Power (The Keatyn Chronicles Book 9) (14 page)

Dallas nudges me and nods toward a cheerleader, who’s cheering more than the others. She’s also wearing the quarterback’s number on her cheek.
 

“Gracie, why is that guy texting you if he has a girlfriend?” Dallas asks.

“He doesn't have a girlfriend,” she says.

I point to the cheerleader. “I think maybe he does.”

Gracie narrows her eyes as Keatyn says, “Speaking of texting, I just texted Mom and she had no idea you were here.”

Gracie shrugs. “I told her I was going to a football game.”

“Yes, you just failed to mention that the football game was in
Connecticut.
How did you get here anyway?”

“Hitchhiked.”

Keatyn gives her the eye.

“Fine. I hitched a ride on The Summer Boys jet. I'm considering dating Jared. Or Dylan, depending.”

“Gracie, those boys are like twenty years old!”

“No, they’re not. Jared is nineteen, and Dylan just turned seventeen.”

“You're fourteen!”

“I’ll be fifteen in a month. So, basically, I already am. And that’s another reason why you should want me to come here, so I’ll date boys my own age. Although, the band is fun to party with and I never get carded when I'm with—” She slaps her hand over her mouth.
 

I whisper to Keatyn, “You know if you have a girl she’s going to be just like Gracie. Just like you.”

“No, she won’t. She’ll be smart and responsible like Aiden.”
 

I raise my eyebrow at her. Aiden was not adverse to partying and hooking up before he fell for Keatyn.

She shakes her head. “One step at a time. Mom and Tommy have had it so easy with the triplets. They never get in trouble.”

“That’s not true,” Gracie says. “The cleaning lady found cocaine in Ivery’s room.”

“What?!”

“Mom didn’t want to tell you once she found out you’re pregnant.”

“Shhh,” Keatyn says.
 

“It’s not like everyone can’t tell anyway. All they have to do is look at your stomach.”

Keatyn touches her stomach, which still looks flat to me.

“You know we don’t want people to know yet, Gracie.”

Gracie rolls her eyes and gives Keatyn a little hug. “You know I’m just teasing.”

“Where were you planning on staying tonight?”

“It’s Homecoming. Party all night, right? And I have a date for the dance.”

“You do?!” Keatyn asks.

“Yep,” she smiles and nods at the field.

“The quarterback? He asked you?” I say.

“Do you think I would have come all this way to surprise him if he hadn’t?”

Dallas and I share a worried glance.
 

This feels like the beginning of a major conflict scene in one of our teen movies.
 

“You’re surprising him?” Dallas asks, on the same train of thought as I am.

She bounces in her seat. “I told him I didn’t think I could make it but that I’d try. He’ll be so surprised!”

“I bet he will be,” Dallas says, nudging me.

“Riley, I think I need a hotdog,” Keatyn says, suddenly grabbing my arm. “Come get one with me.”

I buy us both hot dogs and hand one to her. “I have a feeling the quarterback is going to have two dates.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” she says. “Shit. Gracie is always such a good girl. Spunky and opinionated, but I didn’t think she’d ever flat out disobey Mom and Tommy.”

“Sounds like she didn’t exactly disobey tonight.” I grin.
 

“And hanging out with a band!”

“Twisted Dreams,” I cough, reminding her that she hung out with a band when she was a teen too.

Her expression and eye roll is an exact match for the one the Gracie made a few minutes ago. “He was my best friend since we were kids. Not someone I met backstage at the teen awards.”

“Sure you aren’t mad at her because she broke up with Brooklyn’s nephew?”

Tears threaten her face immediately. “Maybe. I miss Brooklyn so much. I still can’t believe he’s dead.”

“Me either,” I say, Brooklyn was a three-time pro surf champion who died in a surfing accident just a few years ago, was Keatyn’s first love, and one of my best friends.

“I thought she and Brady would be together forever.”

“She’s fourteen, Keatyn. Do you really think she needs to decide on her forever love now?”

“Yeah, you’re right. At her age, I was pretty boy crazy. She’s so mature about her career, sometimes I forget how young she is.”

“Do you know what they got in a fight about?”
 

“No, she won’t tell anyone. Or at least she won’t tell me.”

“Maybe because she thinks you won’t be on her side.”

Keatyn’s arm immediately goes up to her chest, offended. “I’ll
always
be on her side!”

“Maybe you should tell her that.”

She sighs big. “Yeah, I suppose you’re probably right.”

“What the fuck, Keatyn?” a familiar voice says. “You give my brother a cushy job but you can’t pick up the phone and call your favorite Johnson brother? I want to live on the beach in California and drive a Ferrari too.”

“Brax!” Keatyn yells, excited to see my youngest brother, who adores her. “I didn’t think you were coming!”

“Change of plans,” he says, slapping me on the back. “Good to see you, bro. You finally get up the balls to come back here?”

“Braxton!” Keatyn scolds.
 

“What? You know I’m right. You say so every year.”

Keatyn’s face turns pink. “I don’t say that. Not exactly.” I raise an eyebrow at her. “Fine. Every year I do mention that I wish you would get over it and come with us. It’s not the same without you, Riley. You’re such a big part of why Eastbrooke is so special to me.”

I can’t help but smile at her. “I’m glad I’m here this year.”

“You are? Oh, Riley, that makes me so happy.”

“Okay, jeez, enough with the love fest,” Braxton says. “Let’s get back to me and my cushy job.”

“How are you doing?” Keatyn asks him. He and his long-time girlfriend just recently called it quits.

“I’m enjoying the spoils of single life again. Wine, women, and song. Okay, maybe more like beer, women, and meaningless sex.”

“Thataboy,” I tell him. “Just like a Johnson.”

“Braxton, if you want a job, you’ll have to convince your brother. He’s in charge.”

