Page 91 of When You Wish Upon a Wideout

Dad laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

He shook his head, opening the cabinet. “Maybe you should use that mug more often.” He dropped a kiss into my sweaty hair.

I looked down at the mug in my hand—WORLD’S BEST COACH.

“Best girlfriend too, I imagine. Sometimes teenage boys need to be put in their place.” He poured his coffee.

I sighed. “Can you meet with him a few mornings a week? He’s freaking out about FSU. I’m trying to be patient and ride it out but... ” I trailed off, shaking my head. “Ihatefootball.”

“I’ll talk with him. But do me a favor and don’t give him too hard of a time, alright? Kid has a lot on his shoulders.”

“Yeah, well, I hope it’s worth it.”

Dad grew silent for a minute, leaning against the kitchen counter and focusing on his coffee. “You know, Sienna... whatever is happening with you and Beau, I don’t want you to get too hung up on it.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’ll be off to Florida soon.”

“In August,” I reminded Dad.

“And you’ll be down in Austin.”

I, of course, know this too, Mom. Because the plan is that even though Beau heads off to FSU in early August, I will follow at some point once I transfer. It might be a year later, but that year will be fine. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself. We had a plan for that—I’ll work at the diner this summer and save every dime and penny so I can afford the gas to drive to Tallahassee for his home games.

And even though, standing in the kitchen, I was mad at Beau for kind of being a selfish asshole, I was still planning to stick to that plan—the one that ends with that happily ever after and a bunch of kids running around playing backyard football. The one that ends with him and me together. I haven’t made that wish yet, isn’t that kind of ironic? It’s the one thing I want the most—a real family with the guy I love who alreadyisfamily. But there’s something that makes putting it out into the universe scary, as if I’m tempting fate.

But then I remember that it’s not just me. Beau and I will tempt fate together. And haven’t we already? We found each other again. We’ll keep each other this time.

Love,

Sienna

chapterfourteen

“Down. Farther. Lower.”Beau bit his lip, standing behind Sienna as she squatted. He placed his hand on the small of her back, pushing gently. When she reached her limit and began to rise, he slid his hand to her ass.

Sienna let out a small grunt when she put the bar back. “That’s not spotting.”

“It’s not?” he asked when she turned around, putting her hands to her hips. He rubbed his chin. “Shit. I’ve been doing it wrong this whole time.”

Sienna rolled her eyes. “Yeah. You might want to apologize to your teammates for the groping.”

Beau watched as Sienna stepped around him, reaching for her water bottle. “Football is an ass sport,” he told her.

“Why do you think I ever bothered watching you play?” She put the bottle down and gave him a playful kick to the leg. “A high, firm butt in tights. Can’t beat that.”

“They’repants.Not tights.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

“Are we done here? I’ve got you for another hour.”

Over the past month, Beau and Sienna had fallen into a routine—seeing each other a few days a week between his training while Grace was still at school. Sometimes, they walked around Dallas, sometimes stayed in at his apartment, and occasionally, Sienna had asked Beau to help her in the gym. Nights were more difficult to work around, given Sienna’s time spent at Maloney’s and Grace. Sienna had asked for more time before having Beau stay at her place, and Beau respected that, stealing her away when he could—when Grace was spending the night at a friend’s and not pushing for more time with Sienna after dusk apart from dropping by the bar.

And while he always mixed up her workouts, Beau made sure that there was one exercise they never missed.

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