by L. P. Dover
“That’s not true,” I countered. “You have your degree in architecture. I’d love to see what you can design. One day I want to have acres and acres of farmland and have a house built on it.”
Leaning over the counter, he brushed his lips against mine before gently tracing them with his fingers. “I tell you what. When that time comes, and if you’re still putting up with me, then I’ll design your house for you. I’ll even design your stables for free,” he said with a wink.
“How did you know I wanted horses? I never told you that.” My whole life I’d wanted to have my own stables with a bunch of animals. Horses were beautiful creatures and I’d dreamed of one day being able to raise some.
“Love, you have no idea how much I pay attention to you. I figured since you had those horse paintings in your room that you had a passion for them. Speaking of keeping secrets, when are you ever going to tell me about what happened the other night? You don’t take me for the type of girl to get drunk and pass out in bathrooms.”
Lifting his brows, he turned away from me and back to the stove so he could get back to the spaghetti. I had a strange feeling Lara already told him what happened to me considering they had become good friends. I loved her to death, but she had a big mouth on her.
“Do you know already?” I asked curiously. “It’s not like it’s a big secret or anything. I’m pretty sure if you googled my name you would have all the answers you needed.”
Cooper sighed and peered at me over his shoulder, his eyes wary. He was hesitant at first, but then he nodded. “Okay, fine, I do know what happened. I just wanted you to trust me enough to tell me yourself.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Cooper. It’s just it was a really hard time in my life and it hurts to talk about it. Did Lara tell you?”
“She told me not to tell you, but yes, she told me a little so I’d understand what was going on.” He paused and turned back around. “Did you love him?” he asked softly.
My eyes welled with tears and I hastily wiped them away. “I did. He was a great guy. When I found him, I honestly wanted to believe it was a sick joke. Scott wasn’t the type to joke around like that, but I wanted to believe almost anything other than he was dead.” Cooper came around the bar and pulled me into his arms. I held on to him tight and let the tears stream down my face. “I think this is the most I’ve talked about it since it happened.”
Smoothing his hands up and down my back, Cooper kissed my head and held on tighter. “It’s good to talk things out, love. I’m always here to listen to you. However, there is one thing I want to ask and I want you to be honest with me. After we talk about this, I’ll let this whole subject go if you want.”
Furrowing my brows, I gazed up at him curiously. “What is it?”
“The phone calls,” he stated adamantly, “from Scott’s family.” Immediately, my body froze. “I know you get them on the anniversary of his death. You received one the other day, didn’t you?”
Reluctantly, I nodded. “I did. The first time it was from Scott’s mother, and this time it was from his sister. When the call came in that’s when I threw my phone against the wall.”
“So you have no idea what she wanted?”
I glared at him incredulously. “I think it’s pretty obvious, Cooper. They’ve blamed me for Scott’s death, and for years I’ve carried the guilt from it. I will always carry that guilt, and I don’t need them reminding me. I just wish they’d leave me the hell alone.”
“Hey,” he said, taking my face in his hands. “If they so much as try to contact you again you need to tell me, you understand? I’m not going to let them hurt you anymore.”
“And you think you can stop them?”
He kissed me gently on the lips. “I don’t think, love … I know. Promise me you’ll let me know if they bother you again.” When I didn’t answer, he held my face tighter. “Promise me, Kate.”
I didn’t want him fighting my battles, but I nodded anyway. “Okay, I promise.”
Ding … dong.
“Expecting company?” Cooper asked, releasing me from his grasp. “If it’s Lara I’ll put together a bowl of spaghetti for her to take home.”
“You really like her, don’t you?”
He chuckled. “How could I not? It must be the southern charm you ladies have. Also, she cares about you. It’s not every day you have a friend that will do anything for you.”
“You’re right,” I agreed. “She’s amazing.” Turning on my heel, I headed for the door, but from the look of the silhouette outside it didn’t appear to be Lara. Instead, it was …
I opened the door wide and gasped, “Luke, what are you doing here?”
Holding his motorcycle helmet in his hand, he sighed and stepped past me. “I thought I’d come by and see how you were. I’ve missed you, and wanted to see if there was any possible way for you to forgive me.”
He kissed me on the cheek and placed his helmet on the foyer table, along with his blue and black leather coat. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a white tank top that showed off his tattoos, he was the epitome of a woman’s fantasy. He just wasn’t a part of mine.
“Actually, Luke, I was about to eat dinner with Cooper.”
His smile faded and he narrowed his eyes. “He’s here?” he sneered. “So basically you’re telling me it’s a lost cause, right? Evan told me you’ve spent every afternoon working with him. When am I going to get to spend time with you? We used to be friends, remember?”
Cooper turned the corner at that exact moment and crossed his arms at the chest. Both guys stared each other down, and I prayed that neither one of them tried to start something.
“All right, I see what’s going on,” Luke hissed, glaring at Cooper. “You might have tonight, but tomorrow is mine. She promised she’d spend tomorrow with me and she always keeps her promises. I don’t have to fake an injury to get her attention.”
