Safe Bet (The Rules #4)

  I’m just thankful I can surround myself with people I know and love during the holiday season. My relationship with my parents still isn’t perfect, but we’re slowly healing. Mom and I talk on the phone on occasion. Dad and I chatted on Face Time last week. We’re trying, and that’s all I can ask for.

  “Hey Syd.” An offensive lineman for the Niners smiles and nods at me as we walk past each other and I say hi in return, marveling yet again at my surreal life. A year ago—heck, even a few months ago—I would’ve never believed it if someone told me I’d work as a nanny for a famous NFL player and his wife.

  But here I am, working for a wonderful family, looking forward to the newest edition coming soon. Thankfully the paparazzi have moved on, and I’m not referred to as the ‘Naughty Nanny’ any longer.

  Nope, now I’m referred to as Wade Knox’s girlfriend, and I don’t have a problem with that. Not at all.

  I go in search of Wade, stopping to chat briefly with Fable’s former boss Colin and his wife, Jen. They own multiple restaurants on the west coast and they are so stunningly beautiful together, it’s hard for me to not stare at them. Totally ridiculous, I know, but I’m star struck—by pretty much everyone in this house.

  It’s when I’m wandering aimlessly through the house a few minutes later that Wade finds me. Strong arms wrap around my waist from behind as he pulls me close to him.

  “I’ve been looking for you,” he murmurs near my ear just before he kisses it, making me shiver.

  I turn in his embrace, slipping my arms around his neck so I can play with the hair at his nape. “I’ve been here all night. Where’d you disappear off to?”

  “I was with Owen. We were talking.” I adore his best friend, and they don’t get to spend much time together considering they’re both so busy. When they have the opportunity to talk, I don’t want to interfere.

  “I thought so.” I run my hand across his shoulder, down his chest. “You look nice. I like the sweater.” It’s charcoal gray and extra soft.

  “Thanks. I like your dress.” It’s dark green and also extra soft. His hand slides down my side, then back up, making my skirt rise. I slap at his hand, making him chuckle. “I’ve always been a fan of dresses.”

  “More like you’re a fan of easy access,” I retort, though I’m not angry. Not in the least.

  With Wade, I’ve become a fan of easy access too.

  “Quit complaining.” He kisses me before I can say something, stealing all my words, my thoughts, with a mere brush of his lips. “Are you having fun?” he asks once the kiss is over.

  I nod and snuggle close, his arms tightening around me. “This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

  “Really?” He sounds surprised.

  “Really.” I kiss him this time, rising up on my tiptoes to put my all into it. And I am. The both of us are, the kiss getting deeper and deeper, until I hear a tiny giggle at our feet.

  I break away to see Autumn gaping up at us, her hand going over her mouth to contain her laughter. She’s wearing a black velvet dress with a white lace collar and a full skirt and she looks adorable. “You’re always kissing Uncle Wade!” she accuses.

  My cheeks go warm at being called out by a four year old. “I really like Uncle Wade.”

  “I know,” Autumn says in a voice that has clear duh undertones. “He likes you too. Maybe he likes you too much!”

  With that declaration, she scampers off.

  “You could never like me too much,” I tell him, my gaze meeting his.

  His eyes are serious though, making my smile fade. With gentle fingers he brushes the hair away from my forehead, making me tingle. “Maybe I don’t just like you.”

  I part my lips, ready to say something funny in response but he beats me to the punch.

  “Maybe I’ve fallen in love with you.”

  Oh. Oh my God. My heart starts racing and I swear my stomach feels like it just filled with about a million fluttering butterflies. “Maybe I’ve fallen in love with you too,” I admit.

  He smiles and it’s the sweetest, most intimate smile I think I’ve ever seen on Wade’s face. “Oh yeah? So we’re in love now? Think the tabloids will buy it?”

  I give him a little shove, then curl my fingers into the fabric of his sweater so I can tug him close. “Definitely,” I murmur, just before I press my lips to his.

