Love at the 20-Yard Line

by Shanna Hatfield

  “I’m sorry, Brody.” Apologetic, Haven looking up at him. “I should have realized you’d be exhausted. I can catch a ride home with Allie if you want to go now.”

  “No, I’ll take you home.” Brody smiled at Rick and Allie, even if it was a little forced. This whole fiasco was Allie’s fault.

  If she hadn’t been trying to turn Haven into a shorter, light-haired version of herself, none of this would have happened. Haven would be dressed in one of her soft sweater things with her curls pulled back and her lips all sweet and pink, looking like the innocent girl she was instead of some temptress.

  He waved to the other couple as he helped Haven in his truck. They both were quiet on the drive to her apartment. When he pulled into a parking space, Haven opened the door and started to get out.

  “Wait, Haven, I’ll help you. You might break a leg getting out in those shoes.” The thought of her trying to slide off the seat with the tight skirt of her dress hampering her efforts made him grin. He hurried around the truck, lifted her down, then walked her to the door.

  “Thank you for a lovely evening, Brody, and the necklace. I love it.” Haven rested her hand against his chest. Other than a few kisses to her neck and cheek at the movie theater, Brody hadn’t tried to kiss her all evening. She’d thought of little else but having his lips pressed to hers since he spent the day with her last Sunday.

  Fully aware she’d never get any rest unless she had at least one, she started to pull his head down to hers. A throat clearing nearby made her raise her head and smile half-heartedly at one of her elderly neighbors. The woman glared disapprovingly from her open door.

  “Good evening, Mrs. Humphrey.”

  “Don’t do anything I’d have to tell your mother about,” the woman said, shutting her door.

  “Friend of yours?” Brody asked, as Haven opened her door and pulled him inside. She tossed her keys and evening bag on a side table then turned to look at Brody.

  “Not exactly. My mom is friends with her daughter so if I do anything Mrs. Humphrey deems unacceptable or inappropriate, Mom gets to hear about it.”

  “Does she ever tattle on Allie?” If the woman needed someone to snitch on, Allie was the girl to watch.

  “Well, most of the stuff she complains to her daughter about me doing is because Allie is involved,” Haven admitted.

  “Just think how boring your life would be without your cousin around to liven things up.” Brody removed Haven’s glasses before wrapping his arms around her. He didn’t care if her carefully applied lipstick ended up smeared from ear to ear, he was done waiting to kiss her.

  From the way her hands slid up his arms and looped around his neck, he thought maybe she was tired of waiting too. Her eager lips were as giving and demanding as his when they met with an electric jolt.

  “Why’d you wait so long to kiss me?” she asked in a breathy whisper.

  “I didn’t want to mess up your makeup.” Brody nuzzled her neck, making her sigh with pleasure.

  “I’ll never let Allie do my makeup again,” she said, pressing her mouth to his.

  Brody blindly maneuvered her toward the couch where he sank down, pulling her on top of him without breaking the seal of their lips. He ran his hands across her shoulders, down her back, and along one leg, dragging the hem of her dress up with his hand.

  Suddenly stopping, he placed his forehead to hers and drew in a deep breath.

  “Haven, I… um… I better go home.” Unable to move, barely forcing words out of his lips, he wanted more than anything to hold Haven all night.

  “Okay.” She moved until she sat on the couch instead of sprawled across his body.

  Brody raised himself into a sitting position and almost lost the feeble grasp he had on his self-control. Clenching his hands together seemed to be the only way to keep from putting them all over Haven.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Yes, something is wrong and before it goes from a little wrong to completely wrong, I’m going to leave.” Brody stood and held his hand out to her.

  She took it with a look of trepidation on her face and walked him to the door.

  “Look, doll, the problem is that between you looking so flamin’ hot and way too many other guys noticing, I can’t promise I won’t do something in the next few minutes I’d pound one of them for even thinking about,” Brody admitted, staring at the floor instead of Haven’s face.

  Gently placing her hands on either side of his face, she forced him to look into her eyes and see her smile.

  “Thank you, Brody, for making me feel beautiful and wanted,” Haven whispered, kissing his cheek.

  “You’ve got no idea, none at all, how much I want you right now and that’s why I’ve got to go.” Brody drew her into his embrace again then kissed each dimple in her cheeks before opening the door. “The next time you wear that dress, I think we better just plan dinner at your place or mine. It’s too potent to be seen in public. On second thought, maybe you’d better not wear it when I’m around. That’s probably a much better idea.”

  He gave her one more appreciative look then hurried out to his truck and left.

  Haven watched his taillights disappear down the street before closing the door and sighing. The power of her feminine charms left her exhilarated, particularly when Brody said he thought she was beautiful. She couldn’t remember ever hearing any words that had pleased her more.

  Although she’d promised herself not to let her heart get involved, she was head over heels in love with Brody. From that gravelly voice that made her tingle all over to his tender heart and quick wit, she loved everything about him.

  With the possessive way he behaved all evening, she thought he felt something for her, too,

  She wrapped her arms around herself and hummed an upbeat tune as she went to make a cup of tea. Maybe Allie wasn’t as crazy as Haven thought.

