The Playbook

  We stepped into the elevator and I turned to Aubrey. “I still can’t believe you told that mother fucker what was happening.”

  “I didn’t tell him what was going on. It was a slip on my part and not even a big one.”

  “You shouldn’t have told him a fucking thing.”

  Turning to face me, her hands went to her hips. “What is it with you hating him so much?”

  My blood boiled. I couldn’t stand the thought of Dryer in my business.

  “You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Maybe you should trust me a bit more.”

  Moving closer to her, my body burned with anger. Aubrey took a few steps back and hit the elevator wall. “Trust you? I do trust you. I told you about Emily, and what did you do? Turn around and told the one person I hate more than the air I breathe.”

  Her eyes widened in shock. “Hate is a strong word, Brett. And I didn’t tell him everything. Hardly anything really and he obviously doesn’t have the same feelings for you if he offered to help out.”

  “Yeah well, I didn’t fuck his wife.”

  The doors opened and I left Aubrey standing in the elevator with a stunned expression on her face.

  My hand combed through my hair as I silently cursed. Slamming my office door shut, I sent Emily another text.

  Me: Coffee shop in twenty still?

  Emily: Looking forward to it, Coach Owens

  Jerking my head back in shock, I stared at the text. “Why in the hell is she calling me Coach Owens?”

  “Because she is setting up the teacher/student role.”

  My head snapped up to see Pat standing there.

  “What?”

  “I just got back from HR. Seems like last year one of the professors found themselves in a similar situation as you. A woman who claimed to be a student, and pregnant.”

  My mouth went dry. “You didn’t tell them about me did you?”

  He held up his hands and shook his head. “No, of course not. l told them you had a family situation you needed to attend to and would be gone for two weeks.”

  “Two weeks?”

  He sat and let out a long sigh. “Take whatever you want, but know you have two weeks to get this figured out. Find out who this girl is and what she wants from you. But most of all, keep her mouth shut.”

  “She threatened to go to the media when I told her I was leaving town. I told her I was going to tell my parents about the baby, and that I had a high school kid I was trying to sign on.”

  “I take it she bought it.”

  “Hook, line, and sinker. But she wants to meet before I leave.”

  “Whatever you do, don’t have her come here, and be mindful this might be only a girl you got pregnant, or it could all be a scam for money or to bring you down.”

  “Bring me down? From what?”

  “Coaching the number one ranked college football team in the nation.”

  I swallowed hard and whispered, “Fuck.”

  BRETT WAS IN a terrible mood. Ever since he came back from meeting Emily, he seemed distracted. I was torn inside on what to do. I wanted to ask what happened, but I was still trying to wrap my head around the comment he made in the elevator.

  Had Ryan been married? Had Brett been married? No. I researched the shit out of him and there was never any mention of a wife. There had been a college girlfriend named Nicole. That was the only serious relationship I ever read about.

  Peeking over, I watched as Brett gripped the steering wheel and clenched his jaw together.

  Yikes. He looks pissed. I think I’ll wait to question him later.

  Hitting play on my iTunes app, I quickly got lost in my music. Before I knew it, I was jamming out to Brittney’s “Baby One More Time.”

  Brett touched my arm and I jumped. The energy that raced through my body any time he touched me still caught me off guard. He said something to me, but the music was too loud. Pulling the earbuds out, I asked, “What?”

  “What in the fuck are you listening to?”

  “Brittney Spears.”

  He took a quick look at me and frowned before peering back out at the road. “I figured with the way you’re belting out the words. Why are you listening to Brittney Spears?”

  “I like her. Why else would I be listening to her?”

  “That song is so … old.”

  “You have something against good music?”

  He shrugged. “It’s just so … old.”

  Rolling my eyes, I looked over at his gas gage. “Don’t you need gas?”

  Brett looked down and shook his head. “No.”

  “You’re under a half a tank of gas. You should really get some.”

  “I think I know when I need gas.”

  With a shrug of my shoulders, I smirked. “When you get gas, I can add my phone to your Bluetooth and school you in good music.”

  “School me in good music? Please, I don’t think so.”

  Ten minutes later, Brett pulled into a gas station and I was connecting my phone to his car. I loved his muscle car, but for some reason, I pictured him driving a big truck. But I had to admit, the Hell Cat was sexy as hell.

  “You better use the restroom now. It’s a long ass drive from this point on with no stops but the side of the road.”

  I waved him off, too excited to share my awesome traveling playlist. “Nah, I’m good. Do we have enough gas, though?”

  He looked at me like my mother did when I was five. “Are you sure you don’t have to go potty?”

  Snarling my lip, I replied, “Yes, Mommy, I’m sure.”

  Brett huffed and drove out of the gas station and back onto the highway.

  “Are you ready?” I asked rubbing my hands together.

  “For?”

  “My travel playlist!”

  Brett groaned. “What’s wrong with listening to CNN?”

  “I’m sick of hearing about politics.”

  He laughed. “You’re not! You had your headphones in. I was listening to politics.”

  “Too bad. You’re listening to my playlist. And first we start with one of the best songs in history.”

  “This should be good,” he mumbled.