  “So.”

  I smile, barely able to contain my joy. “So.”

  It’s way past midnight. We’re in bed. The house is a semi disaster after the party, but I don’t care. The children are finally asleep, but with our luck they’ll wake us at six, eager to check under the tree to see what Santa Claus brought them.

  Though I can’t blame them for their excitement. I also can’t wait to see their reactions to what Santa brought them. Growing up, Christmas had always been depressing for my family. Drew admitted his Christmases weren’t that great either. So we go above and beyond to make our children’s Christmas mornings extra special.

  “I hear you have a surprise for me.” Drew lifts a brow, his lips curled in the faintest smirk. “Spill woman.”

  I smile, thankful I kept my lamp on so I can see him. This is my favorite time of day. When I can finally be alone with my husband, together in our giant bed. Sometimes we fall asleep fast. Sometimes we stay up and talk. Sometimes we have sex.

  Okay, a lot of the time we have sex. I have to get as much naked Drew time as possible considering he’s gone so much. The man is busy.

  Though really, he’s never too busy for me, or his children. He’s a good man—a good husband. “What surprise are you talking about?” My innocent tone isn’t working on Drew. He grabs hold of me and hauls me in close.

  “The surprise you mentioned a few hours ago, when we snuck into the pantry and made out for ten minutes.” Drew’s lips brush against my forehead and I close my eyes, savoring our closeness, the busy-ness of today slowly catching up with me. I’m so tired.

  But so incredibly happy.

  “That was a pleasant Christmas Eve surprise,” I tell him, because it so was. I’d been bustling around the kitchen, checking in on the caterer I hired when Drew magically appeared out of nowhere, snatched my hand and dragged me into the pantry.

  Where he closed the door and proceeded to kiss me senseless. Surprisingly enough, no one had barged in and found us that entire time.

  “I know. That was my plan.” His hand runs up and down my back with just enough pressure to make me quietly moan. “Then you told me you had a surprise for me. That you’d tell me all about it later tonight.”

  Oh. That’s right. I did say that. I was going to save it for Christmas day, but technically it already is Christmas day so I guess I should let him know.

  “I went to the doctor a few days ago.”

  “Yeah? How did that visit go?” He can’t always make my appointments and I know he hates that. But I understand. He’s on the road a lot. I can’t always expect him to be here. But when he is, he’s fully present and with me and the kids as much as he possibly can be.

  “Really good. I had an ultrasound,” I say, my voice casual. “I know what sex the baby is.”

  He goes tense and he grabs hold of my arms, pulling away from me slightly so our gazes meet. “And you’re only mentioning this to me now?”

  “It was supposed to be a Christmas present.” I pause. “That I was going to announce to the family when we’re all sitting around the tree.”

  “You can go ahead and still do that,” he tells me, his voice stern. “But don’t you think I deserve to know what we’re having before everyone else? I did have a part in this after all.”

  I burst out laughing. He’s trying to sound mad, but he’s teasing me. I can tell. “You played a part in this baby making thing? I had no idea.”

  “Right, right. I know I’m not around much, so you might forget who I am, but remember. I’m your husband.” He pulls me into his arms once more, our gazes still locked. “I’m the one you make babies wit
h. You’re the mother of my children.”

  I know he’s still playing around, but his words are making me emotional. Which is silly, I know it is, but I can’t help it. The baby, the holiday season, being surrounded by family and friends, it’s all messing with my fragile emotions and making me a wreck.

  “So you don’t want to wait to find out? I thought you might appreciate the anticipation.”

  “Give me a break.” He’s practically growling and I start to laugh, which is so much better than crying. “Boy or girl?”

  “Guess.”

  Another growl. “You’re torturing me.”

  “I know! It’s so much fun.” I run my hands all over his bare chest. He’s hot, like a furnace, and he’s wearing little clothing. This could get interesting real quick. “What do you want it to be?”

