Chapter Twenty
Keller
Keller was sitting at his computer still contemplating Molly’s question. What now? He had no freaking clue. He was in love with Molly, and he was happy they were mated. But he had no idea what the next step should be. He wanted Molly with him all the time; he hated being away from her. Even now his fingers were itching to text her, to see how her day was going. Would she balk at the idea of moving in together? He didn’t see why—she had handled the mating like a champ. Mostly.
Keller’s ruminations were interrupted by Riley, the narc. “Coach Byrne?”
“Well, if it isn’t Coop’s little pet, Riley.” If the kid thought Keller was just going to let the bro code violation go, he had another thing coming. He’d had too much on his mind to give Riley hell the last time he’d seen him.
“I’m sorry, Coach. Really I am. You did me a solid and then I went and got you in trouble with Corey.” Riley plopped down in the chair opposite Keller’s desk, slouching and letting his head rest against its back.
“Don’t forget about Molly.” Keller folded his hands on his desk. “Although, to be honest she seemed to be more impressed than upset. What the hell are you doing to those waitresses?”
“I—”
Keller held up his hand when Riley opened his mouth to answer. “Nope. You know what? I don’t actually want to know. Thank you, though.” He cracked his neck, side to side. “What do you need? You didn’t come here just to apologize.”
“It’s my turn to meet with the investigators. Coach Hardy was going to go with me so he could listen in and hear everything firsthand. But he found Corey asleep on her desk and took her home. So. Wanna come with me?”
“Not really, but I’m guessing Dom told you to come and ask me. Which means, I gotta.” Keller scrubbed his hands down his face. As boring as this was going to be, at least it would be a good distraction from Molly.
They set out across campus, walking side by side. “Coach, I don’t know why I told Corey. I mean, I do, she scares me and it’s really hard for me to lie to her. But I don’t know why.”
Keller clapped him on the back. “You love her. She’s family. She’s pack. It’s hard for me to lie to her too. Even if you would’ve attempted it, Coop would have seen right through you. Plus, eventually Molly would have caught you at the bar.” Keller wanted to leave it at that, he really did. But a couple weeks ago Coop had come to him and asked him to have the talk with Riley. She wanted to make sure that he was being responsible and respectful.
Keller attempted to be an adult and set the kid on the straight and narrow, but the conversation had somehow taken an odd turn. Which was how he’d ended up getting Riley an in at the Moon Bar. Now, thanks to Coop and his new mate, he was feeling guilty about it all. “You’re being careful, right? Like we talked about? It’s all fun and games right now, but one day you’ll find your forever and you’ll want to be able to give them, uh, everything? You feel me?”
Riley chuckled. “Listening to you try and talk about safe sex is just as hilarious this time around as it was the first.” He ducked when Keller tried to smack him on the back of the head. “Coach, are you trying to ask me if I’m using condoms?”
Keller sighed. The little shithead. “Yes. In the most passive, indirect way I possibly can.”
“Yes. I am being extremely careful. You don’t have to worry about that with me.” Keller watched out of the corner of his eye as the kid’s cocky smile fell. “I know what it’s like to accidentally make a baby you didn’t want. I would never put someone through what my dad put my mom through. Never.”
“Riley, shit, I—look, I don’t know what to say here.” Riley’d had a tough go of it early in life. His dad bailed on his mom before Riley was even born. If his stepdad hadn’t come along, Riley would have been alone during his first shift, completely in the dark about what was happening to him and why. Since Riley was such a happy guy, Keller sometimes forgot about what he’d gone through.
“It’s okay. Hey, speaking of finding your forever, congratulations. Miss Molly is great.” Riley smiled again, and this time it stuck.
“Thanks, man.”
“So, accidentally mating? Not too careful of you, huh?” Riley ducked and Keller’s hand sailed over his head a second time. “I’m just saying, practice what you preach, brother.”
Keller snorted. “Yes, it’s all very funny. Keller accidentally claimed his mate. Ha, ha.” He was actually having fun with Riley. Instead of feeling like he had to babysit one of his players, he felt like he was hanging out with one of his friends. But, like, for real hanging out, not Moon Bar hanging out. Ugh. They’d ruined that term.
“To be honest, man, the claiming was the easy part. I mean, I, uh, changed in front of her and everything. She handled it all really well. I just don’t know what to do now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like should we move in together? Should we spend more time getting to know one another? Do I propose? She has this cat, and it hates dogs. It hates me. Can I live with a cat? Coop and Dom made it all seem so easy, so seamless.”
Riley held up a finger. “First of all, don’t compare your relationship to Corey and Dom’s. Don’t compare your relationship to anyone else’s. That’s a really dangerous habit to form. Second, you need to talk to Molly. I’m sure she is having the exact same thoughts you are. Remember, you are in this together. You’re a team. Act like one. Third, don’t ask her to get rid of her cat. That’d be a dick move.”
Keller slowed his steps, more than a little shocked. “When the hell did you get so damn smart?”
“It’s all those older chicks I’ve been hanging out with. They have magazines laying around all over the place. I’ve read some pretty insightful articles this month.”
“You read when you are with these girls?” Keller laughed. “Are you sure you’re doing it right?”
Riley chuckled, smugly. “Oh, I’m doing it just fine. Most of them need a little nap before we hang out another round. I can never sleep until at least round three—too much energy, I guess.”
Keller nodded in approval. “All right man, good for you. Maybe, uh, leave out details like that around Coop and Molly though.”
Riley smirked and opened the door. “Why? Think they’d be jealous of my stamina?” Riley wasn’t quick enough this time—Keller’s hand made direct contact with the back of Riley’s head.