Girls' Night Out (Bad Boys) (15 page)

The muscle along Brett’s jaw tightened as he nodded, and held onto her shoulder. She leaned over and wrapped her fingers along Brett’s forearm. “Let’s go.”

The walk down the hall ended too fast as her pulse hammered and her fingers turned ice cold. Stephen suddenly stopped in front of the hall where Carolina’s room was located. His hands possessively on Gillian, he swung his glance to her. “Cory, I know you’ve gone away to the West Coast and now you’ve come home and all kinds of crazy has come up. Just keep your cool and everything will work out. I’ve been where you are. Take my advice, just roll with it.”

“I hear you, and thanks,” she said, exchanging a last glance with her brother before walking onward. Brett placed his hand on the small of her back and she leaned into him. “Ready?” she asked.

“Absolutely. Let’s go and see how your sister-in-law is doing.”

Cory sucked in her breath, straightened her body, and leveled her shoulders.
How angry could one brother get? Really?

They walked into the room, and immediately were skewered by Matt’s glare. The answer to her question was off the charts. Furious.

Carolina was talking when her eyes shifted to meet Cory’s gaze. She winked and nodded, and squeezed Matt’s arm. “You’re back,” Carolina said. “Matt, this is Brett Gold, Cory’s friend.”

Matt regarded her, his eyes less than gracious. More like a wolf about to attack, but weary as well. He didn’t smile as he left Carolina’s side and made his way toward her and Brett.

“Corinth Hera McLemore.” He’d yet to acknowledge Brett or even look in his direction. A muscle pulsed along her brother’s jaw and the tension in the hospital suite grew.

“Matt.” Cory stared at her brother. His blue eyes glinted angry sparks, but she immediately recognized he also appeared worried in the somewhat dim hospital room as he stared back at her. He exhaled and swung his gaze to her side, to where Brett stood next to her, and his mouth turned into a definite frown. Yet, he was still a McLemore and their mother didn’t permit crass behavior, at least not in her presence.

“Matthew McLemore,” he said, keeping his voice dead even, which she believed was for Carolina’s benefit and their mother’s.

“Brett Gold.” Brett’s voice was equally glassy. She didn’t chance a side-glance up at him. Her pulse had hiked up and clattered in her ears.

“I’m Wade McLemore.” Her father appeared from the corner of the room, flanking Matt’s side and staring at her for a beat, then back at Brett. A heap of plenty was said in those steely looks and she understood they were upset and not ready to let it go. Things needed to be addressed and until they were, this matter was far from settled.

“Matt,” Carolina’s voice rose. “Help.”

Everyone turned to face Carolina as Matt pushed past Mama and went to his wife. “Gillian, go get the nurse. Fast.”

Carolina lay back against the pillows, her eyes scrunched closed. She moaned and leaned into Matt’s shoulder as he soothed her face tenderly with his hands.

“Mama?” Cory asked. “Should we leave?”

“Yes. We’d better return to the waiting room.”

Her mother came over and Cory whispered. “Where are Carolina’s family?”

“Sonya and her niece are on a flight leaving Miami at six this morning. It was the first one out and they’ll be here about ten.”

A team of nurses entered the room. “Please, we’ll need everyone to exit except for the twin’s daddy.”

Cory stared at Carolina and the circle of blood widening on the sheet under her leg. “Oh God,” she groaned.

In the commotion, she felt lost until Brett tugged on her arm, leading her out of the room. In the hall, he stopped and she blinked back the tears of confusion, sorrow and fear.

Brett whispered against her the side of her head, “What can I do to help?”

She pressed her hand to her temple and rubbed. “I almost wish you’d go home and get some sleep. Don’t you have some sort of training to attend later today?”

“No. Nothing until next week. Remember, there was a party and it’s probably still going on.”

Quickly she glanced down. “Oh yeah. And you’d be having a really great time if we’d not shown up to wreck your plans.”

Brett cupped her chin and lifted her face until their eyes met. “Hush. Tonight I had one of the best nights of my life, and the best mornings.”