  “I don’t care as long as the baby is healthy and has your eyes.” His expression is tender, a look he gives no one else but me. “Tell me, Fable. What are we having?”

  Tears fill my eyes at his soft voice, the way he’s looking at me, like I can do no wrong. “We’re having another…girl.”

  He laughs and then he’s kissing me, whispering against my lips. “I like girls. I like girls a lot. Autumn might be mad that she won’t be the only princess, but she’ll get over it.”

  “My macho quarterback doesn’t want another boy so he can start forming his own personal football team?”

  “You don’t have to be a boy to join my football team,” Drew says. “My girls are gonna be as tough as the boys, especially if they’re like their mama.”

  I lightly smack his chest, but it’s like smacking a brick wall. Pointless. He doesn’t even flinch. He just smiles that dazzling Drew Callahan smile, though this one is more intimate. Just for me. Just for us. His blue eyes are warm, his big hands slowly stroking my skin. My heart flutters, my belly flutters, and I’m so incredibly thankful in this moment. That he can still make me feel this way.

  But then worry comes in out of nowhere, swift and sure, and I look away from him, nibbling on my lower lip. “You’re happy about this, right? About having another baby?”

  His hands go still. “Fable. You can’t be serious.”

  Nodding, I lift my gaze to his. “It’s just so overwhelming sometimes—another baby. Now they’ll out number us.”

  He chuckles. “Never thought of it that way before, but you’re right. They might team up and take us down.

  “You never know.” I pull out of his arms and lie on my back, resting my hand on my still burgeoning belly. I get bigger faster with every child, I swear.

  His hand joins mine on my stomach, sliding beneath the fabric of my thin T-shirt I wear to bed. “Another baby is a good thing.” His voice is rich and deep, filled with emotion and when I glance up to find him watching me, my entire body starts to tremble.

  “I think so too,” I start to say but he cuts off the rest of my words with a kiss. It’s slow and sweet, his tongue doing a thorough sweep of my mouth, his hands wandering all over my body. I give in to his touch, going willingly when he pulls me back into his embrace. I wind my arms around his neck, my hands going into his hair. The hold is familiar, we’ve done this a thousand times before, but it still feels so good, so incredibly right.

  All these years later, marriage, kids, his successful career in the NFL, and these quiet, intimate moments with Drew never get old.

  “You know, we haven’t talked about how many children we want,” he says long minutes later, after he’s moved on to my neck. His voice is muffled against my skin, his words tickling me. “I guess we already know it’s at least three.”

  Laughing, I tilt my head back, giving him better access. “Six?”

  He lifts away from my neck to meet my gaze, a dumbfounded expression on his too handsome face. “Six?”

  I nod. Don’t say a word. I’m torturing him again. But that’s okay. He can handle it.

  “That’s a lot.” He hesitates. Swallows hard. “If you want six kids, I’ll do my damnedest to give you six kids.”

  Ha. I’m sure he’s referring to all the sex we’ll need to have in order to knock me up three more times after this one. The perv.

  Not that I’m protesting.

  When it comes to Drew Callahan, I’ll give him whatever he wants.

  No questions asked.

  I wrote this book for the readers who wanted Wade to have his own story. Remember Wade? Owen Maguire’s best friend, the one character who has been mentioned in pretty much every single One Week Girlfriend book but didn’t actually appear on the page until Four Years Later. I still get reader mail asking for his book.

  So here it is.

  I know his story isn’t as angsty and heartbreaking as all the other books in the OWG series, but that’s okay I think. Hopefully you think so too. In case you couldn’t tell, I wrote this book for the Wade fans and for the Drew + Fable fans. Do you guys realize it’s been four years since I released One Week Girlfriend? I remember how nervous I was to self publish that book. How fast I wrote it, how easy their story came to me, which doesn’t always happen. How the book didn’t sound like anything I’d ever written before so I decided to release it under another pen name (I’d been writing romance as Karen Erickson for years).

