Page 40 of Rushing Into Love

“Hey, great game,” I said, smiling up at him. Ryder looked fantastic tonight, totally in his element, wearing his blue coach’s jersey and tight track pants, showcasing his physique. He had a shadow of dark facial hair, totally pulling off the sexy and rugged look.

“Thanks. Alex was awesome.” He grinned, flashing his dimples at me. “I knew she’d be great, but that was amazing.” He beamed down at me, shaking his head in appreciation.

“Yeah, she’s a great athlete.” I nodded in agreement. “How’d it feel to be out on the field? I know it’s not the NFL…” I said, flipping my hair over my shoulder.

He laughed. “No, definitely not, but it felt good.” He shrugged, taking a step closer to me. “It was good to be out there, playing football again. The kids really have a love of the game, which I’ve missed. A lot of pros lose that spark, so it’s nice to see that again.” He locked his marine eyes onto mine.

I nodded, smiling at him, my heart hammering hard and fast in my chest. We were standing face-to-face now, there were tons of people around us, but I was close enough to smell the earthy scent of the field mixed with his cologne. I wanted to reach out and touch him, have his arms wrap around me, holding me close. I wanted him to bend down and kiss me, put his warm lips on mine. My body tingled thinking about it.

“Hey, bro, great game.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Quinn jogging up beside me. He man-hugged Ryder, giving him a combo high-five/handshake.

“Hey, Bree.” He acknowledged me in a not-too-warm voice, eyeing me suspiciously. Then he turned back to Ryder, pointedly boxing me out.

“You up for some beers tonight?”

“Nah, man. I need to hang with the little guy for a while. Raincheck?”

“Sure, whatever,” Quinn said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Okay, I’m gonna bolt. If you change your mind, I’ll be at The Rowdy. See ya.” He man-patted Ryder again, shot me a wave, and took off for the parking lot.

“Sorry about that,” Ryder said, rubbing the back of his neck. “He’s overprotective, ever since the Shayna thing.”

I shrugged. “Hey, I get it. It sounds like that was a tough time for you guys. I understand he’s just looking out for you.”

“Thanks, that’s cool of you.” He stepped towards me just as an attractive older woman walked up with Charlie.

“Great game, honey.” She leaned in, hugging Ryder. “I’m so proud of you.” Her blue eyes twinkled under the white lights and right away I recognized her as Ryder’s mom.

“Hi, I’m Maeve McCauliffe, also known as Gigi.” She offered her hand to me, warmly shaking mine; basically, the polar opposite of the glacial greeting I’d had from Quinn.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Bree Hart, Alex’s aunt.” I smiled at her, my cheeks flushing.

“She had quite the game,” Gigi smiled. “She and Charlie make a good team out there.” She squeezed Charlie and he beamed up at her. It was clear the two of them were tight.

“Ryder, sweetie, could Pops and I take Charlie out for ice cream?”

She looked to him for permission and I noticed slight creases around her eyes from years of smiling.

“Yeah, sure, great. Want me to come?” Ryder asked, shoving a hand into his back pocket.

“Not necessary, honey. Besides, Pops and I wanted a little Charlie time, all to ourselves. Why don’t you go out and celebrate your big win?” she suggested, a twinkle in her eye.

“Okay, mom. Thanks.” Ryder bent down to give her a squeeze, then got down on Charlie’s level and ruffled his hair.

“Great game, little man. I’m proud of you.” He gave his son a hug and my heart melted.

“We’ll see you later then, honey,” Gigi said, giving Ryder another quick hug. Then she and Charlie headed to the parking lot hand in hand, Charlie with a quick skip in his step.

The field had really cleared out. Only a few groups of parents were still hanging around.

“Bree, we’re heading out.” Brooklyn and Alex walked up, and I caught Brooks eyeing me, assessing the situation. “Craig’s meeting us in town for pizza.”

I cleared my throat, hesitating for a moment, before Ryder jumped in. “I’ll take you home.”

I looked to my sister, who just tilted her head at me.

“Okay, sounds good. See you later, then?” Brooks asked, eyebrows raised.

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