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She steps out fro open "Infa I want

"Well, yeah" The guy smiles easily--I think his name is Joe? John?--and takes a step toward Fable I throw out an arently pushes it aith a little snort As if I’ to protect her "Everyone wants to know more about Drew Callahan’s neife"

"I find that hard to believe Wouldn’t you rather talk to Drew? He’s the famous football player" She waves a hand in my direction

"And you’re the famous football player’s beautiful and soon-to-be-equally-fa for any hint, any little bit of infor charuy is as sharp as can be and as hungry as a starving tiger looking for prey He’s eyeing Fable like she’s his next ive me an exclusive I’d love to talk to you Find out lances atshe can read into the look I’ her that I don’t want her to do this I’m sure she doesn’t want to either

"Okay Let’s do it"

I can’t fking believe she just said that "Give us aher away from him so he can’t overhear us "Are you crazy?" I ask the h away fro atto him"

"He’s just trying to dig up inforether There’s a lot of information I don’t want anyone to ever find out about me and she knows this She has her own secrets to hide Letting a reporter in is like an open invitation for hi until he finds the real juicy dirt

We’ve got a ton of it, too Our past could fill up an entire book Maybe two

"I know So instead of us hiding fro to tell them only ant them to hear" She smiles, so brilliantly I feel like I’ve just been irl is … so daht"

"I know" Her sive them a little bit of info and they’re happy If we look like we’re hiding, then they’ll think we are And then they’ll never leave us alone We don’t want that, do we?"

"Hell no" I grab her again and pull her into ht around her waist as I kiss her soundly So soundly she blinks up at me, her expression dazed when I finally pull my lips away from hers "You’re sneaky You know that?"

"I know That’s why you married me"

Chapter Six

Drew

A year later and azines, the paparazzi stalk her, and it’s … it’s fking ridiculous Only during football season, though, when she’s o into hiding during the off-season, go back home to spend tio on vacations, short getaways I never get enough alone tilad Owen’s in college now? He graduated high school last su he would apply to Stanford, he didn’t The kid finally got on track, but he doesn’t follow everything his sister wants hi well both at football and in his classes, and he earned a football scholarship and is attending the same university that I did

When I told him he didn’t need a scholarship and that I could pay for his schooling, he protested

I want to do this on my own I want to earn this Let me

No way could I protest that More like I’d been proud I felt like Fable and I actually did so was raise Owen

He’s ave hi at The District Doesn’t have a steady girlfriend, though, and I told hi hi Be free

Soe years I had too much to hide, too h school experience I was popular despite hoithdraas, but people only cared that I was so I could really focus on and enjoy was football It helped et

Sometimes, it still does

With Owen’s newfound independence cos she has tied around hi football season and coain, so we can have so with the teaa after us, wanting more photos, more interviews, azines,a fashion e spread in People and on TV Barbara Walters actually chose the two of us as part of her tenunbelievable

It’s because Fable’s so daeous yet mysterious She says a bunch of stuff without ever really saying anything at all I thought I was a private person, but she puts the P in private, she’s so close-lipped I’ll givefor being so--ha--fascinating, considering the Niners al my first year as their quarterback Me, the rookie nobody had any real faith in, ala, that fking hurt

I have another chance, though In fact, I have lots of theof this season and we’re still going for it We’re back and we mean business The team is on my side now; last year’s season confirotistical ass First, Fable would never let me act like that And second, I’m not stupid I need my team Football is a team sport, for Christ’s sake I’d be an idiot to shit all over my teammates and then expect the for Fable now in our hotel room While I went to practice, she went and explored Boston with one of the other players’ wives That’s another thing-- to know the other wives, beco more social She’s really opened up She’s h, easier to talk to soain, she’s a private person, but she’s beco on a public persona She shows the world what they want to see

But deep down, she’s still the sweet, fiercely protective girl I fell in love with She’s still my Fable My story My life

An idea coeous, so over the top, I knoe have to do it Fable will think I’ about it

The door suddenly swings open, interruptingwhat looks like about fifty shopping bags on either aro to her, help her by taking sos so I can set them on the bed

"What the hell, did you buy all of Boston?" I ask incredulously, noting the store nas Expensive places,tooI want her to have fun and buy whatever the hell she wants, whenever she wants it She’s worth it