Page 88 of Make the Play

“Yeah. Friday, home on Sunday. The wedding is on Saturday.”

He’s still looking at me. I swallow hard past the lump in my throat.

“Great.” Sloane grabs her phone from the table and starts typing. Her phone beeps, and she laughs. “Looks like we’re both in luck. I found a sub. We’re all set.”

“That fast?” I ask, my voice thick.

“Yep.” Sloane grins. “She’s a sub always looking for more hours, and I have lots of vacation time. It’s a go.” She grins, not picking up on my inner turmoil.

“There you go.” Baker grins. “Problem solved. Now, let’s get back to the game.”

“I’m going to go clean up a little,” I mutter as I stand and head toward the kitchen.

“I’ll help,” Sloane says.

Once in the kitchen, she pulls me outside on the back patio. It’s cold out here. It’s the first week of October in Tennessee, and neither one of us has a coat on.

Once outside, she immediately says, “Make sure you have everything handled at the office so you can take off Friday.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m going to be sick,” she says, coughing into her hand. “That means the guys are going to look at you to bail him out at the last minute.” She’s grinning as if it’s the best plan she’s ever heard of.

My mouth falls open in shock. I smile and wrap my arms around her in a hug. “That… might actually work,” I say as I let her words sink in.

“Trust me, it will work. Just go along with it and tell your man so he can stop looking like someone kicked his puppy.” She laughs and goes back inside.

I stand still, letting the plan take root in my mind as I hear the door open again. “It could work,” I tell Sloane.

“What could work?” a male voice asks.

I whip my head around to see Knox standing there.

“Corie, I didn’t know what to say. I’m sorry. I’ll cancel on her.”

“It’s okay. Sloane has a plan.” I quickly relay what she told me, and the tension falls from his shoulders.

“Really? You’re coming with me?” There’s so much hope in his voice, it almost brings tears to my eyes.

“Yeah, if that’s okay. If this all goes as planned. In the worst-case scenario, you tell your family she got sick and go alone. That won’t give them enough time to invite naked Sara.”

Knox tosses his head back in laughter. “You’re the only naked woman I want or need, Corie girl.” He kisses me. “Go inside where it’s warm. I’m going to use the excuse that I was calling my sister.” He kisses me again, his smile wide.

“You need to tame that.” I point to his face.

“It’s going to be hard, but I’ll manage by the time I go back in.”

Another kiss, and I leave him to call his sister. Now, all we have to do is hope that Sloane is right, and the guys, including my brother, suggest I take her place.

ChapterTwenty-Two

Knox

If I’ve checked my phone once, I’ve checked it a thousand times. Sloane is supposed to be calling me, and the plan is for me to put her on speakerphone so that the guys can hear how sick she is. My leg bounces under the table as Baker deals the cards. It’s a bye week, and since I’m leaving tomorrow on our scheduled poker night, we’re doing it a day early. It was supposed to be at my place, but I played it off like I didn’t want to leave a mess the night before needing to go out of town, so Landry took one for the team and had us all over to his place. Not that he minds. Landry Reynolds is all about entertaining. I think it has something to do with all the leftovers he gets to keep at his place, but what do I know? Anyway, we needed Corie to be here for this to work, whch is why she’s on her way here from Sloane’s place. At least she’s supposed to be. So far, the plan is working, but we’re not through this yet.

Sloane was supposed to call ten minutes ago. I know she’s at her place, and I also know that my girl was with her. So, that makes me worry even more. Did something happen? Are they okay? Is Corie okay? My phone vibrates on the table before the panic can set in too deep. Turning the phone over, I see Sloane and instantly relax.

“It’s Sloane. I better get this,” I tell the guys. They all know what’s going on, that she’s supposed to be leaving with me tomorrow. It was their idea, and Sloane just ran with it. “Hey,” I answer, putting the phone on speaker so the guys can hear the conversation.

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