“We’re going to Brett’s folks tonight, but we’re free on Thursday,” Madi recovered and got another grin out of her old man.
“Looks like I’m gonna have to take ol’ Zeus golfing and have the same talk with him I had to have with the wide receiver who once had my daughter blushing like she is now.” Her father’s brow went up, and she could’ve choked on the coffee she was still sipping.
Her father assumed it to be that he’d mentioned Hunter, but she was choking because she was suddenly mentally thrown back into that bed where Zeus had been ravishing her body.
“I’m sorry, honey, I didn’t mean to…” her father apologized.
“No, no it’s ok, I forgot how to swallow all of a sudden.” Madi gave him a laugh and stood. “Wanna go see how our QB is doing today with Quil?”
“I’d love that. I was about to head down myself. Wanna check the mirror first though?” he gave her a wink, and she ran to grab her compact in her drawer.
“Dad, I thought I had something in my teeth, don’t do that.” She scolded him and got a laugh in return.
She took his arm as they walked out the door and down the hallway, toward the elevators.
“You and Brett were destined to be together, Madi. I’m glad to see it finally coming to fruition.” When he smiled over at her she returned it and they hopped onto the elevator. “I knew it a long time ago. Long before Drew told me that as a child Brett told him he’d found the girl who would one day be his wife.”
“Brett told him that? When?” Madi asked in awe.
“The day he met you, Drew said. And it made Drew laugh but Brett was dead serious. Which is why it always surprised me when he didn’t intervene between you and Hunter.”
“Brett’s a gentleman, you know that father.” Although he wasn’t a gentleman in the bedroom last night, she thought. “Besides, he didn’t want to impose on my happiness for his own selfish gain.”
“That’s true. He’s never been selfish where you were concerned. Which is why he has my blessing.”
Madi grinned big as the elevator dinged, their destination reached, and leaned in to kiss her father’s cheek. “Thanks, Daddy. That means so much.”
“Tell him I said, it’s about damn time.” He chuckled and they moved through the training room to see a grumbling Coach Haskins.
“I can’t deal with this bullshit today.” Haskins threw his clipboard onto a bench. To say he overreacted on occasion was an understatement. The man lived football, ate it, breathed it, slept it, and most times needed a stress reliever in the worst way. Madi was surprised he hadn’t blown a coronary with how worked up he got. Not that the rest of them didn’t take football seriously, but Haskins had a cork up his ass 97% of the time.
“Now Haskins, let’s just relax,” Jerry said.
“Why don’t you tell that to your QB? He’s the one who needs to fuckin’ relax.” Haskins huffed off in the direction of his office and slammed the door behind him.
Madi knew if Haskins was going into his office, Brett was no longer on the field.
“Let me go see what’s going on. I’ll meet you on the field.” Madi leaned in to kiss her father’s cheek and moved to the locker rooms where she found Brett leaning forward, elbows on his knees, hands covering his face. He wore a sweat-stained gray muscle shirt that hugged his big frame, black workout shorts that came past his knees and new cleats. “Brett,” she whispered and rested her hand on his shoulder.
He breathed in deeply but didn’t move.
“Are you ok?” she asked. It was rare to see Brett upset, even after a loss. Their QB, their captain, was as solid as a rock, never getting rattled. The first time she’d seen Brett cry was when Hunter died; he wasn’t one to show emotion or theatrics.
He pulled his hands from his face and looked up at her, a mixture of fear and anguish in his eyes. “I saw him.”
“Who, Brett?” Madi squatted, glad she’d worn a pant suit today instead of a dress.
“Hunter,” he whispered and looked around, making sure they were alone.
“What do you mean?” Madi asked, trying to understand.
“I think he’s haunting me, Madi. I can’t throw a pass today to save my life. It was as if he was there, on the field with me, instead of Quillan. I kept seeing his number.”
“Brett, you’re stressed. That’s all.” After all, he’d been soothing her and not really grieving himself. They’d known this was going to be hard. Having Quillan, someone new, was just getting to him. “I know this is hard.”
“No, you don’t.”
Madi frowned. “Of course I do.”
“No, Madi, you don’t know. You weren’t the one in the car beside him watching him die, in the ambulance watching him die, in the hospital watching him die…all the while being in love with his wife. Now, he’s come back to haunt me for it.” Emerald green eyes pierced her heart.
“Oh, Brett,” Madi sighed.
“It’s fucking true. There was a part of me that was somewhat glad, how sick is that? I don’t deserve you.”
“Stop this!” Madi commanded, taking his face in her hands. “You listen to me. You are the best man I’ve ever known. I don’t know where this is coming from, but Hunter wouldn’t take this away from you. This is your own mind feeling guilty, Brett. He loved you. I know he did.”
“How could he? You know how angry he’d get with me.”
“Your relationship was rocky at the end, I know that, but he—”
“He was jealous of me.”
“Yes, he was. Very much so. But he never hated you, even when you thought he did.” Her eyes pleaded with him to listen to her words and take them in. “You remember what you told me about him loving me? I doubted it at first too but I know now; I
