Page 46 of The Captain

I rolled my eyes at the very boyish remark. “What do you—”

“We’re not having sex,” he declared, rubbing at my hip to maybe cover for his blunt words. “Not yet.”

“We’re not, huh?” I said, finally feeling bold enough to run my hand over the bare skin of his chest, relishing in the sound of his sharp inhale.

I almost couldn’t believe that I was touching him and wondered briefly if this was some hazy dream. Maybe I was still on the couch, sleeping.

But then he rubbed his finger over my cheekbone again and leaned in close, whispering the words, “No. You don’t trust me yet, but you will.” His hand wrapped around the back of my head, holding me. “And when you do, we’re going to do everything together, and it’s going to be the way it should have been.”

I blinked. “Muscles, you sound awful sure of yourself.”

“Sunshine, I’ve been dying for two years to earn the chance to kiss you,” he breathed out and moved in closer to me. “I’m not about to fuck that up now.”

FIFTEEN

Lincoln

Present

The diner was at a nice little afternoon lull when I walked in, my school bag thrown over my shoulder and a determination to fix my life nipping at my heels.

Tanner—still not used to calling him by his first name—was working with the school to give me time to fix what I fucked up at the end of last semester. Since he had some sway and I was the captain of the team, so far, I was getting another shot to make up for it.

This time, I got to pick the subject.

This probably wouldn’t have happened if I’d gotten to pick the subject the last time around, but I decided not to dwell on that and move forward.

Cassie was nowhere in sight when I walked in, but Heather was there, working through the afternoon calmly with a smile on her face. A smile that brightened the moment she laid eyes on me.

Heather was just as beautiful as her daughter and was a champion of mine, rooting for me to make things right with said daughter.

She once said she never saw her happier than those few weeks we were together.

Those weeks were far too fucking short, and I was determined to get more of them in the future. Weeks, months, years…all of it.

“Lincoln! There’s my future son-in-law.” Heather lifts her arms, hurrying around the bar top to come and give me a huge hug. See, I said she loved me.

“Heather,” I say back, returning the hug just as fiercely. “It’s so good to see you.”

“You too, hon! I can’t believe you’ve deprived me of this face for so long.” She reaches up and actually pinches my cheek, making me grin.

She was so cheesy, but something about that made her even more endearing.

“I’m sorry, I was trying to.” I shrug, unsure what to say. I still don’t see Cassie, but I say, “I was trying to respect her wishes.”

She lifts a brow and nods in understanding. “I get it, Linc. She’s a stubborn one.”

I don’t reply, because right at that moment, she walks through the back door that leads into the kitchen, her long blonde hair is up high in a bun, and her face is flushed from the heat of the kitchen. She’s got her Retro Vibes T-shirt on and an apron around her waist.

Her gaze pulls to mine, and for a few long minutes, we stare at each other, lost in a world that exists only between the two of us.

Okay, maybe I’m cheesy.

Or maybe it’s all those books Cassie recommended when we were on fantastic fucking terms that I’ve been reading the last few months to feel close to her.

She blinks, breaking the contact, and turns and walks to her tables, ignoring me once again.

Heather pats my shoulder. “Give her time,” she says and nods at the booth Cassie and I used to occupy. Our booth.

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