“You being here might not be the best idea, though. Brady will come to you when he’s ready.”

  “Are they going to be okay?”

  West chuckled. “If they tie up, Brady will take him. Gunner knows that. It’s fine.”

  I still didn’t want them tying up.

  “Go home. Trust me. It’s better for Brady.”

  West didn’t hate me. He wasn’t threatening me and there were no evil glares. Maybe things were different now.

  “Okay,” I agreed.

  He gave me a nod, then went back to his truck but didn’t start it up. He was waiting on me to leave like he had suggested. I did as he said and drove out. I didn’t head to the house, though. I still needed a break from the day. So I just drove and waited for Brady to call or text.

  It was after six, just before I was back at the house, when my phone rang.

  “Hello,” I said.

  “Hey. West said you came by looking for me. Sorry it took me so long to get out. Gunner and I had a talk.”

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah. At least where Gunner is concerned. It’s okay. I can’t go home, though. Dad met me in the kitchen this morning and I told him not to come to practice today or I’d walk off the field. He demanded to know what my problem was. I stormed out of the house without eating. He didn’t show at practice, but he’ll be waiting on me at home.”

  “I’m pulling in the drive now. Come here. Mom will have cooked enough. She always cooks too much. Eat with us and you can do homework in my room. I have to read to Bryony and give her a bath after dinner. Then we can go out and talk on the back porch.”

  He paused, then I heard him sigh. “Okay. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Ain’t a Thing Wrong with That

  CHAPTER 38

  BRADY

  Gunner hadn’t said a word all day. He’d acted normal. It wasn’t until after practice that he walked up to me and said, “When are you going to tell me about Riley Young?”

  I’d snapped and told him it wasn’t his damn business. I had expected a fight then, but he had only agreed that my life was my business, but that if I was hiding her because of him, then we needed to talk.

  I let him talk, and he was of the opinion that Rhett wasn’t who he’d once thought he was, and even back then it had been hard to believe Riley could be so evil. She had always been honest and nice. If I trusted her, then so did he.

  The one thing I had walked away from the talk unsure of was his asking if Riley might let him meet Bryony. She was his niece, after all, but with all that had happened, that was asking a lot of Riley. I didn’t want her to feel threatened in any way.

  I told him as much, and he asked that I just talk to Riley about it. I would when I felt like she was ready. Right now, though, wasn’t that time. She had to adjust to the fact that Gunner Lawton believed her. I wasn’t positive how well that would go over. She had been hurt by him and his family, and if she couldn’t forgive him, he’d have to deal with it. He deserved it.

  I wasn’t sure how comfortable I was going to be at her grandmother’s tonight. I didn’t know what her parents thought of me and if they’d be okay with me being there, but I wanted to be with Riley.

  She was a mom, and she had responsibilities. I was willing to do whatever worked best for her and Bryony. This was it, so I’d be there. If her parents didn’t care for me, they’d see I really cared about their daughter and wanted her to be happy. That would hopefully change their minds.

  My phone lit up, and it was Willa. I hadn’t gotten a call from her in a while.

  “Hello,” I said, curious.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “For what exactly?”

  “For believing Riley Young. I like her. She didn’t deserve what happened with Rhett. I think your believing her helped Gunner let go of his hate. She should get to live in this town, not be ostracized. She took a terrible situation and made the best of it. That little girl is happy and loved. Riley’s a good person.”

  I agreed. Completely. “She’s special. I’m the one who should be thankful.”

  Willa was silent a moment, then said, “Yes, you should be. Tell her I’ll see her Friday night. I am saving her a seat beside me.”

  “I will.”

  We said our good-byes just as I pulled into the drive at Riley’s. I wished that Gunner’s acceptance and Riley’s chance at a female friendship could fix all my problems. A week ago this would have been all I needed.

  Not now. My problems were deeper. Unfixable.