CHAPTER 11

By the time the nurse had come into the waiting room and announced it would not be much longer, Brett had been seated next to Cory with her head resting on his chest and his arm around her shoulders for a couple of hours. Every once in a while he’d lift his head and meet someone’s stare. More and more it came from Wade McLemore’s intense blue eyes. No matter, he wasn’t sorry. Never would regret the time he’d had with Cory, only the mess that had rained down, causing her strife. But from lemons, he fully intended on making lemonade by turning this situation around. He was aware talk was cheap when it came to daughters and the men they dated. And these ranchers were men accustomed to all sorts of bullshit. As usual, it was always a question of more time on the clock.

“Sweetheart,” he whispered and shifted Cory’s head onto the back of the sofa where they sat. “Give me a moment,” he said, then tacked on. “Be right back.

She squeezed his hand. “I’ll be here.”

Wade McLemore had gone out into the hall. Brett intended on speaking with Cory’s father, unwilling to let this situation stew much longer. He followed her dad down the corridor, gaining speed on the older man’s strides and catching him when he bent over a water fountain.

“Mr. McLemore,” he said, approaching Cory’s father. “I’d like a word.”

The older man straightened, glaring over at Brett. His blue eyes were so much like Cory’s, but set in a weathered tan face creased with worry. “What?” Mr. McLemore crossed his arms over his chest.

“This hasn’t been easy for you and I don’t know what you’ve heard,” Brett began. “I’m going to marry Cory.”

The older man scowled at him across the short distance of the hall. He glanced down at the water fountain, then back at Brett, taking a deep breath. “Guess whatever it is, it’s in the water in Dallas as well.”

“Say again?” Brett inquired.

Mr. McLemore shook his head. “Just how do you intend on doing that?”

“As of this moment, I don’t have a plan laid out.” Hell, this was coming out bad. “Cory and I met three days ago, and she’s all I think about.”

“Oh, and that means she’s the one you’re going to marry?”

“It’s different…” He wanted to say she’s reached into his chest and snatched his heart. Gone was his breath unless he stood next to her. And yeah, his thoughts were kidnapped, too. The girl wasn’t about to give any of it back, nor did he want her to. His whole world and existence were spinning on their axes. For the first time in his life, it felt as if he was in his correct orbit. Without her, it would all go back to being out of sync. All he could get out was, “She’s the one.”

The older man grimaced. “You’re not much for stringing words together. Maybe that’s a good thing. Fast talkers have a way of losing steam over the long haul.”

“I won’t.” Brett’s voice came out sure and strong.

Mr. McLemore’s expression changed as he walked over to Brett, so close he could see the red capillaries in the older man’s irritated eyes. He took his finger and jabbed it against Brett’s shoulder. “Get your head out of your behind when it comes to Corinth.”

Brett stared back at Cory’s father, unprepared for the brash suggestion, but then again Cory had to get her unabashed ability to speak her mind from somewhere. Mystery solved.

“I screwed up,” he said without hesitation.

Mr. McLemore pressed his lips together. “You think? More like opened the gates of stupidity and then just let it all out.”

“It won’t happen again,” Brett said.

“Corinth is just starting out. Her whole world is opening. And now you come along. I know you’re playing with the Devils. You probably have seen lots of things as part of the NFL. But my daughter hasn’t. You storming into her life without so much as a thought about the aftereffects isn’t a smart move for a man who is supposed to make a living off smart moves.”

“I won’t drop the ball, sir.” Brett said. “And I don’t consider marrying Cory as anything I’m going to fumble and let go. But I understand, being with your daughter isn’t a game.”

“Wade?” a soft female voice called out. Mrs. McLemore came down the hall but stopped, seeing them nose to nose. Christ, it must have looked like a showdown was about to happen.

Both men stopped talking and Wade glanced down the hall, then over at Brett. “You do something to hurt her or disrespect her further.” Cory’s father lowered his voice. “And we’ll find you. You get my meaning?”

“Yes, sir. Fully.”

“Time will tell.” Mr. McLemore nodded before moving away, then stopped and added, “You’re in for the ride of your life with this one.”

“I won’t let go of her,” Brett replied.

“Good luck is all I’ve got to hope for you, son.” Mr. McLemore moved off to join his wife.

“It’s time. The doctor said Carolina’s ready to give birth.” Mrs. McLemore glanced over at Brett. Her expression had softened from their previous encounters, but she still wore worry on her face.