  Monica Murphy kicked Karen’s ass. One Week Girlfriend took off like a shot and changed my life—and my family’s life too. Drew + Fable changed my career. I owe a lot to Drew + Fable. This means I also owe a lot to you, dear readers, for reading my books. So this one is for you.

  I hope you enjoyed hanging out with Drew + Fable again. I didn’t think they’d play such a central part in this book, but they almost took it over. My apologies. Though I don’t think you’ll complain too much.

  A big, giant thank you to my assistant, Kati, my publicist Nina, my editor Mackenzie, my proofreader Dana, my formatter Emily and my cover designer Sarah. Thank you for helping me make this book the best it can be. Thank you to all the bloggers and reviewers for all your support over the years. Thank you to my family for being patient with me when I work too much.

  And again, thank you to the readers. The last four years has been an exhilarating ride. Can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next.

  I have a new series, and you can read the prequel One Night for FREE at all retailers and on Wattpad

  There’s a party over at Jordan Tuttle’s house tonight and everyone is there. Including…

  Olivia: Who’s leaving for her dad’s house in Oregon tomorrow. So she plans on having the time of her life tonight with her best friends.

  Dustin: Who wishes Livvy could see just how much she means to him.

  Emily: Who’s trying her to best to get with someone. Anyone.

  Cannon: Who has an encounter with Em he won’t be able to forget.

  Amanda: Who’s finally ready to go all the way with her boyfriend.

  Tuttle: Who discovers the girl he’s always secretly liked just might like him back.

  The first book,

  is available now!

  It’s the end of summer. Just before I start senior year with my two best friends in the whole world. Dustin and Emily are everything to me. We’ve been inseparable since middle school, and when we’re together, nothing can go wrong.

  But things aren’t always what they seem. Em’s turned into a drunken mess who parties too much. Dustin and I have hooked up a few times—and now he’s ready to take our relationship to the next level. Yet I’m not sure I want things to change. I’m scared if I take it any further with Dustin, our friendship will be ruined forever. Then there’s Ryan. The new guy. He’s hot. He flirts way too much. And Em has totally set her sights on him.

  So when my best friend betrays me in the worst possible way, guess who’s there to help me pick up the pieces of my broken heart? Ryan. But he’s so confusing. Annoying. Sweet. Sexy. I want to trust him, yet he makes it so hard. What I really want is for everything to go back to the way it was before.

  Before I found out that best f
riends make the worst kind of enemies.

  Read the first chapter for

  I miss you so much!

  I miss you too.

  I have a surprise for you. :)

  What is it?

  When you come home you’ll find out.

  But that’s not until next week! :(

  It’s worth the wait. Trust me.

  Does Dustin know the surprise?

  Yes but he won’t tell you.

  How do you know?

  Cuz he knows I’ll kick his ass. :)

  I stare at my phone screen, frustrated at my friend Emily’s secrecy. She knows I hate surprises. I always have. Surprises usually bring bad news, at least for me.

  Surprise! Pop quiz.

  Surprise! You’re failing Chemistry.

  Surprise! He likes someone else.

  Surprise! You’re getting a baby brother.

  Surprise! You’re getting a baby sister.

  Surprise! Your dad and I are getting a divorce.

  Not necessarily in that order, but you get the gist.

  Deciding to change tactics, I start texting Dustin.

  What’s up?

  The usual. What’s up wit u?

  Bored. Lonely.

  If you were here with me…

  What?

  I’d make sure you weren’t bored.

  Or lonely. :)

  I smile, trying to fight the butterflies that flutter in my stomach when he talks like that. Dustin and I have been close since we were young. He’s one of my best friends. I’ve told him everything. Confessed who I liked, who I’m mad at, how far I’ve gone with guys—which isn’t very far—and he’s admitted all his secrets too. He’s the first person I got drunk with. The first person I got high with.