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As I burrow even closer to his strong body, I have no intention of arguing with anything he just said.
Chapter27
Conner
The backyard is full of people but my eyes only follow her.
Haven sits on a picnic blanket in the grass. Dani and Tess occupy the blanket with her. All three of them break into laughter as baby Dash makes another jailbreak attempt to crawl to freedom, only to be thwarted by his mother.
Dash scrunches up his little elfin face but Tess distracts him with a toy turtle that makes music. Interested, he sits up and bangs his fist on the colorful buttons speckling the turtle’s back. He’s already taken his first steps. Any day now he’ll be racing around like a champ.
Which reminds me that I need to put a fence around the pool. I’ll look into that this week. After all, I’ll have plenty of time on my hands now that I’m technically unemployed.
Haven swings her hair over her shoulder and leans on her palm. Dani says something that makes her throw her head back and laugh. It’s cool to see those two on such friendly terms.
My girl finally looks up and finds me sitting here in the shade. She blows me a kiss. How cute. If only she knew that in my mind she’s totally naked and unable to speak because I’m in the middle of fucking the thoughts out of her head.
I can’t wait to make that vision a reality.
A hospital room isn’t exactly the height of privacy. We still got some action because there will never be a day when we can lie in the same bed and keep our hands off each other, but we had to play it safe to avoid traumatizing the staff.
Tonight, however, all bets are off. We’re home and I’m making her mine in every filthy sense of the word.
“Quit perving on my sister.” Lita slaps my knee and flops into a cushioned patio chair.
“No way,” I scoff. “Get used to it.”
She stretches her long legs and props her feet up on a table. “Your dad flew back this morning?”
“He did. It was time.” My father decided to remain in town until I was released from the hospital. He even stayed here at the house.
Lita plucks a sprig of mint from her lemonade glass. “He’s a nice guy, your dad. Very different from my father, that’s for sure. But all the news crews and weird ass photographers that have been stalking the neighborhood were freaking him out.”
“My dad hates cities. Hates crowds even more. That’s why he moved back to his tiny hometown in Kansas. The publicity surrounding my mother’s death was way too much for him to deal with, plus having a pro athlete for a son means everyone knows his name.”
“But he’s proud of you. Talks about you constantly.”
Of that I have no doubt. I wouldn’t say my dad and I are close, yet I understand that wherever he is, he’s on my side. It’s good to know.
“How do you like your room?” I ask. “You all unpacked?”
She sips her lemonade. “Love it. Went on a shopping spree with Dani and Tess. We broke the bank redecorating.” Lita sets her glass down and fidgets. “Conner, it’s really decent of you to let me move in. I’m sure you weren’t looking for a package deal that includes a helpless sister sidekick.”
“Don’t say that. I’m glad you’re here. We’re family now. Your sister is my wife.”
When she rolls her eyes she looks exactly like her twin. “That’s just a convenient lie you told the hospital so you could grope her in your room.”
“Not a lie. It’s reached internet news status. That makes it true.”
She laughs. “How are you feeling?”
“Damn near a hundred percent. Just some dizzy spells now and then.”
“Yeah, I still get those even now. It’s why my doctors won’t yet clear me to drive again.” She exhales. The whir of the ceiling fan lifts a few strands of her light hair as she watches me with curious eyes. “No more football, huh?”
“Not for me.” After a shitload of tests and second opinions and third opinions, every doctor was in agreement. The next hit might a killer. I can’t let that happen. I’ve got too much to live for. The news has shaken the foundations of the sports world.
The worst part of giving up football is the knowledge that I’ve let the team down. The Cyclones built their plan around me. This was supposed to be our season.
