Page 44 of Rushing Into Love

Quinn rolled his eyes. “You can’t trust Mom. She’s always trying to marry us off. She’d love nothing more than having you settle down with a girl, give Charlie a proper mother, have another baby.”

“Maybe.” I rubbed my chin. “But after Shayna, I think she’s pretty wary. She never did like her, so that’s saying something. She seemed to take a shine to Bree.”

“Well, if she’s worth the trouble, man, go for it, I guess,” Quinn shrugged. “I like to keep my relationships short, sweet, and easy.” He winked at Macy, giving her a quick up and down scan.

My brother the player. Bree had that part right, I thought.Probably one of the reasons Quinn wasn’t so keen on her. She already had his number.

“I guess I should ask her out on a proper date then,” I said, finishing off my beer and setting the empty bottle on the counter. I handed Quinn some cash. “Pay my tab, will you?”

He nodded. “Sure. You off already?”

“Yeah, I gotta go.” I wanted to ask Bree out and I didn’t need my brother staring over my shoulder the entire time.

As soon as I got to the car, I pulled out my phone and dialed Bree’s number.

“Hello?” She answered on the second ring.

“Hey. I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner with me tomorrow night?” I asked, sounding more confident than I felt. I’d been out of the game for a long time.

“I would love to, but I thought we were keeping a low profile?”

“How about next Saturday then? We’ll give it a week. And I’ll pick somewhere private,” I assured her.

“Okay. What time?”

“I’ll have to check with my mom and see what time she wants Charlie to come over for movie night. Probably around seven?”

“Sounds good. Let me know the details. Have a good night.”

“You too.” I disconnected, exhaling hard. Dating Bree was turning out to be as nerve-wracking as playing professional football. I just hoped I’d eventually get into the endzone.

* * *

Waitingan entire week to go out with Bree was hell. We talked and texted some, but I couldn’t wait to be actually be with her again. Eventually the week ended and turned into the weekend and finally Saturday rolled around. My mom came over at six to pick Charlie up. When she realized I had a date with Bree, she immediately turned movie night into a sleepover. Very subtle. The woman couldn’t have been more obvious if she tried.

As soon as they left, I hopped in the shower, then shaved, slapped on cologne. I rummaged through my closet, found a light blue dress shirt and a clean pair of jeans, pulled them on, and I was ready to go.

Driving over to Brooklyn’s house, I turned the volume on the radio up a few notches to drown out the hammering of my heart. My mouth was dry as chalk and I took a few deep breaths. I was jumpy, like I used to get before a big game.It’s only a date, Ryder.No big deal.

But I quickly discovered that chanting a mantra doesn’t automatically make it ring true. For some reason, tonight felt like a big deal. I needed to get a grip on myself before I rang her doorbell, that was for sure.

I pulled into the driveway, cut the engine, took another deep breath.You’ve got this.You already made a first down. You’re in possession of the ball and the defense seems weak. Just catch the ball and run.

Energized, I got out of the car and made my way to the front door, rang the doorbell. I concentrated on standing up straight and looking confident, even though I was jittery inside.

Brooklyn answered the door after a few moments. “She’s finishing up getting ready. Come on in.” She held the door open, ushering me in. I entered the foyer, then followed her into the all-white formal living room.

“I’ll let her know you’re here. Do you want something to drink?” she offered, ever the polite hostess.

“No, I’m good,” I said, declining. I really didn’t want to stand around and make small talk with Bree’s sister.

Brooklyn went to get Bree and I stood awkwardly in the center of the room, not yet comfortable enough to sit on her expensive-looking furniture. If I didn’t know any better, I’d never guess a kid lived here. Unlike my house, which very often resembled a romper room, Brooklyn’s house was pristine and very, very white. Charlie wouldn’t last two seconds in here.

“Hey.” Bree entered the room, looking casual but sophisticated. Her long hair cascaded around her shoulders and I fully appreciated the deep V of her black blouse, the perfect fit of her jeans, and her knee-high leather boots.

“Hey. You look great.” Crossing the room, I gave her a soft peck on the cheek. She smelled phenomenal, too, slightly sweet, with hints of vanilla and mint. My pulse quickened standing this close to her—it was going to be a long night.

“You ready?” I asked, shoving a hand in my pocket and pulling out the keys.

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