Thousand Yard Bride (16 page)

Pushing my lips together, I went white. "Hunter!" Just like that, he was back to being his over-sexed self. But as we sat there together, his hand on mine, I noticed he didn't once go back to trying to feel me up.

He was too busy watching those kids play.

I
went
home and threw my closet open. I decided to try on my old prom dress to see if it still fit, no point in wasting more time and money on a dress I was only going to wear once, after all.

I had to squirm to get into it, and my pregnancy boobs were too big for my old strapless bra now, so I had to hope that the fabric would contain them. I had turned my
Titanic
DVD on as background noise while I got ready. It was on the dance scene where Leo and Kate twirl around in the lower decks of the ship when my doorbell rang.

It was Aldous, the Daniels’ butler. He was holding a long garment bag. “Uh. Hi,” I said, completely caught off guard.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Cooke. I have a delivery for you. Might I hang it up?” I opened the door so Aldous could enter. He looked around and asked, “Where might your dressing area be?”

“Um. I guess in the bedroom.”

“I'll deposit this in there. That color is fetching on you, by the way.”

I looked down at my old prom dress, which I couldn't even zip up the whole way, feeling self-conscious. “Thanks. The room is just through that hallway there,” I said, pointing. There was really only one way to my bedroom.

I wasn't sure if I should tip him, and I didn't have any cash in my pockets, so when he came back towards me, I nervously handed him an orange from my fruit basket.

“Thank you, Ms. Cooke. You are very kind.”

More like ridiculous,
I thought privately.

He was halfway through the door when he turned around. “One more thing. I was told to tell you that ‘Ms. Winslet says to enjoy the evening.’” I didn't have time to respond or ask what he meant before Aldous was gone, presumably to flit around town delivering packages and accepting tips in the form of fruit.

I ran to my bedroom and unzipped the garment bag. Inside was a black and white ball gown with a beaded black overlay, which would help hide my bump, layered over a voluminous white skirt.

It had delicate long sleeves and a scooping neckline. I saw that there was a note pinned to the outside of the garment bag. I opened it to pull out a picture of Kate Winslet wearing the exact same gown. Then my phone rang.

“Well, what do you think?” Hunter said before I could even say hello.

“How did you—I don’t even know what to say. It’s gorgeous!”

“It’s the dress Kate wore at last year’s Met Gala. I think it will look wonderful on you. It’ll be just like
Titanic
.”

Snorting, I turned the photo around in wonder. “Except in
Titanic
, the guy was poor and the girl was the rich one.”

Hunter laughed, rich and low and I wanted more of it. “So what? We can still dance like Jack and Rose.”

“Sounds like a plan. And thank you. This is the most amazing thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

“See you tonight.” The line cut off.

Armed with a burst of new confidence, I struggled into the dress. I did two or five spins in the mirror, gawking at how great it looked. It was a shame I couldn't do much with my hair to match it; I settled for a quick bun with some loose pieces.

Flapping my hands at my sides, I breathed deep, pushing my neckline to the limit. "This is it. Here we go."

Hunter had sent a car for me. That was good, because in this floofy gown, I didn't think I could reach my own pedals.

The event was being held at the Haven Oaks Country Club. The driver helped me out, and I entered the club with more strut in my step than usual. However, when I walked through the doors into the ballroom, I nearly fainted.

I had never seen anything like it—outside of the movies. It seemed like every time I went to a Daniels' family soiree, I was exposed to some whole new level of opulence.

In the ballroom, socialites and captains of industry were waltzing to the music of a fifteen-person orchestra. I made it a point to wave to a few of the reporters, figuring I should make the best of the situation.

Through the ballroom, I could see the grand dining room. The tables were draped in shimmering cloth and covered in candles. Complicated flower arrangements were everywhere. Some were in vases that were taller than me.

Then I noticed the ice sculptures. There were swans, roses, and even a butter sculpture that was a miniature version of the Haven Oaks Clubhouse. The details were there down to the topiary trees and Corinthian pillars.

I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I hadn’t even made it halfway across the ballroom to greet Victoria and Hunter when my heart started pounding.

The football player was wearing what he'd promised; a frost-white tuxedo that somehow did
not
look ridiculous on him. It brought out the gold in his irises, and when he smiled, I didn't know if his teeth were whiter or vice versa—both were glowing.

I reached out for Hunter’s hand. He squeezed it and whispered in my ear, “You’re the most beautiful woman that has ever walked into this room. Just smile and enjoy that fact.”

“You look stunning, dear,” Victoria said. I’d only accomplished my makeup with the assistance of a few helpful YouTube tutorials. I said a prayer to the internet. “That dress suits you wonderfully.”

“Thank you. Speaking of that, Hunter told me about your dress donation charity. I think that’s so lovely, Victoria.”

She smiled ear to ear like she hadn’t gotten a compliment like that in a very long time.

I was actually feeling pretty good about the evening until Mr. Daniels interrupted the conversation and pulled Hunter away. At least I still had Victoria to talk to, but then Cerene summoned her from the bar.

