Page 12 of Courting Clemson

I smiled at the cheesy question. “Part of my scholarship obligation.”

He gave a slow nod. “You’re a student?”

“Mmm-hmm. Our coach thinks this sets a good example and rounds us out as humans,” I said with eyebrows hiked high. I was repeating the coach’s words verbatim and could hear how dumb it sounded.

He surprised me when he said, “Smart coach,” and gave a solid nod of approval.

“What about you? You do this a lot?”

He looked my way before answering, and I noticed his blue eyes again. When the sun hit him at just the right angle, they sparkled like a digital special effect.

“Not as often as I’d like, but I try to come help out at least once a month.” Then he added, “I’d love to have a dog or cat of my own, but my schedule is too busy. I just don’t think it would be fair to the animal.”

“I think that little one really has a thing for you,” I teased and motioned toward the smallest of the three dogs he was walking.

“I’d save them all if I could.”

I couldn’t decide if that was adorable or lame. Maybe both? Any human that had that big a soft spot for animals had to be good inside. But then my mind flashed to a scene with an old man and thirty-two indoor cats, and a husky chuckle spurted out before I could stop it.

His eyes were much darker when he shot me a quick glance, and he had to clear his throat before speaking again.

“What’s so funny?” His tone was light—almost teasing.

I tapped my temple and said, “Vivid imagination,” and left it at that.

“So do you graduate this year?” Luke asked.

I grinned. If I wasn’t mistaken, this guy was hitting on me and trying to find out my age in an indirect way.

“No,” I said without supplying more.

His throat visibly worked as he digested that information and it was one of the sexiest things I’d ever seen. I felt heat rush to my face and neck at once.

“Wow. I wouldn’t have guessed that.” Then, almost offhandedly, he added, “You probably hear that a lot.”

“I’ve heard it a few times.”

Men always assumed I was older for some reason. I was tall and muscular and always attributed my older appearance to those two things. My body was definitely not stick straight or small like a lot of girls my age. But I’d been an athlete my whole life. I’d never known different.

We completed a lap around the block, and Luke suggested we do another. “Let’s make another loop. They’re having way too much fun to stuff them back in those awful kennels.”

I agreed with him, and we kept up our stride.

“Too bad there isn’t a park nearby. Or better yet, the beach. I bet these two would have a blast in the water,” I said motioning to the pups on my leashes.

“That would be great,” he said wistfully. “Do you like the beach?”

“I do. SoCal born and raised. It’s basically in my blood. But I spend so much time in the water with practice and meets, I don’t get down there as often as I’d like,” I added, feeling more and more comfortable with him as we walked. “What about you?”

“Same story as most everything in my life. I work a lot of hours. Doesn’t leave a lot of time for extra stuff,” he said, sounding genuinely tired.

“That’s not very fun.” I wanted to kick myself immediately. That sounded so childish…even to my own ears.

He shook his head. “It’s not. I mean, I love my job. It’s everything to me. But I’ve definitely been missing out on just living because of it.”

“Aren’t you a bit young to be talking like such an old geezer?”

“Pardon me?” He laughed. “Are you calling me old?”

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