That was the main reason he hadn’t yet told them that he and Thea were having trouble. It would devastate them. But that wasn’t the only reason. His parents had the perfect marriage, and they’d be so disappointed to know that Gavin couldn’t live up to their model.
Thea said goodbye, ended the call, and handed Gavin his phone. “You need to tell them, Gavin.”
“Tell them what?” he countered, bitter at her constant reminder that this was a temporary thing for her. “You gave me until Christmas to win you back. Until then, there’s nothing to tell.”
* * *
• • •
Del and Nessa lived outside Nashville in a mansion-filled subdivision that was home to several of Music City’s rich and famous. The twenty-mile drive took only a half hour in the sparse holiday traffic, and if it weren’t for the girls in the back seat, it would have been a silent trip.
“Mommy, can we swim?” Ava suddenly asked.
Del had an indoor pool, and it had become part of the tradition that after everyone’s dinner had settled, the guys took the kids swimming. Thea turned in her seat to look at the back seat. “I brought your bathing suits.”
The girls let out a cheer. At least they would have fun today.
Gavin pulled along the curb in front of Del’s house. A ribbon of nervous tension tightened around Thea’s chest. This would normally be the time when she would adopt her perfect WAG smile and pretend to love every minute of this.
Screw that this year. She and Gavin unbuckled the girls and sent them running up the sidewalk. Just as they reached the front portico, the door swung open. Del’s wife, Nessa, walked out looking stunning, as usual. She wore wide-legged black slacks and a slim camel turtleneck. It was the kind of effortlessly classy outfit that only tall people like her and Liv could actually look stylish in. Nessa gathered the girls against her legs for a quick hug and then looked up with a smile and a wave.
Thea waved and leaned into the back to grab one of the pies. Gavin did the same, and he followed her up the sidewalk. Nessa shooed the girls inside and took the pie from Gavin.
“I’ll help Thea carry stuff. You go out back and stop Del from killing himself.”
“What’s he doing?” Gavin asked.
“That fool bought a turkey fryer.”
“Oh, shit.” Gavin took off at a jog.
Nessa turned back to Thea. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, nodding for Thea to come in. “Del said there was a chance you guys might go to Gavin’s parents’ this year. It wouldn’t be the same without you.”
Thea didn’t know what to say to that, so she said nothing as she followed Nessa into their massive, gleaming white kitchen. The heavenly aroma of the turkey in the oven mixed with the scent of spiced cider in a slow cooker. Sage and garlic from the stuffing made her mouth pool with spit. It smelled just like Gran Gran’s house used to. Those three Thanksgivings when she and Liv had lived there were the best of her life.
The girls ran through on their way to the stairs, chasing after Del and Nessa’s daughter, Jo-Jo. “She’s been bouncing off the walls, waiting for you guys to get here,” Nessa laughed, lifting the pie high in the air to avoid a collision. Then she set it down on the counter with a dramatic sigh. “I swear, she woke me up before dawn asking if you were here yet.”
Thea laughed. “The girls have been excited too.”
And, honestly, if it were just going to be their two families, today wouldn’t be so bad. Nessa was genuine and kind and funny, the only one of the other wives and girlfriends that Thea would remotely call a friend. Mostly because Del and Gavin were such good friends. And the twins adored playing with Jo-Jo. Today could have been OK. But it wouldn’t be. Because pretty soon, she’d be swimming with the sharks.
Nessa took the other pie from Thea and set it on the counter. Thea could tell just from the way her eyes pinched at the corners what was coming next.
“So . . .” Nessa said, leaning closer. “I hope you don’t mind, but Del told me that Gavin has moved home. Are things going OK?”
“Great,” Thea said automatically. Wait. No. She wasn’t going to do that anymore. Thea straightened her spine. “Actually, it’s not going great. He came home last night, and we haven’t stopped fighting since.”
“Del saw Gavin last week. He said he’s never seen Gavin so broken up.”
Thea bristled. Gavin was broken up? “It hasn’t been a picnic for me, either.”
“Of course not,” Nessa said quickly. “I just . . . I know a little about what you’re going through. These men of ours, they’re not great at expressing themselves. Give it time.”
Thea wanted to press her—because how could Nessa know anything about marital trouble? She and Del had the perfect marriage. But she was cut off by a knock at the front door, which was followed immediately by an impatient dinging of the doorbell. Nessa swore and rolled her eyes again. “Lord give me strength. I have no idea why Del invited him.”
