10. Chapter 10

A surprise trip to Silo Bay was not what I was expecting when the coaches informed us that we would be making a stop along the way to Western Ohio. In fact, this whole day wasn't what I had expected.

Since waking up with the smell of Bret on my sheets, in my room, hell, even in my stubble, she's all I can think about. It felt so surreal that I wondered if I had dreamed the entire thing. When I tossed and turned all night, I didn't expect Bret to climb into my bed and for us to end up having sex.

And it was good. So fucking good.

Unlike most of my teammates, I haven't let the celebrity of being on the football team become my advantage. I might joke about women and hooking up, but it's all a fa?ade. The truth is, it's been seven months since I slept with someone and even longer before that.

When Bret offered a one-night, I almost said no. I'm not that guy, and I don't want to be that guy with her. I can feel the connection between us, even though she keeps saying there isn't one—or at least, she's fighting it.

Bret Campbell isn't the girl you have a fling with. She's the girl you bring home to meet your family .

With the surprise visit to Silo Bay, I now have the perfect opportunity to introduce Bret to my family under the guise of being my new roommate.

Sunset Shores has come a long way since I left for college. When I left town, it was a restaurant working on a facelift. Now there's an entire mini-village with a covered tent, and a deck around the tugboat which was transformed into a bar and outdoor kitchen for pizzas. There are shops, turf-covered green space for people to sit and mill about, and the cottages and townhomes they've built resemble a beach town. It's quite the addition to Silo Bay, and I can only imagine the tourists it'll bring in. It's about time someone put Silo Bay on the map with all our hidden gems.

Stepping off the bus, I'm hit with a burst of nostalgia. The smell of the lake hits my nose first, resurfacing all of my childhood memories. With its mix of fresh water, light aquatic plants, sun-kissed rocks, and the slight tangy scent of algae, the lake smells like home.

"Riggsby, this is where you grew up?" one of the guys on the team asks.

With a nod, I sidestep the others as they gawk at the lake. Striding down the boardwalk-covered sidewalk, I move around bodies as I head toward the space where Coach informed us the food was. My eyes scan the crowd, looking for a petite brown-haired woman who is most likely wearing jeans and a Riggs Cattle T-shirt. No matter the temperature outside, Mom is always dressed in jeans. She says she's been wearing them for so long she doesn't even notice how hot the denim can be in the summer.

Sure enough, my mom and sister, Saylor, are standing off to the side near a small, turquoise shack. A wide grin spreads across my face as I close the space between us .

"Surprise!" Mom yells as I embrace her. Her face smashes against the CTU football logo on my shirt. When she hugs us, it's obvious that we didn't get our height from her.

She chuckles, and I fight the emotion wanting to spring free. "I can't believe you planned this."

"Nonsense. It's not every day your son comes passing through town." She smacks my stomach, creating space between us. Saylor is quick to replace Mom's spot.

"Big brother!"

"Hey, sis." She squeezes my middle tight before letting go of me. Standing back, I notice how much she's changed. At sixteen, Saylor isn't so little anymore. Her looks have morphed from awkward teen to almost adult. An ache in my chest settles as I realize how quickly she's grown up and how I haven't physically been here for her.

"So, where is she?" Saylor bounces on her feet, looking around at the people who are filing in line from the buses.

"Where's who?"

"The girl ," she mocks.

My eyes find Mom who dares to look amused. A smirk plays across her features as if she was saying her work here is done. As soon as she told Saylor that she met my new roommate, who happens to be a female, over FaceTime, she knew Saylor would do her younger sister's duty to pester the hell out of me until I spilled the beans.

Two days ago, there weren't any beans to spill, but after last night, well, let's say my poker face better be in check because Saylor will sniff out the truth like a shark sniffs out blood in the water.

And I cannot let Grant catch onto his sister and me being more than roommates. Coach, now, if he found out, I might be able to talk my way out of that situation. But Grant? Grant wouldn't have second thoughts about kicking my ass. Hell, I think he'd do it in front of everyone to prove that his sister is off limits.

"Come on," Mom says, saving me from the interrogation she sicced my sister on. "Let's go get you some food."

This entire afternoon has been incredible. I didn't know how much I needed to breathe Silo Sky air until I was here. A local cover band has been playing hit after hit as my two worlds collide. It was an incredible gesture for the Sunset Shores company to treat us as we passed through. The hometown pride showed through with every thought-out detail, from the food to the music to the CTU-colored decorations sprinkled throughout the property.

While I've enjoyed catching up with family and a few family friends who work for Sunset Shores, I've had the most fun watching Bret. A lightness has fallen over her as she roams around without a care in the world. A smile has firmly been in place since she stepped off the bus. And it's her real smile. The one she allows to slip free when she's in the comfort of the apartment. It's not the fake one that she forces as she walks through campus.

