Caught Up (Windy City, #3)

by Liz Tomforde

“And Ace,” he calls out. “Keep your dick in your pants. We all know how fucking fertile you are, and I’m too young and too goddamn attractive for someone to be calling me Grandpa.”

“He’ll be on his hands and knees most of the time.” “As all men should be.”

“You’ll be watching?” “The game? Or your ass?” “Both.”

My son looks over to me, a little grin on his lips as if he were silently telling me that, despite my best efforts, she’s staying.

“If you’re as terrible of a listener in the bedroom as you are in real life, Miller, I can promise you this, you wouldn’t be allowed to come.” Those pretty lips part, jade eyes wide. “Two can play this game, Montgomery. Now, let’s go.” I nod toward the other side of the house once again. Her lips press together, holding back a grin. “You keep talking like that, Kai, and I’ll be ditching the ‘baseball’ part and just be calling you ‘daddy.’”

Baseball Daddy? You on your way? Yes, pulling into the lot now. Good. And Miller? Yeah? Save my number in your phone. You’re stuck with me for a bit.

I’ve never thought about having kids before, but I’d be shocked to find a woman whose ovaries aren’t doing all sorts of cartwheels watching Kai Rhodes know exactly what to do to make his son feel better.

“It’s too late to be getting deep on you.” “It’s never too late to go deep in me, Baseball Daddy.” A startled laugh bursts from my lips, breaking the tension. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Miller, I’m exhausted. All the fucking time.” “Let me help you. Let me help you find the balance.”

Turning, I use my body to cover Miller’s, my back to her, partly to get the light off her face, but mostly because I feel real possessive seeing her in this little green bathing suit and I have no plans to share the view.

“Trust me,” she chuckles. “I have plans to get you in a whole lot more trouble than that.” That’s exactly what I’m worried about.

“Not for a second. I needed her as much as she needed me, but it was different for Miller and me than it is for you and Max. I was looking for direction at that point in my life, and I’m a much better coach than I ever was a player.”

I couldn’t care less about being back in my home state. Both Seattle and Chicago feel more like home than this place does. I spent my teen years grinding while I was here, trying to get my brother into college on a scholarship, figuring out a way for us to get to practice and school all while hoping to make him feel the love and support our dad couldn’t provide.

I swear it’s that dad thing I was talking about, getting me all emotional, but there’s a flood of relief that flows through me knowing my little brother can look back at that time in our lives with nostalgia. I thought it would fuck him up. I thought me raising him would fuck him up, but he seems to be doing all right.

“He’s never been to one of my games before,” I tell her, my voice a bit hoarse. “Thank you for bringing him, Mills.” A single brow lifts. “Mills, huh?” “Don’t try to ruin the moment with humor, Montgomery. I’ll call you whatever the hell I feel like.” “Yes, Daddy.”

“If you’re going to start coming to my games, I better see Rhodes on your back and I’m not talking about my brother.” “Is this some athlete kink you got? Need to see a girl in your jersey?”

The old flirty side of me that I’ve kept hidden and locked down for the most part since Max came into my life is itching to break free. I pop my shoulders. “I like to see pretty girls in my jersey. Like to take it off them too.” Miller’s lips part, a shocked and satisfied grin lifting on the corners. “Well, with that kind of promise, I’ll be sure to wear it next time.”

“You flirting with me, Montgomery?” “Have been since we met. You gonna start flirting back?”

“Well, we all have our limits now, don’t we?” “And I’m yours?” His eyes trail my face, once again landing on my lips. “I think you might be.” Fucking make a move, Kai.

“And he’s what you want?” She throws her hands up. “Oh my God! You’re impossible. You need to go. I’m not your problem to worry about.” Turning, she heads back up the way we came, but I stop her, pinning her against the wall, the two of us meeting on the same stair. “Yes, the fuck you are.” She stares right at me, not backing down. “Kai, I am not your problem.” My attention dips to her lips. “Be my problem.” Swallowing, she tilts her head, testing me. “Then do something to make me your problem.”

“God if I know. That’s what we as a society have been conditioned to do, right? Keep striving for the next best thing instead of finding gratitude and peace where we are.”

“You promised to help me find my balance in life. I thought I’d try to help you find your joy.”

