Page 90 of Cocky Player

“Understood.”I slapped his shoulder and moved past him.I wanted a drink before I saw her too and given David’s love of scotch and beer there had to be a supply around somewhere.

“Connor, you made it.”Kassy found me and headed straight to me, a worried smile on her face and lining her eyes.“I’m glad you’re here.How are you?”

I leaned down and kissed her cheek, gave her a hug.“Thanks for having me and I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Good, good.”She patted my cheek and smiled.“Beer is out back where the guys and games are.Kids are well, everywhere.”She flipped a towel in the air as two small boys raced between us, shooting Nerf Guns and screaming, “You’re dead now, sucka!”

“That’s Kollin and Beckett,” she said and came back to me.“She’ll be happy to see you, I promise, even if she doesn’t first realize it.”

I held up a bag I’d forgotten I brought.I wasn’t exactly sure what a girl turning twelve was into but thankfully I’d gone to Paige and Shannon.Now I had a gift bag filled with books and nail polish and a half-dozen hair accessories.

“Where would you like me to put this?”

Kassy smiled again.And damn it felt good to have at least Brenna’s family on my side, Aiden’s threats aside.“There’s a table out back.You know the way?”

“Of course.”She took off when she heard more screams from kids and I made my way to the back porch.Outside, dozens of kids, mostly girls who were probably Sophie’s friends, jumped and swam in the pool.I wasn’t sure which one of the thirty-some girls were Sophie but the gift table was easy to find.Presents piled a mile high and an ungodly amount of pink and purple everywhere made it easy.

“Connor!”I lifted my hand at David’s shout.“What would you like to drink?”

Something stronger than beer would be incredible, but I held back.“Whatever is cold, David, thanks.”I dropped off the present and met him with a handshake and backslap before he gave me my drink.Around him were his other son Tanner and son-in-law, Sam, who bounced a baby on his lap.I’d met everyone several times over the years but this was the first time conversation didn’t come easy.They all stared at me like I was their Hail Mary play.The seriousness of why I was here landed in my gut like a brick.

I wasn’t invited because they liked me with Brenna and wanted us together.They expected me to be the one to heal their hurting family member.

It was a role I’d take seriously, but what in the hell would happen if I failed?

Thirty

Brenna

I felthim before I saw him.No wonder why Eva acted so strange upstairs earlier.She’d brought me a glass of wine while I finished curling my hair and refused to leave.It was her words that startled me the most.

“Here.”She’d thrust the glass onto the counter in front of me.“You might need this.”

I looked at her like she’d grown three heads but listened.

Now that I was stepping onto the patio, that same sensation I got every time he was near came back in full force at the back of my neck.

“Go on,” Eva whispered behind me.Her hand was at my back and she shoved me over the threshold and I almost fell back into her when I finally saw him.

Connor.

Talking to my dad and Tanner and Sam.Aiden was by the pool but his head swung in my direction then to Connor’s when he saw me.

He was here.

Why was he here?And who let him in?

The last two weeks had been painful.Once I got over my embarrassment of what happened, I regretted the way I treated Connor.I regretted the things I said to him most of all, mostly because I hadn’t actually meant them.

I loved him.

But how could I love someone the way they deserved when I wasn’t healthy myself?I spent hours in therapy over the last few weeks and ironically, our main conversations weren’t about what happened, what triggered me or what made this episode so bad, they were about Connor.

How I felt with him.How he scared me...how himlovingme scared me.

I turned off my phone after the first few days and hadn’t turned it back on.Gina called my parents’ house phone when she needed me, but I couldn’t read Connor’s texts.I didn’t know if he was still trying, but a week ago he’d stopped trying to see me.

Had he already decided I wasn’t worth the effort?I couldn’t blame him.He’d given me enough chances.I’d walked away from him enough.

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