Reagan

Carter was coming home. I stood at the terminal waiting with Brooke, who had Benjie with her and she was right; he was an amazing kid. She’d been minding him again while Emily, Dustin’s ex, was out of town on business once again. At first, I thought it was strange how a mother could leave her child with a complete stranger, until Brooke told me she’d met with Emily and took all her credentials with her, so she knew Brooke wasn’t a criminal. Carter’s mom had also called Emily since she’d known her from back in the day and praised Brooke to her. Which I thought was sweet.

Beth had got to know Brooke over the time Carter was gone. We’d had even spent one day talking, drinking tea and then in the evening drinking tequila. I was floored by the amount Beth could drink and hadn’t realized how funny she was until that night.

When Patty had come to pick her up, I was standing at the front door yelling my goodbyes, as Beth turned and raced back up to me for a hug.

“Thank you,” she’d whispered.

“What for?”

“For making Carter happy.”

My heart had warmed. “Then you’re welcome.”

Of course, Mom had also been touched, and when she’d heard our exchange, she burst into tears. Dad arrived just after they’d left, Mom still crying. He took one look and hung his head, grinning. Mom had always been an emotional drunk.

Around us, the noise grew, so I knew the team had arrived.

Carter had arrived.

He was home.

People filed off the plane. I searched and searched, ignoring the camera trained on me. I didn’t care if I looked crazed. I was eager to see him, to hold him and kiss him. The phone calls hadn’t been enough, not since I’d had the chance to taste Carter. He was like my favorite candy, and I was addicted.

When I saw him through the crowd, he was already looking at me and grinning brightly. I let out an excited squeak and dodged through the people. He watched me coming and braced. I leaped into his arms and wrapped mine around his neck, his went around my waist, and I was lifted off the floor.

“Carter,” I breathed into his neck. A sudden swirl of raw emotions clogged my throat.

“Sweetheart,” he murmured against my neck. He placed me back on my feet, a hand of his threading through my loose hair and he tugged my head back a little to capture my gaze.

“Happy tears?” he asked, worry causing his brows to dip.

I nodded. “Very happy tears.”

His smile was back. “Good.” Then he kissed me. I heard a few catcalls, but I ignored everything except the feeling of Carter’s lips on mine. The warm kiss soon turned heated when I opened my mouth under his tongue trailing over my lips. I wrapped him up tighter in my embrace, still, it wasn’t enough.

Someone cleared their throat, and then I heard, “Benjie.”

“Daddy!” was yelled.

Carter pecked my lips once more and then straightened, beaming his grin down at me. “Glad to be home.”

“So am I.”

I glanced beside us to see Dustin as he bent low and swooped his son up into his arms for a warm hug before planting him back on his feet.

“How’s my boy?” Dustin asked.

“Awesome. Miss Brooke took me to the library yesterday after school. I got so many comics it’s not funny. We can read them when you’re not playing.”

“Sounds great, kiddo.” He ruffled Benjie’s hair and then hooked an arm around his shoulders, bringing him close to his side. Dustin looked up at Brooke standing beside us. She was smiling softly down at Benjie. “Thanks again, Brooke.”

She shrugged. “Not a problem.”

“Dustin, Dustin, who’s your lady friend?” was called by a reporter behind the roped off area.

“Benjie, are you proud of your dad getting the last score that won the game?” another yelled.

“Of course,” Benjie cheered.

Dustin shifted. He grabbed Brooke’s arm and tugged her to his side. She stumbled and righted herself, her hands landing on his chest and stomach. “This here is my girlfriend.”

My eyes widened. Carter cursed low. Brooke’s eyes narrowed, and I couldn’t help but notice Benjie’s look of hope that crossed his features before Brooke straightened and smacked Dustin in the back of the head.

She laughed humorlessly, and told them, “He means a girl who is a friend. The trickster.”

I leaned into Carter and whispered, “She’s going to kill him for that.”

