3. BVBust

Jillian

Lifting my sleep mask,I glance over at Cora, who has not been able to keep still for the past twenty minutes. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. You?"

"I'm okay."

I catch her smirking as she looks down and fixes her lap blanket, and I immediately know what it's about.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Yes," she states then follows it up with, "Eventually."

"Better make it happen, because the sooner you do, the less time I'll spend plotting my revenge."

"Revenge?"

"Oh please, you started it with your little micro-O when Blaze Bennett walked out of the tunnel."

She squirms again, and I position my seat back to try to figure out what the hell her problem is.

"I have to pee, okay?" she whimpers.

"Then go."

"It's been occupied for like fifteen minutes. I've waited so long I'm afraid if I go all the way to the other one, I won't make it."

"Knock on the damn door. Tell whoever the asshole is?—"

"Holes—plural. Two people."

"Oh, fuck them and their mile-high fantasy." I start to stand, but little Cora Parker grabs my knee to stop me. She's strong, too. Her hand's like has a damn vice grip.

"Those assholes include my sister and your brother."

I snort out a laugh. "I should wake up Mom. She always has to pee. She'd go?—"

"You're not hearing me. I'm going to piss my pants if I have to wait for anyone else," she sneers.

I grin. "That revenge I was talking about …"

"Not funny," she replies as if she's in pain.

"Don't worry about it. I don't have to do shit. Karma showed up and took care of it."

"I really don't like you right now."

"You do, too." I stand.

"What are you doing?"

I nod a few rows ahead where a man is standing and stretching. "I'm going to hold your place in line so he doesn't get there first."

I step over her and do just that.

Poor CeCe looks completely scandalizedwhen she comes out of the bathroom and sees me standing here.

"No need to freak out; Hudson and Mom are asleep." I glance at Cora, who stands slowly and does the slowest pee-pee walk I've ever seen up the aisle toward us. "Your sister's going to piss her pants, so we need to move."

"Oh my God," she murmurs as she moves out of Cora's way. "I'm so sorry."

"Move it, Romeo," Cora grumbles at Rome as he walks out.

I glance back at the two of them once Cora is in the bathroom, hopefully not pissing herself. I point back and forth between the two of them. "There's nothing either of you can say to make this go away. Just move along."

"I'm so sorry," CeCe whispers again.

Rome leans in, narrows his eyes, and whispers to me, "I'm not."

When Cora is done, I decide I may as well go, too. I still have another brother on this plane, and as chummy as he's gotten with the brunette flight attendant, I may be the one almost pissing my pants in a couple hours.

When I return, Cora gets up to let me back in my seat by the window. "I owe you big."

"Not for that, you don't. But for not warning me that Nour's sister is the new vet at Wags and allowing me to say he looks like baseball Jesus, you owe me big."

She bites back a laugh. "If I'd have thought you didn't know who she was, and that was going to come out of your mouth, I would have done whatever I could to stop it."

I sigh. "I'll never be able to face either one of them again."

"I wouldn't worry about it. She's cool, and even if she wasn't, they're not close like you and your brothers. I'm not sure many people are."

"Thought the same thing, but the Steel family, they're tight, and so are the owners of Hudson's team." I yawn. When she doesn't reply, I nudge her. "I hope you still don't feel weird about going with us."

She shrugs. "I feel bad about Dad being alone. But he's picking me up at JFK, and we're going to hit a couple plays."

"Your mom was a Broadway enthusiast, right?"

She nods.

"Never been to a show. We're all sports in this?—"

"You should come with us." She smiles. "CeCe and Roman could stay another day and?—"

"You and your dad have plans." The idea of going somewhere with anyone other than my brothers or Mom is tempting, but … I don't want?—"

"Seriously, he'd probably love to get to know some of the people I spend time with. But if you don't want to, then?—"

"I'd actually love to."

"Perfect." She smiles big. "I'll message CeCe now."

