Ashlin laughed into the phone. “Is there a reason you’re trying to flatter me?”
“Nope, just being honest.”
“How are you doing?” Ashlin asked honestly.
Jesse blew out a frustrated breath. “Could be doing better. I feel like I just ruined the season for me and my boys.”
“Why do you say that?” Ashlin asked, as she got comfortable in her chair.
“I saw it all happen right in front of me,” he said, referring to Mason’s tackle. “I could have avoided it. I could have thrown the ball down to Ryker, but instead I went with Mason, which ended in him being carted off the field. I fucked up big time.”
Ashlin’s heart broke for the man. His voice was so weak, so broken. He was so strong and confident on the field, maybe a little shy in person, but she had never seen this side of him before.
“You know you couldn’t have predicted what was going to happen, right? It’s not your fault Jesse; you can’t put this on yourself, and it’s not like he’s dead,” Ashlin tried to put a spin on it.
Jesse lightly chuckled. “I bet Mason would rather be dead. The man lives for football, and he’s had such a shitty year that I’m sure this is just the fly on the pile of crap that his life has turned into.”
“Yeah, but you can’t blame yourself for that. Who’s to say he wouldn’t have gotten injured on a different play or driving to the stadium? No one can predict what happens to people, so when something does happen, we just have to roll with it and grow from our experiences.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line before Jesse said, “It sounds like you speak from experience.”
“I do, but that’s a story for a different day.”
“You sure?” he asked, trying to change the subject.
“Positive. Now tell me, how hot is the new receiver that will be taking Dash’s place? Do I need to get a new T-shirt jersey?”
“You wound me,” Jesse said jokingly. “And just so you know, he’s hideous, total train wreck of a face, might as well just stick with the jersey you already have.”
Ashlin laughed. “Train wreck of a face? Wow, I didn’t know you were able to say such cruel words.”
“When it means that I might lose a fan, I’m willing to throw a teammate under the bus.”
“Just any old fan?”
“Well, I get a little more rabid when it’s a beer belly, belching bald fan, but that’s a given.”
Chuckling, Ashlin said, “I never knew that was your type. We have more in common than I thought. Can’t get enough of those hairy-bellied men, mmm pure sex on a stick.”
“Is that right? I guess I better start hanging out at the all you can eat buffets and putting Rogaine on my stomach.”
“Yes, and if you can wear crocs with pajama pants out in public, that will up your sex factor as well.”
“Noted,” Jesse said, laughing.
An awkward silence fell between them. Ashlin didn’t know what to say; her mind went completely blank. One thing she did know was that she didn’t want their phone conversation to end; she was having fun with someone other than Ryker, and it surprised the crap out of her.
Right before she was going to ask Jesse a question, he said, “Well, thanks for calling Ashlin. You brightened my night.”
Feeling slightly disappointed that their conversation was ending, Ashlin said, “Any time. If you ever need to talk, I’m only a phone call away.”
They said their goodbyes and, as Ashlin hung up the phone, she leaned her head back on the couch and thought about how the man she always had a curious eye on was slowly starting to work his way into her life…and the strange thing was, she didn’t mind.
Chapter Six
**Mason**
“Fucking crutches,” Mason muttered to himself as he pushed his crutches to the side and sat down in the bistro chairs that were far too small for his body.
He needed to get away from Jake and Lexi and their smothering. After his surgery, he needed to go somewhere where people could help him out. Unfortunately, that meant Jake and Lexi’s house, since he had no one in Denver and his parents were on a two week cruise.
There were three things wrong with staying with Jake and Lexi. One, they were all over each other, and it was sickening for Mason to watch, especially since he was on a hiatus when it came to relationships. Two, they enjoyed smothering Mason like he was their damn kid. Jake even tried giving him a bath at one point…that was where Mason drew the line. Thirdly, they were leaving tonight for an away trip, so there really was no point in Mason coming to San Diego, except to escape Denver and the talk that surrounded the Stallions.
Leaving his team wasn’t an issue, since he needed to recover, but even if Mason was supposed to stay, he didn’t think he could have. This was the first injury he had ever really had, and it just happened to occur during one of the best seasons of his life. At least he went all out when it came to injuring himself. Nothing says injury like tearing every last ligament in his knee.
The metal of his chair was already boring into his ass after sitting on the damn bistro chair for five minutes. He didn’t want to go to the bistro, but it was the closest restaurant to Jake and Lexi’s house that he could crutch to. Unluckily, Mason injured his right knee, making it impossible for him to drive. He tried to tell everyone that he could drive with his left foot, no problem, but when he went to grab his keys, they all miraculously disappeared, leaving him almost completely stranded.
Currently, he was a pathetic fuck with the inability to drive, no woman by his side to push his worries away, and two best friends that couldn’t leave him alone for two damn seconds. He was miserable.
Mason’s phone rang, disrupting him from his thoughts. As he looked down at the caller ID, he saw Jake’s name pop up. Shaking his head, Mason answered the phone.
“Hey,” he said casually, as he could already hear Jake’s heavy breathing.
“Where the fuck are you? Did you get a car? I swear to God, Mason…”
“Settle down…Dad. I’m at the corner bistro.”
