Play Along(107)

Honestly, all the girls look great, in styles that are unique to them.

Stevie in a pair of loose jeans, flannel tied around her waist.

Indy in a lavender sundress and high-top Converse.

Miller in her signature overalls, sunglasses slipped on top of her head, and bare feet.

“So, Ryan is a little—”

“Overprotective,” Indy finishes for me, pointing at her belly. “Tell me about it, but it took a lot for us to get here, so I let him be.”

“I think it’s sweet. He cares about you.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the guys circled around the grill, chatting and laughing with one another. Isaiah lifts his hat to run his hand through his hair, listening to something one of them is saying, but I catch him looking through the window over to me out of his periphery.

He grins this boyish grin, his cheeks turning pink from being caught, telling me it’s not the first time he’s looked over here since he’s been outside. He gives me one more sweeping glance before he focuses back on his friends.

That right there is another first. Having someone across the room looking for me, checking on me. It seems like such a simple act, but it’s something I’ve always wished for and didn’t think I’d have.

It didn’t matter if there were two thousand people or only the two of us alone in a room, Connor never looked for me and I didn’t look for him.

We were, in a sense, business partners for our families.

Isaiah and me, we’re something entirely different. I don’t know exactly what it is, but it feels good, and warm, and right.

“You look happy.” Miller nudges her foot to mine, stealing my attention.

I give her a small nod in agreement. “I am.”

“So when did you and your husband start fucking?” Indy blurts out.

My mouth drops open as I turn to Miller.

She holds her hands up in defense. “I didn’t say a word.”

“She didn’t have to,” Stevie says. “Anyone with eyes could tell.”

“How’s your vagina feeling?” Indy turns to Miller. “Miller, you’re with the brother, it’s probably comparable. How’s she feeling?”

Miller tosses her head from side to side. “Sore.”

“My God, after all this time.” Indy laughs. “I couldn’t tell you the last Sunday we had that Isaiah showed up and didn’t say something about you. Either how you did something impressive at work or how you wore your hair that day.”

“You’re the only person he’s ever talked about,” Stevie adds. “And now look at you two. Accidentally married and purposefully in love.”

I want to argue that we’re not in love. We’re playing a game and that’s all this is, but I know that’s not the case anymore. I don’t know exactly what this is, but I’m also aware I have never felt as good as I have the last couple of months, and more specifically, than I have this week from finally seeing what was always right in front of me.

Once again, Isaiah catches my attention out the window when he holds up his wedding ring for his friends to see. Chest puffed, shoulders back.

I’ve never met a man prouder of a piece of jewelry than Isaiah Rhodes is of his wedding ring. Since putting it on the first time, I’ve yet to see him without it. The only time his finger is bare is when he’s swapping his metal ring for the silicone one before a practice or a game.

But that’s where the confusion lies. What are we doing?

Dating is one thing. Even getting into a relationship. But marriage? A real marriage? Neither of us signed up for that. Not when we were too many tequila shots in and not when we were scheming to save my job.

Just because we’re sleeping together now and spending all our time with each other doesn’t mean our fake marriage suddenly turned real.

“So,” Miller says. “Tell us about the interview.”

Then there’s that . . . The potential job I have waiting for me two thousand miles away.

She knows the gist of it. That it went well. That Dean tried to set me up with some guy that worked there. That the city and the stadium were beautiful, but I have yet to give her more details.

“It went better than I could’ve hoped for. Everyone was friendly and kind and welcoming. I met so many people who worked for the team, and every person I asked said they absolutely loved their job.”

“That’s rare,” Stevie says.

“Even more rare is that there are a ton of women who work for the franchise. And they’re happy and respected. There are two other women on the medical staff alone. I’ve never had that. The stadium is stunning. The equipment is all brand new. And the interview itself, it didn’t feel like an interview at all. It felt like I already had the job, and they were just excited for me to get out there as soon as possible.”

“That’s so amazing for you,” Indy says with a smile.

Miller stays silent so I look over for her to add something, but she doesn’t.

“What?”

She shakes her head. “I know I’m being selfish here, but I don’t want you to go.”

“Miller—”

“I know. I know.” She holds her hands up. “You and Isaiah are both being so fucking weird about it, but things seem so good for you lately. You seem happy, and I want you here. I’m just wondering if it’s worth giving it all up for a lateral move, career wise. I get that you’d have a new lead doctor to work under there, but . . .”