Page 45 of Drawn to You

“It was a practice date,” I tell my new friends. “He’s going out with a med student when we’re in Chicago next. She hit him up on social media and I think it’ll be good for his image.”

Elana shakes her head, looking amused. “There’s so much to unpack there.”

I’m enjoying our afternoon together so much that I’m likely to tell them anything they want to know. Aiden is hosting a cookout for the team, but it’s players only, so Jenn and Elena asked me if I wanted to window-shop and have lunch. I jumped at the chance for some girl time.

“Whose idea was this practice date?” Jenn asks, air-quotingpractice date.

I pinch my brows together, trying to remember. “I think his.”

“And the practice part is...what? Because Dane doesn’t know how to go out on a date?”

I take a sip from the fresh margarita that was just delivered, trying to figure out how to diplomatically answer that.

“Well, it won’t be good for his image if he asks her which hole she wants it in thirty seconds into the date,” I say, shrugging.

“If she’s trolling athletes online, she’s hoping he’ll bring two teammates and fill all her holes at once,” Elena cracks.

Jenn has already drained a third of the second margarita. She’s flushed and full of smiles.

“I can’t wait any longer to ask,” she says. “Did you guyspracticesleeping together?”

I cringe. “God, no. Nothing like that.”

Elena looks like she’s about to burst with excitement. She grins and gently smacks the table. “This is the tension part. I read lots of romance novels. Dane has to pretend he doesn’t want her and she pretends she doesn’t want him, but they’re secretly sneaking looks at each other and coming up with things like practice dates as excuses to be together.”

I laugh. “I mean...have there been moments of attraction? Yes. But Dane and I would drive each other crazy.”

“How are you pretending you’re not crazy with jealousy over him taking another woman out on a date?”

I take a break to eat chips and salsa, hoping one of them will bring up another subject, but they turn into the two most patient people ever, just waiting for me to stop eating and answer the question.

“I told you, it’s not like that with us.”

Elena scoffs. “It is, though. Aaron said you two spend every second together.”

“We kind of have to, I’m his glorified babysitter.”

“Aiden said Dane’s pissed about Lucas paying so much attention to you.”

I shake my head and laugh. “Your husbands sound like gossipy teenage girls.”

“That’s how it is on a team,” Jenn says. “Everyone knows everyone’s business.”

“Deep down, Dane’s a really good guy,” Elena says. “It hurt him really badly when his wife cheated. He acts cynical now, but I don’t think he really is.”

“Do you guys know anything about what happened with his ex-wife?” I ask. “How did he find out about it?”

Jenn’s shoulders sink. “He walked in on them. He was out of town and his trip got cut short, so he wanted to surprise her and come home early. He had flowers for her in his hand when he found them going at it in his own bed.”

I close my eyes, imagining how hard that must have been for him.

“He and Sam had a huge fight then and there,” Jenn says. “Sam ended up running out of the house naked, with blood running down his face.”

“If he played for another team, how did he know Dane’s...” For some reason, I can’t call her his wife. “His, um...ex.”

Jenn lets Elena take that one.

“Dane and Sam used to be teammates.”

---