Taking my hand, he grabbed his helmet and jacket with the other and pulled me outside. Cooper snarled and was about to come after me until I shook my head, wanting him to stay back. Thankfully, he didn’t follow when Luke tugged me out the door. “Luke, what are you doing?” I exclaimed.
“Please tell me you’re not going to choose that douchebag over me? Yes, I made a mistake by lying to you, but I said I was sorry. What more can I do?”
“Nothing,” I replied, letting go of his hand. “Why do you even want me anyway? Is it because I’m a challenge for you? I know you haven’t had to work for the women you’ve slept with, they all fall at your knees.”
“Kate, no, that’s not it at all! I don’t want those kinds of women anymore. You haven’t even given me a chance to show you that I’ve changed.”
Which was true … I hadn’t. I just never expected to have Cooper come in and sweep me away. “You’re right, Luke, and I’m sorry.”
“You are going to keep your promise to me, right?” he asked. “If you decide I’m not the one for you that’s fine, but I want you to give me this chance first. That’s all I ask.”
I knew Cooper would hate me for agreeing to this, but I nodded. If there was one thing I was noted for, it was my promises. I never made one I couldn’t keep, and I’d promised him I would go on that one date with him. “Yes, I’m still going to keep my promise. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
Luke smiled warily and pulled me into his arms. “Thank you,” he murmured. “I promise you won’t regret it.” I was pretty sure I would once I told Cooper.
Before going inside, I watched him put on his gear and ride away on his bike. I wasn’t looking forward to going inside and telling Cooper what I had just done.
The day of my first game had finally arrived. We were playing on our home turf against Tampa Bay. The parking lot was full, and the sound of everyone cheering echoed through the halls, making the guys all pumped and ready to go. It was going to be a great victory.
“Dude, what’s wrong with your back? Did you get attacked by a cat?” Derek asked.
Fuck, I forgot.
Kate raked her nails down my back so hard last night that it drew blood. There were red marks all across my skin. It was a shame Luke didn’t get the chance to see them when he came by last night. I didn’t even think about others seeing it today.
“See what?” Evan growled, rounding the corner. I turned my back away from him as he glared at me and Derek, who stalked away. “You know what, never mind. I’m sure it has to do with Kate, and I probably don’t want to know. How’s the arm?” he asked.
My arm was doing a lot better; it was the staying away from the Vicodin part where I had issues. I stared at the bottle for twenty minutes this morning, wanting to open it up and grab another pill. The only thing that stopped me was the thought of Kate. The journey to stopping was about to get a lot harder when I had to lower my dose next week.
“It’s doing good,” I told him. “Kate worked with me this past week, showing me different exercises to help.”
“Speaking of Kate, you know she’s out there with Luke right now. That’s not going to bother you, is it?”
Immediately, my blood pressure shot through the roof. The thought of Kate with Luke pissed me the fuck off, especially after he threw a fit at her house last night. It took all I had not to kick his ass after he pulled her outside. My jaw still hurt from clenching my teeth as hard as I had. Kate wanted to keep her promise to him, and I respected that she wanted to uphold that, but dammit if it didn’t piss me off. I knew that if I demanded she go against her word it would only cause a rift between us. That was only giving Luke what he wanted. So in other words, I bit my tongue.
Evan stared at me, waiting for a response. “You’re not going to let your anger about my sister and Luke make you play shitty, are you?”
“What the fuck, Townsend, what’s with all the questions? Yes, I know she’s out there with that cocksucker. Trust me, I’m focused on the game and nothing’s going to change that.”
He chuckled and nodded his head. “All right, that’s what I like to hear. Just use that aggression against the other team. I had to make sure nothing was going to bother you out there today. The boys are counting on you to help us win.”
“And win we will, boys,” my uncle hollered behind me, slapping me on the shoulder. “Okay, everyone, huddle up.”
The team still didn’t know that our coach was my uncle. One day I was sure they’d find out because secrets always made their way known. Out of all of the coaches in the league, Joel had to be the most driven and down to earth. I’d met plenty of them over the past couple of years, and none of them had the heart like my uncle. At first, I was embarrassed about being on his team, especially since they weren’t known for their amazing wins like the other teams I’d been on. They just needed the right element on their team and I think we had it … confidence.
After all the guys huddled around, Joel entered the circle and looked at each player, one by one. “All right, boys, this is the first game of the season. We need to show our fans what we can do and that we’re winners. You all have what it takes to kick Tampa Bay’s ass, and by God, I better see you kick it … hard. No holding back today. This is our time, boys. This is the season we make it to the Super Bowl, I can feel it. Now let’s get out there and show them what you’re made of!”
The team’s thunderous roars were music to my ears. Rushing out of the room, they hooted and hollered all the way down the hallway, their shouts bouncing off the walls. Before I could join them, Joel held me back with a hand to my shoulder.
