Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 21850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
“I watched a few games with my brothers.” She pauses, then dives into the deep end. “You’re really great.”
“Thanks.” I feel like a goddamn broken record. “How are your brothers doing?”
“The same.” She gives me a sly look. “They’re still overbearing pains in my rear end.” Discussing her older brothers helps ease the tension that’s been strangling me, and suddenly, we’re talking like no time has passed. We slip back into an easy rhythm, letting the years and the miles fade until it’s just us again.
“Remember when we snuck out to the field, spread a blanket, and stared at the stars until Silas and Cole pelted us with water balloons?” I ask, leaning forward, chasing the warmth of the memory.
“They’ve always had the worst timing in the world.” Maggie’s smile goes full wattage, and it’s all I can do to keep my heart from flinging itself across the table.
“Hanging out with you was worth the pain of dealing with their shit.” My voice is rough, choked with the emotion of everything rushing back at once. I can’t believe I ever left her. Can’t believe I survived the last ten years without her. After seven years in the NFL, I’ve got more money than I can spend in a lifetime. Now that I know I can give Maggie the life she deserves, I’m back to rectify the biggest mistake of my life.
I mention that night by the lake, the kiss that took us from friends to something more. She doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t back away. She just meets my gaze, steady and sure, and it sends hope sparking through every part of me.
She chuckles, the sound low and sweet. “Remember the time you tried to impress me with your riding skills?”
“The ground broke my fall.” I’m grinning like an idiot, and I don’t care. Not even a little.
“You had the wind knocked out of you, but I think the look on your face when you landed was the real injury.” Maggie’s laughing now, head thrown back, and I can’t remember the last time anything felt this right.
As we sit across from each other, my gaze is glued to her, captivated by the lively twinkle in her eyes and the playful curve of her lips. Each glance she throws my way is charged with an energy that makes my heart race, and every smile seems to light up the room. She embodies everything I have ever desired, a constant presence in my thoughts despite my futile attempts to push her out of my mind.
Frank cuts in and sets two boxes of donuts on the table before us. "On the house!" he says with a bright smile. "Make sure to drop by and see me before you leave town." His words remind me that I'm scheduled to leave in a few weeks for training camp, but I already know that isn’t going to happen.
I barely notice him, barely hear anything beyond the sound of Maggie’s voice. She doesn’t shy away from the past, and the way she looks at me now, I hope she won’t shy away from a future with me, either.
It’s getting late, and I know I should be heading back to Ciara's house with the donuts.
With each breath and passing second, I find myself falling more deeply in love with Maggie. Fucking hell. I need Maggie in my life and nothing else matters.
“When did you move back to Silver Spoon Falls?” I want to know everything about her. Especially whether or not there’s some asshole waiting in the wings.
I can't tear my gaze away from her, nor do I wish to. "After I graduated from college, Silas persuaded me to return and take charge of the family charitable foundation." She pauses, assessing me with a keen eye as if deciding whether I'll stick around long enough for any of this to truly make a difference.
“I’m glad you’re in town.” No use beating around the bush. “It makes wooing you all the easier.”
“Wooing me?” She hesitates, but only a little. “Who said I want you to woo me?”
I run like I'm being chased by a hungry grizzly bear. No one's following, of course. The door to Butterworth's closes behind me as I get the heck out of there. I make it to the Range Rover in record time and throw myself inside. After slamming the car door, I crank the AC all the way up to freezing. Cold air blasts my face, which is flushed a lovely shade of tomato-red. My heart's going nuts. My hands shake on the steering wheel as I try to calm the heck down. Why him? Why now? Why Todd Sharp of all people? And what does he mean by wooing me?
Damnit. I’m not sure my heart can survive another round of Todd Sharp’s wooing.
Tanner's way-too-expensive birthday gift envelops me in a kind of luxury that's completely unnecessary. I’ve been planning to trade it in and donate the money to our charitable foundation, but I haven’t really had time. At least, that’s what I tell myself. Truth is, I kinda like the fancy SUV.