Beautiful Storm (San Francisco End Game #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Amelia

There’s a change in the air and I’m not sure I’m ready for it.

“Heads!” someone yells as I walk back into the yard, making me duck as I spin around and throw a hand up to protect myself. Nothing happens, but I don’t move until a soft chuckle echoes beside me. “I traumatized you, didn’t I?” Thomas says, drawing my gaze. “They’re playing ball way over there. You’re safe here.” His line of sight drops to my stomach, and it’s then that I notice I’m protectively holding my belly.

I smile and drop my hand before huffing out a laugh. “Well, that’s embarrassing.” I exaggeratedly wince.

“Nah, it’s not. I’m the only one that saw, and I’m guessing I’m the reason you do it.”

I wince again, this time for real. “Sorry, but yes, you are.” Ever since Thomas hit me with the ball in high school, that’s been my response whenever something’s coming my way and sometimes when it’s not even close. I can’t help it. It’s a reflex.

“God, I should be sorry, not you.”

“Nah, you were just playing ball, like today. I got in the way.”

“Who would have thought that we’d be here now, talking about it?”

“Not me, that’s for sure. But there’s a lot going on in my life that I never thought would happen.”

I laugh but Thomas’s expression turns serious, proving Luke’s argument that they all care. “How are you feeling about everything?”

“You mean the show or…”

“Or…I mean the or .”

“Honestly, I have no idea. My feelings change regularly.”

Thomas smiles. “That’s understandable. It’s all new, and I imagine a bit strange considering what you’re doing with Luke and—”

“He told you it was his idea, right?” I panic. The way he worded his response made it sound like I was the one that wanted this. Or pushed for it.

“He definitely did. He admitted he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.”

I visibly relax and Thomas laughs. “Were you worried?”

“A little. It’s such a crazy idea that I don’t want people assuming I agreed for the wrong reasons.”

“Like what?”

“Money.” Oh God. My mind flashes back to when I first told him I was pregnant and the way he freaked out. Maybe we should have done a prenup? I don’t want his money when we divorce. I don’t want that hanging over my head.

“Are you okay?” Thomas asks, concerned.

“Yeah, I just have a lot to process.”

He nods, smiling sympathetically. “I’m here to talk if you need it and so is Lainey. She may be Luke’s sister and he may be my friend and brother-in-law, but we’ve got your back. We’re family. You’re carrying around our future niece or nephew. And well, Luke is Luke.” He grimaces comically and I burst out laughing.

“Thank you, Thomas. I really appreciate that.”

“Anytime and…” he trails off a little distractedly before his gaze moves back to mine. “I’m in trouble. I promised Lainey I’d wait for her before talking to you and here she comes.”

I turn to see Lainey walking our way with her lips pursed. “Thomas Kelly, I hope you didn’t forget about me.”

“Never.” He grimaces. “Lainey, this is Amelia…in person.”

“Hi Amelia. It’s great to finally meet you. In person .”

“Likewise. Maybe we should have done it before the wedding.” I smile shyly while they both laugh.

“Yeah, but that’s Luke for you. He’s the smartest guy I know, but sometimes he doesn’t apply that to everyday life. You’re a godsend for putting up with him.”

“I don’t really have much choice.” I gesture to my growing stomach and laugh.

“I can’t believe I’m going to be an auntie.” She whispers the last part. “I hope you know that Thomas and I have your back. One hundred percent. I mean, I love Luke, but I’m willing to fight him if I need to.”

My eyes flash to Thomas’s as I laugh. “Thomas reflected the same sentiment.” And while I know they’re both joking—the warmth in their eyes when they speak about Luke gives them away—it’s still nice to know they care.

We don’t get to talk for much longer before Lainey has to take a call and Thomas gets called to join the guys. I try to find someone new to chat with, but the laughter coming from the game draws my attention so I make my way over—cautiously scanning for flying footballs as I go.

