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24
Beatrix
Standing outside the door to Xander’s apartment, I’m starting to wonder what I was thinking when I decided to bring Cooper along. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying our fledgling friends-with-benefits situation, and if there is anything that can take a sledgehammer to that, it is my family. Specifically the men in my family who have an overprotective streak a mile wide. Since our cover story is that we’re dating, I don’t have to admit that he’s my bodyguard. I look nervously at Cooper, and he smiles at me and gives me a curious look.
“I’m just wondering if I should have brought you here. If you’ll survive Xander.” I stare nervously ahead at the door.
“I’ve survived him plenty of times on the field. If I can manage that, I can manage this.” Images of Xander slamming Cooper into the turf dance in my head and it doesn’t help settle any of the worries currently fluttering around in my stomach.
“I don’t know. There aren’t any refs in there.” I shake my head with a smile because my brother’s temper is legendary, and if it wasn’t for Xander’s fiancée Harper, I definitely wouldn’t bring Cooper here.
The door swings open a second later, and it’s Xander, freshly showered and back from a day of practice at the field.
“Bea!” he shouts and wraps me up in a bear hug. I squeeze him tight. One of the hardest parts about being on the road the last couple of years has been being away from Xander. He’s one of my best friends. Which is exactly why this next part is going to be a little rough. I see it in his eyes when they turn on Cooper.
“Rawlings.” He says it like he’s just stepped in something disgusting.
“Xavier,” Cooper answers with a broad smile.
Xander’s attention returns to me, an eyebrow quirking upwards.
“Cooper plays for the Chaos,” I say, like that’s supposed to explain everything as I walk in the door and Cooper follows.
“I’m well aware of who he plays for.” My brother’s tone is flat.
“Well, you know I’ve been working there with Madison,” I say lightly.
“I’m aware.” He’s determined to make this uncomfortable, and I’m determined to ignore it.
“Perfect. Is the guest room good to put our stuff in?” Xander’s guest room has pretty much been my home away from home for the last several years when I’ve come to town. It means I can avoid our parents and their relentless onslaught of questions about when I’ll be ready to move back to Seattle. But since Harper’s moved in, I don’t know if it’s still okay for me to sprawl out in there.
“Our stuff?” I swear I see the muscles twitching in Xander’s hand already.
“Cooper’s staying with me.”
“You remember the guest room only has one bed, right?”
“I’m aware.” I echo my brother’s stoic replies.
“Are you going to make me ask, or should I just go ahead and make assumptions here?” Xander finally loses patience with playing along with the slow introductions. I realize at that moment that I can’t lie to Xander, so when Cooper starts to answer, I put my hand on his arm and speak instead.
“He’s here to help fend off the parents. Mom’s already started in with the Craig business again, and I don’t want to deal with it. Cooper volunteered to help, and I took him up on it.”
“Very selfless of you.” Xander gives Cooper a look that’s half curiosity and half warning. “You couldn’t find someone who wasn’t your ex-boyfriend’s brother for the task? You honestly think they’re going to buy that?” Xander follows us as we walk our bags to the guest room and stops in the doorway. I see Cooper’s lips turn up in amusement and he flashes me a clandestine look—one I hope Xander doesn’t notice—before returning his focus to the bags.
“Be nice. And sure… why not?” I push past Xander, and he moves out of the way, following me back to the living room.
Xander looks me over before he smirks and shakes his head. “I guess we’ll see.”
“Can we move on now? I want to know how your trip to the Camino was. How’s wedding planning going? I need all the details.” I plop down on the couch and make room for Cooper, who sits next to me as Xander continues to survey both of us like we’re a sideshow curiosity.
My brother sits down across from us, though, and leans back, starting with a breakdown of their flights overseas and all the gear they had to pack for their walk, and I settle in for the story.
I’m thankful Cooper and my brother even manage to get along for most of the afternoon. Minus Xander coming back from his friend Tobias’s apartment upstairs in a bit of a huff just before the party—a thing I’ll have to investigate later—everything is going more smoothly than I could have ever imagined for a trip home.
At least until Xander accidentally overhears me snarking to Cooper about how I’m safe from my stalker in Seattle but not my family. A comment he refuses to believe is a joke. I have to beg him to come into a side room with me to discuss it before everyone, including our parents, overhears his reaction.
“Please be calm,” I beg as I close the door behind me, hoping we didn’t attract attention when we left the room where everyone is celebrating. It’s kind of hard not to notice when half of the couple of honor and the hostess disappear.