  Chapter Twelve

  Brody stayed away from Haven all day Sunday and again on Monday, but he couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing her again before he flew out of town for another game.

  He’d sent her a text message Sunday morning telling her he was tied up all day, although he spent part of it doing laundry and hanging out with Marcus. The other part was spent lost in his daydreams of Haven.

  He had no idea how she worked her way so completely into his head that he could think of nothing else but the taste of her lips and the feel of her soft skin beneath his hands.

  Monday he sent a text telling her to have a great day, then somehow managed to make it through the day without calling her, sending her another message, driving past her office, or camping out on her doorstep, waiting for her to get home.

  Reluctantly admitting he couldn’t go another day without seeing her, he needed to decide what to do. So far, he’d been honest with Haven, being more open with her than he had anyone.

  If he applied that same level of honesty with himself, he’d have to admit that when it came time for them to part ways at the end of June, they were both going to have broken hearts. She wore her feelings on her sleeve. As hard as he worked to keep the feelings she evoked in him buried, they refused.

  Confused and a little afraid, he contemplated breaking up with Haven. Perhaps it was best to get it over with instead of letting things go until they had to say goodbye. He wished he could step outside himself and see the best plan of action.

  He never should have said hello to her, never looked into those deep blue eyes, never fallen in love.

  Concluding that his current misery was a by-product of being in love for the first time in his life, he didn’t have a clue what to do about it.

  Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Haven with her hair down in that blue dress, smelled her perfume, felt the intense impact of her lips against his.

  He grabbed his head between his hands, to shake thoughts of her loose. Discouraged, he picked up his phone and called the one person he knew would listen to him and offer good advice.

  “Hello?�
�� a woman answered the phone.

  “Hey, Mom.” Relief filled him at the sound of his mother’s voice. He knew if he never had another living soul to turn to, his mom would always be there for him.

  “Baby, what’s wrong?” Angelina Jackson could tell by the tone of his voice something was off in her son’s world.

  “What makes you think something’s wrong?” Brody got out of bed and walked to the kitchen. He filled a glass with water and sat down at the table.

  “A mother knows things, Brody. Now tell me what has you upset. Did something happen with your team or at a game?”

  “No, Mom. Everything with football is great. It’s um… I kind of…”

  “Do you need money? Did you get hurt? What’s going on? Spit it out, baby.”

  Brody sighed and forked a hand through his hair. “I met this girl and she’s, I don’t know, just awesome. I told her I wanted to date but made sure she knew I’d be leaving as soon as the season is over and she seems okay with that.”

  “Okay.” Angelina couldn’t decipher the problem from what her son shared. “And you like this girl?”

  “Yeah, Mom. A lot. Too much.” Brody released a sigh. “She’s smart and funny, innocent and nice. You’d definitely approve of her.”

  Angelina laughed. “Go on, son.”

  “I’ve met her family, played with her nephews, even gone to church with her.” Brody hesitated to tell his mother everything.

  “She sounds wonderful. So what’s the problem?”

  “I think I’m in love with her.” Brody waited for his mom to comment on his declaration.

  “Why do you think you’re in love with her?” Angelina finally asked after a moment’s pause. It was the first time Brody had ever mentioned love.

  “I can’t stop thinking about her. When I close my eyes, she’s all I see, her perfume is stuck in my nose, and the sound of her voice keeps playing in my head. I look in the mirror and see me with this stupid grin on my face that just doesn’t go away. I want to be with her, make her smile, see her laugh, just get to know her more,” Brody said, sure he’d just bared his soul.

  “How does she feel about you?”

  “I’m pretty sure she feels the same way, although she hasn’t said anything. She’s one of those girls with a completely readable face. Everything she feels is right there for all the world to see.” Brody could tell just by looking at Haven what kind of day she’d had, what sort of mood she was in, and that she was always happy to see him.

  “Well, then, what’s the problem?”

  “The problem is that at the end of June, I’m out of here. Even if I end up playing with this team next year, I’ll still be gone for months. What if things work out like I’m hoping and I get signed for a training camp? I may never come back here again. How can I just walk away from her like that?”

  “I don’t know, baby. How can you? If you love her as much as you say you do, don’t you think you both deserve the opportunity to see where your relationship will go? One thing I know is that love will find a way even when our heads tell us something is impossible. If you truly love her and she loves you, what happens at the end of June won’t matter,” Angelina said.

  “Do you really think so, Mom? I have no right to ask anything of her, but I’ve never felt this way before and don’t know if I want to again.”

  “Have you told her that?”

  “Of course not.” Brody sounded defensive. “We agreed this was just casual dating for fun until I leave. No strings attached.”

  “Sounds to me like there are plenty of strings. All wrapped around your heart.” Angelina tried to keep the smile out of her voice. Although she’d fallen in love with the wrong man, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t be overjoyed for Brody when he found love with the right girl. She’d raised him to know the difference between the two.

