More Than Forever (Providence Series Book 2) (44 page)

Since Pops is a real estate agent, he can work anywhere. With Mom just getting her PhD in therapy she was given the chance of a lifetime to work at
Seattle Children’s Center
in the autism department. Plus, he said he’d always wanted to live near the ocean. 

So here we are, living in Oak Harbor, Washington, which is a small town on Whidbey Island. It’s pretty but I miss Kansas City, Missouri. I couldn’t wait until I go back to visit my grandparents. 

My pops, Anthony, and Mom, Constance, both were born and raised in the good old heart of our country, Missouri. They met in high school and said it was love at first sight. Mom was an only child and, right after her senior year, her parents were killed in a car crash. Mom and Dad married a few weeks after they were buried. They said they didn’t want to wait anymore. Shortly after they were married, they found out they were expecting my brother. A few years later, I was born. 

I know the spelling of my name is weird for a girl, however, we are a huge football family. We love our
Kansas City Chiefs
. Pops always said he would name his kids after the
Chiefs
greats. So Neil is after
Neil Smith
and I’m after
Len Dawson
. It doesn’t hurt that our last name is Shields like
Will Shields
. We have season tickets to the
Chiefs
and to our amazing baseball team, the
KC Royals
. Yes, all of us are die hard KC fans. Now we are in Seahawk country. What was Pops thinking?

Stepping out of the shower I decided I was going to wear my
Chiefs
jersey. I look in the mirror and still see nothing special. My mom keeps saying that I’m beautiful, but I don’t see what she sees. She’s stunning. She is five foot and four inches, has blonde hair, blue eyes, and fit. My Pops is very handsome too for his age. He is tall at six foot three inches has dark brown hair, green eyes that has a hint of blue in them and very fit. Neil is a spitting image of my Pops, which explains why he has girls hanging on him all the time. He hasn’t hit the height like our pops, but football has made him very fit. Me, I’m the awkward one of the bunch. I have blonde hair that goes to the middle of my back, bright blue eyes that are framed by my glasses, braces that I hate, and set of freckles on my tan skin. I’m average and the shortest of my family at five foot one.

I’m called a nerd because I love learning. I’m planning on being a doctor. I’ll be attending UMKC,
University of Missouri – Kansas City
, once I graduate. My plan is to graduate high school early so I can get my doctor degree as soon as possible. Neil is smart, too, but he seems more interested in football and women. I swear my brother is a walking, talking hormone. It’s disgusting. 

The knock at the door shakes me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“Are you almost done, squirt? I need to get ready so I can not only show just how sexy I am being new and all, but also as the new quarterback,” Neil yells though the door.

 “You’re so sick, Neil. I don’t understand how we are related,” Tightening the towel around me I open the door in disgust.

“Ah there, there, care bear. It will be all right once you get done with puberty. Honestly, I don’t want to think about that and don’t want to really talk with you about puberty,” he tells me with a look of disgust on his face.

“Neil, I’m twelve and you’re fourteen. You’re also going through puberty as well and I’m not into boys. You know I’m focused on school,”

“Squirt, please don’t talk about boys with me. It isn’t something I ever want to think about,” He walks into the bathroom and shuts the door.

Shaking my head, I go into my room and get ready for the day ahead of me. Did I mention I hate starting a new school?

DANTE

“Dante, get your lazy butt up. Today is the first day of school,” Mom yells from downstairs. 

Yawning, I slowly get up. Damn, I’m sore. Coach has been busting our asses during practices. I head off to the shower thinking about how different this year is going to be. Freshman in high school, running back on the varsity football team, and I have a new friend, Neil.

My grandpa was in the Navy, a combat veteran who died during his last mission, leaving behind my grandma and my dad. She didn’t want to move back to Italy so she stayed here. My dad met my mom in Italy while visiting his grandparents. It was love at first sight. They married that summer, moved back
Oak Harbor Washington
and started their family. 

We have visited Italy a lot so we can look over the family winery that my parents owned. Even though we have money, my parents have always made my brothers and I work for everything we have. 

My dad, Anthony, is an accountant for a big firm. My mom, Giovanna, is a stay at home mother. They have three sons, me and I’m fourteen. Carlos and Nicoli, the twins, are twelve. Mom said, after the twins were born, she was done, even if she wanted a little girl. They’re a handful and I agree, even though I’m very close to them.

We all have the tradition Italian look, dark skin, dark brown hair, dark brown eyes and the straight long nose. All of us kids ended up taking after Dad in height and build. He is around six foot four and solid muscle. The twins are five foot six and I am five foot eleven. Then there is Mom who is short compared to us at five foot one and she always grumbles that we haven’t even hit our growth spirt yet. 

Mom hates that we are growing up so fast. She has commented a time or two to Dad that she doesn’t like the looks we are getting from girls already. Dad laughs and tells her that it is going to be alright, that it is part of growing up. 

“Get out of the shower already, Dante. You’re not the only one starting school today!” Nicoli yells as he bangs on the bathroom door.

“What in the hell is wrong with your shower?” I yell, washing the soap off quickly.

“Carlos won’t get out. He is taking a shit and I don’t want to smell that while showering,”

“You’re screwed because I’m not getting out of the shower for that reason. Coach busted my ass this week. So I’m enjoying the hot water,” I said, amused by what Carlos is doing to Nicoli. 

“You’re horrible, Dante!” he says, walking away.

I finish in the shower, get dressed and head out into the kitchen. I walk up to Mom and kiss her on the cheek as I grab a piece of bacon she’s making. 

“Good Morning, Mom. I can’t stay for breakfast. I’m going to Neil’s house so we can walk to school together. His mom is making us breakfast,” I tell Mom then I walk away.

