Page 95 of Wicked Player

“I mean, who does that?” she shouted and slapped her hands to her hips.

“Crazy people.”

“Yes.” She shoved a finger in my direction and nodded. “Yes. Crazy people. That’s who.” She turned and before she could take another step toward her goal of wearing out my wood floor, I grabbed her hips and yanked her into my lap.

“Gage!”

“Quiet,” I muttered against her throat. She smelled like sweet flowers and had the attitude of a sassy little vixen. This woman was made for me. “I’m going to call Jaxon and fill him in. If we let him know where to start looking for the email origin, he can dig into servers and delete everything. At least then we’ll know if there was more coming. And I have a feeling if Mel comes face to face with anyone Jaxon works with, she’ll back down.”

“Ugh. I want to kick her in the face with my heels.”

And I’d like to see that. I had no idea who this Mel chick was, but I’d put my money down on Elizabeth winning any day of the week.

“Hold all that anger in, little one.” At that, she shivered, my intent clear. “Because after I get off the phone with Jaxon, I’m taking you to my room and you can get all that anger out on me.”

Her fingernails dug into my arm, but her legs stopped flailing. “Oh. That sounds like a better use of energy.”

“Fuck yeah it is.”

* * *

I wason the couch at my parents’ house. After I spent Friday night at Gage’s, I spent the rest of the weekend stress-cleaning my apartment. His parents were coming and they had plans to go see Penny. I was invited to join them but begged off. Gage’s mom and Penny deserved some time together and with my emotions going through the spin cycle over the week, I wasn’t certain I could be a helpful addition. I hadn’t seen Gage since he dropped me off at my car early Saturday morning and since he’d been busy all day, I’d only briefly texted him last night after he sent me one.

You sure your parents are okay with us coming by?

I think mine would be offended if you didn’t.

Good. We’ll be there around 5. You going to watch?

He meant the press conference. I hadn’t been certain until he asked, but it was so important to him.

I wouldn’t miss it.

Good. Sleep tonight and I’ll see you tomorrow.

I’d hesitated. Typed out a text and deleted it. Repeated the same thing. It was too soon. And it shouldn’t be said over text that I loved him.

You too.

I settled on that and hit send and it was the last time we spoke.

Sunday morning I’d gotten up and headed to my parents. Haley and Blake arrived late, Haley looking greener but after resting on the couch with ginger ale and crackers nearby, her color and energy level improved some.

Tanner and Heather showed up right before lunch, typical for Tanner, and Jaxon showed up shortly after. I’d looked at him expecting answers and he came to me. Kissed my cheek and whispered, “Later. It’s all good.”

And that was that. I trusted Jaxon. I loved Gage. They’d do whatever they could to salvage my job and make sure there weren’t more pictures out in cyberland.

So really, there was nothing to do except grab a snack plate my mom had out on the kitchen table, a glass of wine, and sit down to watch the press conference.

As soon as Gage stepped up to the podium, my body tensed. Damn. He was so sexy. Dressed in a suit and tie, sporting a Rough Riders hat that didn’t match the outfit, but fit him perfectly, he grinned into the cameras and leaned toward the microphones. “Good morning, and thank you for being here today to help me celebrate something close to my own family’s heart. My own brother, Harrison, would have loved all of this…”

Gage didn’t falter as he spoke. He made the small crowd chuckle at times, tear up at others, me especially when he mentioned Brandon and Penny, and so many other families I’d personally met. There were clips of the families entering the center for the first time, a red ribbon Gage cut with gigantic scissors looking more like hedge clippers. There were shots of him bending low, shaking hands with a boy in a wheelchair. Hugging a little girl with a casted leg as she leaned on her crutches.

Overall, as the opening and press conference continued, my heart grew twelve sizes and cemented the fact that I was totally head over heels in love with this man. It went splendidly until a question made all the women in my mom’s living room gasp and my brothers stood at attention.

“You were in the news earlier this week, Gage. Care to comment?”

“Only to say who I love and how we show that love to each other is no one’s business. Next question?”

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