When I look up again, Brogan is tossing the ball into the air and catching it himself as it inevitably falls back to his hands. His dad is at the back door talking to Mrs. Lockwood. Within a few minutes he storms inside and slams the door behind him.
Brogan continues to toss the ball up in the air and catch it again. Probably realizing the game is over, he wanders over to me and slumps down on the ground, still holding the football.
“It was fun while it lasted,” he says.
“Yeah it was. I had fun watching.”
“Reading homework?”
“Uh huh. Matilda, it’s good. You going to read it?”
“Maybe. Or maybe you could tell me what happens in the chapters we’re supposed to read.”
“You think so.” We’re leaning against each other so it doesn’t take much for me to shift my weight and give him a teasing push. He’s bigger than me, always has been, and he barely budges. It makes him smile, though, and I hope I’m helping him out of his funk.
“Or maybe I’ll read it tonight before bed.”
“That’s an even better idea.”
“Okay, Catey. I’ll go read my homework. See you tomorrow at school?”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
He gives me a nudge with his shoulder this time, then jumps up and jogs back into his house.
***
I’m in my pajamas walking back from the bathroom where I’ve washed my face and brushed my teeth for bed. My bedside lamp is on, lighting my path back to my room. The rest of the house is dark; mom said goodnight about ten minutes ago.
I’ve snuggled down under the covers when I hear a knock at my bedroom window. I jump and pull the covers up. Then I hear a familiar voice.
“Catey, it’s me. Can I come in?”
“Brogan?” I hop out of bed and push the window up. I had left it open a crack to let some of the fresh air in while I slept. Brogan crawls through the window. I close it and lock it behind him. “What’s going on?”
“Sorry, I can’t be there right now. He left for a while after we tossed the ball around. Must have gone to the bar and came back.” He clears his throat and shifts his weight from one foot to the other. I don’t know what to say to comfort him.
“You can stay here if you want.”
His eyes meet mine for the first time. “Are you sure? You don’t mind?”
“Of course I don’t mind. It isn’t a big deal at all.”
I walk to my closet and pull my sleeping bag down from the top shelf. There’s an extra blanket on the end of my bed and I have more pillows than a girl could ever possibly need. I spread out the sleeping bag, extra blanket and pillows on the floor next to my bed.
Without hesitating, Brogan climbs into the sleeping bag and puts his head down with a long sigh.
It’s quiet now, nothing but the sound of our breathing. I know he’s not sleeping, I can only imagine the thoughts going through his head.
Very quietly, so my mom doesn’t hear us talking, I say, “Matilda is this super smart little girl, but her parents don’t appreciate her. She teaches herself to read and she goes to the library and checks out any kind of book she can get her hands on…”
Chapter Eight
Cate
It’s a busy morning at the coffee shop. I don’t have time to worry about anything other than making the drinks as fast as possible and making sure people are happy when they walk out the door. Aaron is back this morning and it’s nice to have an extra set of hands behind the counter.
Aaron Davis was hired when Bree had her first baby, shortly after we opened the coffee shop. I was in desperate need for help and Aaron was more than happy to oblige.
He charmed me into hiring him right on the spot the morning he came in for his interview. His hair was the first thing I noticed. The curls were out of control—long and sitting on the top of his swanky, round, tortoise-shell glasses. He walked right up to the counter, ordered a fancy specialty coffee and sipped it through our entire conversation about his work history and qualifications.
I liked him immediately. And even better, he has become one of my best friends. We can talk about anything and our conversations flow easily. It’s like we’ve known each other for a lot longer than we really have.
“How was your trip back home?” I ask once the morning rush has passed and we finally have a moment to catch up. I gave him a much harder hug than I meant to when he walked in this morning.
“It was awesome. It’s always good to see my family. I wish I could get home to see them more often.” He’s busy fixing himself a cup of coffee. Without skipping a beat he turns toward me with an empty mug in his hand. “Coffee?”
“Yes, please. We got pumpkin-spice-flavored coffee in for fall if you want to try it out.”
“Ooh, that sounds so good. The only thing better than the fall flavors are the winter ones.”
“I know, right? My favorites are vanilla nut or gingerbread cookie.”
“Um hmm,” he says as he takes a sip of coffee. “So I heard you have a house guest?”
“You heard I have a house guest?” I set my coffee back down before it ever makes it to my mouth. “Who told you I have a house guest?”
“Oh, c’mon! You have Brogan Lockwood staying at your apartment. There are no secrets anymore, Cate. I’m sure the whole town knows.”
I open my mouth to reply but I can’t seem to think of the right words. Not to be naive, but I never really thought about the celebrity aspect to Brogan. It’s not like there were a bunch of reporters hanging around outside my building this morning when I left for work.
“He’s just a friend, Aaron. He’s visiting and I offered to let him stay.”
“Cate, his annual salary last year was fourteen million dollars. He’s averaged that the last four years. And that’s not including the signing bonus he received. You think he can’t afford to stay in a hotel?”
