Well Played by Vi Keeland
CHAPTER 8
Presley
“Sweetheart, will you do me a favor and go see if Uncle Levi wants any banana-nut pancakes?” The stack on the side of the stove had to be eighteen inches high.
Alex got up from his chair, but instead of heading to his uncle’s room, he walked over and put his hand on my back. “Are you okay, Mom?”
My forehead wrinkled. “Sure, why wouldn’t I be?”
My son shrugged. “I don’t know. But you usually make a lot of food when you get upset. Last time Dad didn’t show up for his visit, you made like a hundred cupcakes.”
Though a hundred was a bit of an exaggeration, I did tend to cook when I was lost in my head. I’d had no idea Alex realized that. This morning, I’d gotten out of bed at six and roasted a whole chicken before chopping it up and making chicken salad. My growing feelings toward Levi had me very unsettled.
But I didn’t want Alex to worry, so I smiled. “I’m fine, sweetie. I made extra to freeze in case you’re hungry after practice, that’s all. You can just pop them in the toaster oven later when you get home.”
Alex shrugged. “Okay, Mom.” Then he walked back over to his chair and sat down.
I turned with the spatula in my hand. “Umm… Did you forget you were going to go ask Uncle Levi if he wanted pancakes?”
“No, I didn’t forget. Uncle Levi’s not home. He left already.”
“He left?”
Alex nodded.
“When did he leave?”
“While you were in the shower. I was in my room getting dressed, and he came in with his suitcase to say goodbye.”
“Suitcase?”
“Yeah. He said he was going away for a few days.”
“Did he say where?”
“No.”
Alex was completely unfazed as he shoveled a pancake into his mouth. I, on the other hand, felt oddly bothered. Levi had gone out of town for a few days and didn’t even mention it to me? It wasn’t like he had any obligation, yet it still made me feel sort of bad that he hadn’t told me or said goodbye.
“Did he say when he’d be back?”
“No. He just told me not to drop my right shoulder when I cut to my right at practice. Coach Brick taught me to do it that way, but Uncle Levi said it should be the opposite—I need to drop left to fake out the defender.”
“Hmm… Well, I’m sure your uncle knows what he’s talking about. Though I’m not sure you should ignore the direction of your coach without discussing it with him first.”
“What’s a wet noodle, Mom?”
“A wet noodle?”
“Yeah. When I told Uncle Levi Coach Brick taught me to cut right, he said Coach Brick was a wet noodle and didn’t know his butt from his elbow.”
Oh boy. “Umm…a wet noodle is… What I think your uncle meant was that he didn’t agree with the information Coach gave you. But I don’t think you should repeat what he said when you talk to your coach, because it’s sort of not nice. Maybe just say your uncle told you to check with him because he thinks you should drop the other shoulder.”
Alex shrugged. “Okay.”
I sighed. “We need to get going in a few minutes to get you to football camp on time. So finish up, and then go wash your hands and grab your equipment bag.”
After I dropped Alex at camp, I decided I didn’t have time to wallow in my silly hurt feelings or micro-analyze everything going on in my head. I had an enormous job to do in order to get the B&B up and running, and that needed to be my priority. So I stopped by the paint store and picked up a few gallons of primer, then dove into the monumental task of getting all of the bedrooms ready for paint. It took me almost five hours, but I cleared the furniture out of the first three rooms I planned to work on, removed everything from the walls, spackled all the small holes, and covered all the moldings and corners with painter’s tape. By the time I was done and ready to pick up Alex at camp again, I felt invigorated, rather than deflated like I had this morning.
At the end of practice, Coach Jeremy walked over to my car while I was putting Alex’s equipment in.
“Hi, Presley.” He seemed a little apprehensive, and I hoped Alex hadn’t mentioned what Levi had called him.
I smiled. “Hey.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced around the parking lot. My son was talking to a few boys near the fence and not paying the least bit of attention. Jeremy rubbed the back of his neck. “So, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to go out again?”
While I was relieved that Alex hadn’t mentioned Levi’s comment, I also wasn’t sure how I felt about going on a second date. He was a nice-enough guy, and handsome, too; I just didn’t feel any spark. Though, I was pushing thirty now, so was a spark really necessary? In my experience, sparks that burned too hot generally led to a fire. Maybe I needed more of a slow-burn person.
I managed a smile. “Umm... Sure, why not?”
“Great.” He smiled. “Do you like country music?”
“I do.”
“I have tickets to a country festival in Charleston the weekend after next, if you’re up for it. It’s an all-day, all-night type of thing. But we can go and come back whenever you want.”
“Could I…let you know about that? I’d need to figure out a sitter for Alex and stuff.”
“Sure.” He nodded. “Of course.”
I closed my trunk. “I’ll figure it out within a few days, okay?”
“That sounds perfect.”
Alex ran over. “Mom, can I go over to Timmy’s after dinner?”
I smiled and mussed the hair on the top of his head. “We’re not even back from one thing yet, and you’re already asking to do something else.”
Jeremy smiled. “I miss having that energy. The only thing I want to do after a long day of practice in the sun is put my feet up and drink some sweet tea. You two have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow, Alex.”
I smiled back. “Have a good night, Jeremy.”
Later that evening, I’d just gotten Alex to bed and settled in the living room to watch TV when someone knocked at the door. I hadn’t been expecting anyone, but people occasionally stopped in for a room even though we had the Sold Out sign hanging under the main sign for the inn. It looked to be exactly the case as I unlocked the door and saw a woman standing on the porch with her back facing me, a suitcase next to her.
“May I help you?”
The woman turned and lifted her arms in the air, each holding a bottle of wine. “Surprise!”
“Oh my God!” My mouth dropped open. “Harper! What are you doing here?”