  Riley opened the door before I got to it with Bryony at her legs waving at me as I walked toward them. “Mom is setting another place at the table. She’s happy you’re here. But be ready for Grandmamma. There is no telling what she will say or who she will think you are.”

  There was a smile on her face as she said it, like she was amused by her grandmother and loved her.

  “I’m looking forward to dinner with your family. Thanks for letting me escape here. Going home seems impossible.”

  Her smile faded, and she nodded.

  “Hi,” Bryony said brightly.

  I turned my attention to the little girl looking up at me. “Hello, Bryony. Have you had a good day?”

  She nodded. “I made corm bwead.” I was assuming that was corn bread.

  “I can’t wait to have some. I’ll bet it’s delicious.”

  “Oh, it is. I’ve already been brought two slices with butter. She keeps feeding me,” Riley said with a laugh. “Come on in,” she told me as she stepped back so I could enter the house.

  Her father was sitting in the recliner with a newspaper in his hands and a pair of glasses perched on his nose. He looked up at me. “Hello, Brady. Glad you could join us tonight. I’m always outnumbered by women.”

  “Thanks for having me on such short notice,” I replied.

  He waved a hand as if to say no problem. “Not at all. Anytime. We like the company.”

  “I can’t find my yellow butter dish. Have you used it?” Grandmamma asked, shuffling into the room from the kitchen.

  “No, ma’am,” Riley replied.

  She frowned. “I’ll need that if I’m gonna make the rolls for the pot roast.” She turned and went back into the kitchen.

  “She’s been trying to cook all afternoon. Lyla is exhausted from it,” Mr. Young said once she was out of the room.

  From the little I’d seen, it was like taking care of a child.

  “I’ll go see if I can help. Brady, do you want to go to my room and start homework until dinner?” She was trying to get me comfortable and not leave me alone with her dad. I appreciated it, but I needed to get in good with her father. I wanted him to approve of me.

  “I think I’ll visit with your dad and watch the news. See what’s happening in sports,” I told her.

  She didn’t hug me, but the expression on her face said she wanted to. Seems my decision had just scored me some points.

  “Okay, then. It shouldn’t be too much longer,” she said before hurrying into the kitchen.

  Bryony stayed right behind her, skipping as she went.

  “That girl loves her momma. Riley has made a wonderful mom. Couldn’t be prouder of her,” Mr. Young said as they disappeared into the other room.

  “She’s really impressive,” I agreed.

  “That she is. A strong girl. Life hasn’t been fair to her, but she seems to find joy in the little things. And, of course, in Bryony. She’s the least selfish teenage girl I know.”

  I nodded.

  He set his paper down in his lap and took off his reading glasses, then placed them on the table beside him before leveling me with his gaze.

  “You’re a good kid. I’ve always thought so. You’ve got dreams and talent. Ain’t a thing wrong with that. It’s admirable,” he began, and although that sounded good I was worried about the tone he had taken with me. “But that girl in there is my baby. I’ve never hurt as badly as I did when her childhood was taken from her. The dreams and hopes for her future were snatched out from under her. It just about broke me. But she showed me and her mother that she’s strong and her dreams and hopes could change. With that, so did ours. But her future doesn’t fit into your world.” He paused and studied me to make sure I was listening.

  “I don’t want my girl hurt again. She’s not had a friend since we left this place. Having you has helped her. I appreciate what you’re doing. But don’t let her think there could be more for the two of you when there can’t be. She’s a mother, but she’s also just a seventeen-year-old girl.”

  Hurting her was the last thing I’d ever do. My dreams weren’t what they once were either. My father had changed that. I nodded my understanding.

  “Yes, sir, the last thing I want is to hurt her. We’ve talked about the future and where our lives are headed. She’s different from other girls. She more mature and responsible. She cares about things that matter, and honestly, right now I think I need her more than she needs me.”

  Her father didn’t reply right away. He simply sat there and thought about what I’d said. I couldn’t promise him we would have it easy. However, I could promise him I’d protect her from me. I would never hurt her. If anyone was hurt when this was over, it would be me.

