Bear, p.9
Bear, page 9
“You’re not funny.” Roxie rolled her eyes at the corny joke. “But I am glad Chad and Scott made the shirts team.”
“You and me both, sister,” Xan said, walking toward out the backdoor with the baby monitor attached to her hip and a pan of hamburger patties in her hand.
“Normally, I’d be all about seeing my Latin lover’s skin, but I told Roc he couldn’t take his shirt off.”
“Still in the doghouse?” Anna asked as she buttered the buns to be cooked.
“Hell, yeah. He was so territorial yesterday; I’m surprised he didn’t piss on my leg.”
“What happened?” Xan asked. She picked up the spatula and tossed the patties on the hot grate. “Crap, we should’ve put these on first.”
“I doubt they’ll care if their hotdogs get cold,” Shelby said.
“Gross.” If they weren’t hot and burned, Roxie wouldn’t eat one. She maneuvered them around again to make a bit more room for the rest of the patties. Once they were all on the grill, she shut the lid.
“Cheese dip and beans are ready. Just keeping them warm,” Caitlin said as she stepped onto the deck. “Viola’s finishing up the potato salad.”
“That should be everything, then,” Roxie said.
“Good.” Xan turned to Heather. “Now, tell us why Roc’s in trouble.”
Heather’s gaze darted to the makeshift football field. “I wanted to help with the investigation, and he was being a dick.”
“You can’t blame him,” Viola said. “The man did kidnap you.”
Roxie gaped at her. “Roc kidnapped you? Why? I don’t understand.”
“No. Luc. You remember the mafia guy who—”
“Oh, yeah, yeah.” Roxie waved off her comment. “What about him?” How could Roxie forget that man? She’d gotten caught up in that mess when her cousin Flint had screwed her over. Then the jerk had up and disappeared after he’d disgraced the sheriff’s office by getting in bed with criminals. That’d happened not long after his friendship with Teddy had fizzled. She’d later learned that Teddy had a hand in her cousin’s downfall, but the man wasn’t keen on providing details. It didn’t much matter nowadays anyway.
Hopefully, Oz would do a much better job as sheriff than Flint ever had when he won the upcoming election.
“They’re investigating The Shadow, and Luc was the one who originally gave them his real name. I offered to call Luc and ask if he has any more intel.”
“No, you didn’t,” Xan said, acting scandalized.
“Why the hell not? Luc might ignore anybody else who asked. At least with me, I know he’s telling the truth.”
“And did he have anything vital to share?” Anna asked, but her question sounded more sarcastic than genuine. “No, he didn’t.”
“So, yeah, Roc got mad, went all caveman. I called anyway, and we’ve been fighting ever since.”
“I can’t believe Bear was open to reaching out to the guy anyway,” Anna said.
“Oh, please. That man’s willing to lick dirty toilet seats if it means protecting Roxie,” Shelby said and bumped her hip against Roxie’s.
“I’m not listening to this,” she said, opening the grill and flipping the burgers. The hotdogs were getting a little too done, so she took them off and added the buns to toast.
“You sure were doing something last night,” Xan said with a wink.
Roxie gasped at being outed.
“Oh, I gotta hear this,” Shelby said, hopping up on the picnic table.
Viola came out of the kitchen. “Potato salad’s done and in the fridge.”
“Hush, girl, we were just getting to the good stuff,” Anna said, grabbing a few chips and stepping to the side so Viola could squeeze in.
“O.M.G. Did you guys kiss?” Maya asked.
“Actually, no. When he tried to kiss me, I told him no kissing.”
“But you did other stuff?” Heather asked, leaning in.
Roxie glanced around, made sure the men were way out of earshot, and said, “Maybe a little.”
Several of the girls clapped. Heather squealed.
“Keep it down,” Roxie whispered heatedly, swatting at the chick.
Roc’s head popped up at the sound of her laughter and smiled. He took a step toward them, but Bear tugged him back into position on their designated line of scrimmage.
“Sorry, but this is major,” Heather whispered.
