Page 25 of Play For Keeps

In other words, I am a total mess over this girl.

It’s after 1 a.m. when I pull up behind Everly’s car just down the street from Catch 21. I shift my truck into park and reach behind me for her duffle, handing her the bag.

“I hope I didn’t get you back too late,” I say, turning in my seat to face her.

Everly’s eyes move to the clock on my dash, then widen when she realizes the time. “Wow, I had no idea how late it is.”

I hope that’s a good thing. Time flies when you’re having fun and all that. We were at the diner longer than I expected, and it felt like neither one of us was in a hurry to leave. After the almost-kiss, the awkwardness quickly passed, and we took our time finishing dinner. We ordered coffee and split a piece of pie before I reluctantly paid the bill and we returned to my truck.

“What time do you have to be at your mom’s to pick up Birdie in the morning?”

“Anytime.” She shrugs. She said she can stay as long as she wants.”

“That’s great. You deserve a sleep-in.”

“I won’t argue with you on that.”

Silence fills the truck, and it’s noticeable. Conversation between us is always so easy, but right now it feels different. I’m not sure what to do next. What I want to do is kiss Everly, but I know that would freak her out. Even a hug feels impossible thanks to the damn console being in the way. This is the first time I have ever wished I bought a smaller truck.

“Thanks for tonight,” Everly says, unbuckling her seat belt. “I had fun.”

“Does that mean we can do it again?”

She grabs her bag, her other hand already on the door handle. “We can. You were on your best behaviour.” Her voice is cute, flirty. My dick responds with a twitch. It makes me want to push her a little.

“I was,” I say. “But I don’t have to be.”

Everly tries to hide the grin that forms on her lips. “I’ll text you, okay?”

“I hope so.”

Everly had two more night shifts this week, and I showed up after both to walk her home. Aside from that, we’ve been texting multiple times a day. But that has been it. I still haven’t found an opportunity to take her out again. Or to make a move. Every night I’ve walked her home has ended the same way—awkwardly. And it is starting to fuck with my head.

What the hell has happened to my game? I have none.

I haven’t had too much time to dwell on it, because my sister and I have been busy moving Gran into her assisted living facility home. It was tough watching Gran say goodbye to the house she’s lived in for so many years, and I was grateful Sierra was there to go through it with me. We went for tacos the following night to catch up and I gave Sierra the rundown on life in Reed Point. Now that she’s getting settled into Gran’s place, I told the guys to keep an eye out for her—from a fucking distance. Grayson, Tuck and Holden already know that my sister is off-limits. I’ll break their legs and then their arms if they even try to go near her.

She’ll have a chance to meet the gang tonight at my place, I’m hosting a Friday night cook-out. Tucker, Holden and Grayson are here, along with Aubrey and Beckett and his wife Jules, who works with my sister at The Seaside. Everyone is drinking, having a good time, but I’m feeling… off. The reason? Everly. We haven’t talked at all today. And I wish she was here.

“You good, man?” Grayson asks me when he catches my eye from across the couch.

“Perfect.” I take a long pull of my beer. I can tell I haven’t convinced him, but he seems willing to let it go.

“Let’s do some shots.”

“I’ll pass, man.”

Grayson stands with his beer in his hand. “Why? Come on, Jake.”

Because I’m fucked up over a girl. That would be the honest answer, but instead I just say, “I’m gonna finish my beer, then I’m hydrating. I’ve got shit I’ve gotta do tomorrow.”

He gives me a look but thankfully decides against saying anything else, walking past me to the kitchen.

“Hey.” Tucker swats my thigh with the back of his hand, lowering his voice. “Are you going to invite beach girl to Holden’s cabin?”

Holden gets his uncle’s cabin on the water every Labor Day weekend, and he invites us all up for an end-of-summer bash. He confirmed the plans tonight, and this year it looks like my sister will be coming too.

“Nah, we’re not there yet,” I say, picking at the label on my beer, inwardly laughing at the nickname for Everly. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind, but I doubt Everly would want to go. Besides that, I can’t imagine she would leave Birdie for three days. “We’re nowhere close.”

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