“I nearly crashed the next morning when I heard about it on the radio in my car,” Lola said, and AJ had begun to turn to her but was curiously caught by the sudden glare on Kelli’s face. “They announced the names of the fallen firefighters, and, oh my God,” Lola continued, clutching her chest now that AJ had turned to her, “I wanted to die. I hadn’t met his siblings yet. None of them knew he and I were seeing each other, so no one called me.” Lola leaned her head gently against Isaiah’s shoulder. “It was terrible finding out that way.”

“We have your number now, Lola,” Liv said in a reassuring tone. “You’ll be the first we call after the rest of our siblings, if, God forbid, anything ever happens to him again.”

AJ had begun to frown at that last comment when he caught Isaiah’s strange glare. He followed it to see what his brother was glaring at. He turned to see Kelli whisper something in Nathan’s ear then walk away abruptly.

“Is she leaving?” AJ asked, incredulous, wondering if she was pulling the same stunt as last time.

“No, ladies’ room,” Nathan said, not even trying to hide the annoyance with AJ’s immediate inquiry, and no doubt because AJ hadn’t been able to tone the tenor down.

Emi beat AJ to the punch, asking the very thing he was thinking. “I thought you two broke things off.” Like AJ, his little sister didn’t seem too fond of Kelli either.

“We did, but we’re still friends,” Nathan said, taking a swig of his beer and glancing away.

AJ might’ve smirked, knowing his brother was biting his tongue and not adding anything more smart-mouthed to his response because of everyone there. But he was still feeling too irritated by the fact that his brother actually brought Kelli tonight.

Without reacting to Nathan’s curt responses, AJ turned back to his other brother curiously. The guys had already begun another conversation regarding the impending playoffs. AJ frowned at the still somber-looking Isaiah, who was zoned out, staring out into the crowd. Doing a quick glance out in the general direction of where Isaiah was staring, he saw Kelli, who, like Addison and his sisters, wore a formal gown and high heels. She was still making her way toward the ladies’ room slowly—cautiously.

One glance back at Isaiah, and AJ could see now his brother wasn’t zoned out; he was staring at Kelli. AJ had begun to glance back in Kelli’s direction but had to do a double take when he saw Addison striding back toward him. Just like that, any tension he’d begun to feel about his brother’s mood drained as their eyes met and she smiled sweetly. Then a guy in a suit stepped right in front of her, startling her, and making her stop in her tracks. Instantly, AJ was standing straighter—bigger. From behind, AJ couldn’t see who it was, only that he wore a tux like everybody else and was big like most of the other athletes there.

The guy was so close to her. Seeing her actually take a step back looking annoyed had AJ handing Nathan his cocktail glass. That familiar blaze inside him, the one he’d felt all too often in his life, was already roaring, and suddenly nothing mattered: Not that they were in a fancy banquet room with lots of cameras, a place where he should be all the more mindful of his behavior. Or that her parents were only a few feet away from Addison and this asshole. Not that his non-response to Nathan’s question when he asked him where he was going was sure to raise brows with all his siblings since he’d charged away from them with a purpose.

None of it.

“Is there a problem?” he said just a few feet behind the guy who was still facing Addison.

Addison shaking her head did nothing to alleviate the fire that only got bigger when the guy turned around and he saw the smug smirk on Bigsby’s face.

“Romero,” he said, still smirking as Addison circled him and slipped her hand into AJ’s.

“Tax question,” Addison said quickly. “I get asked a lot about stuff regarding tax laws and such.”

“Like that?” AJ asked, glaring at Bigsby. “All rude and jumping in your face?”

“I didn’t realize I was being rude,” Bigsby said with a big fake stunned expression, bringing his hand to his chest. “My apologies—”

“You’re always a rude asshole, and you know it,” AJ said, taking a step forward and well aware that they were turning heads now.

“Hey, AJ.” Someone touched his arm, and only then did he realize Nathan had followed him, but he lifted a hand before his brother could attempt to talk him down. It was too late for that now.

AJ got even closer to Bigsby’s face. “If I ever see your arrogant ass get in my girl’s face like that again, I don’t give a shit what you’re asking her. I will knock you on your fucking ass. You hear me?”

Just like the many times he’d exploded on someone in middle and high school, they were already surrounded by nosey onlookers. Only in this case there were cameras flashing left and right. Bigsby started to say something, still smirking smugly, though AJ could see he’d not only embarrassed him, but AJ’s “my girl” comment had rattled him. For a moment, it rendered the guy who normally had too much to say speechless.

Coach Lara was there now with Nathan and Sabian stepping in between them and trying to disperse the crowd. Another man who appeared to be about coach’s age was talking to Bigsby now as the two were separated even further.

“Don’t say anything,” Coach said as AJ grudgingly accompanied him and Addison through the crowd. “Too many cameras are filming every bit of this.”

When they were finally far enough away from anyone who could hear them, the coach turned to AJ. “The guy’s been drinking,” he started to say.

“We all have,” AJ countered, unwilling to give that asshole even the slightest benefit of the doubt.

That short confrontation had AJ’s adrenaline and heart pumping so hard still he may well have buried his fist in the guy’s face like he’d felt like doing.

Lara nodded. “But you know he’s an ass even when he’s sober.”

AJ shook his head. “Doesn’t get him off. I see that shit again—”

“I think he knows that, son.” Lara smiled, tapping AJ’s arm. “Just calm down. It’s over now. I seriously doubt he’ll be doing that ever again.”

Between listening to Lara and then having to explain to his siblings why he’d nearly lost it with Bigsby, it was a while until he could get Addison alone. But first chance he did, he got right to it. “What else did he say to you?”

“Nothing else,” she assured him. “He’s being audited and I guess he’s worried.”

“You don’t know him like that, do you?” he asked, searching her eyes. “For him to just barge up to you like an idiot and get in your face the way he did?”

“Not really.” She shook her head. “I mean my dad did train him once upon a time, so I’ve known him for years, but he’s never done that. My dad’s right, babe. I smelled the alcohol on him the moment he was in front of me. He’s a jerk even when he’s sober. The alcohol just—”

“Promise me you’ll tell me if he ever does something like that again,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I don’t care how drunk he is. That’s no excuse. I put up with a lot of shit from his pretentious ass on the field, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let him disrespect you like that. So promise me you will if he ever does again.”

“I promise.” Her touch, as she caressed his face softly, once again had the power to settle his still-flustered insides.

The room had begun to empty as the commencement of the awards show approached. Addison said she wanted to use the ladies’ room before the show started. Emi was quick to say she’d go with her. They headed there slowly. AJ glanced around when he noticed Isaiah wasn’t with them but Lola was. “Where’s Isaiah?”

“Men’s room,” Lola replied with a smile.

It was only then that AJ noticed something else. He was almost afraid to ask, but he turned to Nathan anyway. “What happened to Kelli?”