The only thing you owe your dad is to find your happiness. Move to Chicago. Don’t leave Max. Don’t leave me.

“I was going to knock because I’m about to be selfish.” Stepping forward, I cross the threshold between her room and mine, recognizing the metaphor of it all. “For once, I’m going to take what I want.” The corner of her lip lifts in a dangerous grin. “Finally.”

“Yes, Daddy.” “Jesus Christ.”

“Today was a good day.” It really was. “They could all be good days.” He hums. “Yeah. Maybe.”

“That’s all part of the fun, baby.”

“Because it’s her dream, and I care about her too much to not help her chase it, even if that means I won’t be there when she gets everything she’s worked for.”

Were you jealous tonight? Three gray dots appear then disappear, repeating that pattern a couple more times on the screen. Finally, she responds. Yes. Why? Would you believe me if I said I’m not sure? I’ve never been jealous before. I’ve never cared about anyone enough to be. But you care about us? I’m too much of a coward to suggest only me. At least if I throw Max in there, I know she won’t be able to fully say no. More than I knew I was capable of.

Sometimes we can’t explain how or why we love who we love. We just do. You don’t really get to tell your heart what to do.”

“You’re welcome, baby.”

“He’s my brother. I’d do anything for him.” She smiles softly. “Just how you’d do anything for Max.” “And you.”

“I’d do anything for you,” I repeat. “You know that?” “I think I’d do anything for you too.”

“Today was a good day.” She smiles against my chest. “They could all be good days.” At least until Sunday.

“Is that what you want, baby?”

“You’re so perfect, Miller,” I whisper into her ear. “So mine.”

“You’re mine, baby.”

“Yeah, baby, you can warm up.”

“You are the most jealous woman I’ve ever met. You know that?” Her head jerks back. “You’ve met other women?”

With my name on her back and my son in her arms, Miller stands in the center of the field, looking like mine. She should be mine. Ours.

“Are you not going to ask her to stay because you don’t want her to feel obligated or because you’re afraid she’d say no if you did?” he finally asks. Well…shit. Of course, there are some internal fears surfacing here. Everyone wants to be wanted, and yeah, I’m scared to put myself in the position to ask someone to want me when I’ve grown accustomed to people leaving. I don’t ask anymore—for help, for someone to stay. I simply do it on my own.

“I don’t want her giving up her entire life for me only to realize I’m not worth sticking around for.”

“She’s not my blood, but she’s my girl,” Monty says from beside me. “And she looks at your boy, who is not her blood, in the same way I look at her. I’ve seen it all summer. I watched her fall in love with two people at the same time, and it reminded me of myself when I met her and her mom. She won’t be able to just walk away from that, regardless of if you ask or not.” Monty finally looks my way, eyes welling with unshed tears. “I know I couldn’t.”

“Do you love her?” Monty asks. “I do. Very much so.” “She might break your heart.” “I’ll love her anyway.”

love you, Max.”

I’m not going to keep pretending like I’m not absolutely fucking ruined from having you for the last two months. I know this is the last thing you wanted, but I’m not going to apologize. You’re my favorite person, Miller, and for once I had someone for me. I had someone taking care of me. After being alone for so long, I finally had someone looking out for me.”

“You put me first when I forgot how to. You reminded me what it felt like to be important, to be chosen first. I know you wanted this to be easy and detached, but you’re fucking in here.” His fingers meet his chest, tapping it a couple of times, blue eyes meeting mine, and full of pain. “You’re everywhere, and when you leave tomorrow, I’ll still see you everywhere. In this kitchen. In Max’s room. In my bed. There’s nothing about us that’s easy. This is fucking miserable, Miller, knowing there’s a clock counting down the seconds until I don’t have you anymore, but I’d do it all over again. I’d fall in love with you all over again. I’d break my heart all over again because loving you was one of the two greatest surprises of my life.”

“I’ve tried to show you all summer, so let me just say it on the last night I have you.” “Tell me.” He nudges his nose against mine. “I love you. God, I love you so much, Miller, it feels like it might kill me.”

“Miller,” he says, making sure my attention is on him. “If you ever decide to stop running and make a home…” His eyes are begging, pleading. “Make it with me.”

what do you want, baby?”