been holding her breath. She covered her mouth and prayed the burn she felt hadn’t reached her cheeks. The last time she blushed in front of him, luckily it had been dark.
“I-I-I, uh, I’m, uh,” Jani stuttered. “I’ve got to ask Coach Anderson anything—something, I mean, something.” She jogged away, almost running.
Tyler didn’t acknowledge her leaving. His arms hung by his sides as he unconsciously cracked his knuckles, still watching Aileen.
Aileen inhaled and let it out slowly. She didn’t want him to leave and if she didn’t say anything, he would. It’s awesome to see you. I wish I could see you every day. I wish I hadn’t kicked you out of my room the other night. We should’ve just stayed on the grass. If you had kept kissing me, I wouldn’t have opened my stupid mouth. Hmm… maybe not. “How’s football going?”
A single eyebrow rose on his handsome face. He smiled, his entire body relaxing. “It’s good. Hard, but I like the challenge.”
“The home games are unbelievable to watch.”
“You’ve gone?” He grinned, a special smile just for her.
It made her giddy inside. “Jani said I wouldn’t understand football fever until I went. I’ve been addicted ever since. We’ve gone to all of them. You’re magnificent.” Really? She just called him magnificent? Why not just tell him he’s hot in his uniform?
He shrugged. “I’m trying. One of our wide receivers got injured during our last game and is out for the season. We’ve got nobody to take his place.” He half grinned. “Sort of. We do have somebody. You are looking at the corner back and the new wide receiver. Looks like I’ll be getting to play the entire game.”
“Seriously.” She didn’t know all the positions but it sounded like he would be playing defense and offense. “That’s pretty impressive.”
“Last year… looks like I’ll get to hang out in the end zone a bit more.”
“Congrats.” She tilted her head. “Is it congrats? Or are you not excited?”
“It’s a good thing. It’s a huge opportunity for me. There’s a lot of pressure. From every side.” He blinked as if surprised by his confession. “Sorry. I don’t know why I said that. It’s no big deal.”
“You’re doing great.” She wanted so badly to reach out and touch him. She resisted. “Don’t listen to what everyone else wants, just do yer thang.” She winked at him as she tried to imitate his southern accent.
He chuckled, his whole face lighting up. “That’s a really appalling accent.” He leaned close and brushed his hand against hers. “But incredibly adorable.”
She smiled. “Not sure I was going for adorable.”
“What’re you doing after the race?”
“Showering.” The word was out of her mouth before her brain processed it. She felt her lips form the shape of an “O” as he gave her a sly look.
“Do you need any help?” He chuckled. “With the race, I mean. I’ll gladly assist you with the other if you want me too.”
Why did that thought seem so appealing?
He held his hands up. “I apologize. I promised myself I would be on my best behavior with you from now on. That seems to be a bit of a challenge the minute I’m around you.” He shook his head and grinned ruefully at her. “I’ll be good.”
She understood his dilemma more than he knew. “What’s your job here today?” She motioned to his jeans. “You’re obviously not racing.”
“I told Coach I would cover the water station. Hand cups of water out to you poor, suffering athletes.”
She laughed. “It’s two and a half miles, I think we can handle it.”
“You’ve obviously never seen the hammer throwers or shot putter’s run.”
“That’s prejudice. I’m going to tell them you said that.”
He raised his hands in mock protection. “I play defense in football. Trust me, I know size matters and when someone’s going to need a drink of water!” He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned his strong
“I-I-I, uh, I’m, uh,” Jani stuttered. “I’ve got to ask Coach Anderson anything—something, I mean, something.” She jogged away, almost running.
Tyler didn’t acknowledge her leaving. His arms hung by his sides as he unconsciously cracked his knuckles, still watching Aileen.
Aileen inhaled and let it out slowly. She didn’t want him to leave and if she didn’t say anything, he would. It’s awesome to see you. I wish I could see you every day. I wish I hadn’t kicked you out of my room the other night. We should’ve just stayed on the grass. If you had kept kissing me, I wouldn’t have opened my stupid mouth. Hmm… maybe not. “How’s football going?”
A single eyebrow rose on his handsome face. He smiled, his entire body relaxing. “It’s good. Hard, but I like the challenge.”
“The home games are unbelievable to watch.”
“You’ve gone?” He grinned, a special smile just for her.
It made her giddy inside. “Jani said I wouldn’t understand football fever until I went. I’ve been addicted ever since. We’ve gone to all of them. You’re magnificent.” Really? She just called him magnificent? Why not just tell him he’s hot in his uniform?
He shrugged. “I’m trying. One of our wide receivers got injured during our last game and is out for the season. We’ve got nobody to take his place.” He half grinned. “Sort of. We do have somebody. You are looking at the corner back and the new wide receiver. Looks like I’ll be getting to play the entire game.”
“Seriously.” She didn’t know all the positions but it sounded like he would be playing defense and offense. “That’s pretty impressive.”
“Last year… looks like I’ll get to hang out in the end zone a bit more.”
“Congrats.” She tilted her head. “Is it congrats? Or are you not excited?”
“It’s a good thing. It’s a huge opportunity for me. There’s a lot of pressure. From every side.” He blinked as if surprised by his confession. “Sorry. I don’t know why I said that. It’s no big deal.”
“You’re doing great.” She wanted so badly to reach out and touch him. She resisted. “Don’t listen to what everyone else wants, just do yer thang.” She winked at him as she tried to imitate his southern accent.
He chuckled, his whole face lighting up. “That’s a really appalling accent.” He leaned close and brushed his hand against hers. “But incredibly adorable.”
She smiled. “Not sure I was going for adorable.”
“What’re you doing after the race?”
“Showering.” The word was out of her mouth before her brain processed it. She felt her lips form the shape of an “O” as he gave her a sly look.
“Do you need any help?” He chuckled. “With the race, I mean. I’ll gladly assist you with the other if you want me too.”
Why did that thought seem so appealing?
He held his hands up. “I apologize. I promised myself I would be on my best behavior with you from now on. That seems to be a bit of a challenge the minute I’m around you.” He shook his head and grinned ruefully at her. “I’ll be good.”
She understood his dilemma more than he knew. “What’s your job here today?” She motioned to his jeans. “You’re obviously not racing.”
“I told Coach I would cover the water station. Hand cups of water out to you poor, suffering athletes.”
She laughed. “It’s two and a half miles, I think we can handle it.”
“You’ve obviously never seen the hammer throwers or shot putter’s run.”
“That’s prejudice. I’m going to tell them you said that.”
He raised his hands in mock protection. “I play defense in football. Trust me, I know size matters and when someone’s going to need a drink of water!” He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned his strong
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