He chuckled. “Think she’ll wait until after the Super Bowl?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure.” The angry vibes coming from Brooke’s body told me Dustin would be in a body bag by the end of the day.

“Let’s get out of here,” Carter said.

It was probably a good idea to start the bloodbath in private.

We made our way out of the terminal, picked up the luggage, and went to the cars in silence. Well, except for Benjie firing off question after question to his dad. I was glad to see that the paparazzi didn’t follow us to the cars.

When I kept glancing around, Carter chuckled. “Apparently, there was a tip-off some big singer was landing shortly.”

Dustin snorted. “You got Ted on it then?”

“Sure did.”

“Hey, Ree, can you give me a lift home?” Brooke asked. She threw the keys to Dustin and then diverted off to my car instead of Dustin’s, which she’d driven in for him with Benjie.

“But, Miss Brooke, you said we could build a fortress later.” Benjie ran up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, looking at her with a pout on his face.

She winked down at him, running a hand through his messy hair. A look of adoration, one I’d never seen on her face, showed. “I promise our next time together we’ll do it.”

“Brooke—”

She shot her gaze up to Dustin, her eyes narrowed. He sighed. Brooke turned to me. “Is it okay?”

I glanced from Benjie, whose shoulders drooped as he slunk his way back to his dad, to a frowning Dustin and then back to Brooke. “Please,” she mouthed.

“Sure. Not a problem.”

“Kiddo, can you jump in the car while I have a quick word with Brooke?”

“Sure.” Benjie smiled and took the keys from his dad, skipping to the car and jumping into it.

“Ree, let’s get in ours,” Carter said as I watched Dustin walk toward Brooke. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him.

“But—”

Carter smirked. “Sweetheart, come on.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “Fine.” I then called to Brooke, “If you need help maiming him, just call.”

She smiled over her shoulder and nodded.

Carter loaded his bag onto the back seat and then we both climbed in. Of course, I got to my knees and stared out the back window where Dustin stopped in front of Brooke with his hands up in front of himself. Ready to block an attack, which was wise.

Carter chuckled. “Reagan, sit back around.”

“Nope, this is live action fun. Besides, she’d do the same for me. Keeping an eye open, in case I need to get involved. Just wish I could hear them.”

Carter rolled his eyes, then ran his gaze over me. “I could think of better things to do while we wait for Dustin to grovel.”

Smiling, I kept one hand on the headrest and moved the other to Carter’s thigh and leaned his way. “What were you thinking?”

“Hmm.” He licked his lips, his eyes running from my eyes down to my lips. Then he grinned. “Eye spy?”

I giggled. “Sure.” I went to move back, but he caught me with a hand on the back of my neck.

“Not so fast.” He tugged me close and touched his mouth to mine. I nipped at his mouth. His opened for me and just when things were getting good, something bumped into the car. I pulled away and looked out the back window.

“Oh my God,” I whispered. Dustin had Brooke pressed against the back of the car with his arms tightly wrapped around her waist. I saw hers were on his arms and it looked like she was trying to push him back for a moment until they changed and gripped.

I got low in my seat to see Dustin kissing Brooke.

“They’re kissing,” I said gleefully.

“Finally,” Carter said.

But then Brooke must have come out of her daze. She pushed him back, said something, and stomped to the passenger side door, on Carter’s side. Carter chuckled as I quickly shifted around to face the front, just as Brooke opened it. She got in with a huff and slammed it closed.

“Can you believe that idiot?” she snarled. “Carter, do me a favor and run over him as you back out.”

He snorted. “Not sure the team would be happy with me.”

“But we’d be happy, and Ree will make you even happier if you helped her BFF out. Won’t you, Ree?”

I bit my bottom lip, only I couldn’t contain my grin. “I’d make him happy even if he ran Dustin over or not.”

“Some friend you are,” Brooke grumbled. “Damn, he’s moved.” And he had, to Brooke’s window where he bent to look in at Brooke with a huge satisfied smile on his face. She gave him the finger. He winked.

“Talk soon, darlin’,” he called through the window.