“Well, we didn’t get far. I was saved by the bell.”
“Or a nosey neighbor,” Xan said with a chuckle.
“You didn’t,” Shelby said.
“I didn’t mean to. She was sad when we left our boys to do their homecoming dance thing, and I thought I was going over there to cheer her up. How was I supposed to know Bear was already on the job?” She wagged her brows.
“So you did other stuff, but you didn’t let him kiss you?” Heather asked slowly.
“I mean, not my mouth,” Roxie said slowly.
More giggles and claps erupted from their small group.
Roxie scowled. “Knock it off, y’all.”
“Why not kiss him?” Xan asked. “It’s not like you haven’t—”
“Because,” Roxie said, cutting her off. She didn’t want to get into all the gory details with the girls when the men were just feet away.
“Okay, look,” Xan said slowly, but she was fighting a smile. “I get you were named after a hooker—”
“What?” Shelby screeched.
“Oh, c’mon, you know the song Roxanne by The Police,” Xan clarified. “And you’re a redhead and all, but what you’re not is a prostitute in a rom-com movie.”
“You did not just make a Pretty Woman reference,” Roxie said, rolling her eyes.
The boys shouted down in the grass, drawing their attention. Some of them were razzing the others while Chad and Scott high-fived.
Roxie moved the patties and the buns. “Come and get it,” she shouted.
Viola popped into the kitchen to get the potato salad, and Anna went with her to get the plates and forks. There were already drinks and snacks on the table.
“I’ll get the cheese dip and beans,” Xan said and followed the others into the house.
“Mom? We got any Gatorade?” Chad yelled as he dug in the cooler.
“In the fridge. Grab the sweet tea while you’re in there.”
Chad and Scott jogged to the door and held it open as the ladies came out with the food.
“Need any help?” Chad asked.
“No, baby,” Xan said. “We got it.”
Even though this cookout had been born out of avoiding a confessional about Teddy to her BFF, Roxie enjoyed seeing all of her friends having a good time at her home. Roxie didn’t do things like this. Host parties. She’d never had the chance. As she glanced over the deck railing, warmth bloomed in her chest at how much fun everyone was having. This had to be what having a big family felt like.
“Smells good,” Teddy said from right behind her.
She gasped and whirled. “You gotta stop doing that.”
“Doing what? Complimenting your food?” He stepped closer to her, his lip quirking, and her eyes widened at how close he was standing. “Is this like the no kissing order last night when I found a hot little exception? Because I can always compliment something else of yours that smells delicious.” His lips brushed her ear. “Your pussy is my favorite scent.”
“Hey Roxie, do you have any napkins?”
Roxie’s gaze flew in the direction of Caitlin’s voice just in time to see Shelby swat her and mutter something about interrupting. God, was everybody watching Roxie and Teddy?
Axle poked Shelby. “Don’t swat my girlfriend.”
Shelby glared at her brother and looked to Mason, probably wanting him to swoop in and defend her, too.
Her boyfriend lifted his hands with a chuckle. “Sorry, pet, I’m not getting in the middle of your sibling rivalry.”
Roxie nudged Teddy away and focused on Caitlin. “Forgot to get some, but I’ve got paper towels in the pantry. Bottom shelf.”
“I’ll get ’em,” Chad called out from the doorway. He tossed his unopened sports drink to Scott and disappeared into the house.
The food was all placed on the picnic table, and Brody and Blade set up folding tables and chairs in a long line in the grass where they’d been playing ball. Roxie grabbed the plastic table cloths and spread them out, tossing some extra bowls of chips throughout the middle to keep the flimsy material from flying off.
Everyone huddled around the picnic table, piling food onto their paper plates. Roxie rushed into the kitchen to grab the condiments. Jeez, next time she threw a party, she should make a list and be better organized.
Roxie was last to fix her plate, and as she headed to the table where everyone sat, Chad shouted, “Mom, I saved you a seat.”
