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“Grace, get that shit off of you,” he repeats.
“Absolutely not!” I snap back.
There’s a split second of silence then an eruption of laughter from everyone in the room except Nick and me. A large black man steps from behind Nick and comes into the room with an enormous smile spread across his face.
“I personally think that shit looks great on you,” he tells me then hustles to the side as Nick’s arm comes out to punch him.
He’s very familiar, but there’s no time to think of his name before Nick stalks to me and raises my arms. In one swoop, he’s torn the jersey over my head and tossed it. Logan gets a fast catch before it hits the floor.
“Nicolas!” Maria scolds him unconvincingly.
“I don’t see anything funny,” he tells no one in particular.
I’m frozen in place, trying to figure out what the hell is happening.
“You may not find it funny, but it’s fucking hilarious.” Shaw slaps Nick on the shoulder.
“Bizzy.” Nick tips his head to her, and she hands him another bag similar to the one Claire handed me earlier.
He rips it open, takes out another shirt, and tugs it over my head, not bothering to put my arms through. Then he inspects me with a look of satisfaction. “Much better.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I hiss.
“You are not wearing Jarvis’s jersey, babe.”
“Jarvis? As in Eddie Jarvis?”
“That’s me.” The guy who walked in with Nick raises his hand in the air.
Another round of laughter rolls through the room, and it hits me. I look at the jersey Logan has confiscated and is now wearing proudly.
“Oh my God! You are an idiot!” I try to swat at his chest, but my arms are still inside the jersey, and I realize I resemble Cousin It.
I arrange myself properly and notice the number six now on my chest. Nick sweeps my hair over my shoulder and bends, lowering his mouth to my ear. “I may be an idiot, but you will never wear another man’s name on your back.” He wraps his arm around my waist and lifts me up to him, kissing me gently.
“One damn week!” Claire announces to the room, and I start laughing against Nick’s lips. He chuckles, too, glancing over my shoulder at her, then cuts his eyes to Shaw and Mathis.
“You guys are assholes.”
“I’d be careful who you’re calling an asshole considering I got your ass up here before the game,” Shaw tells him.
“What are you doing here?” It occurs to me he should be on the field warming up.
“I had to see you,” he answers with no reservation, clearly not caring who hears.
“More like he was making me crazy in the locker room, wondering if you’d arrived yet.” Eddie comes to stand beside us. “By the way, let me officially introduce myself. I’m Eddie.” He takes one of my hands, bringing it to his mouth. Before his lips make contact, it’s jerked away and Nick growls.
“Hands and lips to yourself.”
This gets another round of laughs.
Eddie flashes a blinding smile and winks at me. “Six, we better go before Coach has a coronary.”
“Yes, you had a ten-minute clearance. Any more than that and I’ll have to answer to your whole coaching staff. They think you’re doing a surprise drop-in for Mom’s birthday.” Shaw taps his watch. “You need to get down there.”
“Crenshaw Bennett! You did not lie on my behalf.” Maria props her hand on her hip.
“Mom, it wasn’t really a lie. Your birthday is next week,” Nick points out. “Besides, desperate times call for desperate measures.” He slices his eyes back to me.