We message back and forth with Rome and CeCe, and it's a go. Rome changes his ticket from his name to mine, and even books me a room at the hotel where Cora and her dad are staying.

It doesn't take long before she falls asleep, and I decide to check the app to see if he's responded.

I feel my face spilt into a grin when I see he has.

SportsManSam: You going to be around in about an hour? If so, hit me up. Let's nail *hammer emoji* this down.

GoodTimesOnly: Sorry, spotty service. Any chance you'd be up to meeting in NYC Monday late evening? I have "a thing" with my girls, so I probably won't have a moment alone until late, but I do have a room that's all mine. Think about it. Let me know tomorrow? Sleep well, SMS.

X

SportsManSam: No need to think about it. Can't wait to meet up with you. Send me deets when you get them.

It may be in poor judgment to play this game, but I'm resigned to go through with this. But I won't be sending him details until an hour before I have them. So, instead of replying right away, I scroll up and look at his pictures again. Those abs of his … yeah, I am totally doing this.

I'm notone to use words like "picturesque," but Skaneateles, New York, is deserving of such a word.

"It's beautiful here," Cora says, looking out the window as we pass by the stone buildings.

"You'll have to come up at Christmastime. They have Dickens weekends." Hudson chuckles. "Kind of cool."

A few minutes later, as we're turning down West Lake Road, I watch Hudson's eyes shine with restrained excitement and pride.

I lean forward and squeeze his shoulder. "Feel like home?"

"More and more every day," he admits.

A few minutes later, he's turning into the driveway.

"My goodness, that went quickly," Mom says as the new home on his property comes into view. "I love that they decided to match the exterior to your house."

"Looks like it belongs, yeah?" Rome asks.

Mom smiles. "Certainly does."

Hudson pulls in behind the contractors' vehicles in the driveway. "Let's check it out." He then throws the vehicle in park and gets out.

Rome climbs out of the passenger side and opens CeCe's door, while Hudson opens Mom's. Cora and I file out of the third row behind them.

Stepping out on the porch, Ryan Brooks, the general contractor and a seriously handsome man in his fifties, says with a smile, "Look, it's the Harts."

His stunning daughter, Riley, who is tall, all legs, with thick, long black hair, steps out, and her brother, Jackson, the strong, silent, and also hot as hell type, nods.

"Look, it's the Brooks family, working on Mother's Day." Hudson shakes his head. "Say it ain't so."

Ryan's wife, Jade, steps out of the house, her long, black hair in a thick braid hanging over her shoulder. "We're heading to brunch at the brewery to meet the rest of the family. I insisted they show me their latest project." She looks at her husband and kids. "It's incredible."

Riley takes her hand. "Let's leave them to it."

Roman shakes their hands. "Thank you."

I watch as Mom tips her head to the side, clearly curious at his choice of words.

"We're open until seven tonight; you should all stop by and celebrate," Riley says, walking down the porch stairs. She smiles at Mom. "Happy Mother's Day."

"Thank you," Mom says then looks at Jade. "Happy Mother's Day to you, too."

"Let's check it out." I take Mom's hand.

"Will the owners mind?" Mom asks, voice shaking slightly as we head up the stairs. Rome. Hudson, CeCe, and Cora follow behind us.

She knows.

"Not sure." Hudson steps around us and opens one of the wooden double doors. Rome opens the other.

As is the plan, I step into what one would call a quaint yet luxurious country lake cottage, but people like us, the Harts before my brothers became pro athletes, would drop the word quaint and admit it would be more than we ever dared dream of to live in a place like this.

If she had any questions before, they are being answered now.

To the left, the spacious living area is furnished with all the plush, overstuffed sofas draped in soft earth-toned throws that she added to one of many Pinterest boards that Mom and I have going. She and I were dreaming of the home we'd have once I finished school. A large stone fireplace's flickering flames cast a warm glow across the room. Above, wooden beams cross the ceiling, adding a touch of rustic charm.