When I’m close enough that I can see, but far enough away for safety, I search for Luke among the players, and find him at the same moment he lifts his tee to wipe sweat from his brow, revealing his toned stomach and that V that makes me want to reach out and touch him. He laughs at something one of the guys says before spinning his cap backward and throwing his hands in the air, showing the guys he’s ready. My heart pounds, my eyes glued to his every move, and I swear it all happens in slow motion. The way his eyes light up with his smile, and the sliver of skin that stays visible as his muscles flex. I—

“Nope,” Hayley says as she spins me around, breaking whatever spell I was under. “I’m all for you fantasizing about that gorgeous man, but let’s keep it to a private setting.”

“Jesus.” I glance around to see who else saw me, but everyone’s in their own world.

“No one saw, except maybe that girl over there talking on her phone.”

“Goddammit. That’s Luke’s sister. I was just talking to her.”

“Ohhh. That’s less than ideal.”

“You think? She knows it’s fake. I can’t have her thinking I’m crushing on Luke.”

Hayley’s eyes widen before she smiles. “Is that what this is? I thought it was the pregnancy hormones.”

“I’m not crushing on Luke, but I don’t want his sister to think I am.”

“Best you don’t look at him now then, because damn .” She bounces her eyebrows as she stares over my shoulder, and it takes everything in my power not to turn around. “Actually, scrap that. Luke is good-looking and all—I don’t need to tell you that—but Mr. Reed Coombs just took off his hoodie, and I don’t think I’ve spent enough time studying that man’s body. Or any of these guys. Can I be your assistant at the next game?”

“After that comment? No.”

“Even though I just saved you from—”

“Even so.”

“Some friend you are,” she jokes with a wink.

“Hey, I brought you here.”

“Very true and I love you for it.”

She squeezes my hand before making her way through the crowd and stepping onto the makeshift field. “Is this a boys’ game or can anyone join?”

I laugh as she grabs the ball from Wyatt, before I subtly search for Luke again, my lips pulling into a frown when I don’t find him. God, why am I so drawn to him ?

“Are you looking for me?”

“Jesus Christ.” I jump as I spin around, clutching my chest. “Where did you come from?”

“Behind you.” Luke raises an eyebrow as he points over his shoulder. “I was getting a drink.” He holds up a bottle of water and smiles.

“Thirsty work?” I ask and internally scold myself. Thirsty work? Come on , Amelia .

Luke raises a brow as though he knows exactly what I’m thinking before he laughs. “I’ve definitely worked harder, but since I needed a drink, I guess it is.”

I smile to hide my embarrassment and turn back to the game.

“Did I hear you’re working on the nursery tonight?” Luke asks, leaning in close.

“Seriously?” I spin to face him again. “Is nothing private around here?”

“I don’t know, you tell me, Ms. All-Access Pass.” He flicks my top where my “crew” pass would usually sit as he steps in front of me, blocking my view.

“Touché.” I laugh. “And yes, I bought a few things for the nursery. They arrived yesterday.”

“Does that mean you checked the envelope?” Luke’s eyes widen and I can’t help but laugh. Our new OB-GYN asked if we wanted to know the sex of the baby. Luke was all for it, but I wanted a surprise. So instead, she gave me an envelope with the answer, in case I changed my mind. But I haven’t. “Nope. I’m seeing this through. We’ll find out when Jelly Bean’s born.”

“Damn. It was worth a shot. So, can I help?” he asks, his tone completely neutral, like it’s no big deal.

“Why?”

“Because as I told you, I want to help with things.” He leans in closer until he’s barely a breath away and whispers in my ear. “Jelly Bean is half mine, remember?” His warm breath sends a chill down my spine, but I manage to holdback from shivering.

“I know that, and I know you offered to help. But this is different. The idea is that I’ll have a nursery at my house.” I tap my chest in case he needs a visual explanation. “And you’ll have one at your house.” I poke him in the shoulder just to drive my point home and smile. “You get to set up your own nursery.”

