Play Along(46)

Thankfully, the material of my dress is stretchy because Isaiah orders a molten chocolate cake for dessert that disappears at an embarrassingly quick rate, but it’s the ending to the best dinner I’ve had in a long time.

The food, sure, but mostly the company.





Chapter 14


Kennedy


“Why exactly are we doing this?” I ask Miller as we both position ourselves in downward dog in my hotel room in St. Louis.

“Yoga is supposed to be good for stress.”

Hanging upside down, I glance over to her. “You’re stressed?”

“No. But you must be. You are married to my brother-in-law, after all.”

A laugh instantly bubbles out of me, and it only grows louder when Max, Isaiah’s nephew, mirrors our position, hands and feet on the ground, booty in the air.

“Good job, Bug!” Miller encourages. “You’re better than both me and Auntie Ken!”

Miller and Kai have referred to me as Auntie Ken for a while now. It just feels a little differently now that, legally, I am.

Facing the window, opposite the door, I lean into the stretch. We’ve been on the road for over a week, and my body is feeling the stiffness of the constant flights and sleeping in a bed that’s not mine.

I can’t imagine how Isaiah’s feeling. Well, actually I can. I’ve had to work on his back, shoulders, and hips before each game because he insists on sleeping on the floor. I’ve offered him the bed to himself. I’ve offered to share. And still he takes the floor each night.

It’s been over a week since I asked him to touch me, to teach me how to touch him, and he has yet to try anything.

Miller is right. I am stressed being married to her brother-in-law because I’ve been on my toes, eager and nervous, all week, waiting for him to try something. Anything.

I don’t know what he’s waiting for, or maybe he changed his mind.

There’s a nagging part of my brain that’s berating myself for asking him to help me in the first place. I should’ve done the work myself. Gone to therapy. Dealt with my issues alone without involving someone else. I should’ve fixed myself in silence.

“Okay, yeah. Screw this.” Miller drops to her knees, sitting on her heels, but I continue to stretch, extending through my heels and elongating my calves and hamstrings.

The door opens behind me while I’m in my pose and I look through my legs to find Isaiah leaning against the doorframe of our hotel room, arms crossed over his chest, cheeky smirk on his lips, and eyes on my ass.

The blood rushes to my cheeks and not just because I’m upside down.

But still I don’t break my pose. Instead, I stretch further, ass on display as much as I can make it, because for the first time since I’ve known him, I want to tempt my husband.

Isaiah chuckles under his breath, muttering, “Fuck my life,” quietly enough his nephew can’t hear him.

“There’s my boy.” Kai charges right at his son, playfully tackling him, wrestling with him on the ground and covering his cheek with kisses. He reaches over, hooking an arm over Miller’s shoulders and pulling her into their pile. “And my girl.”

Max’s giggles fill the room.

I drop onto my yoga mat and can’t help but smile as I watch them. Max completely changed Kai’s life, and Miller turned both those boys’ worlds upside down last summer. But in the same way, those boys changed her too, and I couldn’t be happier that my friend found everything she was missing.

I look back to Isaiah, expecting to find him watching his family, but instead his eyes are glued on me.

“What?” I ask.

He shakes his head.

Miller sits up. “Kennedy, what are you wearing tonight?”

I motion to the leggings and sweatshirt on my body, confused. “This.”

“You’re not coming out for Cody’s birthday?” Kai asks.

“No.”

“Wait. Why not?” That’s Isaiah piping up from his spot at the door.

“Because I never go out with the team.”

“Yeah, but I flew out for this,” Miller says.

I laugh. “You flew out because Kai was trying to fly home on our day off to see you, but Monty wouldn’t let him.”

Miller shrugs. “Well, yeah, that too.”

“Ken,” Isaiah says. “No one is going to give you a hard time for going out with us. We’re technically married. It’d be weirder if you didn’t go out with us.”

“Yeah, you should go.” Kai lays on the floor, holding Max’s hands as he walks across his stomach. “Even I’m going.” He tickles his son. “Maxie boy is hanging out with his grandpa Monty tonight, huh?”

Max giggles again, folding over his dad’s hands in laughter.

I had a whole night planned. I was going to finish my crossword, use a new face mask, and be in bed by 9:30 since I have an early showtime at the field tomorrow.

But I’m also trying new things. That’s what the next few months are about and being spontaneous by doing something that’s not penciled in my planner for the day would be very new for me.

“Okay,” I say. “I guess I’ll go.”

“That’s my girl!” Miller hops up from the ground with excitement. “See you in a few. I have beers stocked in the mini fridge in Kai’s room so come grab one when you’re ready!”