In the center of the room will sit a coffee table, if Mom wants one. The bare walls, a blank slate where I imagine she'll hang pictures from the shops lining Main Street or ones she'll take. The only exception is the large wooden plaque with the words, "Where Harts gather and love grows."

She shakes her head and wipes away a tear with the hand not still holding tight to mine.

I lead her to the kitchen that has sleek granite countertops and custom-built cabinets, with maple finish that matches the beams. A farmhouse sink beneath a window offers a picturesque view of the lake, unobstructed by Hudson's massive home. The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafts from a gleaming espresso machine nestled next to a row of polished copper cookware. Beside it are flowers with a card peeking out that says, "Welcome Home, Linda."

More tears fall, this time hers and mine.

Beyond the kitchen, the dining area features a wooden table, surrounded by cushioned chairs, each one draped with a woven throw. Soft sunlight filters through lace curtains, casting patterns onto the hardwood floors below.

"I can't find words." She sniffs. "I?—"

"Find them after we're done exploring your new home, yeah?" Rome suggests as he moves past us and heads toward the master bedroom.

Inside the master is a wrought iron bed, covered in white linens. The drapes are open, exposing the French doors leading to the side porch, offering another spectacular view of the lake. There's the writing desk she's dreamed of having in the corner and a vintage armoire that looks like the one I found on Pinterest and sent to them in our sibling group text we used while planning.

I look at Hudson, and he gives me a wink.

Another set of French doors leads to her en suite bathroom, with a soaker tub and separate shower. Inside the bathroom is also a walk-in closet.

Hudson nods back toward the kitchen. "Follow me."

We pass the kitchen to the stairs, and he points up to the balcony of the second story. "There's another master suite upstairs with a balcony, a smaller bedroom, and a second living area." He opens the door under the stairs. "Half-bath here for guests."

He looks at Roman, who stands by the bottom of the stairs, pulling the small ball of wood, called a newel cap, off the bottom post—newel post—and pulls out the deed. "This is yours."

When she begins to sob, there's not a dry eye in the house. Where Harts gather and love grows.

The parking lot is packed,but Hudson manages to find a place to park his massive Escalade.

"It' a barn." Roman chuckles.

"It's a gambrel-roofed barn," Hudson states as he opens his door and slides out. "Stick around here, and you'll learn shit you never thought you needed to know."

I look at Cora. "It's a red barn."

"With silos," she adds as she moves to exit the third row.

"Silos?" I ask.

"Animal person, farm people, we're like not the same but kind of."

"Makes perfect sense, kind of." I laugh as I follow her out.

The sign over the entry doors reads "Brooks Barn and Brew."

Mom's, still misty-eyed and still looks to be in a bit of shock.

I love today. Truly love it.

Inside the entry, an easel is set, telling us, "Seat yourself. We're busy," which makes me giggle, but it's speaking truth—the place is packed.

We all follow Hudson toward the bar, three sides of which are seating. On the back wall is a one of the massive TVs, between two doorways, which I assume lead to the kitchen.

Smiling, Riley Brooks comes out of the back and spots us. "Hey, look, it's the Harts."

"Sure is." Hudson winks.

A sandy-brown-haired, nice-looking guy comes up behind her and wraps an arm around her waist. "It's the off season; what are you doing back from"—he pauses—"where in Bumfuck, Virginia?"

Hudson lifts his chin. "I own a house here, and so does my beautiful mother." He pulls her under his arm. "This is home no matter the seasons."

"Should have been here earlier. Not looking good for even a Knight to find a place to?—"

Riley elbows him and laughs. "The loft has plenty of space. Grab a table. I'll send a server up."

Hudson winks at her. "Family-style works. Load us up. To the round table we go, fam."

Before we walk away, I hear Riley's boyfriend say, "This was supposed to be a day off for you. I thought we'd get some time together."

"Guy's a fucking tool," Hudson mutters under his breath as we make our way to the stairs.

