Page 57 of Hometown Halftime

“At Fall Fest.” I sigh. “And I don’t know, it feels like something changed between us. Like we flirt with each other now, and I’m trying not to read into it too much.”

His mouth curves slowly into a grin that’s equal parts amusement and disbelief.

“I leave you alone for one small-town festival and your world gets turned upside down.”

“My world is just fine, you idiot,” I say, sitting up again. “It’s just that I want to get to know her. I want more than that.”

Lee laughs under his breath and shakes his head.

“Tell me this, have the kissing incidents been good?”

“They’ve been better than good,” I admit. “When I kiss her, I forget where I am. I get this animal thing inside that makes me want to claim her.”

Lee lets out another quiet whistle.

“Claim her?” he says, straightening up.

I flop back down on the bench, covering my face with my towel. “I know, it’s weird.”

“So go for it.” He gestures vaguely toward the bench. “You’re both adults.”

I begin to list her concerns. “She’s worried that she’s older.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“And that she’s my boss.”

“No, she’s not, Coach Ramsey’s your boss,” he corrects.

“And then there’s the fact that this town talks non-stop.”

Lee studies me for a second before shaking his head slowly.

“You’re doing that thing where you talk yourself out of something before it even happens.”

I rub the back of my neck because, fuck if he didn’t just call me out.

“I’m just saying it’s complicated.”

“Sure,” he says. “But that doesn’t explain why you’re sitting here acting like the kiss was the end of the story instead of the beginning.”

I glance over at him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Lee leans back, positioning his hands on the bar above him.

“It means you kissed her, she kissed you back, and now you’re stuck in your own head instead of doing the obvious thing.”

“And what’s that?”

“Asking her out.”

I look down at the rubber floor, tracing the edge of one of the mat seams with my sneaker.

“Do you really think I should ask her out?” I ask.

“Yeah,” Lee says. “You know. A little dinner, some conversation. Come on, Riley, get your head in the game.”