Players of Marycliff University Box Set, Books 1–3

by Jerica MacMillan

  He started walking back toward the house and Abby followed. “I didn’t realize you guys only hung out with other football players. Maybe they made friends at work or something over the summer.”

  Lance opened the screen door on the slider and motioned Abby through. “Nah,” he scoffed. “They’re not really that friendly.”

  Chris walked around the corner, smacking Lance on the shoulder. “Shut up. We’re charming as fuck. You just don’t realize it because you spent all your time working your ass off to graduate in only four years, instead of taking an extra year like a sane person.”

  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’s gaze bounced back and forth between Lance and Chris, feeling like she was missing something. She gave him a questioning look. Catching her look, Lance sighed. “My parents wanted me to get done on time so I can go back home, so I busted my ass to finish my degree in four years instead of taking longer like most of the team. 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.

  “And then there were those scouts—“ Christ started, but Lance cut him off with a glare and a shake of his head.

  Scouts? There had been scouts? And still he was going back to Texas.

  Feeling helpless, Abby wanted to say or do something to comfort Lance, but she couldn’t come up with anything other than to thread her fingers through his. He gave her a grateful look, squeezing her hand and pulling her close.

  But it was Chris who finally broke the tension. “So, did you invite any hot chicks?”

  Lance laughed at him. “Hoping to get laid?”

  Chris shrugged, not at all offended by Lance’s reaction. “Just curious if it’s even a possibility.”

  “Well, Abby’s here, but she’s taken.” Abby blushed, but Lance didn’t notice. Chris did, and he gave her a wide grin. “And I doubt she’d do your sorry ass even if she were single,” Lance finished off.

  Abby choked on the water she was drinking, not expecting that comment at all. He looked at her, his face untroubled, waiting for her coughing fit to subside. “Megan’s coming, right?”

  Nodding like a bobblehead, her hand over her mouth, Abby coughed once or twice more. “Yeah. She texted me earlier, said she’s bringing some dessert.”

  Chris rubbed his hands together, his grin turning sly. “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 have picked up something from the store, though.”

  Chris leveled a long-suffering look at her. “I wasn’t asking about details on the dessert, Abby.”

  “She asked to bring a friend, Chris,” Lance put in with a laugh. “Don’t get your hopes up.”

  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.

  Pulling Abby over to the group, Lance 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?”

  Crossing her arms and leaning against the counter, Megan let out a huff of breath hard enough to blow a strand of hair out of her face. “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, greeting Matt who’d come back from getting 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, so I didn’t bother to invite him.” Under her breath, she added, “And I probably won’t be inviting him to anything else, either.”

  Rubbing her hand on Megan’s arm, Abby gave her a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry. Let me know if you need me to help you cut his balls off or anything.”

  Megan let out a short, surprised 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 them to.”

  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.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  A week later, the sun shone through the trees at her mom’s house as Abby closed the trunk of her car. Wiping her forehead on her arm, she hoisted the last of the grocery bags and climbed the steps to the front door.

  Her mom had already put away what she’d brought in. Abby plonked the last few bags on the counter and moved to the sink to get a glass of water. Grocery shopping shouldn’t be that sweaty of a chore, but in the nearly hundred degree summer heat, just unloading the car made her sweat like she’d just run a marathon.

  She drank half the glass immediately, and then set it down to help put away the last few things. “Is there anything else you need before I leave, Mom?”

  Her mom looked at her with affection and shook her head. “No. I’m good. Thanks for getting me groceries again, Abby.”

  Abby gave her mom a quick hug, feeling a pang of … something. The same mix of love and sorrow and concern and frustration she felt every time she did this, every time her mom needed her help with a basic task of living. But as much as she resented having to do it, she couldn’t abandon her mom. “You’re welcome. Are you still taking that new medication I got for you?” Once upon a time, she used to hope for a magic pill that would make her mom able to function like a normal adult. Now she just hoped for one that would keep her from endangering herself. This one seemed to be working so far. There’d been no panic-inducing texts or phone calls asking for help but without any details. She’d call when she was getting low on groceries, instead of waiting until she was down to stale crackers and condiments, and Abby didn’t try to push her mom to do more for herself. Not anymore. It’d gone badly too many times, and she’d learned that lesson the hard way.

  “Yeah,” her mom answered, “I’m still taking it. I’m not sure it’s helping much, but it doesn’t have as many bad side effects as the last one.”

  At least that meant her mom was less likely to just decide to stop taking it without talking to her doctor. That was when things got really bad.

&nbs
p; Abby gave her mom a tight smile and picked up her purse from the counter. “Good. Call me if you need anything.”

  “You don’t want to hang out for a while, maybe stay for dinner?” The hope in her mom’s voice was almost enough to make her want to stay. But this house had felt stifling for a long time with too many rules to follow and the constant need to walk on eggshells with her mother. She didn’t like to spend more time her than necessary.