“Can we go already?” Brooke snapped.

Carter started the car, and Dustin moved off around to his car and climbed in.

As Carter pulled out of the park, I turned to Brooke and asked, “You okay?”

Her eyes stayed looking out the window, and she shrugged.

“Brooke?”

She glanced at me. “Do you think Benjie saw that?”

Out the corner of my eyes, I saw Carter shake his head. “I glanced in Dustin’s car. He had his head down probably on some device or something.”

She relaxed a little. “Good. He’s already going on and on about how great his dad is. I think he wants me to date him.”

I reached over and rested my hand on Carter’s thigh. He threaded his fingers through mine. I nodded to Brooke. “He seemed very happy when Dustin introduced you to the reporters as his girlfriend.”

She groaned. “I don’t want to disappoint him when it doesn’t happen.”

“Even after that kiss?”

Her nose screwed up. “You saw that?”

I laughed. “It was a bit hard not to when our car rocked from the impact.”

She blushed. “The prick.”

“Why? Because he did it or because you liked it?”

Her eyes flared. She glanced at Carter, but his attention was on the road. “Carter won’t say anything to him.”

Brooke scoffed. “I doubt that, men gossip more than what we do.”

“This is true, but if you don’t want me to say anything, I won’t. I want you to be able to speak freely in front of me because Ree’s your friend.”

Sweet molasses. He was amazing. When I squeezed his hand, he looked my way and smiled.

Brooke sighed. “It’s fine. Ree and I can talk later. Turn left here to head to my place, please.”

“Do you want me to come in for a while? I can catch a taxi home so Carter can take the car,” I offered.

“No way. Your man just got home. I’m sure you have catching up to do.”

“Brooke, Carter and I can catch up later.”

“True. I’m home now so she won’t be getting rid of me,” Carter put in.

Brooke shook her head. “I’m good. Honestly, I’m fine. There’s nothing really to talk about.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Brooke.”

She threw her hands up in the air. “Fine. You really want to know where my head is at? I’m confused. Totally confused. I don’t know if I want to punch him in the face or kiss the idiot.”

“Dustin often brings that feeling about in a lot of people. I’ve felt it many times,” Carter commented. We both stared at him and then laughed.

It was just what Brooke needed. She relaxed more into her seat. “Turn to the right. My house is on the left. Number 210.”

“What are you going to do about him?”

She gave me a tight smile and another shrug. “Not sure yet. But we’ll talk more about it soon. Promise.”

“Okay.” I reached back and held out my hand. She took mine giving it a squeeze. “If he’s too much of an idiot, you let me know. Even if he’s a friend of Carter’s, I’ll beat him up.”

“Thanks.”

Carter pulled up to the curb, and Brooke got out with a final goodbye. When Carter pulled back out onto the road, I asked him, “Do you think they’d be good together?”

“Yes.” He glanced at me, then back to the road. “Dustin’s been through a lot with the divorce, then women only using him for his money or status. None of them liked the fact he has a kid. Brooke’s already in love with Benjie. That woke Dustin up and he sees she’s different from all the others. She doesn’t want his money, doesn’t care who he is to the public. She’d be good for him. I think if she gave him a chance, he would be for her too.”

“Might be some tough times ahead for them though. Brooke’s stubborn.”

Carter snorted. “Dustin will win her over in the end. Once he sets his mind on something, nothing will stop him.”

“As long as he’s not just wanting her because she’s already good with Benjie.”

“Believe me, he’s not.”

“What’s that mean?”

Carter groaned. “Guys talk. North, Dustin, and I are close. We share things.” He quickly added, “Though I don’t overshare anything, but let me just say that Dustin thinks Brooke is hot. He was thinking about asking her out after I’d moved in, but he was worried because of his history with women.”

“I guess we’ll see how things go.”

“Yes, and if he does mess things up, I’ll help you beat him up.”

“Aww, that’s sweet, wanting to commit assault with me.”

He chuckled, picked up my hand and kissed the back of it. “Anything for you.”