Page 7 of Fumbled Beginning

Once the guys had their plates piled high and beers in hand, they moved into the room to watch a game.

Kinley put my nephew down for a nap, and I walked into the kitchen once it was cleared out to check my work email. I was avoiding the guys in the other room. There were a few wives and girlfriends here, but no one I knew well enough to talk to.

“Hey.” Kinley slid a glass of wine my way just as I closed out my email. “What’s going on with you tonight?”

“Why do you assume there is something going on with me?” I picked up a piece of fruit from the bowl and popped it in my mouth. Kinley was my oldest friend; she knew me well enough to know something was off.

“Because you’ve been quiet and acting strange, and”—she pointed to my mouth—“you are eating a green grape, you only like red grapes. So, unless you’ve grown accustomed to the sour taste, what gives?”

Shit! She was right. My eyes drifted through the kitchen, trying to shake off these weird feelings. It felt like JP and I were playing a game of cat and mouse, only I wasn’t sure which role was mine.

“I’m just a little distracted today.”

“No shit,” she said, placing a napkin in my hand. I wrapped the grape up and threw it away. “I’m guessing this has something to do with your date last night.”

It had everything to do with my date last night, just not the “date” itself. “The guy was a loser. I’m officially done with dating and swearing off men for the rest of my life.”

“That sounds good to me,” Maverick said, making his way to the fridge to grab a beer. I watched as he leaned in and kissed my sister-in-law on the lips. She smiled up at him like she couldn’t live without him. I tried not to let the envy get to me.

If you were to tell me ten years ago that my brother and best friend would end up together with a family of their own, I never would have believed you. Now, after seeing them together and how much they love and respect each other, there was no doubt that they were a perfect match.

Plus, he gave up his career in the NFL last year to be a doting husband and raise his newborn son. If that wasn’t love, I don’t know what was.

Kinley was a lucky lady.

“What happened last night?” she asked, setting the baby monitor down next to her in case Zander woke up.

I turned my head to the boisterous laughter in the other room. “The guy showed up, his face didn’t match the picture, JP chased him off, and I went home.” I gave her the short version, hoping it would be enough.

“Wait, back up.” Her eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean JP chased him off?”

I sighed and took a huge gulp of my wine, practically draining the glass before setting it down. “A few of the Arrows players were at the same bar. JP overheard the guy being a jerk and thought I needed him to step in and save the day.”

Kinley picked up a piece of pepperoni pizza and handed me a plate. “I think he likes you,” she said a little too loudly.

I looked over my shoulder to make sure no one was listening. “Will you keep it down,” I warned. “He is Maverick’s best friend, so I’m sure he felt morally obligated. Nothing more.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s what it was.” She dabbed the corner of her mouth before looking at JP and then back at me.

“Don’t even go there,” I gritted out. Kinley and I have been friends forever, long before she and my brother became a thing. Having a friend who knew you so well was both a blessing and a curse.

“He is hot and it was hard not to notice the spark between you two.” She smiled smugly.

“Wipe that smile off your face.” I scoffed, not liking how observant she was being. “You know as well as I do that he’s nothing but a skirt chaser.” I stared down at my plate, feeling my cheeks heat.

“He’s more than that and you know it.”

She was right, but I would never admit it. Saying it out loud would change everything, and I wasn’t ready to tell her all the things that made him stand out to me. He was fun, gorgeous, highly successful, a good friend, and had a big heart. As much as I would have loved to confide in her, I didn’t want to put her in a bad position. So, my crush on my brother’s best friend would remain my own little secret.

“Kinley, his flirting doesn’t mean anything.” I sighed, trying to keep my face even. “Besides, most men are slimy and you can’t trust them, so I am done forever.”

It was unfair to lump all men in the same category, but after a steady string of bad dates, my insecurities were kicking in. All my friends were settling down, and I was convinced that I was meant to be single forever. I wanted what my parents had and what Kinley and Maverick had. I wanted love and marriage and the baby carriage. The older I got, the more I doubted it would ever happen for me.

She leaned across the table, her face filled with sympathy. “Maybe you should consider a more traditional route. Like meeting someone at a bar or a coffee shop. Avoiding men forever isn’t very practical.”

“Why not?” I asked, finishing off the rest of my wine.

“First off, it would cost you a fortune in double-A batteries. Second, you would only have your job to keep you company. And third, it sounds lonely and boring.”

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