Play Along(68)

Isaiah opens the door without hesitation. “That would be best.”

“Actually,” I interrupt, gathering my shoes, hat, and jacket that are scattered around his living room. “I need to go home anyway. Early flight tomorrow.”

“But—” Isaiah’s brows are cinched in confusion as I slip on my sneakers.

“Good to see you, Rio.” I hold my hand up in a wave. “Cody, Trav, good game tonight.”

I can feel Isaiah’s stare following me to the door. Once in the hallway, I slowly turn to him, unsure of what to say.

Thanks for the lesson? Thanks for the orgasm? Can you teach me how to give a proper blow job next time?

He blocks the doorway, keeping his friends out of the conversation, brown eyes soft and pleading. “I want you to stay.”

“I know.”

“But you won’t? Even if they left?”

Shaking my head, I tell him no.

I expect an argument, him pushing me to do something I’m not ready to do, but instead, he relents. “Can I at least drive you home?”

A smile ticks on my lips. “I’ve got it from here.”

“All right.” He exhales a defeated sigh before the typically happy Isaiah comes back. “And what about me?” he asks, crossing his arms and leaning into the doorway. “Did I have a good game tonight?”

The insinuation in his tone screams that he’s not referring to baseball.

“I think we had a great game tonight.”

He chuckles, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on my lips. “I think we did too.”





Chapter 19


Kennedy


“One of our old travel coordinators, Josh, is working for San Francisco now,” Dean says. “I asked him to see if he could get any insight on your upcoming interview and from what he’s heard around the clubhouse, you’re their top candidate.”

I sit up straighter while in my parked car, phone to my ear and my stepbrother on the other end. “Wait. Really?”

“Yeah. Apparently at this stage, there’s only three people left being interviewed. Things are looking good. You should be stoked, Kennedy.”

“Well, yeah, I want to be excited about it, but after what happened on my first day in Chicago when I had my offer rescinded, I won’t believe anything until my name is on the door of my very own office.”

An office I’ll be sure to use less frequently than our current head doctor does. I’ll be continuing to practice sports medicine, not just telling everyone else how to.

“I told Josh to put in a good word for you. You should hit him up when you’re out there for your interview. He’s cool. Divorced. Mid-thirties. He’s got shit fashion taste, but I think you could fix that for him.”

“Dean,” I huff a laugh. “What are you talking about? I’m married.”

Whoa. Why the hell did I say that? Why the hell did I think that?

“Yeah . . .” he slowly draws out in confusion. “But you won’t be once you’re living out there. Josh is a good dude. I think you’ll like him. You should let him show you around the clubhouse while you’re visiting.”

I sink back, head relaxing against the seat. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. I’ll give him a call when I’m in town.”

Keeping my eyes scanning the players’ parking lot at O’Hare International, I watch for Isaiah’s car to pull in.

“I’m counting down the days until you get that job and can finally serve that fucking tool divorce papers.”

“Dean,” I startle. “Don’t talk about him that way.”

“Kennedy,” he laughs incredulously. “How many times have you talked shit about Isaiah Rhodes in the past?”

“Yeah, well, he’s my husband. I can talk shit all I want, but it doesn’t mean you can.”

“Jesus. You’re sensitive today.”

“I’m not being sensitive. I’m just over your weird hatred of the guy. You don’t even know him. What did he ever do to you?”

“He’s just . . .” Dean hesitates. “I just don’t like the guy. He and his brother are . . .”

“Good to each other?” I finish for him. “Is that your problem? That they only had one another and still have a better family situation than us?”

He exhales on the other end of the line. “Why are we even talking about this? It doesn’t fucking matter.”

“It matters to me. He’s currently in my life and you’re my stepbrother. It’d be nice if you two were cordial with one another.”

“Key word here being currently. Let’s not have this conversation and once you two legally split, we can just pretend this never happened.”

That was my plan when I agreed to this whole thing, only now, I don’t know how I’m supposed to forget any of this ever happened.

I sure as hell won’t be able to forget about last night.

Speaking of the man I’m married to, Isaiah pulls up, parking his SUV right in front of mine, his boyish smile glowing through the windshield when he catches me waiting for him.

“Speaking of he who shall not be named.” I gather my keys and slip on my sunglasses before opening the driver’s side door. “He’s here. I’ve got to go.”