  I hit play and grinned from ear to ear as Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven Is a Place On Earth” began playing.

  Brett snapped his head over and looked at me with his mouth agape. “You’ve got to be shitting me? Please tell me this is not loaded down with eighties music, Bree.”

  My stomach fluttered when he called me Bree. I prayed like hell he hadn’t seen my reaction. Something was changing between the two of us, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.

  Laughing, I threw my head back and started singing to the top of my lungs along with Belinda. It didn’t take long for Brett to join in when INXS’s “Need You Tonight” started playing.

  Pointing to him, I shouted over the song, “I knew it! You are a closet eighties music lover!”

  Brett laughed and turned up the music. I’d never laughed and had so much fun in one road trip as I did with him. We listened to music, talked about sports, and debated on who was going to the Super Bowl next year. Eventually, he admitted he agreed with me. His foul mood was completely gone.

  When our conversation seemed to fall into a comfortable silence, I stared out the window at the rugged landscape. The mountains in the distance were beautiful. “It’s so different from Austin,” I mumbled.

  “Yep. It’s like another world.”

  I chuckled. “Why did your parents settle way out here then?”

  “My great-grandfather started a cattle ranch here and another in Wyoming. I’m guessing he was motivated by the cheaper land.”

  “How much land do your parents own?”

  “Twenty-five sections here in Texas and nineteen in Wyoming.”

  I had no clue what that meant, but I was assuming it was a lot of land.

  “One section is six hundred and forty acres,” Brett explained. It was almost like he read my mind.
>
  “Wow. That’s a lot of land. Do they have people helping them?”

  He nodded. His hand came up and rubbed the side of his face. I could tell he was bothered by something. My stomach tugged as I watched him struggle with an internal thought. Even now he looked so handsome. He had no idea I was sitting next to him completely and utterly turned on by the mere sight of him. No man had ever made me feel the way Brett did.

  “Brett? Is everything okay?”

  He glanced at me and gave me a weak grin. “Yeah. I’ve got a lot on my mind, I guess.”

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “Is this off the record?”

  I nodded and replied, “Of course.”

  With a deep sigh, he cleared his throat. “My father had cancer a few years back. We didn’t think he would make it, but he did. I didn’t get to spend very much time with him when he went through his treatment and it still bothers me. My mother had to do it all on her own, and I’ll never forgive myself for putting my job first. I vowed I’d never do it again. There’s been some talk about selling the ranch in Wyoming. My father loves that place as much as he loves the place here in Texas.”

  “Why do your parents want to sell the ranch in Wyoming?”

  Brett shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

  “I’m so sorry about your father, but he’s cancer free now, right?”

  “Yeah. But I have a feeling my parents are keeping something from me. In a way, I’m kind of glad Emily showed up with all this bullshit. Gives me a good reason to go home.”

  I looked at my hands. I was conflicted with my own thoughts on Emily. A part of me wanted like hell to believe she was a scam. The other part was scared to death that she was really pregnant with Brett’s child. That thought bothered me more than I wanted to admit.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking about, Bree.”

  Smiling, I looked up at the long road ahead of us. “I like that you call me, Bree. My parents and sisters call me that.” It was in that moment I realized I hadn’t really talked to my parents or my sisters since coming to Texas. I made a mental note to call them that evening.

  “That couldn’t have been what you were thinking about,” he replied, giving my leg a push. If I didn’t have jeans on, I’d have sworn his touch burned my skin.

  A nervous chuckle slipped from my lips. “You got me on that one. I was thinking about Emily and the meeting you had with her before we left. You seemed rather upset afterwards.”

  He gripped the steering wheel harder. “She wanted money.”

  It felt like someone sat on my chest. “What? Money? Why?”

  “She didn’t believe my reasons for going out of town, and she wanted to make sure I would be back. I guess giving her ten thousand dollars would make her feel better.”

  Anger raced through my veins. “She asked you for ten thousand dollars? I hope you told her no.”

  He laughed. “Fuck yes I told her no. The funny thing was, it was almost as if she threw it out there to see if I’d bite or not. I don’t think that was her original plan when she asked me to meet her.”

  “To ask you for money?”

  Brett shook his head. “Yeah. It almost seemed like she came up with it off the top of her head. She seemed nervous. Really nervous. She kept looking out the window and acted like she wanted to tell me something. It was weird.”

  Pinching my brows, I chewed on my lip. “This whole thing feels so wrong.”

  “It is wrong, because she’s wrong. That baby is not mine. There is no way it could be.”

  I prayed he was right.

  Clearing my throat, I decided now was the time to keep hitting him with stuff. He seemed pretty chatty right now.

  “May I ask you something, Brett?”

  He chuckled. “It depends. Are we on the record or off?”

  I couldn’t blame him for asking. I’d ask to if I were him. “Off. Let’s make this a rule. Anything said in the car is off the record.”

  “I like that rule. Does that mean I can pull over have my wicked way with you? I’ve always wanted to fuck in the Hell Cat.”

  My heart raced and I was more excited than I should be knowing he’d never had sex in his car. I was two seconds away from saying yes, when he continued talking. “I’m kidding. I made a promise to you, Bree, and I won’t break it.”

