# CHAPTER 34: The Truth, The Jealousy, and The Gladdy Daddies Expansion
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review CHAPTER 34 of "Just for the Plot" — and oh my goodness, what a chapter this is! We've got morning-after bliss, a confession that nearly blows everything up, and the birth of a bromance so chaotic it might just tear the Gladdy Daddies apart. Buckle up, because this one is a rollercoaster of heart, heat, and hilarity.
---
Bennett cannot stop staring. And honestly, can you blame him?
There she is — Bower — sitting at his dining room table, eating a raspberry Danish, wearing his T-shirt, looking thoroughly, deliciously wrecked from the night before, and gazing at him with actual heart eyes. Not metaphorical ones. Actual, genuine, I-can't-believe-you're-mine heart eyes.
He knows it's real. He understands that on some level. But fuck, it doesn't *feel* real. It feels like he's dreaming — like any second now, Nolan is going to slap him across the face and tell him to get his ass into the dugout, and this whole beautiful, impossible thing will evaporate like morning mist.
But no. She's really there. And she's really his.
They barely slept. Every time one of them stirred, they were on top of each other again. Bennett has never been inside someone so much in his entire life, and yet he couldn't get enough. Even now, the thought of clearing that table and taking her right there crosses his mind — but he knows he has to give her time to rest. Plus, she has work, even though she texted Adalade to say she'd be late.
"You're staring," she says, her cheeks flushing pink.
"Yeah, because I can stare now and not have you question me. Before, I was stealing glances; now I can look all I fucking want."
Her head tilts, a playful smile curving her lips. "You really felt that strongly about me?"
"Bower, you have no fucking clue." He chuckles, shaking his head. "Infatuated doesn't even begin to describe it, but out of fear that I might scare you away, I think I'll keep the obsession to myself."
"Obsession?" She sets her pastry down and leans her forearms on the table, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Ooo, I'm intrigued. Tell me more. Did you have a shrine? Keep my hair in a box? Collect my trash and sniff it before you went to bed?"
Deadpanning, he says, "I stopped the trash thing when I hit twenty."
"Stop." She laughs, and the sound wraps around him like a warm embrace.
"Nah, I just... I don't know. I stole glances. I keep our pictures we've taken together in my favorites folder on my phone—"
"You do? Let me see."
"Are you going to make fun of me?"
"No, I'm sure it's going to make me fall for you even more."
Well, when she puts it like that... Bennett scoots his chair out and pats his lap. She comes over willingly, settling onto him, wrapping her arm around his neck, and kissing his cheek. He's in fucking heaven as he pulls up his favorites album and shows her every picture he's saved — not many, but enough to keep him satiated during the long months of longing.
"Oh, I remember the welcome home event in Almond Bay. You so did not want to be there."
"Yeah, I don't love events that are solely focused on me. Not a fan."
"I could tell that day you were so not into it. But that was one of the first times I was caught off guard by how much you changed."
"Yeah?" His hand falls to her thigh. "You noticed my muscles?"
"Just a little," she admits. "And then there was this picture that Gabby sent me, after visiting you, and I was shocked. You just changed so much. You weren't the boy I first met."
"So the truth comes out. You were obsessing too."
She scoffs, indignant. "I wouldn't say obsessing, but I would say I noticed things."
"Pervert."
"What?" she protests, and he laughs. "You're the one with pictures of me in your phone."
"You were the one lusting after a twenty-year-old."
"Bennett," she says, almost insulted, starting to pull away. He holds her tight, laughing, refusing to let her escape.
"I'm kidding, babe."
"I think it would benefit you greatly if you don't mention the age difference. I'm already feeling like I'm a grandma here."
Bennett sets his phone down and kisses her neck, his hand wandering up her shirt. "There is nothing grandma about you, beautiful."
She turns toward him, straddling his lap, her arms resting on his shoulders. "Better not be." Then, with a knowing smile: "Did I see that I'm your wallpaper on your phone?"
"You did. Manifesting."
She chuckles, warm and soft. "You really do like me, don't you?"
"If I have to tell you, then I clearly did not do a good enough job worshipping you last night."
"Oh, you did. You did such an excellent job."
His hands slide under her shirt and up her back, savoring the warmth of her skin. But there's something sitting heavy in his chest — a confession he knows he can't hold back if he wants to be truly transparent with her.
"I do have something I want to talk to you about, and I know if I don't mention it, it will eat away at me. I want to be as transparent and honest with you as possible."
