Cami’s Georgia Patriots Romance Collection Read online

  “You thought bodysurfing was fun? You’re going to love this.” He dropped one board into the sand and extended his hand, helping her to her feet. “I’m going to teach you first; then we’ll both do it.”

  He carried the board into the water, and Lily felt a rush of nerves. What if she couldn’t figure out how to boogie board? Hyde was an ultra-athlete and she was probably going to make a fool of herself. At least the beach was quiet right now. With the string of huge homes lining this stretch of coastline and the closest public beach parking lot too far away to see, these homeowners had a measure of privacy.

  They walked into the water, pushing against the never-ending waves that were rolling and sometimes breaking against them, then receding and helping them move deeper into the ocean. They continued until Lily was waist deep when the waves retreated and up to her neck when a wave rushed over them. Hyde positioned the board underneath her, helping her get into the right spot. Lily forgot all about boogie boarding as Hyde touched her and smiled at her.

  The rushing of water from behind alerted her to a huge wave’s presence. Hyde lifted her and the board and threw her onto the wave. She screamed in exhilaration as the wave rushed toward the shore and she flew with it. The tip of her board went down and she plunged forward, rolling through the wave, her nose and mouth filling with salty water.

  Lily burst to the surface, spitting and flailing.

  Hyde swam to her, steadying her with his hands under her arms. “You okay?”

  She wiped at her face, hoping nothing was hanging out of her nose. “I think so. That was vicious.”

  “You’re supposed to lean back a little bit to keep the tip up.”

  “That’s so not what I need to hear right now.”

  Hyde laughed but sobered quickly. “Sorry.”

  “No, I’m good. Let’s do it again.”

  “Are you sure?” He pushed a heavy strand of hair behind her shoulder.

  Lily trembled from his warm touch. “Yeah,” she said, even though all she wanted to do was kiss him again. “It was fun until the wave rolled me.” She picked up the board and started running through the surf.

  Hyde caught her quickly. He helped her get positioned right on a few more waves, and she was careful to keep her tip up and ride them all the way into the beach. They sat in the sand, catching their breath after a near-perfect ride in.

  “Okay. I think you’re ready to go on your own.”

  “You sure? I kind of like my instructor helping me. He’s got great hands. I like them touching me.”

  Hyde grinned. “I can still help with that.”

  He leaned toward her. Lily brushed her hair out of her face. Hyde cupped her cheek with one large palm. Lily scooted closer, and he lowered his head to hers. His lips tasted salty, warm, and wonderful. They were lost in their own world when a wave pushed them farther up the beach and Lily fell backward into the sand, laughing.

  Hyde lowered his torso on top of hers. “I don’t think you need any instruction on this one.”

  “Oh? Good to know I’m proficient.”

  “More than proficient.”

  Hyde kissed her again, and neither of them stopped even when the water swirled around her head. He simply lifted her up and continued kissing her. Lily was lost in this beautiful setting, this fun day, and Hyde. A wave crashed over them and pulled them apart. Lily laughed, spitting out water, but she wondered when it was all going to come crashing down like the wave on them. Life couldn’t be this perfect, could it? She pushed the negative thoughts away, stood, and headed out to catch another wave.

  Chapter 14

  They ordered takeout for lunch, then relaxed on the beach in the afternoon, reading, talking, and playing in the sand. Hyde had cooked dinner for Lily, and he loved that she was all right with staying in her suit all day. He’d heard a lot of girls complain about the gritty sand and salt on their skin and hair, but Lily didn’t seem to be bothered by it. She’d probably dealt with a lot of discomfort being raised with so many siblings in that small house. She acted like an exuberant child as they’d played today. He smiled. She didn’t look or kiss like a child, but her innocence was refreshing.

  They watched the sun set from his infinity pool with the daiquiris he’d promised, and then they decided they’d better get home. He’d texted his pilot to get the plane ready and then took a quick shower. Now he waited for her to come out of the master bedroom.

  Her phone beeped right next to him. Hyde looked over at it on the counter and couldn’t help but read the recent text lighting up the screen from … Ike the Incredible Hottie? What?

