Page 16 of Fearlessly Us

I want to sit down and talk to her for hours.

I want to get on my knees and beg her to forgive me for being stupid.

I want…her.

For someone who’s lived his entire adult life being careful not to want anyone, that’s a slightly terrifying thought. But somehow, when it’s Caitlin I would be letting in, it doesn’t seem quite so scary.

“Cait!” Rachel wraps an arm around a still-frozen Caitlin and kisses her on the head, and I push my big thoughts away for later. “Look who came to see us today!”

Julie rolls her eyes. “Who is this us you speak of? You don’t work here, Mom.”

Rachel waves that away. “I come here every Monday for donut days, so I might as well work here. You girls all work so much that if I didn’t come to you, I would never see you at all.”

“We were literally at your house for dinner last night. Did you need something, Cait?” Hallie asks with a glance at her daughter.

“I need the wills Aunt Jules was drafting for the Millers, who are going to be here in twenty minutes, and I need to know what he’s doing here.” Caitlin points at me before turning back to her mom.

“I pushed the Miller meeting to tomorrow,” Julie tells Caitlin with a calculated look in her eye she almost manages to suppress—but not quite. No one else would notice it, but growing up tiptoeing around the unpredictable moods of a parent and then having a job that requires sizing up another team, often in seconds, means I definitely noticed.

Caitlin narrows her eyes at Julie. “Why?” she asks, suspiciously.

Julie shrugs casually. “Because I had a meeting scheduled with Drew for this morning, but I have to be in court, so you’re meeting with Drew instead, and you can do the Millers tomorrow.”

“Get Emmy to meet with Drew,” Caitlin says immediately, as if I’m not standing right here. “I’m sure she can handle whatever it is.”

“Emmy is going to court with Jules,” Emma says helpfully.

“She needs more experience in front of a judge.” Molly examines the donut box before picking up a vanilla frosted with sprinkles.

“You take it.” Caitlin turns to her mom. “I’m sure you have more experience than I do with…whatever it is he needs.”

Hallie laughs, and I can practically see the steam shoot from Caitlin’s ears. I have no idea why that delights me so much. “I’m a family lawyer who specializes in adoptions and complex custody situations. I haven’t done actual estate planning since before you were born. Besides, I have a meeting in half an hour, so I’m busy too. You’re what he needs, Cait. You can do this.”

“I can’t,” she says stubbornly.

“Why not?” Rachel asks curiously.

“Yeah Catie, why not?” I ask with a grin.

She shoots me a glare and it makes my chest feel funny, almost like it’s full of air. “Fuck, fine,” she mutters before pointing at me. “But this better be serious. I have a shit ton of work to do, and I don’t have time for football players who don’t care about anything except how their abs look on social media. Follow me,” she orders before turning and stomping towards the stairs without waiting for me to follow her.

“Second door on the right,” Hallie says, laying a hand on my arm and giving it a squeeze.

“Thanks,” I say, not sure if I’m thanking her for the directions or for either knowingly or unknowingly arranging it so I get an hour or so of uninterrupted alone time with the woman I can’t get out of my head, even though I have no business having those kinds of thoughts about anyone, and definitely not about Caitlin Parker.

“We’re here to help,” Hallie says with a friendly smile, and I’m sure she’s talking about the fact that they can help with my particular legal needs, but I’ve been on my own for a long, long time, so someone offering to help me with anything—even if it’s just drafting a stupid trust—makes my chest ache a little.

Shoving that feeling deep down, I wave at the women and head straight up the stairs.

CHAPTER FIVE

CAITLIN

“This is fine,” I mutter, planting my hands on my desk and leaning into them, inhaling slowly to try to calm my racing heart. “Everything is fine. So, so fucking fine.”

It’s just that the hot wide receiver with the sad eyes who looks at me in a way that gives me butterflies is on his way up to my office right now. We’ll be alone and he’ll look at me with those eyes and I’ll forget I’m supposed to hate him and what the hell am I supposed to do with that?

I’ve barely had the thought when Drew strolls in, hands in his pockets and a crooked grin on his face like he doesn’t have a care in the freaking world.