Braxton puts his arm around her. “Come on, Kiki. You know you love me. And we all know who wears the pants at Captive. Riley didn’t even know you hired Dawson.”

“That was an unusual situation,” Keatyn says with a frown.
 

“Which I fully supported,” I say, backing her up, knowing it was hard for her to keep it from me.
 

“Speaking of love,” Keatyn says. “Did you get your invitation to the party next weekend, Brax?”

“I did. I’m still checking to see if I can get out of work on Friday. Is it a big deal? You’re always having fundraisers.”

“Not fundraisers where Aiden and I get married.”

“No, shit? It’s about fucking time.”

“I know. So come, please, if you can.”

“I will. Who’s winning?”

“We are,” I say as we head back to the stands.

The game ends with the Cougars winning by three touchdowns.

“You’re going to stay with us at the hotel,” Keatyn tells Gracie. “Not stay out all night.”

“Whatever. I’m going to surprise Baylor now! He’s going to be so happy!” she says rushing off.

“This ought to be good,” Dallas whispers to me.

“What should be?” Braxton asks.

“The quarterback asked Gracie to Homecoming. She told him she didn’t think she could make it and is surprising him.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“One of the cheerleaders has his number on her face.”

“Ooh, cat fight. Love those,” Braxton says. “But Gracie’s my girl. If he fucks her over, he’s going to have to answer to me.”

“Us too,” Dallas agrees.

We watch as she runs down onto the field, taps him on the shoulder, and says
Surprise!

“He definitely looks surprised.”

“Oh, he’s giving her a hug,” Keatyn says.

“That’s a good sign, isn’t it?” I ask.

“Depends,” Braxton says. “Check out the cheerleader at three o’clock. She’s heading his way and she’s got the march.”

“What’s the march?” Keatyn asks him.

“You know. The mad, pissed off girl march.”

I laugh. “You’re right. She does.”

We continue to watch as the cheerleader grabs the quarterback’s arm.

“She just said
What the fuck, Chad?
” Braxton says. “I can read lips.”

“She definitely said what the fuck, but his name is Baylor. Baylor Hawthorne,” Dallas says.

“As in
Hawthorne House
Hawthorne?” I ask.

“Yeah. His grandfather is on the Eastbrooke trust committee with me. He’s only a sophomore. Good kid. Great athlete.”

“Oh, boy. The cheerleader slapped him across the face and marched away!” Braxton says. “She looks sad. I should go comfort her. Excuse me.”

I grab the back of his shirt. “Don’t you dare, Brax. She’s not exactly legal.”

“Looks legal enough.”

“Where are you staying tonight, Braxton?” Keatyn asks him.

“It’s Homecoming. I’m partying all night,” he replies. “Aren’t you?”

“Actually, I’m kinda tired,” Keatyn says. “It’s been a really long week.”

“It’s been a long week for all of us,” Dallas agrees.

“Pussies. How bout you, bro? You ready to scope out some of the alum? If I can’t go young, maybe I’ll look for a cougar. I’ve never done one before.”

I shake my head. It’s official. I’m getting old.
 

I don’t even want to attempt to keep up with my younger brother.
 

Or maybe Vegas just cured me from partying for a while.

Gracie appears to have a serious conversation with the quarterback then leads him in our direction.
 

“Baylor, this is my sister, Keatyn Douglas,” she says. “And her friends from Eastbrooke, Riley Johnson and Dallas McMahon.”

“Don’t forget me,” Braxton says, popping up behind her.
 

“Brax!” Gracie screams. “My favorite Johnson brother! I’m taking you up on your offer to hang out in the Hamptons this summer.”

“That’d be cool,” Baylor says. “My grandparents have a place there. We could hang out.”

If Gracie is thrilled by his invitation, you’d never know it. She just gives him a quick smile.
 

“I saw the movies,” Baylor says. “Pretty cool to meet you all. So, does Stockton’s really exist? Because we’ve all been down in the basement of the chapel and there is a Mary Jane Stockton crypt, but the leaf doesn’t open, so there’s no place for a key. No one can figure out how to get in.”

“We may have changed some details to protect the innocent,” I say.

“Or maybe we completely made it up,” Dallas goes.

Keatyn adds with a smile, “Or, maybe it’s a little of both.”

“Damn, we could use a place to party besides The Cave.”

“You go to The Cave?” Keatyn asks him. “Usually that’s only for upperclassmen.”

Baylor shrugs in a way that reminds me of Aiden when he was at Eastbrooke. When you’re a star athlete, good-looking, and rich, exceptions are made.
 

“We had plenty of fun there,” Keatyn says. “And even though we thought we were the only ones who knew about it, we found out later it’s really not a secret.”

“Baylor is taking me there tonight,” Gracie says. “I can’t wait.”

“Um, Baylor, I’m curious,” Keatyn says. “Why did that girl just slap your face?”

He lets out a breath and shrugs. “That’s Krissy. She asked me to Homecoming, but I told her I already had a date. Today at our lunch table, I was telling my friend I was bummed that Gracie couldn’t come. I’m sure glad she did though,” he says, smiling at Gracie and wrapping his arm around her waist.
 

“So she just assumed you’d go together or did you tell her that you would?” Keatyn asks, trying to clarify the situation.

“I told her if I didn’t have a date we could go.”

“Typical girl,” Braxton says. “Always reading too much into it.”

“Oh, really,” Gracie says, putting her hands on her hips, looking like a force to be reckoned with.

Braxton rubs the top of her head. “Chill out, Gracie.”

“Well, it was nice to meet you all,” Baylor says. “You ready to go have some fun, Gracie?”

“Of course,” she says, linking her arm in his.
 

“Where were you planning to stay, Gracie?” Keatyn asks again.