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A muscle in his jaw tics and the hand still over mine twitches. Then he gives me a curt nod and steps back. “Okay, if that’s what you want.”

“It is.” I almost manage to convince myself.

Brady’s lips press into a thin line. “All right then. You guys have a good day. I’ll be home after dinner again, but I’ll be able to tuck Theo into bed.”

I cut the next strawberry. “Sounds good.”

He leaves without another word. Once I hear the echo of the front door closing, I finally release a long breath.

I hate liars. Hate lying to myself. But it’s for the best—for the both of us.

The next morning, Theo and I arrive at training camp a few minutes before eleven. Most of the security staff know who he is as we make our way through the training facility and out onto the practice field. Theo’s holding my hand and skipping along, and I have to hold him back from full on sprinting onto the field when he spots his dad.

“You really like being here, don’t you?” I ask, smiling at the way his big eyes are so full of wonder as he watches the men on the field.

He nods a bunch of times. “I’m gonna be a football player like my dad when I grow up.”

“Is that right?” I smile.

“Yup, and my dad and I will play on the same team, and we’ll win the Super Bowl every year.” He nods, not a doubt in his little head.

I don’t bother ruining his dream by telling him there’s no way he and his dad will ever play on the same team. It’s adorable how much he idolizes Brady. And the funny thing is, I don’t think it has much to do with what a good football player Brady is, but more to do with how attentive and loving he is.

We watch from the sidelines for a few minutes, and my eyes only focus on Brady. I’ve never seen him in his football gear, and let me tell you, the tight pants are working for him. I want to take a bite out of that ass. The way he moves around the field so fluidly, weaving in and out of the empty spaces between the shirted players is impressive, even though I know very little about football.

One of the coaches blows a whistle and tells the guys to take a break. Obviously, Theo knows this moment because the little guy runs onto the field toward his dad, who scoops him up as soon as he sees him.

“You must be Violet.” I turn to my right to see a pretty blonde with big blueish-green doe eyes standing beside me. She’s wearing leggings and a Kingsmen shirt that looks more like an official uniform than fan gear.

Smiling beside her is a woman with olive skin and dark hair and dark eyes. I’ve never met either of them, and I’m not sure how they know my name.

“I am…”

The blonde sticks out her hand and I take it. “I’m Shayna, Lee Burrow’s fiancée.” She nods toward the field. “The man in the red mesh shirt. I’m also one of the athletic trainers for the team.”

“It still feels so weird to hear you call him your fiancé,” the brunette says.

“It just happened a few days ago,” Shayna says to me with a wide smile.

“Oh wow. Congratulations.” I smile at them both.

“I’m Bryce.” The brunette gives me a small wave since she’s not close enough to shake my hand. “I work for theChronicleand cover the Kingsmen, so I’m just here for work.”

“It’s nice to meet you both.”

“I saw you with Theo, and I wanted to come over and introduce myself. Lee mentioned that he’s met you a few times, and Brady only ever has good things to say about you.” Shayna has a sweet demeanor. Her smile appears genuine, but I can’t help but wonder if she knows what went down between Brady and me—past and present.

But I decide to take her at face value. “Well, that’s good to know. I’m really enjoying working with Theo. He’s a great kid.”

“He has a lot of energy, that’s for sure,” Bryce says, looking out onto the field where Brady’s put his football helmet on Theo’s head. It’s entirely too big and keeps flopping from side to side as he runs around his dad and the group of players talking to each other.

“That’s for sure. I’m beat at the end of the day from trying to keep up with him.”

The three of us watch in silence, then Shayna turns my way again. “Listen, Bryce and I have plans to go out on Saturday for some drinks. Nothing crazy, but we wanted to see if you wanted to join us?”

“Oh.” I’m surprised by the invite and my face must show it because Bryce laughs.

“There’s a lot of testosterone around here and over at Brady’s, I imagine. Figured you might enjoy a ladies’ night out.” Bryce shrugs.

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