Hard Luck (Trophy Boyfriends 4)

“She wants to come up and talk to you,” he says at last. “I told her your news.”

Obviously he told her—they tell each other everything. Plus, it’s been two solid weeks since he discovered he’s going to be an uncle, and over two weeks since I’ve seen Chandler.

She’s been incredibly busy with work.

Chandler works for her family—they’re the owners of the Chicago Steam, the team my brother Buzz plays for. Actually, she’s Hollis’s cousin, so when we get together, it’s one big happy family reunion for everyone.

I nod, standing over the bed, staring down at the stretchy denim jeans I have set out. Beside the jeans, propped up by a set of throw pillows, is the teddy bear my brother brought home last week after an away game in Texas.

It’s light brown with a white and pink polka dot bow on one ear, a good indication that Tripp is gunning for a niece.

Seeing it sitting on the bed melts my heart; the gesture was so sweet, and so uncharacteristic.

A soft knock on my door has me pulling the jeans off the bed to make room for Chandler to sit, and she enters quietly, shutting the door behind her.

We hug.

“Hey, how have you been?” she asks, plopping onto the mattress. It sags beneath her.

“Good, all things considered.”

“Sorry I haven’t been around much. I’ve been working like crazy and applying for other jobs and interviewing, so my head is so far up my own butt.”

Hearing her say ‘my own butt’ makes me laugh, because Chandler is the most prim and proper member of this clan; I doubt she uses profanity.

Two people couldn’t be more opposite than she and my brother, but perhaps that’s what makes it work between them.

“Don’t worry about it—I get it. And you’ve been texting, so it’s not like you’re completely MIA.”

She texted me CONGRATULATIONS and sent flowers when Tripp told her I was pregnant, as if it was the best news in the whole wide world.

“I know, but still…” Chandler leans back on the bed, propping herself up on her elbows. “Don’t mind me if you have to change. I just figured we could have a few minutes before we left and had no privacy. You know—in case there was something you wanted to talk about.”

I pause, considering, holding the pants to my chest. “Well, there is something, actually.” Sigh. “This morning Mateo texted me. He’s…he…”

“Mateo Espinoza?” Chandler asks cautiously, pieces clicking into place that he is one of her players. Well, not her players—one of the players who is on the Chicago Steam. The team her family owns and oh my god, what am I about to admit to her?!

This could be a public relations nightmare for her.

Them.

Mateo José Espinoza, getting a girl pregnant out of wedlock. The sister of one of his teammates, the sister of a professional football player, the sister-in-law of his team’s owner.

Shit, shit, shit.

Maybe I should have thought this through before I opened my big mouth.

Maybe I should have thought it through before I slept with him.

Maybe maybes don’t help me right now.

Would have, should have, could have my mother always says as a way of saying What’s done is done. You made the decision, now you live with it.

For the rest of my life, apparently.

“Chandler, I…don’t know what to say. I know this will be a public relations nightmare for the team when the news breaks.” Because it will. “Mateo doesn’t know yet—I would p-prefer to tell him myself, I d-don’t want—”

I’m straight-up panicking.

“True, I would never ever say anything to anyone. Ever. I wouldn’t do that to you, wouldn’t dream of it.” She hops up to wrap her arms around me then grips my hands in hers. “You’re my family. I know I’ve only been with your brother a few months, but we’re here to protect you.”

We.

Did I mention that Chandler and I are almost the same age? She’s a year younger than I am, and here she is, comforting me with all the wisdom of someone twice her age.

Her words give me some comfort. Not a ton, but enough to lower my guard.

“Okay.” I nod, letting out a puff of air. “Okay, yes. I haven’t told him and it’s eating me up inside—and this morning when I woke up, I’d received three text messages from him.”

Her eyes widen. “You did? What did he say?”

I scramble to get out my phone and pull up the messages, blushing when I glance over them as I hand her the cell.

Her eyes widen further as she reads. “Smash and dash—that’s a new one.”

Yeah, I’d never heard that phrase before either, and my face gets redder.

Chandler lifts her head. “He wants to see you.” Her voice gets quiet. “It sounds to me like he wants to date you.”

I know.

And therein lies the problem.

“How am I supposed to look him in the eye and tell him I don’t want to date him because SURPRISE, I’m pregnant, and you’re going to be a father?” I flop down on the bed, on my back, staring up at the ceiling as Chandler hovers over me. “I fucked this up royally.”