Summer Fling (Players of Marycliff University Book 1)

by MacMillan, Jerica

  Lance watched Abby duck as a flip flop sailed into her room. "That was one time, Abby. Just one time."

  Abby just laughed. "If you say so. Have fun, tonight. I'll see you on Saturday if I don't see you sooner."

  "You staying with Lance all weekend, hoochie?"

  Lance was more successful smothering his laughter this time. Abby still narrowed her eyes at him, though.

  "My sources say yes."

  Lance grinned, glad he'd convinced her, but unwilling to examine why it mattered so much.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Despite all the time Abby had been spending at Lance's house, she hadn't spent much time in the back yard before the Fourth of July party. There was a covered concrete patio just big enough to hold the grill and a couple chairs.

  Abby brought out bowls of chips to set next to the cut fruit and burger fixings that were on a folding table in the grass. There were two coolers filled with water and ice, one holding a variety of beers, and the other with sodas.

  Lance reached around her, setting down a stack of paper plates and napkins. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.

  Abby twisted in his embrace so she could face him, but turned her head to dodge his next kiss. "So, how many people are coming again?"

  Lance went in for a kiss on the lips before answering. "Maybe ten or so other people? I'm not sure. We'll just have to wait and see who actually shows up. I invited most of the guys from the team that are still in town for the summer, but you never know who's actually going to come until they get here."

  Abby nodded. "What about Chris and Matt? Did they invite anyone?"

  Lanced shook his head, his hands sliding down and squeezing her ass before releasing her. "Nah. We mostly have the same friends in common. You get close to your teammates after spending a few years coming to school early to start practices and traveling to away games together."

  He started walking back toward the house and Abby followed. "I didn't realize Chris and Matt were on the football team, too."

  Lance opened the screen door on the slider and motioned Abby through. "Yeah. We were all on the defensive team together. Matt and I were safeties and Chris plays cornerback. Well, Matt's still a safety, since he and Chris both won't graduate until December."

  Chris walked around the corner, smacking Lance on the shoulder. "Yup. Lance here's the smarty pants that graduated after only four years. Matt and I are taking another semester."

  Lance shoved him back in the middle of the chest. "Whatever, man. You guys just want to play another season so you slacked on your class loads so you could take longer."

  Chris just grinned. "Do you blame us? None of us are going pro, so why not make it last while we can?"

  The playfulness went out of Lance's face, and his brows came down in a scowl. "Yeah, tell me about it."

  Abby felt like she was missing something. She gave him a questioning look. Catching her look, Lance sighed. "I busted my ass to get done in four years instead of taking an easier load each fall and taking an extra semester or two. My parents wanted me to get done on time so I can go back home. That was the deal, though. They paid for what my scholarship didn't cover with the understanding that I'd come home after four years." His brows had relaxed, but his mouth was still set in a thin hard line.

  Abby felt like she should do something to comfort Lance, but wasn't sure what. Chris finally broke the tension. "So, did you invite any hot chicks?"

  Lance laughed at him. "Hoping to get laid?"

  Chris just shrugged. "Just curious if it's even a possibility."

  "Well, Abby's here, but she's taken. And I doubt she'd do your sorry ass even if she were single." Abby choked on the water she was drinking. He looked at her, waiting for her coughing fit to subside. "Megan's coming, right?"

  Abby nodded, coughing once or twice more. "Yeah. She texted me earlier, said she's bringing some dessert."

  Chris rubbed his hands together. "Details?"

  Abby shrugged. "She didn't say, but probably brownies if she decided to make something. She likes to bake. If she was out late last night she might just have picked up something from the store, though."

  Chris leveled a look at her. "I wasn't asking about details on the dessert, Abby."

  Lance laughed. "She asked to bring a friend, Chris. Don't get your hopes up too much."

  Abby shot a questioning look at Lance. "When did she ask that? Do you know who she's planning on bringing?"

  "She asked on Thursday when I came to get you. She didn't say anything to you about it?"

  Abby shook her head, but was prevented from saying more by a knock on the front door. Chris strode over and opened it, letting in a group of people. There was a chorus of "Hey, man" and "What's up?" all around, with Chris receiving friendly hugs from a couple of women.

  Lance pulled Abby over and introduced her to three of their teammates and two of their girlfriends. While the introductions were being made, another car door slammed, and Abby looked out the still open door to see Megan coming up the walk with a large glass dish of brownies.