Luke stares into space like he hasn’t heard a word I’m saying before finally focusing again. “Should we be living together?”

“What?” I almost choke on nothing.

“I hadn’t thought about having two homes until you mentioned it. Would it be easier to co-parent if we were living together?”

I burst out laughing before covering my mouth with my hand. “Definitely not. Are you—” He bites back a smirk, the movement cutting me off mid-rant. “Ha ha. You’re funny.”

“I try,” he says with a laugh. “And believe it or not, I bet I could work on both nurseries. I’m clever like that. Let me help.”

“I—”

“Before you say no, I should tell you that I’m going to keep asking and annoying you until you change your mind. I don’t have much going on at night these days.”

“Why not?” Luke stares at me pointedly and I don’t need him to explain it. I’ve taken away his hobby…women. Goddammit . I should not feel guilty about that. Or uncomfortable. I shouldn't be feeling anything.

“I wasn’t going to say no,” I say honestly, trying harder to let him in. I could definitely use the help. “I’ll text you my address.”

“Thank you. I’ll come around as soon as they release us from this hell.”

“Shut up. It’s not hell. You’re having a great time.”

“Been keeping track of me?”

“No more than you’ve been keeping track of me. You haven’t exactly been subtle.”

“Touché.” He nods before giving me a shrug.

“Why is that?”

“Just making sure you’re okay.” He shrugs again and the sincerity in his tone throws me off guard. Though it shouldn’t. He’s shown me time and time again that he cares about Jelly Bean and me.

“Thank you,” I rush out as a new warmth settles in my chest.

“Anytime. But I better get back to the game. Tonight?” he confirms as he walks backward through the crowd, his eyes on mine as he hits me with a killer smile, sending my heart into a spin.

“Yes, tonight,” I mouth, shaking my head as I bite back a smile, trying not to draw too much attention to the fact that he’s coming over to my place.

When he’s gone, I make my way over to Keeley, joining her as she chats with a woman I haven’t met before. The woman’s eyes meet mine when there’s a pause in conversation, and as she brushes her long, caramel hair away from her face, I smile in return. I’m about to introduce myself, assuming she’s one of the partners, when Keeley grabs my arm.

“Just the person I wanted. This is Emery. She’s going to be taking over my role while I’m away next week.”

“Hi, Emery. I’m—”

“Amelia. Yes, I know. Keeley told me all about you and the project.”

“Oh, great.” That saves me time. “When do you start?”

“I’m officially starting tomorrow. Keeley thought it would be good for me to meet everyone here. Speaking of, I’m being summoned.” We all turn to find Zane waving her down. “He’s one I have to watch, right?”

“Yep,” Keeley and I answer in unison.

“He’s nice enough. But a little full of himself.”

“And he will absolutely try to get in your pants.”

“Noted. Thank you.”

As soon as Emery’s gone, I turn back to Keeley. “You’re going away?” I ask because this is news to me.

“I am. My sister’s getting married in Cabo. It’s a last-minute thing—which is typical of her—but I finally get my vacation, so I’m not complaining.”

“That’s amazing, Keeley. I’m jealous. I would love a few days on the beach and…” I trail off as a thought hits me, making me smile. “Does that mean your brother is going with you?” I grin comically. “Because if that’s a yes, I really should know who will be missing from filming.”

“Yes, he’ll be there.” Keeley grins, seeing through my ploy to figure out who her brother is. “But he’s flying himself and his family in on the morning of the wedding and flying out the next day. Thankfully, she’s getting married midweek.”

“His family, huh?” My eyes narrow.

Keeley laughs again as I search the yard. There are quite a few guys that have families, but none that are from around here.

“And you said you were local?”

“Nope. You assumed.”

“ Dammit . Where are you from?”

“I’m originally from North Carolina. My sister still lives there. She’s marrying one of the guys from the Carolina Bulls baseball team.”

“Bullshit.” I bark out a laugh, drawing attention. “Sorry, I mean… bullshit ,” I whisper. “Guess you and your sister are alike then.”

