Page 55 of Sneak Attack

I was determined, for Cole’s sake, and Jasper’s even if I’d never met him, to do better. Be the bigger person. Selma had always been horrid to me.

“Good evening, Selma. Care to join us for dinner?”

“Like hell I’d ever associate with someone like you, and to hear you talking about Cole like you have the right to? You haven’t changed a bit, have you?”

She was wrong. I was a completely different person these days, and more recently even, someone better.

“I think you’re the one who still thinks you’re the queen bee, Selma, but this isn’t high school.” I sighed, tired of her, her threats and the hold she thought she had on this town. Her parents might have been a staple, their diner owned in her father’s family as far back as his great, great grandparents who helped found the town, but this was Marysville. A mere pinprick in the size of the world. And she didn’t own that.

“Go away, Selma.”

She turned, stood tall and spine made of steel toward the new voice, and I sucked in a breath.

Nate stood behind her, dark hair a shaggy mess and flopping to the side, and his green eyes, so similar to his sister’s, narrowed on her old best friend. He held a white plastic bag stuffed full of Styrofoam to-go containers inside.

“Nate,” she said with a saccharin-sweet smile.

“Don’t give me that manipulative bullshit.” He rolled his eyes at her. “Leave them alone and go back to your table or leave all together. Preferably Marysville.”

Ohhhh. My eyes widened at that in surprise. Nate didn’tlikeSelma? When did that happen?

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder and speared me with a glare that would have once had me fleeing the table, doing whatever I could to settle her down, but I was rooted to my wooden seat, more surprised with Nate taking a stand than anything.

“I know the owners, and I know if Palmer sees you here, berating his customers he’s going to kick you out again. So what’s it gonna be? You leave on your own or I have him make you?”

She huffed and stepped back. “I used to like you more before you started thinking you were hot shit, Nate.”

He twisted in the narrow aisle so she could stomp past him.

I would have applauded had he not spun and faced me. I prepared for the onslaught of his attitude he’d directed at Selma, considering our history.

He lowered his voice and glanced at the three of us, Nora and Sarah still frozen in shock, before he returned his gaze to me. This time kinder. “You should let Cole know what just happened, unless you want me to do it, but either way, he’s gonna hear and you don’t want him to hear it from her.”

Yesterday, I could have just told him Cole wouldn’t have cared, not one bit what Selma said to me and meant it every word. But that was yesterday.

Too bad I didn’t have his number, but I knew who would.

“I will.”

Nate left and as soon as he was gone, Sarah grinned at me from across the table. “I feel like you left out pieces of thatyou knew Colestory, and I have to tell you, this town needs a bit of excitement every once in a while, so I’m damn glad you’re here to provide it.”

“Yay me,” I grumbled.

Nora chuckled and clinked her glass against mine. “Drink up. Something tells me you need it.”

Wasn’t that the truth.

CHAPTER19

COLE

“Let’s goooo!” Davis threw his arms up in the air as he stormed into the locker room. He swung his helmet in the air before dropping it and doing some stupid little dance.

“Happy?” I asked, laughing at him. Three years younger and the kid was usually wise but days like today showed that playful excitement most rookies held. Not a bad thing at all. Even only being in the league five years their excitement and attitude often spurred on the most veteran players who’d lost the shine and awe of reaching their dreams after fifty-some games.

“Damn, skippy. You see that run I made? Broke Carr’s ankles on that last play.” He slapped my shoulder and across the room, Charles Carr, one of our tackles, threw a towel at him.

“The fuck you did.”

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