  When Abby reached to take the dish from her, Megan shook her head. "It's hot. See the oven mitts?"

  Abby led the way through the crowd still gathered at the door, who all looked appreciatively at the brownies in Megan's hands. "Decided to go for the double batch?"

  Megan set the brownies on the kitchen counter on top of a hand towel that Abby put down. "Yeah. I wasn't sure how many people would be here. I figured more was better than less. But it took longer than I expected, so they just came out of the oven right before I left." She set the oven mitts on the counter and returned Abby's hug.

  "Lance said you were bringing a friend. That wouldn't be Isaac, would it?"

  Megan huffed out a breath, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the counter. "That's who I meant, yeah, but he's not coming."

  "Oh?" Abby was a little surprised. Megan had been spending most weekends with Isaac for the last month or so. "Why not?"

  Megan scowled. "I didn't invite him."

  "What happened?"

  Megan glanced toward the living room where everyone else was congregated. Even Matt had come back from getting a few more last minute supplies. She shrugged. "I don't really want to get into it. Let's just say that he'd already made other plans, and so I didn't bother to invite him. And I probably won't be inviting him to anything else, either."

  The last sentence was said almost under her breath. Abby had to strain to hear it. She rubbed a hand on Megan's arm. "I'm sorry. Let me know if you need me to help you cut his balls off or anything."

  Megan let out a short laugh. Abby grinned back at her and nodded her head toward the living room. "Seriously, though. The guys'd probably beat the crap out of him if I asked for you."

  Megan slung an arm around Abby's shoulders. "I'll keep that in mind. Now, let's forget about Isaac the asshole, and you can introduce me to your new friends."

  * * *

  Abby closed the trunk of her car, holding the last couple bags of groceries in one hand. It was a week after the Fourth of July, and she had gone grocery shopping for her mom again.

  Diane had already finished putting away most of the groceries. Abby plonked the last bags on the counter and moved to the sink to get a glass of water.

  She drank half the glass immediately, and then set it down to help with the rest of the groceries. "Is there anything else you need before I leave, Mom?"

  Diane looked at her and shook her head. "No. I'm good. Thanks for getting me groceries again, Abby."

  Abby gave her mom a quick hug. "You're welcome. Are you still taking that new medication I got for you?"

  Diane nodded. "Yeah. I'm not sure it's helping much, but it doesn't have as many bad side effects as the last one."

  "That's good. Call me if you need anything." Abby moved to retrieve her bag from the counter.

  "You don't want to hang out for a whi
le, maybe stay for dinner?"

  Abby checked the time on the stove. It was already after two. "I can't, Mom. Lance has something planned for us this afternoon. I told him I'd be back by three."

  Her mom's eyebrows furrowed. "Lance? Is that the boy you brought with you last time?"

  "He brought me, but yeah, that was Lance."

  "Thank you for not bringing him again."

  "You're welcome, Mom. I know you don't like having people you don't know here. He only came last time because my car wouldn't start."

  Diane nodded. "So you're still spending time with him. Is he your boyfriend or something?"

  Abby opened her mouth, then closed it without saying anything. She stared down at the keys in her hands and shrugged. "Yeah, something. We're together for now, but he's leaving in three weeks, so it's not really anything serious."

  Diane looked at her. "But you're promising you'll be back in time for dinner? That sounds like you have dinner together often. Not serious, huh?"

  Abby rolled her eyes. "We like to spend time together. But it can't be serious because he's moving back to Texas to take over his family's business. We're just having some fun before he leaves. That's all."

  Diane nodded, though she still looked skeptical. "If you say so, Abby."

  Abby gave her mom another hug. "I do. Bye, Mom. See you later."

  * * *

  "So where are we going?"

  Lance glanced over at Abby from the driver's seat, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "You'll see. Be patient."

  Abby huffed a sigh and turned toward the window, watching the neighborhoods give way to downtown. Lance gave her leg a squeeze and kept driving. He'd said he wanted to take her out again, since they hadn't been on a real date since they went to dinner after buying her mom's groceries. Once she started staying at his place every night, they'd spent plenty of time together, just not an actual date. And she wasn't sure that the last dinner he'd called a date really counted since they'd been running errands for her mom beforehand.

  He was surprising her. Abby didn't like surprises, but Lance seemed so excited that it was hard to be annoyed with him. The only hint he gave was to wear something comfortable. That didn't sound very auspicious for a date, but she decided to just go with it and see what happened.