It's almost as if she's lowered her battle shield and allowed herself to be fully immersed in her surroundings. I've noticed how she looks over her shoulder as she walks through campus and how she's constantly scanning the crowd. For what? I have no idea. But I'm glad Silo Bay has given her the sense of freedom she's been desperately searching for.

Excusing myself, I climb out of the picnic table, which is a feat for someone as tall as I am. Cutting through the crowd, I let my legs carry me to the giant manmade lake. Lake Drummond is Silo Bay. Our town revolves around the lake as it's the center of our town. Businesses are built on the shores, and many people enjoy walking on the shoreline. Crossing the road to the sidewalk on the sea wall, I spy a familiar jet-black-haired girl sitting with her back to the chaos. Climbing down the few steps, I slowly walk toward her.

"Penny for your thoughts, Rebel?"

Glancing over her shoulder, she nibbles on her lower lip, and it immediately takes me back to last night when her pillowy lips moved over mine. A flashback of how her teeth grazed over my skin, eliciting goose bumps to break free. Slipping my hands into the pockets of my joggers, I subtly readjust myself as my blood runs south, settling in my cock.

Bret Campbell drips with sex appeal, and I don't even think she realizes it.

This woman is going to be the death of me.

Sitting beside her, I bend my knees as I settle on the composite dock beside her. My legs dangle near the water and I notice she's stripped her feet bare.

"This place is incredible, Crew. I can't believe you grew up here." Her eyes never stray from where she's watching boats glide across the water.

"I love this town. Although this"—I wave my hand in the direction of Sunset Shores—"wasn't here when I grew up. The restaurant was, but it was a dive compared to what it is now."

"It's like a secret resort in Ohio." I chuckle because that's precisely what Silo Bay is. It's an oasis only the locals seem to appreciate, or that used to be the case. "Is this where your dad would take you out on the boat? "

"There's a boat ramp at the edge of this road." I point in the direction to my right. "We'd launch from there and follow the lake until we reached a channel down the way."

"He'd be proud of you." Her soft voice whispers five words that have my chest seizing as an onslaught of emotions hits me like a tidal wave.

The sound of the tugboat horn fills the air with three rapid blows, interrupting our line of conversation. A voice sounds over the microphone where the band was performing, announcing that it was time for the buses to roll out. My shoulders sagged at the thought of leaving home, but I promise I'll try to get home during winter break.

Pushing up off the dock, I reach my hand out for Bret to take, which she does, and I help her to her feet. Rubbing my hand down my neck, I mull over a thought. "Would you like to meet my mom in person?"

Her head snaps up, and she smiles wide. "I'd love to!"

We fall in step together. "Okay, but I should probably warn you, my sister is here too, and she's a little annoying."

Her shoulder nudges mine as we climb the stairs from the sidewalk to the road. "I am the annoying little sister; I know how this works."

Standing by the first bus, Mom and Saylor wait for our goodbyes. Mom's eyes glisten in the late afternoon sunshine while Saylor bounces on her toes.

"Bret, this is my mom, Nora, and my younger sister, Saylor."

Warmth spreads across Bret's face as her smile spreads wide, crinkling the corners of her eyes. I watch as Bret steps forward and what she does next surprises the hell out of me. She lifts her arms and envelops my mom in a hug. "It is so nice to meet you in person."

Mom wraps her arms around Bret, hugging her back. "You too, sweetie." She breaks their embrace first and holds Bret at arm's distance as she takes in her appearance. "You are so much prettier in person."

"Mom," I grit as Bret's cheeks flame.

"I'm Saylor!" she screams as she pushes Mom aside to hug Bret. An oomph leaves Bret at the contact before chuckling.

Returning the hug, Bret says, "I've heard a lot about you."

"What, that I'm the annoying little sister?" Bret glances up at me, and I raise my brows in an ‘I told you so' way.

"I'm the younger sister, too, so I know all about that."

"Oh yeah, we met your parents. They told us you were the youngest and how you transferred to CTU." The words tumble out of Saylor's mouth.

A hand taps my shoulder as Harris stops next to us. "Mama Riggs!"

"Tyler!" He pulls her in for a hug while Saylor talks Bret's ears off. "It's so good to see you, honey. Good luck this weekend."

"Will you be at the game?"

"Saylor and I are heading up in the morning with a small caravan." My chest warms at her admission. It feels so good to play in my home state and have so many people who mean a lot to me at the game.

Harris flings his arm around my shoulder as he taps my chest with his opposite hand. "I bet this guy is excited about that."

"I am."

Mom's lips curl in a small smile. I know she has to be thinking about Dad right now. She always gets a far-off look in her eyes. "Well, we've got to get loaded. Ready, roomies?"

"I am so jealous you get to live with him," my sister not so quietly whispers.

With one last final round of hugs, Bret, Harris, and I say our goodbyes as we load onto the bus. Bret sits in the empty spot next to her brother while Harris and I find spots toward the back of the bus .

As the driver starts the ignition, pulling us away from Sunset Shores, I watch as all the locals line the boardwalk waving as we leave.

And I say goodbye to my home.