"I'd appreciate that."
"Okay, and this might be the jealous asshole coming out of me, but it's driving me nuts that Cougar helped you with your book truck."
Her expression falls into a frown. "How do you know about that?"
"Gabby told me. She called me and raved about Cougar and how great he is and how he's been helping you. It fucking ate at me." He rubs her sides, hating how this makes him sound like a jealous fool, but knowing that's exactly how it's coming across. "Why didn't you come to me? Gretchen has been asking about everything, and well, I feel like I could have been helpful."
Her fingers play with his hair, sending goosebumps over his arms. "It was nothing against you, Bennett. It was me trying to fixate on something, anything that wasn't you. Although, it made me think of you all the time. I was trying to put distance between my thoughts about you and just trying to focus on something... anything besides the feeling of letting my friend down because I was falling for her brother."
"But why ask him?"
"I didn't seek out his help," she says. "Not sure if that makes you feel better, but I was at the coffee house, just trying to get some work done, and he happened to run into me. A few times. And well, he's nosey and asked what I was doing, so I showed him. I will admit, he gave me some good advice."
Bennett goes still, anger pulsing through him like a live wire. She must feel it, because she tries to soothe him, rubbing her thumbs over the back of his neck.
"It was nothing too big, though. And if I wasn't trying to compartmentalize, then I would have asked you."
"You should have," he says, irritated by the conversation. He knew he would be. He's been so goddamn irritated by anything Cougar has had a part of in her life. If anyone should be helping her with the book truck, it's him. He should be the one building her dreams with her, not that jackass.
"Bennett, don't get angry."
"I am. He's an idiot. He shouldn't be having a hand in your dreams."
"You're the one who set me up with him," she says, pulling away slightly.
"Yeah, because I wanted to set you up with an idiot to make me look better."
She blinks. The warmth in her eyes freezes over. She gets off his lap, stepping back. "Are you serious right now?"
Shit. Probably shouldn't have said that.
He reaches for her hand, but she backs away. He stands, not wanting her to take off. "Bower, it was self-preservation. I was desperate to get you to notice me—"
"So your plan was to set me up with someone who could have possibly hurt me?"
"No." He pushes his hand through his hair, frustration and panic swirling in his gut. "The intention was to make him seem like a douchebag so when you hung out with me, you saw me for who I am."
"And who is that?" She crosses her arms over her chest. "A conniving little punk?"
"No," he says, panic surging through him. "I wanted you to see me for the man I am, not the boy I once was."
"Well, that was a very boyish thing to do, Bennett."
"I was desperate. What did you want from me? You were hanging all over me, asking me to set you up with someone."
"Yeah, and you could have asked me out instead."
He sarcastically laughs. "Please, Bower. If I asked you out when you were looking for me to set you up, there is no way you would have said yes. You would have booked it out of here so fucking fast. Don't act like you would have treated the situation any differently."
"What, so this entire thing was some sort of slow, drawn-out plan to get me into your bed?"
"No," he says, not quite understanding how they got here when moments ago she was on his lap, warm and soft and his.
"You're unbelievable, Bennett." She shakes her head and moves toward the entryway of his apartment.
He chases after her, stepping in front of the door, blocking her escape. "It was not some plan to get you into my bed. It was to get you to fucking notice me, Bower. I had no goddamn chance at getting you to even look at me other than as a friend without a plan. If I came up to you and told you how I felt when you first moved here, you would have gone running. I had to take my time. I had to slowly help you realize that I'm the guy you deserve. And if I had to use someone else to do that, then I don't fucking care, because it means that I was able to bring you closer. I don't understand why that makes you so upset. I did what any hero in your romance books would have done, or any other man with a massive crush would have done."
She crosses her arms over her chest but doesn't respond. The silence is heavy, but he takes it as a sign that maybe, just maybe, he can put out this fire.
Calmly, he walks up to her and places his hands on her hips. "I like you so fucking much, Bower. And I'm sorry I set you up with Cougar. Sorry for more reasons than you could probably think. And if it's any consolation, the entire plan blew up in my face as I had to witness you going out with him, see pictures of you two together with dating rumors swirling around. It was fucking torture."
She looks away, her jaw tight. "Well, you deserved it for doing something like that."
"And I took my punishment," he says, moving in closer, sliding his hands up her sides. "It just about killed me seeing you two together."
"I'm glad," she says, like a brat — and he fucking likes it.
"Hey." Her eyes meet his. "I'm sorry, Bower."
