“I want to take you out, Bex.” He pauses. “Will you go out with me to dinner this week?”
Behind me, two high-pitched squeals that could break glass sound off. Throwing the duo a look, I cover the phone with my hand, attempting to mitigate any auditory damage done. I also turn down the volume on the phone, so these two won’t accidentally on purpose overhear anymore.
“I’d like that.”
“Good,” Austin says, his voice muffled as the voice on the speaker in the airport goes off again. A second later, he’s back. “They’ve called my flight to board, so I’m going to go, but I’ll be in touch as soon as I’m back. Have a good day, okay?”
We disconnect, and I close my eyes and giggle. I’ve got a date. A date with Austin. A date with a very handsome man who is also the best kisser I’ve ever let my lips come into contact with. Ever.
I don’t even realize I’m holding my phone next to my heart until Etta starts laughing.
“Look, Georgie,” she says between giggles. “She’s doing the phone clutch.”
Georgie tilts her head to the side and smiles. “Oh, bless. Yes, she is.”
I look down at my phone. “The phone clutch?”
“Holding it close to your heart, like you’re trying to keep him right here,” Etta teases as she pats her own chest. “Trust me. We get it.”
Her phone dings and she flips it up to read the text that has come through. “Okay, that’s Dylan. She suggests you get a fidget ring and now. There’s a jewelry store down the street that sells them. She highly recommends it for anyone who is anxious and also falling in love at the same time.”
“What?” My head almost spins off its axis. “I didn’t say anything about falling in love with…”
“You don’t have to,” Georgie interrupts as she waves a finger near my nose. “It’s all over your face.”
“No, no way I’m in love. Not yet.”
“Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.” Georgie just smirks. “Take it from the both of us, the heart knows before the head does.”
As she and Etta exchange a knowing look, I feel my pulse quicken. “You two are impossible.”
Etta grins, leaning in. “And you’re in deeper than you think.”
I open my mouth to argue, but the words catch in my throat. Instead, I just shake my head, laughing nervously. “We’ll see.”
Georgie gives a playful shrug. “Oh, we already have.”
FIFTEEN
Austin
The afternoon sun hung high over Tampa Bay, casting sharp shadows across the practice field. I lean against the cool glass of the box, eyes locked on the action below. My old teammates move like a well-oiled machine, each cut, each route as precise as I remember. The smell of fresh-cut grass mixed with sweat hit me, and for a moment, I let it take me back. This used to be home.
“You never thought you’d be back here, did you?” Coach Donovan’s voice cuts through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. His tone is gruff, but there is a warmth underneath it—one that has guided me through countless games.
I turn to look at him, catching the knowing look in his eyes. “Honestly? No.”
Coach Donovan nods like he understands, like he always does. “But here you are. And you’re moving like you’ve got something to prove.”
“I do,” I admit, though the words feel heavy. The excitement is there, bubbling just under the surface. The thought of putting on my pads again, feeling the adrenaline rush, hearing the crowd—it was what I’d fought for. But standing here at the stadium that made me a star, I’m starting to wonder.
“Austin.” Coach leans in, his voice dropping low, serious. “You’re ready. Your physiotherapist says you’re ready. The team doctor says you’re ready. I’ve never seen you in better shape. But if you’re going to do this, you need to commit. Come back down here full-time, get into the rhythm with the team. We could have you on the field by the end of the month.”
My heart speeds up at that. A month. That’s all it would take. But even as I feel the rush, my mind is a thousand miles away, back in Sweetkiss Creek. Back with Bex. She’s probably dealing with Mrs. Rosenblatt or another tenant right now, flashing the smile that turned my world upside down. The smile that lifts perfect pale-pink lips at the corners. Lips I finally got to kiss.
And that kiss. The kiss that opened my eyes even more to what a dolt I’ve been, sitting on the sidelines of my own world, going through the motions as I healed. The kiss that reminded me I can feel and I feel things pretty deep. The kiss that ignited a small spark.
A chance at…at what? A relationship? A good friendship? At love? The mere thought of love sends a thousand tiny goldfish swimming around my belly like they’re in a sugar frenzy.