My best friend swamped me in a hug. “I took on a new client in Charleston and flew down to visit him. I figured I’d drive over and see if there was any room at the inn.”
“Of course there is!” I squealed. “I can’t believe you’re really here. Come in! Come in!”
Harper grabbed the handle to her Louis Vuitton-monogrammed luggage and wheeled it inside. She always dressed like a million bucks, and after a few weeks of living in Beaufort, I’d realized just how different the people down here looked compared to her. Harper was tall and model thin, and she had on a white linen pantsuit. The stylish bottoms had a high waist and wide legs, and a matching double-breasted jacket covered a sheer, white, lacy tank top. The only color in her ensemble came from a thin, blood red belt, matching pointy high-heeled red shoes, and a fully lined mouth with bright red lips. I couldn’t help but think how out of place she’d look at the local supermarket.
I brought her in and smiled, shaking my head.
“What?” she said.
“Nothing. You just look so…New York. Like the one-woman PR powerhouse you are.”
She looked down. “I specifically wore linen, so I’d look more casual.”
“If that’s casual, what the heck do I look like?”
I had on gray sweats with a rip at the knee and a ribbed white tank top. My hair was tied up in a messy bun on top of my head, and I’d just washed off what little makeup I wore these days.
Harper looked me up and down and grinned. “Do you really want me to answer that?”
I laughed. “Definitely not.”
She gazed around the spacious house. “Wow…this place is great. I feel like I stepped back in time.”
“It’s a mess right now. But I’ll give you the grand tour anyway.”
I walked Harper through the inn, giving her some of the history of the place as we went room to room. When we came to Levi’s room, I pointed to the door. “This is Levi’s room. He’s out of town.”
“How are things going with him? Last time we spoke, you said he was giving you attitude.”
I hadn’t filled Harper in on the weirdness between Levi and me lately, so I chose my words carefully. “No, we sort of worked out our differences. It’s a long story, but Tanner had been feeding his family a bunch of crap about me for years—basically led them all to believe I’d left him high and dry when he got injured.”
“Ugh. Figures. Can’t say I’m surprised with that man.”
I sighed. “Yeah.”
“So things are okay between you and the brother now?”
While I debated how to answer, a voice boomed from over my shoulder.
“All’s good, except the two of them want to boink like rabbits!”
Fern. I turned and shook my head.
“What?” She shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that, young lady. It’s true, and you know it.”
“Levi does not want to…boink me.”
Fern tsked. “You and that boy have been blowin’ up a storm since he rolled in. Only two things happen with that much whirling going on. Either you wind up fornicating or a house lands on a wicked witch.”
Harper’s entire face wrinkled. She shook her head. “Fornicating? Witch? I’m so confused.”
Her look made me chuckle in spite of myself. “Harper, this is Fern. She lives here at the inn. Fern, this is my very best friend, Harper Langley. She lives in New York and came down for a surprise visit.”
Harper extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, Fern. But who’s fornicating with whom and where’s the witch?”
Fern ignored Harper’s hand and instead pulled her in for a hug. “Nice to meet you, too, darlin’. Any friend of Presley’s is a friend of mine.” When she pulled back, she held Harper’s shoulders and gave her the once-over. “Is this a uniform you’re wearing? Are you a flight attendant for American Airlines or something?”
Harper looked down, seeming utterly confused. “A uniform? No, I’m not a flight attendant. This is Christian Dior.”
“Who?”
I chimed in, “It’s a designer, Fern.”
She shook her head. “Shame. Someone should be paying you to look that fancy.”
Harper’s brows were still pinched tight when Fern excused herself. “I’d love to stay and chat, but it’s my Mahjong night, so I need to get myself cleaned up. You two enjoy your evening now.”
After Fern walked away, Harper shook her head. “You’re going to have to explain what that woman just said.”
I laughed. “Come on. I think we need that wine you brought for me to do that.”
***
“I cannot believe you didn’t call and tell me you’re hot for your ex’s brother.” Harper sipped her second glass of wine. “Do you think maybe deep down you want revenge on Tanner?”
I shook my head. “I have zero desire to get even with Tanner. Maybe I did six years ago when I caught him cheating on me again and he walked out, leaving me with a one-year-old, but I’m long past that. I actually feel bad for him. He can’t seem to get over the life he lost enough to start making a new one. And that’s a shame, because he’s young and healthy with a great son, and he’s missing out on some of the best years of his life—and Alex’s.”
“Okay… Being with your ex’s brother still sounds kind of messy. I mean, how do you think Tanner would take the news if that happened and he were to find out?”
Just thinking about that scenario had me guzzling the rest of the wine in my glass. “Oh, I know exactly how he would take it—horribly. Tanner has always lived in Levi’s shadow. Levi was a first-round draft pick into the NFL. Tanner was a second. Tanner is six-feet tall. Levi is six foot three. But things got much worse after Tanner’s injury. He resents his brother’s success. Last year, their entire family went to Arizona for the Super Bowl to watch Levi play, but Tanner refused to go. Instead, he stayed home and bet against his brother’s team. Levi wound up with a Super Bowl ring, and Tanner wound up five-thousand dollars more in debt.”
I shook my head. “Tanner sees Levi’s life as the one he should be living. So I’m certain seeing Levi and me together would not go over well. It would be a disaster, really.”
Harper wrinkled her nose. “That doesn’t sound pleasant. I guess we’re just going to have to find you another man to—what did Fern call it?—boink. We’re going to have to find you another man to boink. That shouldn’t be too hard. I read an article on the flight down that said there’re a hundred-and-sixty-million men in the United States. Finding one to make you forget all about Levi shouldn’t be so hard.”
I nodded and smiled, though all I could think was… A hundred-and-sixty-million men in the United States, and of course, the only one I’ve wanted badly in years is the one I can’t have. Great. Just great.
