryant stares in his direction between bites of his food. At one point, he even shakes his head at Bex and Preston. This would have been the perfect time for Taylor to be here. She would have changed the mood in the room with one of her goofy jokes. No matter the situation, she always knows the right things to say.
Before dinner ends, my phone buzzes in my pocket. Finally, it’s from Taylor, but not with the message I was hoping to receive.
Chapter Thirteen
Taylor
I miss Strickland University. For the first time in years, I’m ready to go back to the place I now identify as home. We moved so often when I was a kid that I never knew where I fit in. It was hard to make long-term friends. I never had an inner circle. But now that I’m part of Drake’s world, I want to go back to where I belong.
Sitting in the kitchen with my mom, I stare out the window, the sun shining through the curtains. It’s sunny in California, at least thirty degrees warmer than it is back in Philly. I hate cold weather. Even after living in Germany for years, I still can’t stand the harshness of winter. Though, I know if I were there right now, Drake would keep me warm.
For Thanksgiving, our family always rents a house for the week in Northern California so my dad and brother can hunt our turkey. Since high school, this has been our tradition. Shaun helps my dad with the meat, and I get the honor of making the side dishes with my mom.