  He pulled into the ramp for the River Park Square parking garage and began the search for a parking spot.

  "You're taking me to a mall again?"

  All she got as an answer was a laugh and another reminder of, "Patience. You'll see."

  She was wrong, though. They weren't going to the mall. After getting off the parking garage elevator, he tugged her through the mall and down the escalators into the bright sunshine.

  They crossed the street to Riverfront Park. He stopped at a sidewalk vendor of mini donuts. "Hungry?"

  Abby raised her eyebrows. "You want donuts for dinner?"

  He laughed. "No, but our reservation isn't until seven. I thought you might like a snack."

  They shared a baker's dozen of cinnamon sugar covered miniature donuts, watching the little conveyor belt move the rings of dough into the fryer, then automatically dumping them out at the end. The man working the cart placed them in a waxed paper bag, dumped in the cinnamon and sugar and shook it up before passing the bag of fresh hot donuts to Lance.

  They spent the next couple of hours hanging out in the park, riding the carousel and the gondola, walking hand in hand under the trees and over the bridge that looked down at the falls. Kissing and talking and spending time together away from nosy (and noisy) roommates, enjoying each other's company.

  Lance had made them reservations at The Melting Pot, the local fondue place. At dinner they sat side by side and took turns feeding each other bits of meats, breads, and vegetables dipped in a variety of sauces.

  For dessert they ordered the flambéed chocolate fondue. Abby's eyes widened when the server put the torch to their dessert sauce at their table.

  She leaned toward Lance. "Our dessert is on fire," she whispered.

  His lips curved in a smile and his voice was full of suppressed laughter. "I know. That's what 'flambé' means."

  She nodded, her head still next to his shoulder, still whispering. "I know. I just haven't ever had flaming food in a restaurant before."

  He laughed and leaned over to kiss her.

  Abby dipped a piece of pound cake into the sauce after the flames died down. "So, what brought this on?"

  Lanced tsked at her. "Always so skeptical, Abby. I just wanted to take you out and have a good time."

  She eyed him, chewing her bite of dessert. "You don't have to wine and dine me, you know. I'm already sleeping at your place."

  Lance popped a strawberry into his mouth that he'd dragged through the sauce and shrugged. "I know. But I like to. Plus, you said you've never been on the carousel or the gondola. I thought you might have fun."

  She reached for a marshmallow. "I did have fun. Thank you. My mom could never handle being in the crowds to go on the carousel or the small space of the gondola. That's why we never went. I always told myself I wasn't missing out on much. Thanks for proving me wrong."

  Lance smiled when she stretched up to give him a kiss. "It's always a pleasure proving you wrong."

  After dinner, they walked back to the bridge over the falls to watch the sunset. Abby stood in front of the rail looking at the water rushing over the rocks beneath her. Lance stood behind her, his arms braced around her, caging her in.

  She tilted her head back, leaning against his shoulder. He kissed her, lingering with his lips simply pressed against hers. She smiled against his mouth. "Thanks again."

  He dropped another kiss on her mouth. "I figured I better show you a good time while I have the chance."

  Abby stiffened at the reminder of their limited time together. Lance rarely brought it up, and she was content to go along with him, pretending that this would never end. That he wouldn't be leaving in a few short weeks.

  She studied his face while he stared out at the skyline, his profile limned in the golden light. "They're letting me lead a small campaign at work. I'm probably going to be working late more often than not the next few weeks." He dropped his eyes to hers for a moment, then looked out at the sky again.

  She looked out, too. Oranges and pinks still dominated their view, streaks of clouds offering the perfect canvas for the sunset to paint the sky. "Thanks for letting me know." It came out quietly, not firm and assured like she'd intended. She felt his eyes on her, but didn't look back. He nuzzled the skin behind her ear, then she felt his teeth apply a gentle pressure at the top of her ear. She did turn to him then and allowed herself to be swept away by his kiss.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Lance set a couple more books into a liquor box. It was late, almost midnight, and he was alone in his room.

  He didn't like it. It was too quiet without Abby. Too lonely. But she hadn't wanted to hang out at his place with Chris and Matt waiting for him to come home from work.

  He'd called her around seven, when he realized it was going to be a late night.

  "What am I going to do?" she'd said. "Watch them drink beer and play video games? What if one of them brings a girl home?"