“Of course I know he can afford it! I don’t know…it’s something you offer to a friend, you know? Like before I lived here and I came to visit Bree, she had me stay with her.”
“Yeah, I know but it’s different with Bree. I mean, how well do you know Brogan anymore anyway?”
“We grew up together. Yeah, we lost touch when he went pro, but he’s the same guy.”
“Just don’t sleep with him.”
“Aaron!” I throw my hands up in absolute shock. I mean, we’re good friends but not that good of friends.
“Well how many women do you think he’s been with?” He’s standing in front of me, sipping his coffee like this is the most normal thing for us to be discussing behind the counter at work.
“Okay, we’re all done with this line of questioning, thank you very much.” I finally pick up my coffee and take a few small sips, one right after the other. My heart is pounding and I can feel that my face is flushed. Maybe it’s the thought of Brogan being with other women, or the thought that he isn’t the same man that I once knew.
Or maybe it’s the fact that he brought up the idea of sleeping with Brogan and how easy that really would be with him staying on my couch right now. The thought of it gives me a delightful tingle in my stomach.
“Sorry,” he says, snapping me back to reality. “I don’t want to see you get hurt. And you know, I remember reading some things about him over the years and—” He stops when he sees the look on my face.
“You can’t believe everything you hear,” I say with my hands on my hips. Somehow he’s managed to suck me right back in. “And I know the story you’re talking about and there’s no way it was true.”
“Okay. Have you asked him, though?”
“No. How do you ask someone something like that?”
“Easy. You just do.”
***
I haven’t completely shaken off what Aaron said by the time I get back to my apartment, but when I look up at the front door to the building, I’m quickly distracted. There is a brand new front door with a heavy-duty lock and two bright lights shin
ing on the stoop.
I try my key, but of course it doesn’t work so I press the buzzer to my apartment and say a silent prayer that Brogan is there. A moment later the buzzer sounds and the door unlocks. I walk upstairs as Brogan opens the door to my place.
“Hey! Sorry about that, I had your landlord put in a secure door today. Your new key’s on the table.”
“Wow, that’s great. You got him over here in one day?”
“Yup.”
I immediately notice the large man standing at the top of the ladder in the corner of the kitchen. He has his tools scattered around the kitchen floor and there is a big section of the ceiling that is exposed.
“What’s he doing?” I ask.
“Well I’m sure you heard, but it started pouring last night. So I went in the kitchen this morning for something to eat and there was an overflowing bucket of water collecting rain drops in the corner. I mean, you have this huge-ass leak, Catey!”
“Yeah, I know! I keep the bucket there because it leaks and they hadn’t been around to fix it yet.”
He leans nice and close and whispers, “I threatened to start kicking ass and taking names.” Then before I can reply, “We’re gettin’ shit done today, aren’t we Ernie!”
“That’s right,” Ernie replies while his head is practically in the ceiling, he’s significantly less enthusiastic about the whole situation.
“Ernie’ll be busy fixing that leak for a while, so we can’t use the kitchen. I ordered a pizza, I hope that’s okay.”
“Yeah, of course. Thank you, I mean. You’re really getting things done today. I’m being spoiled.”
“Nah, I had time on my hands today. And that leak needed to be fixed ASAP.” He sits down on the couch and pats the cushion next to him. There are a few beers already sitting on the coffee table with a pizza box in the middle.
“Well it’s really nice anyway. I appreciate it.” It really does feel nice to have someone around taking care of things. And it’s nice having someone here. I won’t deny that I’ve gone through a few phases where I’ve felt more alone now that Bree is married with a baby and one more on the way. We see each other at work, but a girl’s night out together is few and far between.
I’m that kind of hungry tonight where I have to take a bite of the piece of pizza on its way to my plate. The news is on the TV in front of us and I start to watch as I wash the first bite down with a drink of beer, kick off my shoes and relax into the sofa.
“Hey, I have some news,” Brogan says as he switches off the TV. Suddenly the pizza on my plate doesn’t look so appealing. I don’t know why I automatically jump to “bad news” but I do. The next drink I take is necessary to help prepare me for whatever comes next.
“I’ve been offered the head coaching job for the Granite Hills University football team.”
“Granite Hills University? Wow that’s huge! So you’d be working within a half-hour of Winterhaven?”
“Yes. I was thinking about moving here, actually. And then making the short drive every morning.”
It takes a minute for the news to sink in. When I haven’t said anything after a minute Brogan becomes impatient. “Say something, Catey!”
“Well, that’s awesome! Right? I mean, is that something you’d like to do?”
“I think so. I mean, I’m not ready to let go of football. I don’t think I’ve really come to terms with everything, so I figure this helps me stay involved in the thing that has been central to my life for the past ten years.”
“That’s so great, Brogan. I’m so happy for you.” We reach for each other at the exact same time. I wrap my arms around his neck and he pulls me in close for a hug. For the last few years I’ve tried, but I’ve never been able to find someone that makes me feel as good or as right as this feels right now.