  “Fine, then. Good. I like you, Brady Higgens. I think you’re good for each other.”

  I breathed a little easier.

  Death by Corn Bread

  CHAPTER 39

  RILEY

  I wrapped the afghan around my shoulders tightly to block the cold night breeze. Brady was beside me on the back porch steps. Dinner had gone well, and Bryony was tucked in bed. She’d enjoyed having a new face around to perform for and entertain.

  Between her and Grandmamma, I wasn’t sure what Brady thought of my family. Bryony had kept giving him buttered corn bread, which he ate like a champ, Grandmamma had asked him three times what his name was and if he’d seen Thomas, and then to end the night, Bryony had made him a pallet by our bed and told him to stay.

  If I sat back and tried to see us through someone else’s eyes, we resembled a zoo. Dad had chuckled through all of it. Mom had kept apologizing under her breath. But Brady had smiled and assured everyone he was having a good time.

  “Are you about to vomit from all the corn bread?” I asked him.

  “I’m a growing boy. Bryony knows that. She was just making sure I ate enough.”

  I laughed at that. “Death by corn bread.”

  “It wasn’t bad. I enjoyed it. Was a nice break from my house. This was real. I used to think mine was real, but now that I know what a complete façade it is, I can appreciate the real thing.”

  “Have you thought about how to handle it? Are you going to confront your dad or tell your mom?”

  He sighed and ran a hand through his already messy dark hair. “Yeah, and I don’t know. I have to confront him, and I have to tell my mom. Both I need to do. But the idea of how much pain she’s going to be in kills me.”

  I wondered about Maggie. How all this would affect her. She had found happiness in their home. Now this was about to explode.

  “Are you going to wait until after the championship?”

  He shrugged, then shook his head. “No. I can’t. This is more important than football. My mother gets in bed with that asshole every night. Hell, he could be giving her a damn STD.”

  I hadn’t thought of that. But I doubted that would happen.

  “She’s married, so that’s unlikely. It seems to be an affair for both of them.”

  “She’s a whore. She could be having an affair with several men. And I hate to say this, but he could be doing the same. Who’s to say she’s the only one?”

  Good point. I didn’t argue that. My stomach twisted at the thought. Just when I thought I couldn’t get any sicker.

  We sat there awhile staring out at the stars with our thoughts.

  Gunner was okay with me and Brady. His girlfriend wanted to be my friend. This should all make me happy. But the way Brady was hurting, nothing could make me happy. His world was being ripped apart. There was nothing I could rejoice over at this point. Nothing that would fix that.

  “I’m worried about Maggie. She’s just now settling in and living life. She’s found security, and I’m about to blow that shit up in her face. With me, I’ve never had tragedy to face. Life has been easy. So fucking easy I am soft. For Maggie, she’s been through so much already. Now the only family she has left is about to explode in front of her. Her mother was my dad’s sister, so does that mean she has to go with my dad when he leaves? Because he will leave. My mom won’t have to go anywhere. I’ll make sure of that. But Maggie should get to stay with my mom. Fuck,” he muttered, dropping his head into his hands. “This is so hard. How do I figure out the right thing to do in all this? So many people’s lives are going to be affected. Not just mine. How do I protect them?”

  He was just seventeen. He shouldn’t be having to protect his mother and cousin from this. It was too much responsibility, and it was unfair. I reached over and linked my hand with his. It wasn’t much, but it was all I had. In life, sometimes there was nothing that could comfort you. Nothing to take the pain from your chest. But a simple reminder that you weren’t alone helped. If just a little.

  “Do you think he even considered us for a moment? Me, mom, and Maggie? Or did he just think about himself?”

  People were generally selfish. People who cheated on their spouses were the most selfish people I could think of. Yet it happened all the time. It seemed to be the norm now. Maybe we as humans were getting more selfish.