What did he expect, in a hospital in Dallas, about to become a grandmother, and her only daughter getting caught in a man’s hotel room? He inhaled, taking hold of his neck and squeezing the knotted muscles. He walked behind the McLemores and stopped short of the waiting room. The volume of voices had shot way up. He stalled and leaned against the wall, staring down the hall and outside. The morning sky was streaked silver. Snow dusted the ground and still fell in flakes caught in beams of light, bobbing up and down in swirling air currents.

Cory stepped just beyond the waiting room doorway and the skin over his body tightened. “Hey,” he whispered, holding out his arms. His chest squeezed at the sight of her, constricting sharply when she unleashed one of her sweet smiles.

“You survived,” she said, coming to him. “I was worried when my father came back in and you didn’t follow.” She stepped in between his legs as he canted against the wall. Running her hands up his arms, he silently groaned with the urge to kiss her. This close to the McLemore hub, he wasn’t about to continue his trek into the land of rash decisions.

“I’d kiss you if I thought it wouldn’t bring a hailstorm down on our heads.”

“What? Don’t like storms of this magnitude?” she grinned. Their eyes locked, and the conviction that he’d do whatever it took to keep her ran through his veins.

“How much longer is your college program?”

“You thinking of enrolling?” she asked, searching his face.

“Hell, no. I want to know how much longer you’ve got ‘til you graduate.”

She looked down as though unsure what to say. “At least three years and some. This is my first semester.”

“Oh,” he exhaled the word. He didn’t know much about long distance relationships except they weren’t easy. Luckily, his training camp wasn’t too far from L.A. Shoot, the NFL career meant each player basically signed up for this type of life on the move. Question was, would Cory think it was worth it?

“What are you wondering?” She touched his hand, lacing their fingers together.

“I want to date you. Get to know you.” He watched her face go from questioning to disbelieving. “If I thought I could get you to say yes to us being exclusive, I would.”

“And how is that supposed to work?” she asked the obvious question, and one he’d heard openly discussed in locker rooms since he’d come to play professional ball. A source of consternation with players and their wives, girlfriends, lovers, even family tended to get frustrated after the glow of a large contract wore off. Everyone loved getting their first deal; it was the day-to-day life that everyone had to learn to negotiate.

“I train part of the year on the West Coast, and the other part I’m traveling or playing ball here. I can get you tickets to the games and fly you out as much as you want.”

“Why me? We hardly know each other.”

“Are you saying it’s not something that tears at you? The thought of us not seeing each other again?”

“No,” she quietly said. “I mean, of course. I don’t know what to do and it’s hard being here and caught up in this. I was afraid you were counting the minutes until launch time where you’d be long gone.”

“After staying all night,” he smiled down in her cute face, “why would I up and leave? You must think I’m some sort of do-gooder. I’m here for selfish reasons.” He bent his head, brushing his face next to her cheek and whispered, “Wolfish reasons.”

Her sharp intake of air made her body jerk and her soft hips landed against his groin. They both stared at each other. No way to pretend he wasn’t erect and painfully hard for her. “You’re not lying, are you?” she asked.

“Baby, if I hadn’t just had a threat of bodily harm, I’d pull you into an empty room and have my way with you right here and right now.”

“God, we must be crazy.” Cory shook her head. “I want you, too. I just don’t see how this is supposed to work. A ton of parties and the places you’ll find yourself. Casual hookups are part of your world. Honestly, I don’t know if I can deal with it all.”

“If you tell me to walk away from you, I don’t know that I can. Ever.” He lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. “I screwed up big time last night insofar as making a positive impression on your family. But if it means I found the woman I’ve been waiting for, I’d do it all over again.” He waited for her response and it felt like years.

Cory brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and she locked on to his gaze with a questioning intensity in her eyes. “I saw that player. The one from the Cougars. Wasn’t he just featured in the news and on the cover of a magazine with his wife and children? I saw the magazine in the grocery store. He’s married to a woman known for her charity work…not some heartless fool. Last night, he was sitting with his hands on two women. He’s supposed to be happily married. What’s his excuse? Stress relief?” She held up her palms. “I’m not judging, only wondering, how long until you find you need to unwind?”