Page 9 of Hello Heartbreaker

Liv stood beside Maya, her hand on her stepdaughter’s shoulder. “Look, I’m pregnant and don’t need the extra stress. Fletcher is on call during a lot of the games on the schedule, and none of the other parents will do it. Please? It would mean a lot to us. And Maya.”

I shook my head, kneeling in front of Maya. “I’m sorry, sugar, but I would be a terrible coach. Surely there’s some other person you can con into it. Maybe Uncle Tyler? Or Grandpa Jack?”

She looked down, her bottom lip sticking out.

“Don’t do that to me,” I said, my chest physically aching from saying no. “I’m not going to fall for it.”

She sniffed. “If we can’t find a coach, it’ll be cancelled.”

Graham came to stand beside her, nuzzling his head under her hand. She held him, saying, “It’s okay. Maybe I can play softball next year.”

I glared up at Liv and Fletcher. Fletch shrugged, while Liv tilted her head.

“Fine,fine, I’ll do it,” I said.

Maya looked up, grinning. Iknewthose were crocodile tears.

“On one condition,” I added.

“Anything,” Liv answered. “It really means a lot.”

I looked between Maya’s parents. “I don’t know what it is yet, but when I need a favor, I’m calling on y’all. Anytime, anywhere, anything.”

“You’ve got it,” Fletcher answered, shaking my hand. “Maya, go get him his jersey.”

“My jersey?” I fumbled for words. “Shit, you already knew I’d cave!”

Liv’s smile told all as Maya ran inside.

When she came back out, she was holding a pink baseball jersey with UNICORNS pasted across the chest in silver sparkle letters.

I held it up, staring in abject horror. She turned it over to show a sparkling appliqued unicorn bucking on the back. My balls were practically shrinking back just looking at the damn thing.

“What do you think? Isn’t it pretty?” Maya asked.

“I think...” Liv pinned me with a stare that made me hold back. “I think... Go, Unicorns.”

5

MAGNOLIA

I paced backand forth across our living room Tuesday night whileLove Winsplayed on the TV.

Cam sat on the couch, eating popcorn from the bag. “This season is so messy, and I love it.”

I would have laughed. Except my life felt even messier than the show. Reality TV just didn’t hit the same when you couldn’t say you were doing better than the people on the screen.

Our house was looking so much better since we’d unpacked most of our things yesterday, and Cam used her day off to clean with her mom. They’d even hung up all my favorite wire art pieces on the wall.

But I couldn’t get Rhett off my mind.

I’d done so well for myself in Austin, rebuilding my life, my heart, piece by piece. At first it was hard, but then I realized I’d gone a day without thinking about him, and then a month. And I was able to have other relationships.

But ten minutes in a room with him, and thoughts of him were plaguing my mind.

I felt stupid, still unable to let him go.

Cam sighed. “You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”

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