And just like that — like magic, like the flip of a switch — her anger softens, though she pretends to maintain her stern disposition. "Well, how do you suppose you make it up to me?"
"I have some thoughts." He grips her shirt and tugs it up and over her head, leaving her naked in front of him.
"It better involve your face between my legs."
"Trust me, it does."
He lifts her up and carries her to the couch, lays her down, props one leg up on the back and spreads the other wide so it's hanging off the side. He looks her in the eyes and says, "Really sorry, babe."
"Mm-hmm. Show me."
And then she grips the back of his head and pushes him between her legs.
Some things are better demonstrated than explained.
---
Later — much later — the boys' breakfast meeting takes a turn no one could have predicted.
"Muffins for the table," OC announces as he takes a seat and places a plate of assorted muffins between them.
Graydon eyes him warily, and Bennett glances up at OC. "If you do anything disgusting with those, you're no longer a part of the Gladdy Daddies."
"My tonguing of muffins — in public — is done."
"Hate that he added 'in public,'" Graydon says as he picks one up.
"Same. Make a note to never go to his place."
"Missing out. I have a pinball machine," OC says.
"You do?" Nolan asks, walking up in a pair of holey gray sweatpants with the pant legs pulled up, showing off his tube socks and slides. He paired the outfit with a Bombers shirt that he cut the hem off of so it shows off half an inch of his skin, and on top of his head sits a cowboy hat.
If he was trying to go incognito, he failed spectacularly.
"Nolan Hart, right?" OC asks, looking him up and down with obvious appreciation.
"Damn right." Nolan lends out his hand and OC shakes it. "You're Oden O'Connor, right? Fucking fast as shit on skates, dude."
"Thanks. I do a lot of squats."
"It shows, my man." Then Nolan turns to Graydon and salutes him. "Graydon, I understand you don't like attention of any sort or people touching you."
"Correct," Graydon says flatly.
"Nice to meet you then." Nolan picks up his chair, turns it around, and takes a seat, resting his arms on the back. "Muffins, fuck yeah." He grabs one and turns to OC. "What kind of pinball machine?"
OC lights up, clearly appreciating the addition to their threesome. "Mandalorian. Has the theme music and everything."
"Sick," Nolan says with a nod. "Invite me over. I want to bat around your balls."
"You can bat around my balls anytime you want," OC says with hearts in his eyes as Bennett sits front and center to a new bromance forming right in front of him.
Jesus. Christ. What has he done?
Graydon clears his throat and not-so-politely asks, "What the fuck is he doing here?"
Nolan just smirks at Graydon and bites into the muffin — without taking the paper off.
"Is this a real cowboy hat?" OC asks, fingering the edge of it.
"No idea. I took it from one of my teammates. I only wear it away from the stadium. Fool is still looking for it."
"That's Adrian's?" Bennett asks, knowing damn well that if Adrian Banks knew Nolan took his hat, Nolan would find his head five feet deep in the dirt of the infield. He's been looking for it for months.
"Yeah. Don't tell him, you narc."
"I'm not a narc," Bennett says, offended.
"You have the face of a narc," OC says.
"He does, doesn't he?" Nolan adds.
"The fuck I do."
"Can we fucking bring it back?" Graydon growls. "Why the fuck is he here?" He gestures toward Nolan.
"I don't care. I'm just happy about it," OC says, handing Nolan a napkin, and Bennett can see the urge in him to pat the corner of Nolan's lips for him.
"I thought it would be good to gather all of you together and tell you that Bower and I are together."
"Wait, really?" OC asks.
"Shut the fuck up," Nolan says, pushing at Bennett's shoulder so hard that he nearly falls out of his chair. "You bagged her?"
Bennett rights himself, caught off guard that he was so easily pushed. "Don't fucking say 'bagged her.'"
"But did you?" Nolan asks, wiggling his brows.
"I'm not going to talk about that shit, but we did spend the night together and I'll leave it at that."
"He fucking bagged her." Nolan slaps him on the back. "Congrats, man. Told you my plan was going to work."
"Your plan?" Graydon scoffs. "It set him back weeks. If he'd come to us at first, it wouldn't have turned into the mess it was."
"Big man is jealous."
Graydon's eyes narrow. Bennett wants to tell Nolan to back off, but he thinks he might have to learn the hard way when it comes to Graydon.
"I liked the plot twist of the second guy involved," OC says, "but it did cause unnecessary drama."
