Page 71 of Cocky Player

That’s what this was.You’re in a new season.

She hugged me then, wrapped me in her thin arms and the minty scent of her shampoo hit me.“I’ll go to law school.You’ll rock it at the job.We’re both falling in love for the first time, and we’ll make new friends.It’s a good thing, honey.But you know I’ll always be here for you.”

“You’re the best, you know that?”

“As long as you remember.None of these football wives have anything on me.”

“They don’t.You know too much.”I’d meant it as a joke but it came out dark, maybe morbid.

Gina pulled back and lifted a brow.“Because I know where the bodies are buried?”

“Yes, those too.”I wiped a stray tear off my cheek and shook my head.“Okay, I’m done being stupid.Have a good night.Tell Brandon I said hi.”

“I will.We should all go get dinner some night.Maybe on one of Connor’s days off when he gets back?”

“You got it.”

I turned and left our apartment, grabbing a cloth grocery bag with wine and snacks on the way.Shannon had told me not to bring anything but the Southern girl in me couldn’t show up to someone’s home empty-handed.

Shannon,Paige, and Elizabeth were some of the loudest and craziest but also sweetest women I’d had the pleasure of meeting in a long time.They reminded me of girl gangs you’d see in movies, without the villain who was passively aggressive bitchy to everyone.They were close, laughed easily, encouraged each other and included me in every conversation without hesitation.

I was so used to staying on the outside of most social circles I thought it’d be awkward when I arrived but Elizabeth scooped me into her house with a hug, easily taking the wine and food I brought and ushered me into the kitchen where Paige and Shannon were already standing around the counter, snacking on charcuterie and vegetables.

It wasn’t only the fact that I hadn’t had many friends over the years that made it awkward, but the fact I worked for the team.I didn’t want them treating me differently.I was an assistant in the marketing department only, but would they be open about their lives and all the inner gossip details they knew with all of their husbands being on the team?

It took me about three point five seconds to learn they had nothing to hide.

“So,” Paige said.“It’s lovely to meet you.Feel free to drink up and leave your car here tonight.Shannon’s our designated driver.”

“You’re not drinking?”How weird.She’d been the one to invite me.

“Apparently I got knocked up a couple months back,” she said it with a smirk but her hand fell to her stomach.

My eyes dropped as fast as my jaw.“What?That’s wonderful!”

“Oliver hasn’t wanted to tell anyone yet, but these girls and their guys know.Keep it quiet until he decides to spill to the coaches?”

There wasn’t a hint of concern I would spill or that she couldn’t trust me.“Yeah of course!”I rushed to her and hugged her.“So two months?Means you’re due…” I did a quick calculation.I’d become a pro at this with my siblings procreating like rabbits.“March?”

“Yes.Right after season ends which ends up working out perfectly even if it was a surprise.”

“You weren’t trying?”

Paige jumped in.“I told her Beaux and I were going to start trying and like everything else she does, she had to beat me.”

Shannon snorted and wrapped her arm around her sister-in-law.“Yeah, that was my plan.Fool.”

Paige scrunched her nose at Shannon and turned out of her hug.She took my hand and pulled me toward the wine already uncorked and breathing on the counter.“Come on, come on.We have drinks and food, a safe way home—”

“Or ten bedrooms y’all can crash in,” Elizabeth said, winking at me and reaching for a bottle of red blend.“Mi casa es su casa.”

Paige laughed.“That too.But most importantly, we have five different reality shows to get caught up on.”

“Five?”I choked on my first sip of wine.

Shannon laughed and grabbed a handful of carrots.“We save them all for these two weeks when the guys are gone.Gives us something ridiculously stupid to do.”She raised her glass of water in the air.“Cheers to our Second Annual Bitchy Binge Watch Fest.”

We all clinked glasses and it took approximately ten minutes for the giggles and stories to begin.They’d started with the earlier year’s season ofThe Bachelorette, cursing at the jerky guy and ranking their favorites.I didn’t bother telling them I watched it already and knew not only who the Bachelorette chose, but that they’d already broken up.But through it all, we only paid attention to half of the actual show, having too much fun talking and laughing and drinking.

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