Page 24 of Make the Play

“Is that whatyou’redoing?” Corie raises a questioning eyebrow.

“We’re not talking about me,” Landry fires back.

“Maybe we should be,” Corie tells him. She angles her body so that she can see him better. “I know it’s hard for you to meet someone who is genuine, being in the spotlight and having all those zeros in your bank account, but I would like to be an aunt one day.”

Landry leans over and pulls her into a hug. “I love you, little sister. One day, I’ll find her. When I do, I promise to give you lots of nieces and nephews.”

“Knox, you heard him, right? Wait, maybe I should get my phone and record you—no take backs,” Corie teases.

I nod as I process everything she just said. He didn’t break her heart, just her trust in men. I could fix that. I could show her we’re not all cheating assholes. If she were ever mine, I’d make damn sure her trust in me was there, and no way in hell would I ever cheat on her.

“I didn’t say next week.” Landry starts to backpedal. “But if there is ever a woman who knocks me on my ass, I’ll wife her up and give you all the nieces and nephews.”

“What exactly does a woman knocking you on your ass consist of?” Corie asks.

Landry shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it.”

“I call bullshit,” Corie taunts. “Tell me.”

“I guess I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about her. Usually, with women, we spend some time together, nothing serious, and she’s on her way. I don’t miss her, I don’t think about her, and that’s that. So, I’m guessing that the first woman who makes me miss her, and if I can’t stop thinking about her, I’ll know she’s different.”

Corie’s nodding as I mull over his explanation. My eyes scan to Corie, and I go through the list. I think about her all the time. Do I miss her when she’s not around? I guess the answer to that would be yes, since I’ve been thinking about her more than I should.

No.

Nope.

That’s not happening.

She’s off-limits, and I need to stop letting my mind wander to a time when that’s not the case. You don’t hit on your best friend’s little sister. That’s like best friend rule number one. I know this. Everyone fucking knows this. It’s time to get my shit together and stop making excuses to spend time here.

I went through all of training camp and didn’t see her, so when Landry said to come over to chill tonight, I all but jumped at the chance to be in her orbit. That stops now.

No more.

“Thanks for dinner,” I say, standing and pushing back from the table. “I’m beat, so I’m going to head home.” I pick up my plate and carry it to the kitchen.

“I can get that. Go on home and get some rest,” Corie says, grabbing her and Landry’s empty plates.

“You cooked, so I’ll help clean up. My mom would ream my ass if she heard I didn’t help clean up.” I quickly rinse off my plate and place it in the dishwasher, then take the rest of them from her and do the same.

“She sounds nice,” Corie says, working to put away the leftovers.

There’s a sadness in her voice, and now, I’m mentally kicking my own ass for upsetting her. I know she misses her mother. They both do. “She’d be proud of you.”

She stops to turn to face me. “Who?”

“Your mom. She’d be proud of both of you.” I thought saying that was the right thing, but more tears well in her eyes, just like earlier, and the panic is back. The need to stop them sits heavy on my chest. “I’m sorry. Please don’t cry.” I don’t know what to do this time. I want to pull her into my arms and hold her, letting her know I’m here, but that’s wrong.

I’m not allowed to touch her.

Landry walks into the room and sees her. He glares at me before rushing to her side. “What’s wrong? Why are you upset?” He pulls her into his arms, and she snuggles into his embrace. I shove my hands into my pockets because he’s doing what I want to do, what I can’t do. “What did you say to her?”

I open my mouth to tell him, but Corie beats me to it. “He didn’t say anything wrong. He mentioned his mom and then told me ours would be proud of us. Both of us,” Corie points out.

Landry’s shoulders relax. “He’s not wrong. You know she’s up there cheering us on. Dad, too,” he adds.

“Probably.” Corie sniffs.

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