"Nah, it caused just enough chaos for everyone to figure out what they wanted. In a situation like the one we were presented with, there really was only one option: Get her to notice him. And how do you do that?"
"Make him take his shirt off in front of her," OC says.
Nolan shakes his head. "No, that's too easy. Our heroine wouldn't have fallen for it."
"Shirt off would have worked," Graydon says, folding his arms.
"Maybe if the scenario was they were just friends," Nolan says. "But we had an added twist in the plot here: the sister."
OC nods. "He's right. The sister adds an extra element."
"Shirt still would have worked."
"You're sticking to a failed plan. Let me ask you this" — Nolan turns toward Bennett — "before you introduced her to Cougar, did she ever see you with your shirt off?"
"She did."
Nolan gestures toward him. "My point exactly. She was unaffected by his nakedness."
"Uh, she was affected a little. I caught her staring," Bennett says, wanting to make that clear.
"Yeah, but not enough to tip the tides. Therefore, we needed to add the dramatics. Enter Cougar." Nolan takes another bite of his muffin and looks around the table.
After a few seconds of silence, OC says, "I think we need to add him to the Gladdy Daddies."
"Fuck no," Graydon says, leaning back in his chair.
"What's the Gladdy Daddies?" Nolan lights up, looking far too interested.
"It's our man group. Kind of like how Ted Lasso had the Diamond Dogs. Well, we have the Gladdy Daddies."
Nolan looks between them and says, "Is it because you're hot-as-fuck daddies who are glad to be together?"
Jesus. Christ. What has he done?
OC chokes up and whispers, "I think I might be in love."
"Well, consider me in." Nolan stares directly at Graydon. "Glad to be a daddy with you, big guy."
"Over my dead body."
---
And of course, the chaos continues into the group chat.
**OC:** I want to formally thank Nolan for taking the oath of initiation into the Gladdy Daddies. We couldn't be happier to have you in the group.
**Bennett:** When did you take an oath?
**Nolan:** In the bathroom while I was taking a piss. He made me repeat that I wouldn't mention a single thing we talk about in this thread to anyone else. I shook my dick at the end to seal the deal.
**OC:** It was a sturdy shake.
**Bennett:** Don't say shit like that, man. Graydon is barely sticking around.
**Graydon:** I did not approve of this.
**Nolan:** Aw, you'll get used to me, big guy.
**Graydon:** No.
**OC:** Aren't his words like a warm hug?
**Nolan:** Or an ice pick up the urethra. Either way, I dig it.
**Graydon:** Bennett, you did this to us.
**Bennett:** I know and I'm sorry. I was just excited to tell you guys about me and Bower.
**OC:** Which is something we didn't spend enough time talking about.
**Graydon:** Because you two asshats were searching the internet to see if the cowboy hat was real.
**Nolan:** Worth a cool two thousand dollars. Glad to know I'm decorating the hat rack with gold.
**Graydon:** OC didn't have to order the same one.
**OC:** I ordered one for all of us. Fuck, I couldn't keep the secret. Next meeting, we can match.
**Bennett:** That's a no.
**Graydon:** No.
**Nolan:** Count me in, you dumb fuck.
**OC:** I should take offense to the nickname, but Jesus Christ, it gives me life.
---
## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
This chapter is a delightful whirlwind of emotion! The morning-after scene between Bennett and Bower is so tender and genuine — you can feel how deeply Bennett loves her, and his confession about setting her up with Cougar adds a layer of complexity that makes him feel so wonderfully flawed and real. The way he fights for her, apologizes, and then shows his remorse in the most Bennett way possible is peak romance. And the Gladdy Daddies scenes? Absolute comedy gold. Nolan walking in with a stolen cowboy hat and immediately worming his way into the group is the chaos this story needed. Graydon's exasperation, OC's instant infatuation, and the group chat banter had me laughing out loud. This chapter balances heart, heat, humor, and vulnerability perfectly.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
## Next Chapter Prediction
With Bennett and Bower finally together, the real test begins: navigating a public relationship while dealing with the fallout of Bennett's scheming. Mary and Gretchen are bound to have opinions — especially when they find out about the Cougar setup. And with Nolan now firmly embedded in the Gladdy Daddies, there's no telling what kind of chaos he'll stir up next. But the biggest question is: how long before Bower discovers the full extent of Bennett's behind-the-scenes manipulations? And what will happen when Adalade finds out her best friend is dating her brother? Drama is brewing, and I can't wait to see it unfold!
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