Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 73794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“Do you have plans?” I’d promised to keep things brotherly, so I banished any trace of parental concern from my voice. “It’s cool if you don’t yet. The school year hasn’t even started yet.”
“Dunno.” Scotty shrugged his muscled shoulders. “Keep playing ball, I guess. John’s been trying to get scouts to come to games this fall. Maybe some school will take a chance on a quarterback like me.”
“You need a plan for after football.” I was thinking of Tony’s shoulder injury and how that had ended his dreams of football glory and put him on an unexpected path. However, Scotty frowned like I’d issued a personal attack.
He made a rude noise. “What I need is to sell more tickets.”
Conversation done, he stomped off to the next business on our list, only mildly brightening when we ended up at the ice cream place with a bunch of others from the team. Cosmo and John flanked Tony, who was looking way too sinful eating a mint chocolate chip cone. Their other friend, Elliot, the giant kid, was devouring a banana split meant for two.
“Hey, Cosmo!” I pulled out a nearby chair, pretending for all the world like I couldn’t care less about his uncle. “How many tickets did your group sell?”
“Uncle Tony is a bomb ass salesman,” Cosmo bragged. “That, and he winks and people just can’t wait to donate.”
A jealous prickle raced up my spine. “We don’t need to flirt to get donations,” I said primly.
“Who said flirting?” Tony stared straight into my eyes. “I’m nice. There’s nothing wrong with being nice. I’m not leading people on.”
There was a message there, one I wasn’t sure I was ready for. He’d always been upfront about not wanting a relationship, and I couldn’t go changing the rules now.
“Oh! Hey, Scotty!” Cosmo leaned forward as Scotty joined us with a pink-and-purple sorbet concoction. “My mom said I can have an after-party the night of the fundraiser. Sleepover! We’re gonna set up tents in the backyard. Everyone is invited.”
“You going?” Scotty jerked his head in John’s direction.
“Miss a chance to camp? Never. And they have that huge TV at Cosmo’s house. Camping and movies? I’m in.”
“Me too.” Scotty glanced at me like I might object to this wonderful, amazing plan. I already knew neither Tony nor I were on duty that night because we’d asked off for the fundraiser.
“Sounds awesome to me.” I shrugged as if I weren’t already imagining an entire damn uninterrupted night with Tony. Consequences be damned.
“Have fun.” Tony echoed my enthusiastic-but-casual tone.
“You wanna chaperone?” Cosmo asked. “Mom is having a bunch of other moms over too.”
“Nah. Think I have plans.” Tony held my gaze. Message received. I struggled not to grin.
“Are you inviting yourself for a sleepover?” I teased in a whisper a few minutes later on our way out of the ice cream place. I’d hung back so the kids were all several paces in front of the two of us.
“We probably shouldn’t risk it…” He quirked his mouth as my stomach clenched. One night. All I wanted was one damn night. But before I could speak up, Tony added, “We’ll simply have to be careful.”
“Yep.” I didn’t bother hiding my relief. “I’m not missing the chance for more than a quickie.”
“Agreed. A real bed. All night. Sounds sweet.” Tony grinned at me. He was sweeter than the best ice cream, and I was already starving for the night of the fundraiser when we could fully indulge ourselves.
Chapter Eighteen
Tony
Happily coupled friends had long been the friendship equivalent of a rock in my favorite pair of shoes. Still loved the friends, but the constant reminders of their happiness, not to mention their attempts to inflict said happiness on others via matchmaking, were about as welcome as a piece of gravel.
Accordingly, I’d been watching Sean and Denver all summer. They planned their shifts around each other. They gazed at each other like the rest of the planet didn’t exist. They touched constantly. Like, right then, they held hands while watching the practice session for the fundraising charity game. I was in charge of the high school team because Coach Willard had another doctor’s appointment in Portland. Sean was waiting to give John a ride, and Denver was around because Sean was there.
It used to be that I wouldn’t have understood Denver’s presence at all. Why tag along with someone merely to get another ten minutes in their presence? And then I’d met Caleb. And now I got it. Ten minutes wasn’t just ten minutes anymore. Ten minutes was a decent sneaky make-out session, a good phone conversation, and ample time for the sort of reset being with someone whose company you totally enjoyed could provide. And for the first time, rather than irritated, I was…
Well, not jealous. That wouldn’t make sense. I’d never once had illusions of the whole someone-to-come-home-to life. Watching my parents’ relationship implode had chased every last fairytale from my brain. However, I was curious. Not unlike the curiosity that had led me to kiss Caleb the first time, I was curious about what it would be like to be Sean and Denver.