Page 42 of Cole

“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed the experience, but I also enjoy sewing the items I already do. Plus, I didn’t design Amelia’s dress. That was all Lexi. I just sewed it.”

“Which was pretty important,” Cole told her. “Without you, it was just a picture on a piece of paper.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Annie said with a small smile. “Maybe if Lexi has other designs she wants created for her other students, I might give it a try again.”

Annie picked up the tablet from where she’d set it to show him the dress. Cole kept eating as she set the tablet down where it had been originally.

She moved the chair she’d been sitting on earlier closer to the tablet, then sat down, giving him her full attention.

Cole took in her delicate features, framed by wisps of hair that had escaped the messy bun she’d pulled her hair up into earlier. Something stirred inside him as he finally accepted that his interest in her was more than just a simple friendship.

But did she feel the same way?

Unfortunately, starting something more serious right at the beginning of the season wasn’t the best idea. He would only get busier as he started to travel for away games. So maybe he had to just keep things as friends for the time being.

“Is there something on my face?” Annie asked, leaning forward to stare at her image on the tablet.

Cole chuckled. “Nope. Just got lost in thought.”

“So I’m boring you, huh?”

“Oh, definitely not,” Cole assured her. “It’s the opposite, in fact. You are quite fascinating to me, actually.”

“I am?” Annie’s eyes widened as she straightened. “No one’s said that to me before.”

“You’re just very talented, and that always fascinates me about a person.”

“Talented?” Her brow furrowed. “You mean my sewing?”

“Yep. I definitely can’t create things the way you do. My friends’ wives still rave about how lovely the items you sent them were.”

Annie smiled. “I got several orders from customers who said they’d been referred by your friends. I sure appreciated that.”

“I’m glad they shared your site. I’ve told other people with kids about it too.”

“That’s great. Unfortunately, I’ve sold out of several things, so I’m having to make more of each item. It’s a good problem to have, however.”

They continued to chat as he finished his meal. Annie had picked up some fabric and was working on it as they talked. After his high level of activity and intensity of the day, it was the perfect way to unwind.

And even though they touched on the game, it wasn’t the focus of their conversation. It was something he really appreciated.

Time with Annie had a way of reminding him of when his life had been simpler. Back before he’d become a household name. When he played the game for passion and not for a paycheck. When he’d been surrounded by people he loved and trusted.

She didn’t seem to care about his fame or his fortune, which was amazing. There had been a lot of people in his life who hadn’t managed to look past either of those things. Those who could were usually people who were at his financial level or higher. It was very unusual to find someone who lived an average life that wasn’t swayed by his lifestyle.

Her brother might be in awe of those things about him, but Annie didn’t appear to be. Which was just one of the many reasons why he couldn’t seem to stay away from her.

Already he had a difficult time imagining life without her, so he didn’t even bother. Though he might want things to move more quickly, he knew that with everything going on with that season and his future, slow was probably better, even though patience in this situation felt like it would be the hardest thing ever.

CHAPTER TEN

Annie carefully gathered up the garment bag containing Amelia’s skating dress. Now that it was complete, it was time for the first official try on.

Lexi had offered to bring Amelia to Annie’s home, but Annie said no. There was no way that Annie was going to try to explain why they’d have to come through a gate with security guards who would check their IDs, and then drive past a huge mansion to get to Annie’s place. She knew it would likely happen at some point, but she wasn’t in the mood to explain her weird life just yet.

As it was, she was having to work something out so that Dawn could be in the vicinity while Annie went to Charli and Blake’s house.

For the first time, Annie felt like it was getting harder and harder to accept the security restrictions that controlled her life. Maybe she needed to have another talk with her dad about it. Not that she had any confidence that he’d ease things up for her the way he’d been a bit more willing to do for Benji.

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