Steele (Arizona Vengeance #9) - Sawyer Bennett Page 0,60
was on the road, or early mornings over coffee while Lucy would still be asleep.
Each tale is as unique as the women themselves. Brooke had a fake engagement with the captain, Bishop, but they ended up falling in love. Blue, who is seven months pregnant and looking amazing in a form-fitting dress that shows off her baby basketball, is one of the team’s flight attendants. She tells me she’s been grounded for a while per Erik’s demands. Pepper, who I had the pleasure of talking to at the Halloween party, started as a contentious neighbor to our team’s goalie, Legend Bay, and ended up becoming a stepmom to Legend’s little girl Charlie after she was left on his porch step by an errant birth mother.
I mix and mingle, none of the ladies in a rush to sit down and order. I gather their get-togethers are long events because they all so clearly get along and genuinely care about each other.
Willow, now the matriarch of the team by her marriage to its owner Dominik, renews my acquaintance with her sister-in-law, Regan. She married Willow’s brother, Dax, who is our team’s star left-winger. Jim had told me Regan has a serious blood disease and Dax had married her so she could have health insurance, but they fell hopelessly in love.
Lastly, Brooke has to make an actual introduction to Nora Hall, the beautiful wife to Tacker. Their relationship started professionally and moved to personal, but this was around the time I was sort of fading back from team events. I’d not had the pleasure of meeting her, but Jim told me more about her yesterday while we laid in bed and talked.
She and Tacker might be my favorite story of all because Tacker was more damaged than anyone should ever have to be. He carried immense guilt for the plane crash that killed his fiancée because he had been piloting, even though the crash was due to mechanical failure. At any rate, Tacker was reclusive and ornery on his best days. He got into some trouble, and he was close to losing his position on the team when he was ordered to see a therapist.
Enter Nora Hall, a gorgeous counselor who owns an equine therapy ranch on the outskirts of Phoenix. Tacker had to attend counseling if he wanted to stay on the team. While Jim was incredibly light on the details of how they fell in love, they did indeed fall hard, and Tacker has essentially become a new man.
“It’s a real pleasure to meet you,” Nora says—not with a handshake—but a hug. My mimosa glass is empty and she doesn’t have a beverage, so it’s a tighter-than-normal hug.
“Likewise,” I assure her as we pull apart. “And congratulations on your marriage to Tacker. I missed a lot this summer.”
Nora’s eyes are warm and understanding. We may have never met before, but I’m sure she knows Jim and I have been separated. It’s not a secret at all.
“Well…” Nora laughs lightly. “You’ll get caught up by the end of this brunch, I guarantee you. Want a word of advice?”
I blink. “Um… sure.”
“Don’t even bother trying to hold back with any of these women.” Her gaze is direct, and it seems to be filled with sage wisdom. “They will hound you to open up your soul to them. They are relentless, and they will strip you bare. Trust me… I know this from personal experience.”
I’m not sure what my expression says, but it must mirror the slight fear those words instill. Nora recognizes it, shaking her head as if to diminish some of the weight. “What I mean is that these women care deeply. Doesn’t matter that you and Jim are separated or that you’re trying to work things out, and even that might be an unknown. The mere fact you were invited here tells me these women already care about you. Anything they do to push you to share your burdens with them is done out of love.”
“That’s… sweet,” is all I can think to say. Still a bit scary, but mainly… sweet.
A shrill whistle pierces the air, and we all look to the source. It’s Pepper with a goofy grin on her face. “Okay, everyone… stop yammering for a minute and sit so we can order our food.”
Nora sweeps her hand toward the table, then follows me. She takes the chair to my right. Clarke slides into the one on my left, giving me a cheeky grin. She’s the one I feel