  Plus, she’d already made plans with Lance. And with the clock ticking down before he returned to Texas—twenty days—she didn’t want to miss any opportunity to spend time with him. It was already after two, which meant she’d be late if she stayed any longer. “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 he the boy you brought with you last time?”

  “He brought me because my car broke down, but yeah, that was Lance.” She held her breath, bracing herself for a snide comment. Abby knew her mom would still be annoyed about him coming that day, despite the fact that if he hadn’t, she wouldn’t have been able to come at all.

  But all her mom said was, “Thank you for not bringing him again.”

  “You’re welcome, Mom,” she sighed. “I know you don’t like it when I bring friends with me. He only came last time because my car wouldn’t start.” She felt the need to add that reminder in there one last time. It wasn’t like she’d brought him on purpose to upset her mom. On the contrary, she did everything possible to not upset her mother. It was easier that way.

  Her mom nodded. “So you’re still spending time with him. Is he your boyfriend?”

  Abby opened her mouth, then closed it without saying anything, not sure what the right answer was to that question. Was he her boyfriend? They hadn’t given each other labels because their relationship would be so short-lived what was the point, really? Staring down at the keys in her hands, she shrugged. “Yeah, something like that. We’re together for now, but he’s leaving in three weeks, so it’s not really anything serious.”

  “Uh-huh,” her mom said, disbelief dripping from her voice. “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.”

  Still looking skeptical, her mom nodded. “If you say so, Abby.”

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

  * * *

  “So where are we going?” Abby tried to keep her voice light and casual, but an edge crept in that she couldn’t help.

  Lance glanced over at her from the driver’s seat, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “You’ll see. Be patient.”

  With a sigh, she turned toward the window, watching the neighborhoods give way to downtown. Lance gave her leg a squeeze that she knew he meant to be reassuring and kept driving. He’d said he wanted to take her out again, because they hadn’t been on a real date since they went to dinner after buying her mom’s groceries. She wasn’t sure how he figured that—they’d had dinner together lots of times, several times at restaurants where he paid and they’d kissed—and more—afterward, which she was pretty sure was his main requirement for calling something a date. But apparently his “date” criteria was a moving target, and he’d decided that they needed to go on a real date tonight.

  He’d also decided that it had to be a surprise. Abby was on board with the date thing—dressing up and going to a fancy restaurant wasn’t a luxury she enjoyed often, so if he wanted to take her out, who was she to complain? But she didn’t like surprises. It was hard enough getting dressed for a date when she knew the plan ahead of time. Not knowing made her second-guess every decision.

  The only hint he gave her was to wear something comfortable. That didn’t sound very auspicious for a date, but he was so excited about what he’d planned that she tried to rein in her need to know everything 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?” she asked, amused. Maybe he wanted to relive their first date? Though he called pie at the diner their first date …

  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 and across 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 again, his eyes twinkling. “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 shared bites of meat, bread, 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 the table.

  She leaned toward Lance. “Our dessert is on fire,” she whispered, equal parts disconcerted and amused.

  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, growing thoughtful as she chewed the sweet confection. “So, what brought this on?” The question had been repeating itself in her head since he announced that he was taking her on a “real date” a few nights ago.

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

  She eyed him, not quite buying it. “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, but he didn’t meet her eyes. “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, still wondering what prompted this particular excursion, sure there was something more behind it than his explanation. “I did have fun,” she admitted quietly. “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 to prove 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, enjoying the heat of Lance’s body as he stood behind her, his arms braced around her, caging her in.

  She tilted her head back, leaning against his shoulder, and he kissed her, linge
ring with his lips simply pressed against hers. She smiled against his mouth. “Thanks again.” Maybe there was more behind this date than he was letting on, and maybe not. Either way, she couldn’t think of a better way to spend the evening.

  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. That must be what this was really about. He rarely brought up the fact that he was leaving soon, 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.

  Tipping her head back, 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,” he said to the waterfall. “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.

  So she’d been right. There was more to the date than just the desire to show her a good time. And it wasn’t just the fact that they only had a few more weeks together. It was that they’d have even less time together in the sliver of summer they had left.

  Forcing back the tears that prickled her eyes, Abby took in the sunset, doing her best to live in the moment. Oranges and pinks dominated their view, streaks of clouds offering the perfect canvas for the sunset to paint the sky. “Thanks for letting me know,” she said at last, her voice trembling slightly, not firm and assured like she’d intended.

  She felt his eyes on her, but didn’t look back. Couldn’t without breaking down. He nuzzled the skin behind her ear, then she felt his teeth apply a gentle pressure at the top of her ear. Eyes closed, she turned to face him and allowed herself to be swept away by his kiss.