“How the hell did you get there?”
“I crutched my way here.”
A scream from a child behind Mason sounded off, making Mason cringe. Mason’s nerves were already bordering on making him jump off a cliff, he didn’t need a child screaming right behind him.
“That’s almost a mile away. Have you lost your damn mind?” Jake asked as his voice rose.
Almost a mile? That could explain the chaffing in his armpits and the shortness of breath Mason was experiencing when he finally sat down. He was so determined to get away from Jake and Lexi’s hovering that he plowed down the street and made it to the bistro in record time.
“Whatever, I’m fine. You happy now?”
“How do you expect to get home?”
“I’ll call a cab. Jesus, Jake, don’t you have some packing to do? I’ll be fine.” The child behind him continued to wail as Mason tried to hear what Jake was saying. “What did you say? I can’t fucking hear you because a God damn child is screaming its head off,” Mason said loudly, as he turned around to eye the noisy beast.
When he turned around, he didn’t see a child right away, but what he did see was a head full of red curly hair and silver eyes that were as wide as his good old friend’s saucer nipples.
“I need to fucking call you back,” Mason said, as he turned off the phone while Jake was trying to talk to him.
Turning around slowly, Mason took in the sight before him. Piper was sitting at the table next to him, wearing a yellow shirt and teal scarf. Her hair was in a mess of curls, framing her face and making her look absolutely perfect. But the sight that really disturbed him was the child in her arms with bright red hair and chocolate eyes, just like his.
“What the fuck? Did you have a kid and not fucking tell me?” Mason skipped the niceties and went straight for the kill.
Piper’s eyebrow quirked at him as she shoved a pacifier in the kid’s mouth. He could see th
e wheels starting to turn in her head as she geared up her response. This wasn’t going to be pretty.
“Are you a fucking moron? We haven’t even known each other for ten months. How the fuck would I have had a kid with you? They say football players aren’t the brightest crayons in the box, but your asinine question really takes the cake.”
Yup, seemed about right, Mason thought to himself, as he took in what Piper said. He’d definitely had a jock moment, but he was so thrown off by seeing her that time wasn’t even a question when he saw a baby that looked like it could have been theirs.
That would have been all kinds of fucked up.
“Whose kid then?”
“Why does it matter? You plan on harassing its parents as well?”
“I see that you still wear a tight pair of bitch pants,” Mason replied, as he looked her in the eyes…the eyes that had haunted him for months. He hated that his draw to her was just as strong as it was three months ago.
“Ah, and I see that you are still a misogynistic asshole, but to my delight, a one-legged one.”
Flames sprouted in Mason’s eyes as a smirk spread across Piper’s face after mentioning his injury.
Mason was about to respond when Piper fake pouted and said in a baby voice, “Oh, is poor Dash out of commission? Poor baby.”
“Fuck you,” Mason muttered.
“Still so eloquent,” Piper retorted, as she swayed the baby back in forth in her arms. The sight of her with a baby pained Mason, because he once saw a future where Piper was holding their baby and, clearly, that wasn’t what was in their future now.
Mason shifted his chair so he was facing her, and when he did, his crutches fell to the ground, making Piper laugh.
“What’s so damn funny?”
Piper picked up one of the crutches and started poking Mason with it. “The big bad Mason can’t stand to be laughed at.”
“What are you, fucking twelve?” Mason asked, as he snatched the crutch out of her hand. “Damn.”
“Look who has the menses now,” Piper said, referring back to when Mason called her out for being temperamental on the airplane when they first met.
Scowling, Mason stood up, placed his crutches under his arms, and pushed the chair he was sitting on into the table with his crutch.
“I’m out.”
He needed to get out of the bistro before he did something stupid, like either try to throw a fork at Piper’s eyeball, or fall to his knees and beg for her to be with him. He would rather do the fork stabbing, even though his heart was aching to have her near him.
Talk about one fucked up…relationship? Is that what they had? Whatever it was, it was so screwed up, but it held some of the best moments in his life, having her in his arms, curling her hair around his finger, and listening to her talk to him softly. Deep down inside, he knew he would blow his other knee out just to steal another moment like that with her, but the stubborn man on the outside was flipping her off in his head in every which way possible.
“Did you drive here? I hope not, because that’s very dangerous.” her voice came, ringing sincere.
Was that concern that laced her voice? Surprising, Mason thought. He didn’t know the spawn of the devil had a heart.
Turning around slowly on his crutches, Mason faced Piper for what was hopefully the last time and said, “Listen, your pity concern for me is nauseating and, frankly, insulting, since three months ago you could have cared less about my wellbeing…”
“That’s not true,” Piper said, cutting him off.
Mason held up his hand. “Cut the crap. If you cared one ounce about me, you never would have agreed to marry that piece of southern shit.”
“I was doing it for you,” Piper shouted, drawing attention from everyone around them.
A maniacal laugh escaped Mason’s mouth. “Wow, if that’s what you do to help people, please, for the love of God, do not try fucking helping me again. You broke me, Piper, simple as that. You fucking broke me.”
With that, Mason turned and crutched his way out of the bistro, never getting that peace and quiet that he needed.