“Thanks, honey.” She walked toward her son and almost stumbled when she saw who occupied the seat on the other side of the one Chad patted.
Teddy stood and pulled out her chair.
“Thank you,” she said, giving him a strained smile.
He winked at her as she sat down, and she mentally ordered her knees not to wobble.
Conversation flowed around the meal, and that giddy feeling Roxie felt at having this gathering bubbled over. Hunter kept narrowing his eyes at Teddy.
“Who licked the red of his candy?” she whispered to Teddy before munching on a chip.
Teddy chuckled. “Sore loser…and if anybody’s gonna be licking anything red, it’s gonna be me.”
She coughed around the food in her mouth, and he chuckled at his innuendo before going back to his burger. She’d call him a heathen if she could clear her airway. She guzzled down her beverage and glanced around at the people gathered. An overwhelming feeling of gratitude at having them in her life, at her home, enveloped her.
“Thank y’all for coming over today,” she said. Chattering died down, and all gazes found her. Crap, she hadn’t meant to distract everyone. She wasn’t even sure if she’d meant to say it out loud. She fidgeted in her seat and felt a large soothing palm slide onto her upper thigh. Teddy gave her a gentle squeeze. “That’s all I wanted to say,” she rushed out and waved her hands in a shooing motion. “Now, go back to eatin’ and quit gawkin’ at me. Y’all’re making me as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.”
The born and bred southerners laughed. The transplants looked a little confused initially before chuckling.
“Mom, guess who was at the homecoming game?”
Roxie glanced at Chad. “Who?”
“A scout for the Arkansas Bears.”
“Yeah,” Scott said, “And coach said last night when we got to the dance that he’d be back at the next home game.”
“That’s great,” Xan said.
Worry engulfed Roxie. She knew her son would love to play for the Bears, but if he didn’t make the team or get the right kind of scholarships, she wasn’t sure how she could afford it. It was a public university, but it was the largest in the state with many national championships under its belt. All the athletic programs were highly competitive there.
“It is,” Roxie said, putting her fork down. “But you should apply to smaller schools, too. The college in Conway has football, too.” Plus, she wouldn’t have to worry about room and board since he could live at home and still attend.
“Mom, I’m gonna be a Bear,” Chad said as he picked up his hamburger.
Teddy leaned across Roxie, and she held her breath at his nearness.
“Who’s the scout?”
“Cliff Jennings, I think?”
“Jenkins. Good,” Bear said with a nod as if he understood something, but Roxie was as lost as last year’s Easter egg.
“You know him?” Chad asked, leaning toward Teddy, and she eased back slightly to give them just a bit more room to talk.
“Yeah, he scouted back when I was recruited.”
Chad slapped his hand on the table, almost knocking over her Gatorade. “You played for the Bears? No way.”
“It’s how he got his nickname,” Brody said around a mouthful of hotdog.
“Holy shit,” Chad breathed.
“Language,” Roxie snapped, narrowing her gaze at her son. He muttered an apology but didn’t take his stare off of Teddy. If he had, she was sure she’d see heart emojis in his eyes.
“Are you on the alumni roster?”
“Yeah, as Theodore Knight, but everyone knows me as Theo. Hell, even my dad never called me Theodore.” Teddy chuckled.
“So the Teddy nickname started after you began using Bear?” Xan tilted her head.
Teddy flashed Roxie a grin and kept his gaze on her as he answered. “No. Only one person has ever used that name.”
Roxie felt her cheeks get hot. Teddy squeezed her knee, and she just realized his hand hadn’t left her leg.
“Aww, isn’t that sweet,” Xan said.
Roxie shot her soon-to-be-dead BFF with what she hoped was a withering glare.
“I’ll work on some drills with you and go over the videos of your plays to pick the best ones to highlight,” Teddy said to Chad. He glanced at Scott. “You, too. We’ll make sure you’re both ready to meet with the scout when the time comes.”
“Can we run some plays after we eat?” Chad asked.
“Sure.” Teddy smiled. He glanced at Roxie before adding, “After you help clean up.”