I was left alone in the middle of the ballroom, and suddenly I felt like I was alone on the moon. Then I saw Reese chatting up a hostess with a tray of champagne by the dessert table. I made my way to him, happy to have spotted an ally.

“Hey, Reese,” I said.

“My word, Jo. You should always wear gowns instead of suits from now on!” Reese kissed me on the cheek. "Where is our dear friend Hunter?"

Pointing out where he was standing by his father, I sighed. "He gets yanked away a lot."

"Well, I wanted to tell you,” Reese began, “That ever since you two got engaged, Hunter has been a different man. I don't know what you did but he seems all grown up now.”

Startled, I checked his face to make sure he was being serious. “Really?”

He nodded. “I’m not saying he isn’t still going to act like a jackass sometimes, just that I don't have to worry about him anymore. Whatever you did, keep doing it.”

I smiled sincerely at Reese. I wondered if he knew about the pregnancy, after all, he
was
Hunter's best friend. I was about to feel him out when Benny and Jam came over, clearly buzzed from too much time spent at the bar.

Benny was in a worse way and I hoped that one of the other Kings would give him a glass of water, shot of espresso, or just a ride home.

He flagged down another pretty waitress with four glasses of champagne left on her tray, handing one to me with a big grin. "Hey, Jo! Drink up!"

I accepted the champagne and faked a sip. I saw Reese wink at me and nearly dropped the glass.
He must know, that's got to be it.

Reese and Jam excused themselves to go smoke a cigar on the terrace. Left alone with Benny, I squirmed as his eyes traveled down my body and back up, and he grinned at me as he stepped closer. I could smell the booze on his breath. He whispered in my ear, “Well, well. You clean up nice. Hunter always did have the best taste in women.”

“You know what, I really need to visit the restroom. Catch up with you later.” Without waiting for a response I turned away from the dessert table toward the back exit of the ballroom. I quickened my pace to get away from him, but he followed right behind me.

I was hoping to lose him in the crowd, and I had almost made it to the bathroom door when I felt a strong grip on the back of my arm. I turned around, furious, and opened my mouth to speak, but Benny beat me to it. “I’ve seen the way you’ve been looking at me, Jo. I know it’s not all in my head. Why don't we lock the door? I won’t tell Hunter if you don't.” Then he brushed past me into the restroom and tried to pull me in.

Ripping at his hold, I growled, “Let go, Benny. I’m serious!”

“I’m serious, too,” he said, grabbing my waist with his other arm. My annoyance turned to outrage, and I shoved him away from me, clearly with more force than he’d expected. As soon as he stumbled back, I took off and headed back for the ballroom.

His long legs pumped; he was on me again. “Just one kiss, baby. Come on.” His palm came down on my shoulder, then it kept going, hooking into my neckline and starting to tear it.

I yelped and managed to wriggle away from him just as I saw Hunter running toward us.

“Get away from her!” He didn't give Benny room to do so; his fist came forward, hitting the other man straight in his jaw so solidly that Benny tumbled into the far wall. Hunter approached him again, fist pulled back and ready to keep going.

“Hunter,” I pleaded, staring side to side at the silent, gawking crowd that had been milling by the ballroom. “People are looking. Let it go. You can’t make a scene. Your career is too important.”

His lips peeled back, teeth bared. "My
career?
You think I'd pick that over defending you?"

I fought down a thrill. "I'm fine! He didn't hurt me. Please, relax and walk away."

There was a black storm cloud growing in his eyes. I was sure Benny could feel the danger here, the static crackling in the air—he was leaning against the wall, arm over his bleeding mouth and saying nothing.

“I thought you were my friend, Benny.” Hunter's shoulders became rocks. He wasn't calming down at all. “You’re scum. If you ever touch Jo again, I’ll beat you down so hard you’ll never play again. Fuck, you'll never
walk.
”

Benny hadn't blinked, his eyes just bulged. Around us, people murmured but didn't approach. I saw Victoria by the doorway, her face pinched and pale.

Finally, Hunter looked at me. The intensity wasn't fully gone; I felt the tension in his cells as he wrapped his arms around me and led me away. “I’m sorry that happened,” he whispered into my hair.

"Don't be." Leaning into his chest, I struggled with my surge of attraction. I didn't want to see anyone get hurt, but the way Hunter had stood up for me—I'd never seen anything like it.

No one had ever cared so much for me in my life.

S
eeing
Benny's hand on her stomach, inches from where my baby was, it was all I could do to not tear into him and leave him bleeding on the country club floor. Something more intense than anger was controlling me. I didn't just feel it mentally; it was like a wave of rage was snapping through my muscles. I couldn't escape it. I didn't want to.

I’d gotten into my fair share of fights over the years. More often than not it was some stupid bar fight where one asshole said something stupid to another asshole, and then shit broke out.

I’d never had to hit a person I once considered a friend.

I’d never had the fleeting urge to kill someone before.

It honestly scared me a little bit. The evidence showed that I was capable of a lot of stupid shit, but that feeling of rage felt as close to insanity as I’d ever experienced.

