Page 10 of Tackle

“Well, whatever the reason, I’m happy.”

Ivy beamed. “Me too.”

Emerson sat up straighter as players started to run out on the field. She recognized the black and silver colors of the Phantoms and tried to spot which player was Oz. He’d be one of the biggest guys, but they all looked huge in their pads and uniforms. Damn, she should have memorized his number.

Pulling out her phone to Google it, she heard Ivy say, “Oh, by the way, how much do you know about football?”

Emerson laughed. “Not a damn thing.”

Standing off to the side, away from the small crowd, Emerson spotted Oz exiting the tunnel. He was laughing as he waved to one of his teammates and, my god, the sound. Deep and rich, it had her toes curling.

Catching sight of her, he made his way over. Dressed in jeans and a tee with his hair slicked back into a low ponytail and his smile still in place, he looked good.

No, he looked great.

“Hi. I’m glad you made it through okay. Nobody gave you any trouble at the gate, did they?”

“Nope. This baby,” she took hold of the pass hanging around her neck and gave it a jiggle, “worked better than keys to the city. I got ushered right through.” An experience that had her feeling like royalty. Hordes of people had crowded the gate and she had sailed right in. But the biggest thrill was when one security guard had given her a chin lift after hearing him mumble to another that she belonged to Olson. How could she not walk with a lighter step after that!

“Congrats on your win.” A soft breeze blew the scent of Oz’s soap in her direction, and she got a deep pull of woodsy citrus. Being discreet, she took a tiny step closer in hope for another whiff.

“Thanks.” He looked to the ground and kicked a small rock with the toe of his sneaker.

“It was exciting.”

His head popped up. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” His expression said he wanted to say more, so she kept silent, giving him time. If there was one thing she was learning, Oz liked to think before he spoke. “Listen, do you…” He hesitated, clearing his throat. “Do you, um, maybe want to do something? You know, like to celebrate…. With me, I mean.”

Torn, she hesitated for the briefest of seconds. On the one hand, she really wanted to go with Oz, but on the other, she had a responsibility. “I should get back to the pub.”

“Oh.” If a six-foot-four, two-hundred-and-something pound man could look crestfallen, Oz did.

She hurried to explain. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she turned him down because she wasn’t interested. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but this is the first time I’ve been away from the pub for any length of time since it’s opened.”

“It’s okay. I understand.”

Emerson bit the inside of her lip in indecision because while she was sure Ozdidunderstand her obligation, she didn’t think he understood just how much she wanted to spend time with him somewhere other than her pub.

“Let me call Leslie. She’s the waitress who agreed to hold down the fort, so to speak. I’ll see how things are going and ask if she minds staying a few more hours. I can do the closing and lock up later tonight.”

“You don’t need to do that. I truly understand. No hard feelings.” His words said all the right things, but the look on his face made her feel as if she would miss her chance if she didn’t seize it. He’d admitted how hard this was for him and she worried he may never ask again.

“Wait!” She grabbed his forearm. They rarely touched, and the feel of his sun-warmed skin made her fingers tingle and sent a thrill up her arm. “Please, I want to go with you.”

He stared at her a moment, weighing the sincerity of her words before slowly nodding, a ghost of a smile pulling at his lips. “Okay.”

She took out her phone and made the call. The conversation was short. As it turned out, things were running smoothly and Leslie was happy for the overtime, needing the extra money.

“Good news. I’m all yours for the next four hours.” She shoved her phone into her pocket and beamed up at Oz. “What kind of celebration did you have in mind?”

He crammed his hands into his back pockets and shrugged. “I thought, that is, if you don’t mind, we could hang at my place. Order a pizza and watch a movie.”

Oz all to herself? No, she didn’t mind at all. “Bet it’s not much fun going out in public right after a game. You probably get hounded more than usual.”

Oz nodded. “Especially when we win. But if you want to go out somewhere, we can,” he quickly added, misunderstanding her comment and looking a bit frantic.

“No. Pizza and a movie at your place sounds wonderful.”

“Great. It’s a date.” His eyes widened and Emerson pursed her lips to keep from smiling. The poor guy looked like he’d swallowed one of his footballs. “I mean, that is, if you want to call it a date.”

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