  Hope you’re ready for the “training” I’m going to give you on Monday. Can’t wait to finally be the one to call the shots ;) Love that body.

  Hyde swallowed hard and blinked to make sure he was seeing this right. Why would she have Ike listed as “The Incredible Hottie”? What kind of “training” was Ike going to give her? And what right did Ike have to be loving Lily’s body? That was Hyde’s job.

  Hyde paced away from the counter and stared out the windows at the ocean. The normally soothing sound and motion of the waves did nothing to calm him. The text and pet name for Ike might be innocent, but then again, they might not be. Did Lily have something going on with Ike? Would she do that to Hyde? She’d known Ike a lot longer than she’d known Hyde. Maybe they used to be together and she hadn’t changed his name in her phone. Hyde jammed a hand through his damp hair, having no clue how to respond to this information.

  The door to the master suite opened and Lily came out in a tank top and shorts. “Hey.” She lifted her wet hair and fanned it. “Time to go home, eh?”

  “I guess so.” Hyde studied her. Should he say something about the text? He’d be the creeper who invaded her privacy, but they were dating and Ike didn’t have any right to “train” with Lily.

  They were both quiet as they drove back to the airport. Lily gave him a few questioning glances, but didn’t say much. Hyde really didn’t know what to say. The pilot escorted them onto the plane and they seat-belted into side-by-side leather chairs. Hyde was getting more uncomfortable by the second. Lily had shoved her phone into her purse as they’d left his house, and she hadn’t pulled it out again. Had she even seen Ike’s text? Was this a regular occurrence? He didn’t know what it meant to Lily or to their relationship. He’d had a girlfriend cheat on him before and it hurt, but Lily could gouge his heart out if she was really with Ike.

  Lily reached across the armrest and entwined their fingers. Hyde jolted a little bit. He didn’t know how to take her right now. Part of him was ticked at Ike for ruining their day. All of him was ticked at Ike for meaning something to Lily. Hyde had told her he wanted to be with her earlier, and she hadn’t really responded. Did she not feel the same?

  “Thank you for throwing your money around today.” She smiled so sweetly at him, and it seemed impossible that she was playing him. “It’s hard for me to deal with,” she continued.

  “Seriously?” He angled his shoulders toward her. “You’re really having issues with my money?” Why was she bringing this up now? A way to let him down easy?

  “Getting a little ahead of yourself, Mr. Metcalf. I haven’t even told you I like you yet, so what does it matter if I have issues with your money?”

  Hyde’s smile felt tight. He usually loved the way she teased him, but he needed reassurances and he needed them now.

  She clung to his hand and whispered, “Honestly, Hyde. I’m more worried about us rushing things and then something getting awkward and you not wanting me to train you anymore.”

  She’d rushed out the words like she’d wanted to say them for a long time. If she was worried about them rushing things, did that mean she wanted to slow down because of Ike, or because of the money? He tried to reassure her, though he felt far from reassured. “Hey, I’m not an awkward kind of guy. What’s to worry?”

  She smiled, but her eyes belied her concern.

  “Is it really so rewarding to train
me that you’re overly concerned about something that might never happen?”

  “I love training you.” She lowered her eyes and her voice. “I really need the money, Hyde.”

  He didn’t like that. At all. Was she only a paycheck to him? Was that why she’d refused to date him at first? Maybe she’d realized she could get more money by dating him. He hated that he was doubting her, but everything was up in the air after that text he’d seen. There was one way to get a little insight. “Lil.” He tried to make his voice low and gentle. “I can give you whatever money you need.”

  Her eyes flickered up to his again, but this time they were filled with fire. She jerked her hand back, making Hyde release her fingers. “Don’t even think about throwing your money around that hard. That’s not chill on so many levels. You know me enough by now to know I need to make my own way.”

  Hyde had thought he knew her half an hour ago. Now he wasn’t so sure, but he liked that she’d fired up at his suggestion. Maybe she was as innocent and refreshing as he’d assumed, but still maybe not. He was going to hang out at the gym all day Monday, if necessary, and see exactly what type of “training” Ike had planned.

