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“The biggest,” Bex replies, smiling.
“Bex has posters of him on her bedroom walls,” Coach Bryant says.
Bex turns beat red, shooting her dad a warning look down the table. “Dad, c’mon. Don’t embarrass me. Please.”
The table erupts into laughter.
“If you come, you’ll get to meet him.” Mom finishes chewing her food. “Dante, I mean. He’s helping out with the kids this year.”
Bex squeals, covering her mouth with her hand. “Shut. Up.” She fans herself with her hand. “Sorry, that’s not what I meant. I didn’t mean for you to shut up. I’m just… wow! Like I have no idea what to say. Dante is so—”
Mom waves her hand. “I know what you mean. No need to worry. Even after ten years of retirement, he’s still the same player I signed out of high school. He’s arrogant, and a little much to take in all at once.” She points at my dad. “This one was the same way. Actually, all three of them were.”
She’s referring to Tyler Kane and Carter Donovan, who are sitting at the table laughing.
“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 interview.” Tyler winks at her.
Ava, Tucker, and Trent make gagging sounds. The second oldest of the Kane’s, Tyler Jr., who everyone calls Tye, is missing this year.
“Daddy, that’s gross.” Ava, the oldest, flicks her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “People are trying to eat.”
“Hey, princess,” Tyler says, “I didn’t say anything wrong.”
Ava sips from her wine glass. “It was implied.”
She’s gorgeous, a fashion model who travels around the world for work. All of the Kane’s have the same blonde hair, blue eyes, and light features. Their mom has dark hair, all of them the spitting image of their dad. If Ava wasn’t like a sister to me, I would have been all over her years ago.
“So, how did you two meet?” Ava looks down the table at Bex and me.
“I ran into him in the locker room,” Bex admits, her cheeks flush.
Ava gives her a funny look. “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.
In the middle of dinner, JP shows up. He strolls into the dining room, his black coat dusted with snow.
“Sorry, I’m late.” JP bends down to kiss my mom first, followed by my aunts. “I got stuck in traffic on my way back from New York.”
“Take off your jacket, baby,” Mom says to him. “You’re getting snow all over the table.”
She still talks to us like we’re little kids even though we’re grown-ass men.
JP removes his coat, leaving it on a chair in the corner of the room. Dad stands up to hug him, and then pulls out the chair next to him. With JP across from us, he stares at Bex, wondering why she doesn’t look familiar. I haven’t talked to him in so long he doesn’t even know I have a girlfriend now. He also has no idea it’s a secret.
Fuck.