  “I think if he’d taken a moment to consider who all he was hurting, he would never have done it.”

  Brady nodded. “So he’s a selfish bastard.”

  “Yeah,” I agreed. Because the truth was the truth.

  “I can’t remember if football was my dream or my dad’s. All I can remember was having a football in my hands since I could walk. But did I choose that or was it forced upon me?”

  He was questioning everything now. I didn’t blame him. He hated his father because he was hurt. Wanting to rid yourself of everything to do with the person who’d hurt you was common. It made sense.

  “Do you love football? Does being on the field fulfill something inside you? Does throwing a pass and seeing it land in the receiver’s hands make you feel like you accomplished something?”

  He didn’t reply right away. I waited in the quiet for him to think about it. Finally he sighed. “Yeah.”

  That was his answer. “Then it’s your dream. No one can take your dream, Brady. They can share it with you or want to be a part of it, but at the end of the day it’s yours. You did it. You achieved it. It’s yours. No one else can lay claim to it.”

  He turned his head to look at me. His eyes were almost too pretty under the moonlight. I didn’t tell him that, though. I figured he’d take offense to be referred to as pretty in any way.

  “Can your parents see us?”

  I shook my head. “No. Why?”

  He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine while his hand cupped my jawline. It was gentle yet took my breath away. I let the cool night air engulf my now-heated body as I leaned into him. His taste was always minty. His lips always soft yet firm. In this moment I wondered where I’d be right now if Brady Higgens hadn’t walked back into my life. He was changing me. Teaching me. Opening my world back up.

  When he pulled back, it was just a breath of distance. “What would I do without you?” he asked.

  I had just been thinking the same thing.

  “Fate stepped in and we won’t ever have to know the answer to that question.”

  He grinned and pressed one more kiss to my lips. “I need to send fate a thank-you card. Or a fruit basket,” he teased against my cheek as he brushed a kiss there.

  Smiling, I wondered why it couldn’t be this easy. This simple all the time. Just us. No pain or turmoil. No disaster waiting just ahead. But then it wouldn’t be life, would it?

  I Was Convinced She May Actually Be Perfect

  CHAPTER 40

  BRADY

  The call I had with my mom last night when I told her I would be sleeping over at Riley’s didn’t go well. She knew something was wrong. My dad and I had always been close. This rift between us was confusing her, and the more I kept the reasons why inside, the angrier I got. My hate for the man I’d once loved was intensifying.

  I didn’t sleep well, and when Mrs. Young walked into the living room this morning I was already awake with my history assignment in my lap, working on it.

  “You’re up early,” she said. “I thought with the late night y’all had outside you’d still be sleeping.”

  “No, ma’am. I needed to get my homework done. I hope we didn’t disturb you last night.”

  “Not at all. It does my heart good to see Riley have someone her age around. She’s been without that for so long. Hearing her talk and laugh helps me sleep at night.”

  The more I heard Riley’s parents talk about her, the more I was convinced she may actually be perfect. The girl had to have faults. I just couldn’t figure out what they were yet.

  “I’ve got biscuits I made up last night in the freezer I’m about to pop in the oven. Bryony loves honey and biscuits, so I make them once a week as a treat. I can get you some coffee while they’re baking.”

  “Not a coffee drinker, but thank you,” I told her.

  “That’s right. I keep forgetting. What about some milk?”

  I set my book down. Didn’t feel right having her wait on me. “I’ll get it. You just point me to the glasses.”

  Riley walked into the room just as I stood up. Again her hair was messy from sleep and she looked beautiful.

  “You’re an early riser today,” she said with a sleepy smile.

  “So are you,” her mother replied.

  She shrugged and touched her hip. “My bed buddy kicked me a little too hard in her sleep.”

  Her mother chuckled and walked into the kitchen. “Come on in. I’m getting the biscuits going before I leave. Grandmamma is still asleep, but I will get her oats cooking too. She will be up any minute saying she’s hungry.”