  Shoot me. Someone just shoot me right now because I want this man. Every time I thought of Brett’s kiss last night my body caught fire. This man knew how to drive me wild.

  I turned and looked out the window again. Did I really want to be a reporter for ESPN?

  With a frustrated sigh, I pushed the silly thoughts away. Brett and I could be friends, but that was as far as it could go. If Joe ever found out something sexual happened between us, he would surely use it against me. That I had no doubt about. I was positive he was banking on something happening. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

  “What else did you want to ask me?”

  His voice drew me from my thoughts. “Earlier, in the elevator. What did you mean when you said you never slept with Ryan’s wife?”

  The air in the car instantly changed and I regretted the question almost as soon as I asked it. Especially when Brett pulled over on the side of the road and got out of the car.

  Watching him round the car, I whispered, “Oh shit.” I watched while he walked away from the car and into the thick brush.

  “Oh shit. This can’t be good,” I whispered.

  I HEARD THE car door slam behind me and knew Aubrey was following me. Knowing she would walk right up on me, I turned my body, giving her a clear view.

  “Brett! Brett, wait I wasn’t—”

  She came to an abrupt halt. “Oh my god! Your dick is out!”

  Glancing down, I nodded. “Yep. That’s what usually happens when you take a piss.”

  It was then she crossed her legs and jumped all around. After I finished pissing, I zipped up my pants and walked over to her. “What in the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Pee. Oh my gosh, I have to pee so bad!”

  With a laugh, I shook my head. “Then pee.”

  She pressed her lips together and moaned. “Oh! I can’t. I have to go so badly, I’m going to pee my pants!”

  “It hit you that fast?”

  She nodded.

  “That bad?”

  Another nod.

  “Oh god! Unbutton my jeans! Quick!”

  I took a step back. “Me? Why do I have to unbutton your jeans? You do it!”

  “No! If I make the motion like I’m doing it, I’ll pee. I know my body!”

  She had her legs crossed and I swore she looked like she was holding her breath.

  I had half a mind to let her piss her pants for saying something to Ryan about me.

  With a frustrated grunt, I unbuttoned her jeans and unzipped her pants. My body trembled when I saw the lace of her panties. What I wouldn’t do to rip her jeans off and fuck the hell out of her.

  “Okay, I’ve got this!”

  I took a step back and was about to head back to the car when she quickly dropped both her jeans and panties and squatted.

  “Sweet baby Jesus! Relief!”

  Standing there stunned, I watched her while she took a piss in the woods. Any other girl I’d have been grossed out, but with Aubrey, I was worried about the poison ivy her ass was about to touch.

  “Lord, that feels good,” she mumbled. Totally oblivious to both me and the ivy. “I should have gone at the gas station.”

  “Um … Aubrey?”

  She waved me off. “Turn around, Owens! Would it be too much to give me some privacy?”

  “Hey, you pulled your pants down in front of me, remember?”

  Finally, she finished peeing.

  “Watch out for the poison ivy.”

  She jumped up. “What? Where?”

  I had to catch her before her feet got all tangled up and she landed on the ground.

  “Whoa! I got you,” I said as my hands touched
her soft skin. Pulling her up against me, I realized she was pretty much naked from the waist down.

  Her mouth parted to say something, but quickly snapped back shut. My hand shook as I fought to keep it from slipping between her legs. I’d never in my life wanted to touch someone as bad I wanted to touch her. But I already decided if anything was going to happen between us, she needed to make the move first.

  Letting go of her, I turned and called out, “I’ll wait in the car.”

  “Wait!” Aubrey called out. “Did I touch the poison ivy? I feel itchy!”

  Rolling my eyes, I sighed. “You didn’t touch it.”

  She came running up next to me flailing her arms all over herself. “I’ve never had poison ivy! What if it’s on my ass?”

  Well, if I had to get her to forget about the question she asked me a few minutes ago, this would do the trick.

  “It will itch.”

  She rubbed her ass as I walked up and opened the car door for her to get in. Aubrey stopped and stared up into my eyes. “Brett, what if I … my ass … I can’t meet your parents’ with an itchy ass!” I loved that she was worried about her impression on my parents. They would love her, itching ass or not.

  Narrowing my brows, I tilted my head and took in those beautiful brown eyes. “I can honestly say I never thought I’d hear a woman say those words to me.”

  With a frustrated moan, Aubrey pushed me out of the way and got into the car, slamming the door in the process.

  I couldn’t help but laugh as she rubbed her ass around on the seat.

  Aubrey had squirmed around in her seat for almost an hour before she decided she didn’t have poison ivy after all. I even offered to pull over and inspect her ass, to which she politely declined.

  She had dozed off about thirty minutes ago and I hated waking her up, but I couldn’t very well leave her in the car.

  Reaching over, I touched her leg lightly. “Bree? Hey, we’re here.”

  Mumbling something, she turned her head my way and opened her eyes. “Your parents’?”

  With a grin, I replied, “Nope. Dave Richardson’s house.”

  Frowning, she questioned, “Who is that?”

  “The kid who I’m getting to sign the letter of intent to play with the University of Austin next year.”