Caught Up (Windy City, #3)

by Liz Tomforde

I want his life to be easy. At least, in a reasonable way. I want him to learn how to work hard, to earn things in his life. But the big stuff, like finding a way to get to school when you live across town, figuring out where your next meal will come from, or forging your dad’s signature on paperwork because you don’t want anyone to know you and your little brother live alone. Yeah, my kid will never know what that’s like.

“Does your boyfriend know what a flirt you are?” “Oh, come on, Kai. You’re better than that. Be direct. Ask me if I’m single.” There’s a sly smile on her lips, a smile that screams she likes flirting with me as much as I do her.

Are you and Monty on the way? Me Who is this? Really, Miller? You’ve been watching my son for a week and you haven’t saved my number in your phone yet? Gonna need you to narrow it down a bit more. Could be anyone, really.

Without hesitation or asking for permission, I take the frame off his desk and unclip the back. The photo is small, maybe only two or three inches in height and fits perfectly next to the one of Max in my hat. Monty stays silent as I put the empty frame back on his desk. “Shut up.” He laughs. “I didn’t say anything.”

How freaking cute

She looks too soft, too vulnerable for me to resist, so I break her rules by cupping her head to pull her into my chest, placing a kiss on the top of her hair. Max, in my other arm, catches on and flops his body in half to place a sloppy one on her head as well. She laughs, looking up to find my very proud son. “Thanks, Bug.”

lean my head on his bicep, hand wrapped around his arm to hold him while he washes the dishes, forgoing my rules for the moment. “Thank you for tonight.” He leans his cheek on my hair. “I’d do anything for you, Miller.”

“Look, I’ll wake up an hour earlier tomorrow and meet you for coffee or something, but tonight I just need to take care of my family.”

“Because there are more important things than work, Mills.”

Kai invited me to team dinner and I turned him down because I decided to work, but if I can be completely honest with myself, I don’t give a fuck about work. I only have them for a few more days, so what the hell am I doing here alone?

His ego was too fragile for his partner to be traveling with a bunch of male athletes, so he called it off. Then in a turn of events, right before this season started, I found out his new girlfriend is my stepsister. And just last month, I learned via a picture of a ring on Instagram that they’re now engaged.”

“Rio, you’re staying, yeah?” “Yes! And I’m sleeping in Ryan Shay’s bed.” “No, you’re not.” She turns to Kennedy and

After going through the McDonald’s drive thru and spending more money there than I thought was possible,

“Pressure is a privilege, Miller. Expectations are high because you’re successful. If you were average, no one would be waiting on bated breath for you. I think about that every night I take the mound. You just have to decide if your dreams and goals are worth the pressure. If you want to live up to the expectations set for you.”

“Come on,” he says, ushering me out of the bathroom. “Go do what you’re best at so we can get these people out of our house.” Our house.

I’m accustomed to being the one out there in her place, but she looks damn good on this field, especially while wearing my last name.

“Sorry. I’m fine. I’m just having a moment.” She takes a deep breath, composing herself, when her eyes land on Max off in the distance with my brother. “You know, sometimes I look at him and get irrationally mad at you because you were with another woman before me. The audacity you had not to think of me then, you know?”

😂

“I’m always impressed by you, you know that. It really doesn’t take a lot. When you were a kid, you got a Lego stuck up your nose and I found that impressive.” He chuckles to himself.

“Mama,” Max whispers, his little fingers tracing her inked arm. “I’m here, Bug, and I promise I’m not going anywhere.” Standing on the back porch, I lean against a pillar and watch them, trying not to cry. But this moment is everything to me.

I scoop Max up, holding him on my hip before sliding a hand against Miller’s lower back. Pulling her into us, she snakes one arm over my shoulder, the other over my son, pressing her cheek to my chest as we dance together. “I love you,” I remind her once again. She smiles up at me, so content, so at peace. “I love you.” Miller runs a soothing hand over my Max’s hair, her attention drifting to him. “And I love you.” With our friends surrounding us, I finally got my family.