Page 87 of Mine to Take

Put it all on the table and tell her how I feel.

“Is this where we’re eating?” she asks, gaze sliding to me for the first time.

“Yeah. Have you been here before?”

She shakes her head. “Looks cute, though. Kind of like one of those diners you’d see in the movies.”

“A few of my teammates were talking about it, and I thought we could check it out.” I pull into a space and cut the engine. “You good with that?”

“Yeah.”

We exit the truck and meet near the tailgate. I don’t think twice about slipping my fingers around hers and tugging her closer. When we reach the glass door to the restaurant, I pull it open and usher her over the threshold. A little bell chimes as we step inside.

It’s like tumbling back in time.

The floor is made up of black and white checkered tiles while the ceiling is covered with shiny silver tin. Framed photographs of old Hollywood stars decorate the walls along with Coca-Cola memorabilia. Booths and tables dot the brightly lit space. The former are upholstered in red vinyl with gleaming white linoleum tops. Music from decades ago pours through the speakers from a jukebox at the far end of the restaurant.

The joint has a cool vibe.

Just as a waitress snags my attention, someone calls out from one of the tables, “Hey, Mav! Over here.”

I turn and scan the area, only to find Wolf and Colby along with their girlfriends.

I mean their wives.

I raise a hand to Wolf in greeting. I’ve always liked him. Even when he was moody and mostly kept to himself. Now that he’s with Fallyn, he’s opened up and seems happier. More content. Hell, every now and then, the guy actually cracks a smile.

“Pull up a chair,” Colby adds. “We just got here ten minutes ago.”

I glance at Willow with a raised brow, hoping she’s cool spending a little time with my teammates. “Is that okay?”

Uncertainty flashes across her face as she takes in the couples before her lips lift into a hesitant smile. “Sure.”

I grab two chairs from a nearby table before making introductions. Both Fallyn and Britt are friendly and welcoming. I could kiss them for doing their best to make Willow feel comfortable. They include her in the conversation, trying to get to know her. It doesn’t take long before Willow is laughing and chattering as if she’s known them for years.

Honestly, it’s nice to take a moment and simply watch her. The way her shoulders loosen and her eyes brighten. The throaty chuckle that falls from her lips feels like a warm blanket I want to cocoon myself in.

It’s strange to realize that I could spend the entire night doing exactly that.

The spell woven around me is only broken when Colby nudges my shoulder with his own. It takes effort to tear my attention away from Willow.

When our gazes finally collide, he gives me a knowing look before saying under his breath, “Looks like another Wildcat has bitten the dust.”

26

Willow

Both Fallyn and Britt hug me goodbye as if we’re long-lost friends instead of just meeting for the first time a couple of hours ago. The three of us part ways outside the diner, with the promise of getting together without the guys, before Maverick hustles me into the front seat of his truck.

As we drive back to campus, he says, “You seemed to really hit it off with Britt and Fallyn.”

“I did.” I shift on my seat before admitting, “I’m still getting to know people at Western, so thanks for introducing us. They seem really great.”

I spent all junior year of high school and then part of my senior year in and out of the hospital. After a while, a lot of my friends moved on with their lives. They were busy going to parties on Friday nights, football games, dates with boys, or hanging out at the mall.

Activities I couldn’t take part in.

Holland is the only one who stayed steadfast by my side. Anytime I ended up in the hospital, she’d show up with games to play and books to read. When I was home and well enough to have company, we’d watch movies and eat buttery popcorn. When that wasn’t possible, we’d watch something together over FaceTime. Holland has a real weakness for horror movies. There was tons of shrieking and laughing at the jump scares.

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