  If only Ike wasn’t in the picture. Hyde would just hand her a chunk of money and tell her not to worry, but the Lily he thought he knew wouldn’t like him “throwing his money around.”

  “I’m sorry for offering,” he said stiffly. “Is it wrong to want to help you?”

  “I can’t take help like that, Hyde.” She looked so sad and young all of a sudden. “Maybe we should just focus on your training for now.”

  “So, is this you trying to tell me to slow down?” Aha. She did want an excuse. His perfect day was crashing quickly around him.

  She swallowed and whispered, “Maybe.”

  “What does that mean?” His voice was harsh, and he knew it.

  “I don’t know. Can we just keep going the way we have been and see where it leads?”

  He wanted to tell her no. He needed to know what Ike meant to her before he could proceed with anything. Dealing with his mom’s illness and his recovery from pneumonia was hard enough; he couldn’t deal with a deceitful girlfriend or trainer or whatever Lily was to him, too.

  She took a quick breath and said, “And can you promise that you’ll train with me until the two months are up?”

  “Um, sure.” She was an exceptional trainer, and he would have had no issue sticking with her if the Ike doubts hadn’t appeared today. Was that bonus really that big of a deal to her? Ten thousand dollars was nothing to him, but he couldn’t tell her that.

  Her lips curved up in a smile. “Thank you.”

  Hyde nodded jerkily and leaned back in his seat. He pretended he was tired from the long day and closed his eyes. Stewing over Lily’s intentions for the next hour would be miserable, but it was easier than looking at her beautiful smile and wishing he knew if he could trust her or not.

  Chapter 15

  Usually, Sunday was Hyde’s favorite day during the off-season. Mom would make a huge breakfast, and after they enjoyed the feast, they went with Allie and her husband, Lon, to church. Then they’d lounge around in the yard, nap or read, and have a relaxed Sunday dinner together. Hyde ate whatever he wanted to eat on Sunday, and though he sometimes gave himself a stomachache, it was worth it. Today, though, he felt empty as things were unsettled with Lily and he still didn’t know how to resolve his concerns over the text from Ike.

  His phone rang as he was knotting his tie. He checked the number and smiled. It was Rigby Breeland, his quarterback and one of his closest friends on the team. “Hey, man. How’s Alabama?”

  “Perfect this time of year. How’s your mom?”

  “I don’t know. Some days I think worse, some better. I’ll have a mess on my hands come the start of the season.”

  “Sorry, man.” Rigby paused, then asked, “What about you? Back up to par?”

  “Getting there.” Lily would make sure he was up to par, if he kept training with her.

  “So this thing about you retiring, being engaged to some gold digger who’s got a boyfriend on the side, and taking care of your mom—that’s not serious.”

  “Excuse me?” Hyde didn’t know which part to freak out about first. The media had proof Lily had a boyfriend? His heart thumped faster.

  “Um, you didn’t know?”

  “No.” Hyde strode to his dresser and grabbed his phone.

  “Sorry to be the bearer of bad press. It’s all over the Internet, and not just from one source—magazines, bloggers, newspapers. I saw it this morning. There are pages of articles. They all came out today.”

  Hyde Googled himself, read a few different headlines, and groaned.

  “It’s all over that you can’t recuperate and you’re going to take the offer from Bucky for early retirement.”

  “Early retirement? I’m in my third year.” Hyde scanned the top article from a reputable national newspaper and sank into an armchair. “Bucky hasn’t even contacted me.” Bucky was the eccentric owner of the Patriots, but he was a stand-up good old boy. Hyde couldn’t believe he’d be in on this. “Do you know who their source was?”

  “Sources. I think it was your mom, bro; but the woman’s family—a Lily Udy? A few of them had commented as well. Josh Udy telling the media that you buy him all kinds of stuff and you’re going to marry his sister. Probably innocent, but it looks bad, like she’s letting you buy her off. Are you looking at the news feed now?”