It was good for everyone—especially Benny—that Jo stopped me from destroying him. When she put her head on my chest, I knew she could feel me shaking. It was so unlike the time I'd nearly come apart while talking about Poppy cheating on me. I no longer cared if she saw my weakness.

I just wanted her to feel safe.

What am I was going to do about Benny?
I wondered. I still had to work with him. We were on the same team, we had the same friends. Football is a small world.

Over Jo’s shoulder I saw him get up. He held his face with his hand. When he took it away, I was both relieved and disappointed to see that I hadn’t done much damage. His lip was split and bleeding, but that was all. The fucker still had his teeth.

He made sure I saw—throwing me a red-stained grin. Spinning, he walked away while shrugging off the help of a few women who probably thought I was a psycho beast. Fine. Good.

I only cared what Jo thought of me. And she was in my arms, so I was pretty sure we were doing fine.

I wasn't sure if I would tell Reese or Jam or any of the others about Benny. What the hell was wrong with him? Trying to get with another person I was seeing was more than a slip up, it was a pattern.

I knew he didn't know that Jo was pregnant, but that didn’t matter to me. She was
mine,
this baby was
mine.
I'd never been so possessive, this was a primordial urge to keep Jo safe.

I held her for a while. She was a trooper, insisting she was okay. Even if she shook the incident off, the anger was slower to leave my veins.

“I need to talk to Reese,” I told her. “Will you be alright if I walk you back to the ballroom before finding him?”

“Yeah,” she said, then she paused thoughtfully. “Hey, does Reese know about the you-know-what?”

I cringed. “I had to tell someone, Jo. I was panicking. Reese has my back, he wouldn't tell anyone else.”

“Yeah, he seems like a good guy,” she said. “Unlike some people.”

We both eyed up Benny in a corner, already swilling another drink and talking to a waitress.

“Unbelievable." I spit the word out.

I scanned the room and saw Reese talking to my mother. "Stay here," I said, helping her sit on the sidelines in a big chair.

Blushing, she crossed her legs. "Hunter, I'm really okay. Go talk to Reese."

Bending low, I kissed her softly on her brow. I was so used to people watching my every move that I didn't notice or care if they did right then. Jo needed to understand how much I cared for her. And how much the caring was morphing into something better deserving of the word
love
than when I'd stated that to her after the engagement party.

I wanted this woman.

Not just her . . . but our future.

Didn't that make it love?

Jo blinked multiple times, staring up at me with her eyes sparkling. "You call me if you need me," I said firmly. "Scream and shout. If anyone messes with you, you say the word, I'll be there."

"Okay," she breathed out. It was all she had in her, two fingers touching her forehead where I'd kissed her. Nodding, I made my way over to Reese.

He watched me approach, parting from my mother to meet me a few feet away—privacy. "I saw what happened with Benny," he said. "Nice right hook, but why'd you do it?"

Smirking, I lifted my head. Jo was still sitting there, chatting with a waiter who'd approached with a tray of snacks. “How well do you really know Benny, Reese?”

“I don't know, as well as you do, I guess."

I shook my head and forcibly unclenched my jaw. “It turns out I don't know him at all. I caught him making a pass at Jo. He wouldn't back off, kept stalking her down the hall until I got to them." Remembering his hands on her made me ball mine into knotted fists.

“Shit, man,” Reese muttered.

“Yeah. So I’m not sure how training season is going to go. That’s pretty close quarters.”

“Just remember that I’ve got your back. It's a shame that the Kings Club will be down one member. He fucked up a good thing.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe I ever trusted him,” I said.

Wrapping an arm around me, he guided me further from the crowd. I went, but I never took one eye off of Jo. “How is everything else going?"

“Good so far," I said, smiling at the topic change. "I’m going with her to her doctor’s appointment tomorrow.”

“I’m happy for you, brother,” Reese said.

Ruffling my hair, I let myself laugh. “I’m getting excited about it. It’s all so crazy, but there’s just something about her."

“Then I’d say you’re living the dream. Beautiful woman, good sex, keeping the family line going.”

Shaking my head, I said, “Hard to think that the LA trip was just a few months ago."

“In another life, brother. But this one’s better for you."

“Yeah?”

“Of course!" Slapping me a bit too hard on the back, Reese's eyes lit up. "No matter how you met her, Jo is quality. And we can’t stay wild boys forever.”

I did a double take. “Don’t tell me Reese, the King of Hearts, is thinking of settling down."

“It’s the truth," he said, shutting his eyes like it was the saddest damn news. "I’m tired of all the partying. I just want to play ball and then go home to a good woman in a nice house.”

“Good woman in a nice house does sound pretty wonderful,” I admitted.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jo laughing with the waiter. She had on a huge smile, her eyes getting those little fishtail wrinkles at the corners that told the world she was used to being bright and bold. I couldn't hear her laughter because of the music, but I could hear it in my head.

Reese saw me watching her. “Go, take care of your woman. Leave me to my musings about how I’m going to pull off your stripper-less bachelor party. Such a shame," he lamented.

Walking away, making a beeline for Jo, I didn't really agree.

The old Hunter needed strippers.

The new one just wanted his soon to be wife.