Page 105 of Comeback
I manage to get one more scoop of ice cream before she puts the top on. “Okay. I’m not eating any more calories because ofthat guy. This dress already feels like it’s going to pop at the seams.”
She puts the ice cream in the freezer and our spoons in the dishwasher.
“Thank you for tonight.” She walks to me, and I hop down from the counter and hug her.
“Any time. We had fun.”
“Yes, I saw.”
“Sorry.” I chuckle. Archer smiles a little sheepish and a little cocky. He wraps both arms around my waist and I nuzzle into him.
“Don’t be. That’s more action than this place has seen in a while.”
“Mom?” Greer’s voice calls from her room.
Olivia smiles at us again as she heads to check on her daughter.
“We’re going to pick up and then get out of here,” I say.
“Leave it. I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“No way.”
“If you won’t let me pay you, then you can’t be cleaning my house in addition to babysitting.” She points a no-nonsense stare at me.
“Fine,” I relent. “Lunch tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I’ll swing by the studio.” She nods, then glances at Archer. “Better get out of here before she makes you read twenty more books.”
Archer’s body shakes with quiet laughter. “Nice to see you again.”
We grab our things and leave. As soon as we’re out the door, Archer pulls me back to him and drops his mouth to mine.
“Come home with me?” he asks between kisses.
“I do live there.”
“Yeah, I know, but stay with me. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms and wake up the same way.”
My stomach does that funny swoop thing again. “Okay, boyfriend.”
His smirk reappears and he nips at my bottom lip. “I can’t wait to feel you scream that later.”
29
ARCHER
We have a home game Monday night against Seattle. Brogan and I are on the field warming up. Music around the stadium is hyping up the crowd. Fall finally hit Arizona, and I love the chill in the air. It reminds me of late nights back in Valley, staying after everyone else was gone. Just me and Brogan, neither of us wanting to go home.
I can’t imagine playing this game without him. We’ve been fortunate to stay together. High school, college, now the Mavericks. I love this game, but I can no longer separate football from playing with Brogan. It’s my hope that I’ll never have to find out what it’s like to play without him, but if I do, I wonder if I’d still love it.
Glancing over at the crowd, I look for Sabrina. She and London are coming tonight, but they haven’t arrived yet.
“They’ll be here,” Brogan says when I look back at him. He has a knowing grin. “You’ll get used to it.”
“What?”
“Having your girlfriend in the stands. I was so nervous the first few times London came. Especially before we were official. I wanted to impress her so badly.”