“Invited who?”
“Well, well, you must be Mrs. Thea Scott.”
Thea turned around and came face-to-chest with an impressive set of pecs beneath a tight white T-shirt. She looked up and was nearly blinded by a sparkling smile that may or may not have brought a little whimper from her mouth. Her eyes catalogued the gloriousness of thick dark hair, mischievous brown eyes, and a jawline that could cut glass. He winked, and angels began to sing.
“Braden Mack,” he said, lifting Thea’s mouth toward his lips. “Pleasure to finally meet you.”
His lips brushed her knuckles, and Thea’s mouth went dry.
“I— How do you know who I am?”
“I know your husband, but obviously not well enough because he failed to mention how beautiful you are.”
Thea tried to respond but could only squeak.
Nessa cleared her throat. “Mack, it’s too early for your brand of charm. Why don’t you go out back and help the men?”
Braden stroked Thea’s wrist with his thumb. “They need advice about women?”
“No, they’re trying to fry a turkey.”
Braden dropped the act and Thea’s hand. “Oh, shit.” He took off through the back door.
Thea swallowed and shivered. “Whoa. I feel like I just met the god of seduction.”
“Lord, don’t tell him that. His ego doesn’t need any help.”
Thea and Nessa wandered to the glass doors to watch him walk. She licked her lips and then looked up. Her eyes collided with Gavin’s unmistakably jealous glare. “Oh, crap.”
* * *
• • •
“I’m going to kill him.”
The minute Gavin looked through the glass door and saw Mack kiss Thea’s hand, something hot and red took hold of his senses, which were already scrambled from the past twenty-four hours. And now the asshole was headed their way, waving and swaggering like nothing had happened.
“He’s just doing it to get you riled up,” Del said. “He hits on all our wives.”
“And you let him get away with it?”
“He doesn’t mean anything by it.”
Gavin curled his hands into fists as jealousy surged. It was childish and immature and completely irrational, but Braden-Fucking-Mack was exactly the kind of interference he and Thea didn’t need right now. Gavin had been competing with smooth-talking, cock-swinging fuckboys like Mack his entire life. He sure as shit wasn’t going to compete with him for his own wife.
And fuck if he didn’t feel like a loser for even thinking about that. This wasn’t high school. Thea was his wife, not the girl he wanted to take to prom. But logic and reason were scarce quantities in his life these days. Case in point: the argument about masturbation this morning.
“You dipshits are gonna burn the house down,” Mack joked as he sauntered toward them. He pointed directly at Gavin. “Yo, Scott. Why didn’t you tell me your wife was so hot? No wonder you’re wound so tight.”
Gavin swung his fist before he could talk himself out of it, before he even realized he’d decided to do it. The punch landed squarely below Mack’s eye and caught him enough by surprise that Mack stumbled back, a hand over his cheek and a wounded look in his eyes.
“What the hell?” Mack pulled his hand away to look at his fingers, presumably for any signs of blood. “What was that for?”
“I don’t know. I guess my toxic masculinity doesn’t like you hitting on my wife.”
“Are you kidding me?” Mack said. “I hit on everyone’s wives! It’s my specialty. You don’t have to punch me for it.”
Gavin took a step forward. Del wrapped an arm around Gavin’s chest and held him back. “Easy there, Creed.”
The glass door slid open. Nessa and Thea ran out wearing matching expressions of shock. Thea’s held a hint of something a lot more sinister, though, and Gavin knew he’d just fucked up. Again.
“What is going on?” Thea demanded.
“Nothing,” Gavin grumbled, shaking out his hand. Dammit, that hurt. Contrary to stereotypes, professional athletes didn’t go around throwing punches very often. Gavin had been in exactly one bench-clearing brawl in his entire career, and he’d only managed to knock someone’s hat off before the umpires broke it up.
Thea looked at Mack. “Are you OK?”
“You’re worried about him?”
“He’s the one who got hit!”
Mack cocked a half smile and milked the situation for all it was worth. “Don’t you worry about me now, darling. I get this response from a lot of husbands.”
Gavin made a strangled noise.
Thea glared at him. “Inside. Now.”
Gavin followed on wooden legs as Thea stormed back inside, stalked a path through the kitchen, and ducked into Del’s first-floor study. She slammed the door and whirled around.
He was in so much trouble. “Babe—”