“Yep. But she found a decent athlete. I’ve yet to believe they exist, my sister’s fiancé aside.”

“What about your brother?”

“He’s okay, but he can be a grumpy asshole at times and—”

“Easton , ” I whisper-yell a little too excitedly. The grumpy asshole gave it away. “Your brother is Easton.”

“Shhh.” Keeley laughs. “And yes, you caught me. As I’m sure you can guess, the decision to keep it a secret was all him.”

“I’ll bet.” I subtly glance at Easton to find him talking to Dylan and his wife, Summer, with their kids playing on the grass by their feet. “Did Easton come alone?”

“Yep.” She frowns. “His girlfriend doesn’t like coming to these things, and she doesn’t let him bring their son.”

“That’s hard.” I’d love to ask if they get along because I can sense some tension, but I leave it alone. I don’t want her to think I’m trying to seek out information for the show.

“It is hard. She’s nice and all, but they’ve been drifting since their son, Isaac, was born.”

“Oh, that’s sad.” A pit forms in my stomach, and I have to fight myself not to focus on my situation with Luke.

“I’m sure they’ll work it out; it’s all new to them. They’re still navigating what it’s like. Isaac's two and a half and he wasn’t—” She cuts herself off but I can guess what she was going to say.

“He wasn’t planned?”

“No. He wasn’t. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Why? I won’t tell anyone. This is all off-the-record.”

“No, I mean…” She glances down at my stomach, and I laugh nervously.

“You noticed.”

“I did, and I wasn’t going to say anything, but I didn’t want you to think I was suggesting unplanned pregnancies cause issues.”

“How do you know mine was unplanned?”

“Because you told me you were getting divorced.”

Oh, right. I did tell her that. “What gave me away?”

“Nothing major. A few subtle hand touches to your stomach. Baggier clothing.”

“Oh. Shit.”

“And Coach Pierce accidentally mentioned it.” My eyes widen before she quickly clarifies. “He thought I knew and he hasn’t told anyone else. But you know you don’t need to hide it?”

“I know. I’m just not ready yet. I’d like to get through a few more weeks of filming before people start treating me differently. And since it’s winter, I figure I can wear big coats. Sort of.” I laugh, opening my coat to show her. It’s technically not needed, but I’m happy to pretend I’m one of those people that feel the cold.

“Do you really think you’ll be treated differently?” Keeley asks with genuine intrigue.

“I know I will.” It might be coming from a good place—asking me if I need a break or checking if I’m okay. But it’s still different.

I just have to hope that when it all comes out, I’m strong enough to handle whatever’s thrown my way.

W hen the sun fades, and the moon joins the party, the crowd gets a little rowdier. I consider sticking around, but I’m ready to go. In fact, I’ve been ready to go for a while. I turn to search for Hayley when I lock eyes with Luke across the yard. He’s deep in conversation, but when he sees me, the most beautiful smile graces his lips, making my traitorous heart skip a beat. What is going on here?

I keep watching as he says something to his teammate before jogging over to me, his smile never wavering.

“Are you ready to leave?”

“I am. I’ve had enough socializing for one day.”

“Sounds good. I’ll grab my—”

“You don’t have to leave,” I cut him off. “I can get started and you’re welcome anytime.”

Luke chuckles, but I don’t see what’s funny. “I’m coming now. I’ll meet you at your place. Don’t forget to text me the address.”

“Okay. I won’t.”

He turns to walk away but I grab his arm, an anxious knot settling in my stomach. “Luke.” He turns my way with a grin. “My place isn’t like your place. It’s…uh…Remember how I couldn’t get insurance?” My way of saying I get by but I am not at all wealthy.

“You worry too much.” He bops me on the nose. “I’m sure I’ll love it.” He winks before turning and jogging away again, while I’m left confused as I try to process my feelings.

Why does he have to be so good to me? It would be infinitely easier if he wasn’t.