“Sweet.”
When Teddy’s gaze met hers again, she had the urge to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him in front of God and everybody. She wasn’t sure if it was wise getting Chad’s hopes up about playing for the Bears, but the idea of Teddy helping her boy achieve his dream turned her insides to goo.
Teddy’s tongue slipped out, and he wetted his lips as if he could read her intimate thoughts. It was hard to remember why she’d told him not to kiss her last night when it was all she wanted to do right now.
Later, when he wasn’t sitting right beside her, touching her, she’d scold herself and reiterate all the reasons it was a bad idea.
She looked away, swallowing down her need, and began to gather the dirty plates around her.
“You know what we should do while the guys toss around the football?” Shelby looked around the table. “Pop some popcorn and watch a movie.”
“Ugh, I’m stuffed,” Roxie said. She brought her cup to her mouth and sipped on the last of her sweet tea and chewed on some lingering ice.
“Maybe a classic?” Heather said, ignoring Roxie’s comment. Why was she also fighting a smile?
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Maya said, gleefully adding to the idea. “And I know just the flick.”
“Better be a romance,” Anna said. “With sex.”
Xan stood. “And a redhead who refuses to kiss the hot man who wants her.”
Roxie coughed, almost swallowing the piece of ice in her mouth. Her gaze flew to Teddy who looked as if he was trying not to laugh.
Dead. Roxie was going to kill them all dead.
Chapter Thirteen
What was that?
Roxie clutched her blanket and turned down the television. Had something banged against the side of her house? It was Halloween, but living at the end of a country road meant no trick-or-treaters showed. She always had candy prepared and her porch light on, but every year, she had a bowl of leftover candy. She’d learned her lesson years ago to always buy the good stuff.
Pop.
She jumped as it sounded again. Slowly rising from the couch, she scanned her darkened living room. It hadn’t come from the front of the house, so it wasn’t a kid in a costume.
Jeez, she hoped it wasn’t someone walking around in a costume. What if they had a bloody chainsaw with them?
Watching scary movies in the dark while Chad was out at a party had probably been a bad idea.
Roxie tiptoed down the hallway to her bedroom. She peeked through the blinds. Did that shadow just move? She stared harder, trying to concentrate on it, but she couldn’t tell. Deciding Chad’s room had a better angle, she crouched down and made her way to his bedroom. Grabbing the windowsill, she pulled up just enough to peer through the bottom part of his window since it was only covered at the top.
Something moved!
She was sure of it. Roxie dropped to the floor and crawled to the living room to get her phone. Who was out walking around in her yard? Teddy had guys watching it, she knew, but she hadn’t seen any of them out walking around. Was it Teddy? If so, she’d rip him a new asshole for scaring her.
The blanket she’d been wrapped in was puddled on the floor, so she stayed low, leaned against the couch, and tossed the fuzzy throw over her head to help block out the light from her phone.
Should she call Teddy? Although she was used to seeing that big silver thing in her driveway, she still felt someone staying here all the time was overkill. However, what would she do if it wasn’t sitting right outside?
She’d call Brody. He was right next door. The day he’d married Xan he’d become Roxie’s DH—designated husband.
Her shaky fingers flew over the screen. When it began to ring, she cursed at how loud it sounded and turned it almost all the way day before bringing it up to her ear.
“Roxie?” he asked.
“Hey,” she barely said.
“Why are you whispering?” he asked, his voice rising.
“What’s going on?” Xan asked in the background. “Why didn’t she call me?”
“I think someone’s outside.”
“Don’t move.” Then he said in a muffled voice, “Keep her on the phone. Don’t go outside.”
“What’s going on?” Xan asked again right into the phone.
“Hopefully nothing. Been binge-watching all the spooky movies in my queue, and probably just scared myself is all.” She told her about what she thought she saw, but when several loud bangs sounded outside, she gasped.
“That was just Brody pounding on the camper.”
“Ugh, why is he bothering Teddy?”
“Wait, you didn’t call him first?”
