Page 33 of Make the Play

“Yeah,” I say with a light chuckle. “Come on. I’ll walk you to your car.” I tug lightly on her hand, and she moves her feet, falling into step beside me. She tries to pull away, but I won’t let her.

This is the last time. After today, I can’t be touching her like this, and I sure as fuck can’t be kissing her. Today, this moment is the last. I have to stop this.

“Thank you, Knox.” She glances around us, stands on her tiptoes, and kisses my cheek. “For the job, for this moment.” Her eyes sparkle.

“Be safe, Corie girl,” I tell her as I release her hand and pull open the car door for her.

I get another one of her smiles as she slides behind the wheel. I wait for her to buckle up before closing her door and tapping the hood. I stand still, watching until I can no longer see her car, before I move to grab my bag and get in my truck.

Gripping the steering wheel, I battle with myself. I should cancel tonight. I should text Landry and tell him I’m too exhausted to be there and that I’m staying home. I almost have myself convinced until I remember that I told her we would celebrate her.

I want to celebrate her.

I know how much finding a job was weighing on her, and she deserves to celebrate the wins. Life’s too short not to. So, instead of texting Landry, I put the truck in Drive and point it toward the bakery we went to that first morning, just down from the stadium. I make it with fifteen minutes to spare and tell them to box up everything they have left. I tried to order her a cinnamon roll croissant, but they were sold out, and I’m kicking myself in the ass for not knowing her other favorites.

I know the guys will devour it all, and taking all that’s left gives us a nice selection. I wasn’t able to get Corie’s favorite, but surely, she can find something in the four boxes of sweet treats I’m leaving here with.

I have some time to waste, but I don’t feel like going home. Instead, I drive out of town, with the air conditioning on high so the sweet treats don’t melt in this hot August sun, and cruise down some back roads listening to the radio. I used to do that a lot with my parents. We’d roll the windows down, turn up the radio, and sing along at the top of our lungs. It’s not quite the same when you’re on your own and need the air conditioning for your cargo, but it still gives me time to think and clear my mind.

Today can’t happen again. I know that. Ask anyone, and they will tell you I’m one of the most disciplined people they have ever met. I can pass on the sweet treats. I can eat what I’m told, work out when I’m supposed to, and avoid alcohol even if everyone else is drinking.

I can do this. I can put Corie Reynolds back into the “do not touch, do not think about, do not flirt” box. I can keep my hands to myself, and I can just be her brother's best friend. I’ll still be there if she needs anything, but I have to stop this. I could lose my best friend, which would cause a ripple effect on the team, and we don’t need that.

I don’t want that.

I drive around until it’s cutting it close that I’ll be late, but by the time I pull into the driveway, I’ve convinced myself I can do this. Today was the last time I’ll touch her. It has to be this way. It’s not that she’s special, right? It has to be because she’s off-limits. Maybe it’s because I’ve heard so much about her from Landry. Regardless of the reason, I have to shut down whatever this is between us.

It might take some time, but the chemistry will fade. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, it will not only happen, but I’ll start believing it.

ChapterTen

Corie

My heart is racing as I pull out of the parking lot. My hands are fisted on the steering wheel at ten and two, and I feel like I did the day I took the driver’s license test. I don’t look in the rearview mirror to see if Knox is watching me. Something in my gut tells me that he is.

I turn left out of the lot as if I’m going home, but at the stop sign, I turn left again instead of right. I can’t go home right now. I need to cool off. If I walk into the house all hot and bothered over my brother’s best friend, he will know something is up. Instead, I drive a few blocks and pull into the grocery store's parking lot. I park my Jeep Grand Cherokee in the back aisle since I don’t plan on getting out, put it in Park, and reach for my phone.

My hands tremble slightly as I swipe to unlock the screen and pull up Sloane’s contact. The call rings through my car’s speakers, and I drop my phone into the cupholder to grip the steering wheel again. I need to do something with my hands.

“Hey, you tell me you have good news.”

Even with the turmoil churning inside me, I smile. “I got the job,” I tell her, happiness and relief washing over me.

“Whoop! That’s my bestie!” she cheers.

“I know. I start Monday. Nothing like diving right in.” I laugh.

“That’s great, Corie. I’m so excited for you and even more proud. Now, tell me, what else is going on?”

My best friend knows me too well. I don’t bother denying it. “I kissed him.”

“Kissed who, and was he hot?”

“Knox.” I let his name hang between us, but not for long because once what I’ve said registers, Sloane is cheering through the line.

“Knox Beckett? The quarterback for the Nashville Rampage? The object of your desires for the past, what, four? Five years?ThatKnox Beckett?” She asks the question despite already knowing the answer.

“Knox Beckett, my brother’s best friend. Knox Beckett, my brother’s teammate, and let’s not forget now, my coworker.”

---