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Dane asks, “Why?”
Logan slaps Dane’s back with a close-lipped smile. “Mac bet me how long it would take for you and Lettie to get together. I said never because you didn’t want to lose your friendship. Mac said this semester before the NBA comes calling. He won fair and square.”
Mac counts his money and pushes it into his shorts.
As all the guys head toward the patio, I hear Dane say, “How long have Lettie and I been the topic of conversation?”
“Since you stayed with Lettie at Brooke’s place last year. It was so fucking obvious,” Flynn says, “Almost as obvious as Reed trying to hide the coach’s daughter from us.”
Brooke shakes her head as we climb the stairs to check on Evy, Harper and Logan’s baby. It’s just Evy tonight since Brooke’s dad is watching Caleb, wanting to get in as much time as possible before hockey practice gets in full swing.
Evy’s lying on her back, kicking her feet, and reaching for Harper. She’s wearing a onesie that says, “Cute as a button,” and the little leggings have multi-colored buttons printed all over. And when she lifts her up, she has three rows of ruffles on her bottom.
We pass her around, but I win the lottery, getting to carry her downstairs. When we get outside, Dane, Logan, and Reed are easy to spot. Dane’s the tallest but only has a couple of inches on Logan and Reed.
Logan moves toward me with his arms out, and Evy instantly knows it’s her dad and reaches for him.
“No fair. I wanted to play with her,” I say, spinning away from the guys, but Evy finds Logan over my shoulder, and she tries to raise her head.
“Who loves their Daddy?” Logan says in baby talk. This big professional football player is like a pile of goo over this baby. “Sorry, but it’s Daddy’s only day off, and he needs to spend it with his girls.” He easily transfers Evy into his muscled arms as he kisses Harper and then Evy on the cheek.
I glance at Dane, who’s smiling and doesn’t even know it. He always says when he’s established in the NBA, he wants to have three or four kids.
After we eat, we team up for a cornhole competition. These boards are nothing like what we have at Granny’s. These are highly lacquered with a big Stallions logo in the center. Every time I throw a bag, it goes sailing over it. Finally, I sink a beanbag into the hole, and Dane picks me up and swings me around, making me feel like his girlfriend.
The final throw is a bust, ending our brief but exciting session in the couple’s cornhole competition. As we collapse onto the plush patio couch with a fire pit of coals at its center, I can't help but feel a twinge of disappointment that it’s not cold enough to snuggle by the flickering flames on a date with Dane.
Dating Dane?
He adjusts the floral pillows so that he leans back and pulls my side into his chest and drags my legs over his thighs. “I’m going to miss you. What time do you have to leave for training on Thursday?”
His fingers pull strands of my hair, letting it fall but doing it again. He has touched me in a lot of ways but over the last week, and I’m seeing more sides of him.
Always thoughtful and respectful to everyone, but there’s a possessiveness in the way he touches me now, wanting everyone to know I belong to him.
But I need more than tender touches. I want to hear him say we’re exclusive.
“Before noon. The horse van picked up Diamond Mine earlier today,” I say tipping my chin up to look at his gorgeous face. “You’ve always been fine. Don’t be getting sappy on me.” I say, attempting to play down my feelings.
He tugs me upwards and kisses me, wrapping his strong arms around me. “The last time you were gone for ten days… this timing is shit.”
It is, but maybe it’s what we need to think this through.
“I’ll miss you too.”
Time may be what we need to think through the changes in our relationship.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Me: Morning. Happy or sad?
Lettie: Morning. Excited or Nervous?
Ionly spent an hour with Lettie yesterday. Coach is having two-a-days where we practice twice a day for two hours each time, and on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I have three classes, mandatory study hall, and mandatory dinner with the team. But Lettie makes good use of our time together.
She’s leaving today, and we haven’t said things that need to be said. Or at least I need to say them. Lettie may like how things are now, but I doubt it. She likes the known factors and doesn’t like variables except in a math equation.
I arrive at her apartment early, hoping to make our relationship status clear before she leaves.