Chapter Nine
Brogan
It’s a night to celebrate, finally. I’ve finished the last “melt-in-your-mouth” bite of my New York Strip steak and I lean back in my chair, feeling content. With my boys in town helping me celebrate this new chapter in my life, the drinks have been fast and frequent.
I accepted the coaching job. I was on the fence about it but decided to go for it. It’s bittersweet. Saying yes to this job makes me come to terms with the fact that I am really finished as a professional football player. And that realization hurts like hell.
Football has been the focus of my life for so long. I guess I’m lucky that I can still obsess about it. It’ll be from a coach’s perspective instead of as a player. Shortly after I accepted the position, it flooded the news outlets. My buddy, Justin Warner, called me up the same day and wanted all of the details.
It might be out of pity, but he brought some of our closest friends to town to celebrate this new chapter in my life. We ended up at the best hole-in-the-wall steak house in town. It’s a little family-owned place. Nothing fancy. I mean, really nothing fancy, the decor hasn’t been updated since it opened thirty years ago.
They serve the steaks on these hot plates that sizzle when they set them down on the table. They have plenty of steak sauce to choose from, but you don’t need it. We’re enjoying our steaks with Jameson Irish whiskey tonight. The brown liquor is potent and does something amazing when paired with the smokiness of the steak. It’s also giving me a nice buzz, something that I really appreciate right about now.
“By this time, Jones had somehow managed to convince the rookies that it was their jobs to collect all of the jock straps at the end of each practice, wash them and return them by the next morning’s practice.” Justin is busy re-telling some of the more hilarious stories from training camp and the rest of the guys around the table are laughing their asses off.
Initially I find the stories really funny, too. But the more I hear, the more I can’t help but start to feel like nothing is ever going to be the same for me. All of the pranks and jokes that I would have found hilarious and probably would have even participated in, seem to solidify for me that everything is changing. I knock back my whiskey and signal to the waitress for a refill.
“So, Lockey, any good bars in town? Places to party? After all, this is a celebration.” Gibson has endless energy. He’s the work-hard, play-hard type and he excels with both. I have yet to decide if women or football take priority in his life.
“I haven’t really been here long enough to know about many places yet. My friend, Catey, is the one who introduced me to this place.”
“Well why don’t you text your friend and see if she has any suggestions for us?”
More drinking and partying really isn’t the best idea for me, but I’m not in a mental state to argue. I simply pull out my phone and start typing.
Catey: Any good places in town where the guys and I can get a drink tonight?
I set the phone on the table and wait for her response.
“So is Catey the one you’ve been staying with?” Justin asks.
“Yeah. We grew up together, have been friends for a long time.”
“And now that you have a job here, what are you thinking about doing for living arrangements?”
“I don’t know. I’ve already started looking around. I don’t know if I’ll rent or buy right now. I want to make sure this job works out and that I like it before I make things too permanent.”
My phone buzzes on the table and I check it to see if we have our next destination.
Try Jack’s Bar and Grill at the far end of Main Street downtown. Have fun!
“Okay boys, Jack’s Bar and Grill it is.”
***
The bar is already busy when we walk in a little while later. We immediately head to the bar to order our next round of drinks. Gibson’s attention zooms right in on the cute, blonde bartender behind the counter. He leans on the bar and flashes his million-dollar smile.
“Hey beautiful,” he says, “Do you have a Band-Aid?” She looks completely confused until he continues. “Because I scraped my knee falling for you.”
She rolls
her eyes and says, “No. Just, no.” She grabs a towel and starts wiping the bar. I can see a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
Gibson doesn’t have an ounce of shame. He laughs and moves his hands in front of her face like a magician. “Let’s forget I said that.”
“Gladly,” she says.
“But seriously, you look so familiar. Did we take a class together? I could’ve sworn we had chemistry.”
Our laughing is loud and raucous. To her credit, the woman seems amused. This time she’s laughing and smiling right along with us.
“I wish I could tell you he has had too much to drink, but unfortunately, he’s always like this,” I say.
“Trust me, compared to some of the guys I meet in here…he’s charming.” She reaches out her hand to me and I shake it as she says, “I’m Abbey.”
“Brogan,” I say. “And this idiot over here is my buddy, Gibson.”
“Call me Brooks, beautiful,” he says as he extends his hand. When she puts her hand in his he goes in for the gallant kiss in place of a handshake.
“Brooks Gibson. From New York’s football team?” she says.
“Ah, beautiful and smart.”
She turns to me next with excitement filling her eyes. “So you’re Brogan. Cate’s Brogan.”
“Yes. You’re friends?”
“We are. We’ve become really good friends since she moved to Winterhaven.” As she’s talking, she pulls out five shot glasses and lines them up on the bar. “This is really exciting! We’ve got the new football coach in the bar tonight. We need to celebrate. Here’s my specialty—the Four Horsemen,” she says as she takes the Jack Daniel’s whiskey and pours half an ounce in the bottom of the shot glass.
A Devoted Heart (The Heart's Temptation Series Book 2) Page 4