**Piper**
She couldn’t move. Seeing Mason and hearing his words felt like she’d been hit by a brick wall, a six-foot-something, brown haired, scruffy faced, handsome as hell brick wall.
Never did she think she would see him again, in person that was. She saw him all over the media, but in person, she didn’t think it was possible, especially during the season. Unfortunately, she was babysitting for her cousin, who lived a mile away from Jake and Lexi. It was risky, because she could be spotted, but right now she would give anything for a little bit of money and to get the hell out of her parents’ house, so that meant she needed to babysit.
Once she left Mason’s place, after being told to fuck off, she packed everything up and just started driving. She ended up in Las Vegas where she drank, fucked, and went on a damn bender, expending every last cent she had in her bank account. It wasn’t the finest moment of her life, but she sure as hell forgot; she forgot every last thing that happened between her and Mason…the one man she couldn’t get out of her mind, even though they never had the chance to get close enough.
Not having any money or friends that weren’t already in Mason’s circle, she had only one place to go, and that was her parents’ house. Gritting her teeth and sucking up her pride, she’d walked up the elaborate granite steps to her parents’ house and asked if she could stay with them for a while, until she could get back on her feet. Her mom was barely present, given the amount of prescription drugs rolling through her body, so she was no help. That meant she had to listen to her dad lecture her for at least a week about poor decisions after she told them a condensed and less-slutty version of what she had just gone through. She asked both of her parents to not mention to anyone that she was with them, and that meant Lexi, who Piper knew would call at some point, and she did.
Not talking to Lexi pained Piper, because more than anything, she could have used Lexi’s shoulder to cry on, to talk to, and to help her through the shit show her life had turned into.
Alex, her cousin’s baby, started getting out of hand and, frankly, Piper couldn’t take it anymore…the whole babysitting thing that is, so she put Alex back in his car seat, grabbed his items and headed out to her car. Her cousin was home doing yoga, which she liked to do without the baby, so Piper didn’t mind taking Alex back, especially since she thought she was going to have a panic attack from seeing Mason.
Quickly driving to her cousin’s house she dropped off the baby in the midst of the warrior pose, called out her apologies, and got back in her car. Pushing her hair back and out of her face, she tried to gain control of her breathing from the thought of seeing Mason again. Her body tingled as she thought about the rough scruff on his face and the way his chocolate brown eyes bore through hers. She still needed him, after everything they went through, she still needed him.
Because she was a glutton for punishment, she stealthily drove by Lexi and Jake’s house as she peered out the window, wanting to catch any kind of glimpse of the dark, brooding man she’d grown to love. But there was nothing; the house was dark and there was no movement. Piper pulled out her phone and quickly checked the San Diego Thunder’s schedule. They were heading into an away game, meaning Jake and Lexi weren’t home. Was Mason staying there by himself?
She shouldn’t even care; she should just drive away and peace out, but curiosity and a broken heart were causing her to be a little crazy, so she drove her car down the road to the bistro. Sure enough, Mason was on the sidewalk, tossing his crutches to the side as he yelled at them. She watched him sit on the lawn, like a little boy who’d lost his ice cream cone and look up at the sky as he shook his head.
He needed help; she could see that, but was she ready to offer help? Was she ready to put herself out there for ridicule from a burly bear of a man who seemed to have had his hair ruffled from a season-ending injury?
Considering her options
, she would rather be blasted by Mason and his smart mouth than by her dad and his condescending one. There was no contest.
Taking a deep breath, she drove up right next to Mason and rolled down her window.
“Need a ride?” she called out, as Mason’s head snapped up.
The lines in his forehead creased as he made eye contact with Piper. So far, her chances of her offer of help being accepted were not looking good.
“No, I don’t,” he said, full of pride.
“Looks like it. That was quite the lashing you were giving those crutches.”
Mason looked at his crutches that were scattered on the ground, but didn’t change his expression.
“That’s how I fucking talk to them,” Mason paused, as he most likely thought about the ridiculousness that was coming out of his mouth. “Stop stalking me!”
“I was just in the neighborhood, don’t flatter yourself,” Piper lied, as she felt a slight pink shade grace her face from doing just that, stalking him.
“How convenient for you.”
Blowing out a frustrated breath, Piper asked, “Do you need a ride or not?”
“No, I don’t,” Mason said defiantly, as he ran his hands over the grass. “This is my thinking spot, and you’re disturbing the deep thoughts that are running through my head.”
“Is that right?” Piper asked, as she suspiciously eyed Mason. “Trying to solve world hunger over there?”
“As a matter of fact, yes,” Mason replied, as he lay back on his elbows, exposing his tight chest that his shirt was stretched across.
Rolling her eyes, she said, “And how’s that going for you?”
Mason eyed her and said, “Very well, actually. I have a brilliant idea.”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah,” he replied, using his cocky voice. “I figure if we start killing off all the dirty skanks like you, frying you up and serving it around the world, not only will your food consumption be given to someone else, but we will be feeding people with your bits.”
Piper crinkled her nose. “Really, Mason. Cannibalism? I know you’re a sick fuck, but I think that’s a little beneath you.”