Page 89 of Play Book

The next words that come out of my mouth are probably just as shocking to me as they are to her. “I’m going to need a house. Now that Ally’s with me, it feels like the condo is too small. And, you know, depending on how things go, maybe we’ll want to buy something together.”

She doesn’t respond for a long time.

“Or, you know, maybe not,” I say after a moment, feeling like an idiot.

“Sorry, I think you just shocked me.”

I chuckle. “Yeah, I was a little surprised too. I’ve been thinking about buying a house, and now you’re thinking about doing something with your living situation—why wouldn’t we talk about making that change together?”

“Because we’ve been in each other’s lives, like, barely two months!”

“Yeah.” I stare at the road ahead. “Is it weird that it feels like longer? Like we’ve been together for years instead of weeks?”

“I know what you mean. I thought maybe I was just a romantic fool. But you feel it too.” She sounds cautious but simultaneously pleased. As if she’s been struggling the same way I have.

“Do you think you’re falling in love with me?” I ask, trying to keep my voice light. “Because I kinda keep thinking maybe that’s what I’m feeling. That’s what this thing between us is. The problem is that I’ve never been in love before, so I don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like.”

“I’ve been telling myself it’s too soon and that I’m an idiot,” she says. “But yes, it feels a little like that. And I have been in love.”

“So…that’s what we’re feeling?”

“I can’t speak to what’s in your heart,” she says softly. “For me, most of my regrets in life have been the things I didn’t do, and I refuse to do that again. I knew there was a huge chance you were going to break my heart, but I decided it was worth the risk. You were worth the risk.”

“Every time you say shit like that, I fall a little harder,” I admit, reaching over the center console for her hand. “What do you see in me, Saylor? Seriously, why would you put up with my grumpy ass?”

She laughs. “There are so many wonderful things about you, Canyon. How can you even ask me that?”

“Aside from my athleticism and my looks, I’ve never had a single person tell me I’m a good guy. Hell, my own sister didn’t believe me when I told her what her boyfriend was doing—she turned it around on me. What does that say about who I am?”

“Nothing. All it says is that she was young and immature. The man I know is kind and generous, loving and thoughtful. Yes, you can be a little surly sometimes, but there’s no rule that says you have to be happy twenty-four seven. You make me happy, and that’s all I care about.”

“It’s what I care about too,” I say slowly. “Making you happy is one of the few things that genuinely brings me pleasure. Almost everything else is just background noise.”

“So this is love lite,” she says quietly. “You know, it’s not the full-blown, full-fat love. And it’s also not the zero-fat friends-with-benefits version. It’s a lighter, softer kind, where we’re still figuring out what kind of love diet we’re on.”

“I don’t want to be on a diet with you,” I say, “but easing into it makes a lot of sense.”

“We have Ally to think about, and we’re going to be apart a lot in the coming weeks because I’ve got all that work stuff coming up.”

“I remember.”

“And you have to be either with the team or with Ally, so let’s see where this goes between now and when the season ends.”

“That sounds perfect.”

Just like her.

We have a fantastic evening, talking and getting to know each other, getting to see different sides of each other. I’m a lot more relaxed than usual, which is nice.

Usually I’m all over her, but tonight I takes my time, making love to her like it’s the first time all over again. Except gentler. More in tune with our souls than our bodies, which is an interesting turn of events.

And I’d be lying if I said I don’t like it.

“I was thinking we should spend more time together at the house,” I say before we doze off.

“Your place, you mean?”

“Yeah. Ally needs to get used to having you around, you know?”

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