Page 16 of Well Aware

I liked the beard. But I really liked the definition in his jaw.

“Wasn’t really first-date material to tell you about how much my sister sucks that I had to take over her job,” he grumbled.

I toed a soccer ball, kicking it up to catch mid-air.

“It’s okay,” I admitted. “We owed nothing to each other.”

“No.” He looked like he didn’t like that answer. “I guess not.”

I handed him the ball. “I’m going to sign on.”

His head jerked up. “You will?”

I nodded. “I think you have the potential for a great team, Mr. Vanderbilt. Just have to work out a few kinks.” I paused. “And get your star forward to give birth.”

He chuckled. “So you’ll be here for the beginning of the season in a few months?”

“I’ll be here in a few weeks. Practices start up then…right?”

“Right.”

“Then I’ll be here in two weeks.”

He caught my hand before I could go. “I’ll try to behave.”

I backed up, my eyes not leaving him until I was several feet away. “Maybe at the end of the season, we can talk.”

He looked relieved.

“It’s a date.”

FOUR

Get your shit together. You stress me the fuck out.

—Me to Me

BEAU

Eight months later

The deadline was fast approaching, and I wondered if I should just throw in the towel and admit defeat.

Eight months ago, my father had come to me with a proposal: Make the Montana Cowgirls profitable again, and he’d never ask me to deal with his precious teams again. More importantly, he wouldn’t force Lysander into helping, either. He would find a suitable replacement for us and ultimately sell the teams.

I hadn’t exactly wanted to run the Montana Cowgirls.

I’d wanted to continue my work as a science teacher at Jesper County Schools, continue my volunteer work as a firefighter, and live my life the way I wanted to live it.

I’d lived, breathed, and slept those teams. Every major holiday, we were at the stadium. Every important birthday, milestone, or even personal achievement day, there we were.

We’d missed every important dance at school, including prom.

We’d missed parties.

I’d missed my graduation—from both high school and college.

Lysander had missed both of his as well.