Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55599 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“For anyone who doesn’t know me, I’m Lauren Holt,” she said. “We so appreciate everyone taking the time to be here with us tonight to celebrate my husband’s birthday. It’s an extra special one this year because it’s the last time we’ll be a family of two on his birthday.”
She’s glowing as she reaches down to the table and lifts up a little white onesie with black writing that says, “Baby Holt due 9.3.23.”
The table erupts into cheers and applause, Archer and Lauren both looking overjoyed. I feel like I don’t belong in this intimate moment between them and their Mammoths team family. It’s clear the men on this team and their partners care a great deal for each other.
A lean man with short, dark hair stands up and motions over a server.
“We’ll need a few bottles of your best champagne,” he says.
The server nods and says, “Right away, sir. We have a very nice Krug.”
“Dane, who’s your friend?” a man asks from the other side of the table.
Dane doesn’t even look at me as he answers. “This is Josie; she’s my bodyguard. She prefers to be called Nosy.”
I shake my head.
The man who ordered the champagne leans forward in his seat and looks down the table at us.
“Arnold hired her to keep Dane on the rails.”
There are scoffs and laughs around the table, a few people muttering, “Good luck.” I look at Dane and his annoyed expression is back.
“Do you not think you’re a pain in the ass?” I ask him before I even have time to think about it.
Laughter breaks out around us and one guy says, “I like her.”
Dane gives me a wry look. “I think I can be too much fun for some people.”
The champagne-ordering man howls. “Was it fun spreading your cheeks to get searched when they booked you into jail in Chicago?”
Dane shoots him a glare. “If you’d answered the phone, that wouldn’t have happened.”
“I bailed you out before the bus left,” he says with a shrug.
“Didn’t they pull a machete and a full-size turkey out of your anal cavity?” someone quips.
“And a velvet painting of Elvis,” another teammate says.
“Damn, dude. That thing must be stretched.”
“Enough, assholes,” Dane says with a scowl. “Tonight is about Archer and Lauren.”
The laughter dies down as several servers come into the room with bottles of champagne on ice. More servers follow with bread and salads for everyone, and I pull off a bite of a slice of bread immediately, because I’m feeling lightheaded from not eating since breakfast.
I pass on the offer of champagne because I can’t stand the thought of only drinking a few sips of something so expensive. For the toast to Archer and Lauren’s good news, I use my glass of water.
Dane, on the other hand, downs a full glass of champagne, refills it and orders another beer.
I lean over to speak softly in his ear. “You’re not driving home.”
“Okay, Mom.”
“I’m serious,” I whisper.
“Fine.”
We spend the next couple of hours eating a delicious meal of steak, au gratin potatoes, several kinds of vegetables and chocolate lava cake. Elena switches chairs with the person on the other side of me halfway through so I have someone to talk to. She makes me laugh and actually enjoy myself, even with Dane on my other side.
The man who ordered the champagne for everyone is the Mammoths’ team captain, Dalton Lorenzo, and he picks up the tab at the end of the night, not even blinking as he fills out the receipt. This is his first year as team captain after the team’s longtime captain retired.
“Do you think Aaron can help me get him to the car?” I ask Elena softly because Dane has had a lot to drink and if he falls over in the parking lot, I won’t be able to get him up.
“Of course.”
“I’m fine, Nosy,” Dane says, aggravated. “Just drive us home so we can see how much of my house your cat has destroyed.”
Dalton laughs from nearby. “You have to live with that bastard?”
I shrug. “For the time being.”
“Go with God,” he says, still grinning.
Dane is right--he’s fine to walk to the car, and he does. Once we’re on the road, he turns to me.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“It was fun. Everyone on your team seems really nice. Other than you, I mean.”
He laughs and balls his coat up against the car window, resting his head. “You just don’t know me, Nosy. I can be the nicest guy there is.”
I seriously doubt that. But I’m too tired to argue anymore. Tomorrow afternoon, we’re leaving for a road trip with the team.
That’ll be the real test. Dane’s worst behavior seems to happen on road trips. I’m going to need a good night of sleep to prepare myself.
And also a whole lot of luck.
CHAPTER FIVE
Josie
The Minnesota Mammoths’ plane is painted in the team’s purple and teal colors and the logo-- not surprisingly, a mammoth--is painted on the tail. We boarded directly from the tarmac after bypassing the usual airport security and doing a quick, private screening.