Page 50 of The Sweet Spot

I grabbed the bell peppers and handed her a zucchini to chop next. “I’ve been one since I was thirteen. I saw a documentary on factory farming. That did it for me. That’s why you’ll notice that I’m picky about ingredients and their sources.”

“Ah, got it. Enough said.”

While we worked on pregame meals, Brandon came home. He said a quick hello, then went to bed for his game-day nap. Delia left for her lunchtime deliveries, and I found myself with nothing to do for at least an hour. The chicken Ryan and Brandon would be eating was marinating, and it was too earlyto make anything else. So I cleaned up what I could, then crept down the hall to Brandon’s room. I assumed he’d be asleep, but I gently knocked on the door in case he wasn’t. I didn’t expect a response, but then he surprised me.

“Who’s there? Whatever you’re selling, I don’t want any.”

More each day, I was seeing his dry sense of humor and the side of him he didn’t show other people, and I loved it. The man possessed a funny bone.

“I have snacks.”

“That changes everything. Please enter.”

I did have some snacks. I’d made peanut butter protein balls, which were his favorite. I also had a protein shake to wash it down with. He sat up in bed and motioned for me to come over. I put the shake and protein balls on the nightstand, and he immediately pulled me down onto the bed. I shrieked in surprise.

“Don’t you have to rest?” I asked.

“I do, but kisses first.”

I stopped him at kisses and crawled across the bed to hand him his protein shake.

“You are no fun,” he said.

“I’m lots of fun, but you have a hockey game later today. I’m happy to cuddle for a while.”

“I’ll take it.”

I waited for him to drift off to sleep, but I could tell by his breathing that he was wide awake. He’d be grouchy if he didn’t get his shut-eye.

“I’m not sure cuddling is working. You’re still awake.”

“Because something jumped into my head,” he said, running his fingers up and down my arm.

“Do I want to know?”

“Not sure, but it’s something I want to know. Rememberback when you and Tangi had some words? What was that all about?”

Crap. I didn’t want to go there, so I deflected with a question of my own. “What made you think of that?”

“You mentioned the Thanksgiving dinner. Just wondering if there’d be any tension.”

I shifted so we were now facing each other, and I could gaze into his gorgeous blue eyes. I could stare into those eyes all day long, and they were going to get everything out of me. “It’s stupid, really. Clearly, I had a bit of a crush on you, and I guess she picked up on that.”

His mouth opened in shock. “You did? I didn’t even notice.”

“I nearly passed out when you showed up shirtless in the kitchen that one time.”

He chuckled at that. “I thought you were more appalled that I did it.”

“No. You’re lucky I didn’t jump you. And remember the time you touched my arm? I nearly lost it!”

“Well, hubba bubba.”

“Would you stop! Otherwise, I’m never wearing the shirt again.”

“Can’t say I’ll stop because you look so hot in that shirt, but I do want to know more about what happened with Tangi. I feel like you’re trying to distract me.”

I wanted to hide my head under a pillow, or better, I’d rather have a molar extracted than have to tell him, but I was an open book, the tell-all kind.

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