The loft is freaking awesome. One side overlooks the bar below, and just like the main level, it has a wall of windows overlooking the lake.

"How many lakes are there around here?" Cora asks.

"It's called the Finger Lakes region," Hudson replies. "There's eleven close by. Mom's lake is the best."

Upstairs, there's one family and, of course, Hudson knows them.

"Hey, look, it's the Rosses."

"Hey, look, it's the Harts." A blonde woman smiles. "Come sit with us."

Hudson looks at CeCe. "Alex and his son, Liam, are veterinarians."

"Dad's a part-time vet now." Liam, the son, chuckles.

"Not part-time yet," Alex corrects his son. "Not until the fall."

"Too young to retire." Roman shakes his hand. "I'm?—"

"We know who you are. You're Roman Hart." She holds out her hand. "I'm Phoebe, and this is Remington. The other Rosses."

Hudson sucks in a breath. "No disrespect met, Mrs. Ross. Roman's girlfriend's a vet, too, and her sister's going to be."

"Once I get off the waitlist at Rutgers." Cora shrugs.

"You apply to Cornell?" Alex asks.

"As in, the Ivy League college?" She shakes her head. "No way. My grades tanked last semester."

"Extenuating circumstances." CeCe shakes her head. "You'll get there again."

"Get those grades up next semester and apply. You never know," Alex says, sitting back down at the table.

"I'm retaking the classes, but I'm not Cornell material." Cora shrugs.

"Alex and Liam both graduated from Cornell." Phoebe winks at Cora. "And Alex starts teaching there in the fall."

While everyone is talking, I excuse myself and head down to use the bathroom—a.k.a. check my phone to see if SMS has messaged me again—when one of the servers drops a whole tray of drinks at my feet.

"Oh shit, I am so sorry." She bends down and starts picking up cups, shockingly, none of them broke. "Oh my God, look at your shoes."

I bend down and help her. "No big deal."

"You better fire that one," someone yells over the crowd.

"Can't fire free help!" she calls back then looks at me. "Totally why I shouldn't be allowed behind the bar. I'm?—"

"London Links." I laugh.

"Guilty." She smiles and looks up at me. "Fuck, leave it to me to trash Hudson Hart's sister …"

"Jillian." I shake my head. "Put me behind the bar or counter any day. Out here, I'd have dumped them, too."

"Better not say that too loud. Riley will snatch you up." We both stand; her with the tray, me with hands full of cups.

I look at the tray. "Yeah, these won't fit. I'll follow you."

And that's just what I do.

Behind the bar, London announces, "Hart's not for hire, so don't get any ideas."

"Not even for events during the off season?" Riley jokes.

"Off season? Which one—baseball or football?" I laugh.

Riley cocks her head to the side. "We're fully staffed during football season, but the holiday parties, we can always use a hand."

"Told you." London shakes her head as Riley follows us back to the massive kitchen area.

"I might be available?"

"Is that a question or?—"

"No, seriously, maybe, but I'm no good on the floor."

"I'll take a maybe." Riley starts emptying my hands. "Good money in events, and it's only like five or six hours. I'll take you any Friday, Saturday, or Sunday from December first to New Year's Day. You'll make an easy five hundred a shift. Obviously, you're busy when the Knights play, so that's a non-issue."

"You're being serious?"

London sighs. "She is."

"Cool."

Upstairs,I decide to make an announcement. "I got accepted to Montanan and waitlisted at Rutgers and Binghamton."

My whole family and the Rosses look at me.

"I don't want to go to Montana."

Hudson smiles. "Good."

I continue, "Riley Brooks just offered me a job here during events that aren't on game days. I think it'll be fun, and I also think I'm going to take a couple online classes toward a Master's in Women and Gender Studies."

They all just look at me.

"I am going to just see where it all leads."

Hudson grins. "Gap year, baby."

I can't help but smile, and then I look at Mom. "Are you okay with this?"

"I'm over the moon."