  “What should I do, Mom? I can’t even go three days without seeing her. I’ve turned into a pathetic wimp. I’m trying to decide if I should just break up with her now or wait until I leave.”

  Brody grimaced when his mother’s laughter echoed through his phone.

  “Baby, you’re not a wimp. You’re one of the finest men I’ve ever met, and I’m not biased in the least. However, I do think you should continue seeing this girl, but tell her how you feel. Be open and honest with her. You can’t ever go wrong doing that.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” They talked of other things for a while then Brody thanked her again for her advice.

  “Just remember I want to see a picture of this girl. I expect you to send me one the next time you see her.” Angelina was anxious to see the girl who finally turned her son’s head.

  “Okay. Love you, Mom.”

  “Love you too, baby.”

  Brody disconnected the call and sent Haven a text message, asking if she wanted to have dinner with him.

  She texted him back, inviting him for dinner if he wanted to come to her place.

  Ready to do a victory dance, he instead sent her back a message letting her know he’d be there.

  He hurried out the door to practice and decided to take part of his mom’s advice. He’d just let nature run its course. Maybe by the time June arrived, he’d have Haven worked out of his system, or maybe she’d be tired of him.

  The thought of her not wanting to see him made his gut clench, so he focused his attention on getting through the next several hours of spending time with his teammates.

  Surprised to receive the text from Brody asking if she wanted to have dinner that night, Haven wasn’t sure what to think where he was concerned.

  After leaving her apartment so abruptly Saturday night, she’d hoped to spend time with him Sunday, but the message he sent let her know he was busy all day. She’d even anticipated him stopping by her office or home unannounced Monday, but his simple text that morning made it clear she wouldn’t be seeing him.

  Uncertain if she’d done something to drive him away, relief poured through her when she received his text wanting to get together.

  While she completed a client profile report, her thoughts wandered to what she could make for dinner. She wanted it to be something special, yet it would also have to be fast and easy to prepare because she wouldn’t have much time once she got off work.

  Since Brody had a sweet tooth, she also wanted to make dessert.

  On her lunch break, she searched online for any recipes that might work and realized trying out a new recipe on Brody wasn’t the best plan.

  Finally deciding to keep things simple, she made a shopping list, satisfied with her menu.

  After work, she rushed to the grocery store then hustled back to her apartment, hurried to change her clothes, and whipped up dessert.

  She was setting the table when she heard a knock on the door. Pushing the curls away from her face, she rushed to open the door, expecting Brody. Her smile turned into a frown when Hale grinned at her, holding a carton of her favorite ice cream.

  “Want to pool our efforts for dinner?” Hale asked, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

  “No, I don’t. And you bringing ice cream isn’t exactly pooling efforts. You can’t always bribe me with caramel-laced confections, you know.” Haven glared at Hale. She needed him to leave, now. She’d been looking forward to spending the evening with Brody and her plans didn’t include one of her brothers, even if it was Hale.

  “Did the grumpy bug bite you today, baby girl?” Hale strolled into her kitchen and put the ice cream in the freezer, noticing she already had the table set for two and dinner started.

  “Am I interrupting something or did you expect me to come?” Hale questioned.

  “Brody’s coming for dinner, if you must know.” She stirred a pan of ground beef and added taco seasoning.

  “Sorry, kiddo. I’ll just leave. Maybe we can have dinner another night.” Hale moved toward the front door.

  “Thanks, Hale. Brody’s out of town this weekend, so maybe we could do something whatever night you aren’t spend
ing with Abby.” Haven hugged her brother. “You want to take the ice cream with you?”

  “No,” Hale said, shaking his head as he reached for the door. “I only buy that flavor for you.”

  “I know. That’s why you’re my favorite.” Haven laughed. Hale opened the door and almost walked into Brody as he raised his hand to knock.

  “Hey, man. Nice to see you.” Brody shook Hale’s hand. “You’re not leaving, are you?”

  “Haven told me she’s cooking for you and kicked me out.” Hale stepped aside so Brody could enter.

  “Don’t leave on my account.” Brody avoided direct eye contact with Haven, but turned toward her. “You don’t mind if Hale stays, do you?”

  “I don’t suppose.” Haven minded more than either of the men could possibly know. Irritated that Brody didn’t want to be alone with her, she left the two men talking in the living room while she finished cooking dinner.

  She set another plate on the table, filled glasses with water, then walked out to the living room, letting the guys know dinner was ready.

  Hale and Brody dominated the conversation and neither seemed to notice she was quiet through the meal.

  After eating the lemon bars she made for dessert along with scoops of ice cream, Hale put away the leftovers while Brody helped Haven with the dishes.

  Aware of the trouble he was in with his sister, Hale bid his goodbyes and hurried out the door when they finished in the kitchen.

  Haven sank down on the couch and tried to keep an expressionless face as she stared at Brody.

  Although she thought she hid her emotions, Brody could tell she was miffed and had been since he asked if Hale was staying for dinner. The volatile state of his emotions where Haven was concerned spurred him to encourage Hale to serve as a chaperone through dinner.