“Okay, sweetie. Give his mom my number. If you boys are going to friends then I think it’s time the families got together. Also, you need to watch your mouth when you talk with your brothers. I heard you and Nicoli. Trust me, I’ll be getting him next,” she says in the sternest, but not really meaning it voice. She knows we are our father’s sons. We get our cussing from him.

“Okay, I’ll be more careful. Neil is going to come home with me and then we’ll go to his house to go over plays. Love you, Mom,” I yell over my shoulder. 

I make it to Neil’s a minute later. They live a block away. With him being the quarterback and me the running back and living this close, yeah, this year is going to be great. I ring his doorbell and wait. The door opens and I see this short blonde haired, blue eyed girl with braces smile at me. 

“Can I help you?”

“You must be squirt. I’m Dante. Is Neil ready?” I ask her. 

She’s pretty in an awkward way. I have a feeling she will be prettier when she gets older. 

“Ugh, that name. I’ll kill him. My name is Len. L-E-N. Anyway, he isn’t done getting ready. Why don’t you come in and get some breakfast. He told us you were coming,” she says, motioning me into the house.

“Okay, show me the way,”

She growls again and shows me to the kitchen. “Mom, this is Dante,” She walks to the table and begins eating.

“Mrs. Shields, thanks for having me. My mom wants me to give you her number. She would like the families to get together and meet,”

“Please, call me Connie. Mrs. Shields is my mother in law. I’d love her number. Neil should be here soon. Sit and eat,” she says motioning to the empty seat.

I go to the table and make a plate and sit down across from the squirt. She looks up and rolls her eyes at me. “You think you have enough food there, RB?”

“RB?” 

“Gosh, Running Back, and you’re supposed to play football?”

“Squirt, leave him alone,” Neil says walking in and patting me on the back. “Ignore her, we all do,” He walks over and gives his mom a kiss on the cheek. “Mom, we are going to Dante’s after school, then we’re coming here to go over plays. Is that okay?”

“Yep, just don’t forget you’re supposed to walk your sister home today. I won’t be home until late due to traffic. Pops will be bringing dinner home,”

“Connie, I have brothers that can walk her home. They are in the same grade as she’s. If that’s okay with you. They’ll make sure she’s safe,” I tell her as I look at Len with a smile.

“I don’t need protecting! I’m a red belt in Tae Kwon Do. I can protect myself,” she says with a pinched face.

“Nonsense, Len. You will be walked home. Thank you for the offer, Dante. However, I would like to speak to your parents first and make sure they are ok with it as well. For today, do you boys mind walking her home first?”

“Are you ok with us walking her to my house first to introduce her to my parents and my brothers?” I ask Connie. 

“Sure, that is fine with me. Just make sure she is back before her dad comes home. Thanks, boys. Okay, you guys have a great first day. I’m off to work.” Mrs. Shields walks around giving kisses on cheeks and leaves.

Looking over at Neil, I get a big smile on my face, “This year will be epic!” We bump fist and finish our breakfast.

LEN

Breathe, Len, just breathe. I look up again from my breakfast at the hottest guy I have ever laid eyes on. He is breathtaking. When I opened the door, I thought I was going to faint. I knew this had to be my brother’s new friend. Now, I have to walk to school and to his house before I can call my girls, back in Missouri. 

“Ready, squirt?” my brother asks.

“Yeah, let’s go and get this over with,”

“It won’t be that bad, I promise you will meet some great people,” hot stuff says as he stands up and walks his plate over to the sink.

“Whatever,” I mumbled out quietly.

They walk me to school and say they’ll meet me by the tree in the front. I walk into my first class and take a seat. I feel someone poking me in the back.

“You know the
Seahawks
are better.” 

I turn around to see a set of twins looking back at me. They are cute and kind of look like the hottie from this morning.

“That’s nice, but not true,” I tell them with a smile.

“You must be new. I’m Nicoli and this is Carlos,” he says, pointing at his twin.

“I’m Len. I’m from Missouri and can’t wait until I move back,”

Laughing, Carlos says, “We are from here and not sure if we ever want to move.”

“I’m sorry that was very rude of me. I just miss my friends and family.” I give them a strained smile.

“It is okay Len. To be honest I am sure we would be the same way actually. What period is your lunch hour?” Nicoli ask as he starts to get his books situated for first period.

“It says here that it is at 12:45,” I murmur while looking at my schedule.

“That is the same as ours. Look for us in the cafeteria, you can sit with us and we can introduce you to some of our friends.” Carlos offers up.

“Thanks. I think I would like that.” I smile a big one this time and then turn around to get ready before class begins.

The day is long and I haven’t really met anyone since Nicoli and Carlos. Walking into the cafeteria, I look around and don’t see the boys. So, I sit at a table by myself and get my lunch out of my backpack.

“Excuse me, but you’re sitting in the wrong spot and need to get your fat, ugly, ass out of my chair.”

Looking up, I see a pretty red head looking at me like I’m an alien. 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t see your name or picture in this spot. So, I’m not moving,” I tell her. 

“Look here, you little bitch, this is the cool table. Listen to her before we make your life hell,” says the brunette girl next to her.

“Hey, watch it. No need to be mean. Oh, hey, Len, glad you found the table. Guys, this is Len. Len this is the guys. Len will be part of us from now on,” says Nicoli, walking over and sitting next to me. Carlos takes my other side.

“What the hell? She isn’t nobody worth hanging out with. She isn’t pretty and she’s fat,” Says the red head.

“Shut up, Katy, or you won’t be allowed to hang out with us. Now, be nice or walk away,” Carlos tells her with a look of disgust on his face.