  “Yeah.” Pictures of him and Lily were plentiful—running together by Clear Creek, kissing at her apartment door, climbing into his Lexus, walking down Golden’s Main Street hand in hand.

  Hyde tore his gaze from them and sighed. “I’m not retiring. That’s ridiculous. I’ve got a kick-butt trainer, and she’s going to have me ready to go. We’ll take that Super Bowl ring back and won’t let it go until both of us retire.” Yet if Lily was involved in all of this, maybe he wouldn’t have a kick-butt trainer much longer. His heart wrenched at the thought.

  Rigby whooped. “Now that’s what I like to hear.”

  “Guess I’ll start with cussing my mom out and go from there.”

  “Go easy on her.”

  “You know I will.” Hyde hung up and turned around.

  His mom was in the entry of his suite, watching him with fearful eyes. “I’m sorry, honey. What did I do wrong?”

  Hyde bit his tongue and opened his arms to her. She walked right into them, and he knew he couldn’t really cuss her. “Nothing, Mom.” There was no benefit to telling her what she’d done. She wouldn’t remember tomorrow. He just needed to find a way to keep her away from the press. He knew why she’d told the press he was going to retire. She wanted nothing more than for him to be home and not travel and not train, but he couldn’t retire. Not yet. The guilt swept in. If he didn’t retire, who would take care of his mom during the season? Her condition seemed to just be getting worse.

  He needed to read more of these articles and see what they were saying about him and Lily. Usually, he didn’t give the press much notice, but to have dozens of articles released on the same day and Rigby worrying about him retiring? He’d have to contact his agent and Bucky and make a statement or something. And how was Lily involved?

  “Are we going to church?” his mom asked.

  “Can you go without me? Allie and Lon will be with you. I’ve got to deal with some press issues.”

  She nodded quickly. “Okay. Love you.”

  “Love you too.” She slowly walked out his door and down the steps.

  Hyde pushed a hand through his hair and grabbed his laptop. It would be easier to read and cross-reference. He skimmed through, and after the first couple of articles, he was clenching his computer tightly. It looked really, really bad. Quotes from his mom about how irate she was that Lily would cheat on him and how the gold digger didn’t deserve her boy. Then she claimed that Hyde was such a good boy he was going to dump the girl soon, take an early retirement offer, a
nd stay with his mom.

  Of course the article made him look like a loser for living with his mom, but he didn’t care about that. What he did care about was the quotes from Lily’s family that revealed how desperate their situation was and did make her look like a gold digger. One reporter had quotes from Josh about Hyde buying them all kinds of stuff and how lucky they were that his sister had snagged the best football player in the world.

  Then he scrolled down and saw a picture of Lily hugging Ike. It was the gut punch that almost doubled him over: beautiful Lily in that musclehead’s arms, her dark hair trailing over Ike’s thick shoulder. Hyde’s stomach churned. Quickly looking away from the picture, he read the article. Ike had told the reporter how desperately Lily needed Hyde’s money, so Ike had let her have the training job, even though he didn’t like his girlfriend being around the football star.

  Could that be true? He’d seen the text from Ike just yesterday. Here was his proof. Lily was really dating that musclehead and was only with Hyde because she needed the money. He scrubbed at his forehead. Just last night she’d told him how badly she needed the money and asked him to promise that he wouldn’t stop training with her. If she thought to play on his sympathies when she was blatantly cheating on him, she had another thing coming.

  His blood began to boil. He slammed the laptop closed, grabbed his keys and his phone, and stomped toward the garage. Instead of church today, he was going to be calling someone to repentance.

  * * *

  Lily slumped on the couch in her apartment, relieved that Wynette was with her family today and couldn’t be here to witness her come apart. She’d turned on the entertainment news this morning as she got ready, really just for some noise in the background, but when she’d heard her and Hyde’s names, she’d done a double take. They were spewing all kinds of crap about Hyde Metcalf’s trainer using him to get to his money, claiming she was really dating Ike. Yikes. Where would they get that?