“You look fucking hot,” he whispers. “If you need someone to keep you warm—”
“I’ll get a jacket, thanks though,” she says, rolling her eyes, and I grin. She may not want the world to know we are together, but she is quick to turn down anyone who flirts with her. She’s mine. I know it, she knows it, so why do I care if everyone else knows?
“Okay, team, thanks for coming, and everyone looks very sharp. I’m proud,” he says, looking us all over. “Remember schmooze the hell out of these people. Explain why we need money for our trips and just have a good time. No drinking, though, but enjoy yourselves.”
After clapping his hands, we are dismissed, and as we walk away, Baylor falls into step with me. “I wish we could find a corner and hang out.”
“That would be ideal.”
“Eh, we only have to stay for a couple hours,” she says, letting out a breath. “Which I don’t know if I’ll last, my feet are crying.”
“I’ll rub them later,” I promise, tapping her thigh, and her lips curve.
“I’m holding you to that,” she says, pointing at me as we head to get some food. After piling our plates full of food, I watch as she smothers her plate with the mustard that she had to ask the waiter for.
“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever asked about the mustard thing,” I say as she drowns her food in it.
Looking over at me, she squirts the mustard from the container into her mouth before asking, “What mustard thing?” When I just look at her, she grins before shrugging. “I have no clue. I’ve loved it since I could remember. Dad says I used to drink it out of t
he bottle; I still do sometimes, clearly. It’s weird.”
Making a face, I tell her, “I think I just gagged.”
But she isn’t gagging; her face is bright and happy as she devours her food while I sit there in amazement of her love for the yellow condiment. As much as we both don’t want to be here, soon we are having a good time. Being with her makes everything better, and thankfully, I haven’t seen my dad at all. As we talk to each of our benefactors, I find that Baylor is very good at schmoozing. This isn’t her first time doing this and everyone loves her. How could they not?
The night is going great. I feel like everyone we talk to is quick to donate. They are impressed with Baylor, her talent, and even more the fact that she is so personable, which is honestly mind-blowing. Baylor, personable? That’s like a happy fox. Have you ever seen a happy one? I sure haven’t.
When a tap comes to my shoulder, I fully expect to turn and see my dad, but instead, I find that it’s Jace behind me. “Can I talk to you real quick?”
Nodding my head, I lean in, pressing my hand to Baylor’s back. “I’ll be back.”
“Oh, okay,” she says with a small smile before carrying on about the game we just played a couple nights before.
I walk with him away from the conversation and ask, “What’s up?”
“Dad is here,” he says softly, and my stomach sinks, anxiety filling my chest.
“Okay?” I choke out.
“He wants to talk to you.”
“I don’t care,” I answer, tucking my hands in my pockets. “Tell him to go fuck himself.”
“See, I said that, and he’s insisting that I come and get you.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, Jay. He said it’s about Mom, and he wants to speak to both of us about it,” he says, not meeting my gaze. “I was gonna just tell him to tell me, but then I kind of want you with me.”
As he looks up at me, his eyes are full of uneasiness and I don’t know what to do. No, I do know what I need to do, but I really don’t want to. But still, it’s my duty as his brother to be there for him, even when I don’t want to.
Nodding my head, I cup his shoulder and say, “Lead the way.”
“Thanks, Jay,” he says softly as we start to walk across the room, but I don’t say anything back as I prepare myself to face my dad for the first time in almost a year. When we reach my father, he has a beer in his hand as he talks with an older guy. Seeing us, he pauses and says, “These are my other two boys, Jayden and Jace.”
The older man smiles as he reaches for our hands. “Yes, I’ve seen you two play. Impressive.”
“Thank you,” Jace says, and I just nod.