Page 67 of Lucky Baller
“Yo, Barker!” I hear yelled, and I don’t have to look to know it’s Case.
“Speaking of…” I say with a chuckle.
“Oh, it’s the lovely Tessa. So nice to see you again.” Case doesn’t give a single fuck that I’m standing next to her with my arm around her shoulders. He swoops in, lifting her off her feet and giving her a hug.
“Release my girl,” I tell him. My voice is gruff, but he knows I’m kidding.Mostly.By the time he puts her back on her feet, Thomas, Kaden, and Jack all step in and do the same thing. They know it’s going to irritate the fuck out of me, which is why I bite my tongue. It’s not until Case mentions Corey that my hackles truly rise.
“My brother’s been asking about you,” he tells Tessa.
“Nope. Not happening.” I pull Tessa into my chest, her back to my front, and rest my chin on top of her head. “She’s taken.”
Case grins. He knows she’s taken. Fucker wanted to get me riled up. Payback’s a bitch, though. I’ll remember this.
“Now that the pissing contest is over, I’ll show you where you’re all going to be.” Autumn steps in and takes charge. I’m sure she thinks she’s diffusing the situation. It’s not like I’m going to start a fight with my teammates. Although if they were serious, I wouldn’t hesitate. Not when it comes to Tessa. I know they’re razzing me to try and ruffle my feathers. It worked.
Bending my head and placing my lips next to her ear, I whisper, “I love you.” I follow it with a kiss to her neck before releasing her and following after Autumn, Jeremy, and my teammates.
It’s been over three hours since I’ve talked to Tessa. I’ve seen her, my eyes scanning the crowds looking for her, but as far as getting any time with her, that’s been nil. Bad for me, good for the shelter. The turnout has been incredible, and from the looks on the smiling kids’ faces as they pack animals into their cars, it’s been a huge success.
“So, Tessa.” Case grins when there’s finally a break in the action. We’ve been signing autographs for three solid hours.
I nod. “Tessa.”
“I told you we should have put bets on it,” Jack grumbles.
“What are you talking about?”
“You see, QB, we knew you were toast the minute you laid eyes on her. We could all see it. It was just a matter of time before she wore you down.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “You think she wore me down? I wish it were that easy. She fought me every step of the way. As far as me being toast, I’ll admit that. At first, I was blowing it off that she turned me down, but I was persistent, and the more time I spent with her…” My eyes scan until I find her. She’s kneeling next to a little girl who has a kitten in her hands.
“He’s a goner,” Kaden chimes in.
“Yeah,” I agree. No point in denying it. There’s not a damn thing wrong with me being in love. I’m not embarrassed by it. If anything, I want to show her off.She’s incredible.
“Hey, guys,” Jeremy says, walking up to the tent. “Thanks for being here today. I appreciate your support of Autumn and Tessa.”
“Does this mean you’re going to take it easy on me at practice next week?” Thomas asks.
“Nope.” Jeremy chuckles. “Really, though, I know we have a game tomorrow, and I’m sure this is the last place you want to be today, but we really appreciate you being here. Autumn and Tessa bust their asses for this place. It’s nice to see they’re getting the word out.”
“Like your status didn’t bring any of these people in,” Jack tells him.
“Maybe, but it’s not my name on the backs of all these jerseys.” He nods toward the crowd. “I’m new to the team, and I haven’t played in a long time. Unless they’re a collector of my ass photographs, it’s all you.”
“W-What?” Case sputters with laughter.
“Oh, let me tell you about the ass photographs,” Autumn says, stepping up behind her husband. He wraps her in his arms as she tells us all about it. She has us all rolling with laughter by the time she’s finished. “Anyway.” She grins, clearly proud of herself. “Things are winding down. You guys can head out. Thank you for being here.”
“Wanna grab a beer at Henry’s?” Case asks our group. Thomas, Kaden, and Jack immediately agree. “Landon?”
“We might catch up with you. I’m going to stick around and see if Tessa needs anything.”
Thomas begins to sing “Another One Bites the Dust,” making everyone laugh. “Next thing you know, he’s going to be walking down the aisle and having babies like Trent.”
He’s joking, but what he doesn’t realize is the thought of that… it’s not scary. Not even in the slightest. That’s… unexpected, but then again, everything with Tessa is new and unexpected. I’m a greedy bastard because I want more of it.
More of her.