“I just wanted to say that you’ve been doing amazing in practice. I know we haven’t spent much time together one on one since you’ve been here, and I’m sorry about that. Just so you know, your parents asked about you yesterday. They’re flying in tomorrow for a family gathering I’m hosting at my house. I know you could care less, but I want you there.”
What the hell? My parents were the last people I wanted to see. “Did you by any chance tell them what you just told me?” I asked. “That I’ve been doing well?”
He nodded. “I did, and they’re really proud of you. So will you come tomorrow?”
I didn’t believe that for one second, but I didn’t want to let him down. “Yeah, I’ll go, but I’m bringing Kate with me. If anyone can help me deal with our family it would be her.”
Joel’s eyes went wide. “So does this mean you’re going to tell her the truth as to why you’re here? I thought you spent a good deal of money trying to hide that fact.”
“I did,” I confessed, “but I trust her. She’s not going to say anything to anyone.”
“All right, son, it’s your choice. Just be careful with our girl. I don’t want her leaving because things didn’t work out between you two. She’s one of the good ones.”
Yes, she is.
Grinning, he slapped me on the shoulder and pushed me toward the door. “Now come on and let’s go kick some ass. Prove to them all that you’re still the best.”
Joel sprinted down the hallway and I followed him. The cheering crowd grew louder and louder as the field came into view, and with each step my heart pounded harder. The second I stepped on to the grass, it was as if everything changed inside of me and became clear; I felt at home, and for the first time, I didn’t want to win for myself. None of that mattered anymore. All that mattered was the beautiful blonde haired, gray eyed girl whose smile I could see the instant I looked in her direction. I will win the game for her.
Cooper was on fire and the team loved it.
Every single pass he threw to my brother, Evan caught and sprinted down the field, earning us four touch downs. It was amazing and the crowd went wild.
“As much as I hate the guy, he sure can throw a football,” Luke grumbled.
Rolling my eyes, I patted him on the arm but kept my eyes on the field. I couldn’t look away from Cooper for a second. I knew we were going to win, but there was still one minute left on the clock. Anything could happen in that one minute, especially since the score was so close.
“Come on, clock, hurry up.”
When the guys broke away from their huddle, Cooper turned his head my way and kissed his fingers before placing them on the ball and pointing it toward me. Coach Joel looked back at me and raised a curious brow before grinning and shaking his head.
“I don’t know what you’ve done to him,” Joel teased, “but I like it. He hasn’t played this good … ever.”
Luke scoffed beside me and mumbled something under his breath. Things were a little weird between us, but I tried to look past his snide remarks and still have a good time. It was hard, but I was doing it.
Once the play was called, Cooper threw the ball to my brother, who caught it at the forty yard line and rushed it all the way to the end zone, deflecting the other team perfectly. The second he passed over the touchdown line, the crowd roared and got to their feet, their screams making the whole stadium shake all around us.
“I’ll be right back,” I shouted, rushing away from Luke so I could run on to the field toward my brother and Cooper.
Evan got to me first and swung me around in his arms before passing me off to Cooper. “You were amazing,” I shouted as he also swung me around.
“It was all because of you, love. You were all I could think about.”
Not caring if he was sweaty or not, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. “I’m so proud of you, Cooper, and I know everyone else is, too. Is your arm okay? Do you need me?”
“Kate, I always need you, but the arm is fine. I would hate for Luke to say I used my arm to take you away. I don’t want any unfair advantage when I know how to play fair.”
Smiling, I hugg
ed him again and let go. I needed to get back to Luke so we could get ready for the party. It sucked because I knew Cooper had agreed to go with Lindsey, and I definitely didn’t trust her to keep her hands to herself. I guess you could say it was my punishment for going on a date with Luke.
“Cooper, I have to go, but I’ll see you tonight, okay? Maybe we could get together after the party?”
“You know I’m not going to pass that up,” he chimed. “Also, I need to ask you something later. It’s kind of important, so make sure you find me.”
He grabbed my hand and kissed it before letting go and getting lost into the screaming crowd. We all had a victory to celebrate.
After each and every home game, one of the players would host the after party. It just so happened that my brother was the host for the evening. Since the team had won, I knew he would go all out on the party tonight.
“Kate, are you about ready?” Luke called from downstairs.
“Yes, almost! I just have to put on my dress. Do you mind grabbing my purse out of the car? I forgot to bring it in.”
“Okay,” he hollered.
Slipping on my white, strapless sundress, I slid my feet into my white wedge sandals and flat ironed the stray pieces of hair that had turned wavy on me from this afternoon. Luke’s footsteps echoed off the walls as he climbed the stairs and met me out in the hallway.
He whistled and handed me my purse. “Wow, you look amazing in that dress.”
“Thank you,” I said, reaching into my purse to find my lip gloss. “You look mighty dapper yourself.” Wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a striped navy and white polo shirt, he had his blond hair gelled into spikes along with the devilish smirk he always wore. After I put on my lip gloss and placed it back inside my purse, I smiled and grabbed his arm. “All right, I think I’m ready to go. Have you talked to Evan?”