Page 46 of Hometown Halftime

“God, you’re annoying,” she says.

“I know.”

“And persistent.”

“Yup,” I confirm.

She mutters something that sounds suspiciously like unbelievable, then finally says, “Fine.”

My pulse kicks up.

“Fine, what?”

“Fine, bring me dinner. Just nothing heavy.”

My chest warms. “I’ll keep it simple.”

“You know you don’t have to.”

“I know, but I want to.”

That stops her again. When she speaks, her voice has shifted to a softer tone.

“Okay,” she breathes. “Just text me when you get here.”

“I will.”

There’s one more second where neither of us hangs up.

Then, barely above a whisper, she says, “Thanks, Riley.”

Chapter twenty

Kinsey

The steroid shot has officially kicked in.

I'm not about to run sprints or anything, but the pain has dissipated enough that I’m walking around my living room without feeling like my hip is going to betray me. It’s a relief I didn’t realize I needed until it began to set in.

Of course, the universe balanced that relief with a different kind of problem because Riley is on his way over with dinner.

I’ve brushed my hair. Put on mascara, which is slightly ridiculous, and I’ve changed into joggers that actually match my top. All for a man bringing me soup.

Like I said, ridiculous.

When he knocks, I tell myself to be normal. I open the door and regret everything.

He’s standing there in a fitted long-sleeved Cartwright University T-shirt, holding a paper bag from Penny’s Café and a couple of plastic ones from Lowry’s grocery store. His hair’s messy, he has his glasses on, and his eyes are soft.

He looks…good. Too good.

“Hey,” he says as eyes skim over me—not in an ogling way, just this subtle once-over to see if I’m still in pain.

“You’re walking better.”

“Yeah.” I step back to let him in. “Shot’s doing its job.”

He walks into my kitchen like he’s completely comfortable here and sets the bags on the counter. The space feels smaller around him. My heartbeat feels heavier around him.