“WHY ARE YOU FIDGETING?” Bryna asked.
She brushed her hand down the front of Eric’s button-down shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and he had on a pair of dark wash jeans. He looked down at her with his hazel eyes, trying to conceal his worry.
“Seriously, I never guessed you would be afraid of meeting the rest of my family.”
“It’s more your dad.”
“My dad?” She raised her eyebrows. “What about him?”
“Between football and his movies, he’s a legend!”
Bryna laughed and pushed him away. “He’s just my dad. Football was a long time ago. You of all people should know that football doesn’t define who you are.”
“What about the movies?”
“He’s good at what he does,” she acknowledged, “but he’s still just my dad. You should be more afraid that I’m introducing you as my boyfriend to my dad.”
“Okay. Now, I’m more nervous.”
She shook her head and dragged him out of his house. Her heels clicked against the tile, and she tucked her dark pink skirt underneath her as she slid into the passenger seat of his Jeep.
Bryna and Eric arrived at the condo early. Her dad was still a good fifteen minutes away as they walked up to the front door. Bryna felt weird about knocking on the door to the place where she used to live, but this was Pace’s place now. Just another reason she didn’t want to walk inside.
Eric knocked for her, realizing she was just going to stand there, staring. He kissed the top of her head while they waited. Pace opened the door a minute later. He looked between them, grunted, and then turned away.
They followed him inside. It was crazy to see the transformation of her condo. He had certainly made it into a bachelor’s pad. She shuddered to think how many women had probably wandered in and out of here.
They all stood around in silence. Eric and Pace were still on unsteady ground after Eric had punched him after the Colorado game. Bryna was the last one who wanted to break the tension anyway. It was nice to have someone on her side about the whole Pace situation.
Finally, Pace broke the silence, “Have you heard from Stacia?”
“I live with her.”
“Yeah, I know. I mean…has she asked about me?”
Bryna made a face. Even if Stacia had, she wasn’t about to tell Pace that. “No.”
He clenched his jaw and nodded. “Okay.”
The knock at the door interrupted the awkwardness. Pace walked over and answered it.
Lawrence, Celia, Lacey, Kacey, and another woman holding Zoe, who Celia introduced as the new nanny, all paraded into the condo at once. They were a bustle of hugs and kisses for both her and Pace. Even the twins seemed to have some enthusiasm in their steps. It was probably because they were out of school for tomorrow, which meant no Harmony Prep for a day.
“And this must be Eric,” Lawrence said. He stepped forward and shook Eric’s hand.
“Yes, sir.”
“Eric Wilkins in fact,” Lawrence said with a smile. “You didn’t tell me this, Bryna.”
She shrugged. “Wasn’t sure if you would recognize him.”
“Wasn’t sure?” he asked. “After that impressive national championship win three years ago? How could anyone forget?”
Eric laughed and stared over at Bryna before looking back at her father. “I’m honored that you recognized me.”
“Of course, I did. We’re all proud Gamblers here.”
The guys talked football.
In the meantime, Bryna walked over to the nanny and took Zoe in her arms. “Oh my God, she’s so big.”
Celia smiled and walked closer. “They grow so fast.”
“I didn’t know you were going to have a nanny.”
“That’s all Lawrence. I’d keep her close to me at all times if I could. Even though she’s lucky number four for me, I want her near me. It’s hard being away.”
Bryna bounced her little sister in her arms. Zoe laughed and cooed up at Bryna. “I could see that.”
“How have you been? I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever. It was nice having you home for the summer, you know.”
Bryna didn’t take her eyes from the baby. “It was nice being home, but I’ve been so busy with school and cheer.”
“Of course. Not to mention, a new young man,” Celia said. She eyed Eric and wiggled her eyebrows. “I see you’ve found some of that love that you were asking me about at the hospital.”
Bryna smiled as her eyes fell on Eric, too. He was talking to her dad as if they had known each other for years. She had known he had nothing to worry about.
“Seems I have,” she said.
“Bryna! You didn’t tell me that Eric was coaching,” her father called.
“I didn’t tell you anything actually. Just that he was coming.” She handed the baby off to Celia with a smile and wandered over. “Should I have told you his life story ahead of time?”
“Now, Lawrence, give him room to breathe. You just met him. Don’t want to run him off,” Celia said.
“I don’t mind,” Eric said.
“Well, we do,” Celia said. “We don’t want to be late for our dinner reservation.”
After Celia left Zoe with the nanny, they piled into two cars and drove to a nice steakhouse near campus. It wasn’t a place where many students would go unless their parents were in town. Even Bryna had never actually been there before.
They were seated at a large table for seven with Bryna tucked in between Celia and Eric. Her father and Pace were across from her, and the girls were at the end of the table.
“So, did you two meet during football?” Celia asked.
“Actually, Eric showed me around campus on my visit during my senior year,” Bryna answered.
“What are your plans for the future, Eric?” Lawrence asked, leaning forward.
He gave Bryna a meaningful look, and she almost laughed. It was weird to have people interested in what was going on in her life…with her boyfriend. Her father had never really cared about what happened with Gates, but he had known him for a while, so maybe that didn’t count.
“I’m waiting to hear if I got into grad school for sports management here at LV State next year. I plan on spending two more years coaching with Coach Galloway and then getting a job as an assistant coach for another university when I graduate.”
Her father nodded. “Good goals. Smart.”
“More than Bryna can say,” Pace spat under his mouth.
“Bryna has goals,” Eric said, automatically defending her.
Pace stared him down. “I’d love to hear what her goals are. The last I heard, they were quite…colorful.”
“Pace, don’t be rude,” Celia whispered.
Bryna sighed and shook her head. She had no interest in being baited by Pace. “Yes, I have goals, but we’re not talking about me tonight.”
“I’d love to hear them,” her dad said.
Bryna bit her lip. “Um…”
She still hadn’t told her dad about her interest in film. He didn’t even know she was a film major. She hadn’t been sure how to say it without it coming off poorly. She didn’t want him to think that she wanted his help or that he would need to give her a job or something. Worse, she worried he would be flippant about the entire thing.
“Go on,” Eric said. He squeezed her leg under the table.
“I’m actually a film major,” she said. Her back was ramrod straight.
Her father’s eyes brightened. “Film?”
“Yeah. I’m in history of film this semester and took intro to film last semester.”
“That’s great,” Celia said. “Don’t you think that’s great, Lawrence?”
“What do you want to do with that?” he asked. Dad mode had fled, and director mode had returned.
She hated this. This wasn’t what she’d wanted.
“I don’t know. It’s just something I’m good at,” she said offhandedly.
Eric gave her a stern look. “Bri.”
“I don’t need anyone to make a big deal out of it.”
“I was just curious,” her dad said.
“Directing, okay? I’m interested in directing, but I don’t need help, and it’s just an idea at the moment,” she said in a rush.