Page 7 of Her Football Star Ex

She must have noticed the admiration in my eyes, though, because she let out her cute, contented giggle and said, “Good. Hopefully that means my date will like it.”

My attention shot back to her face. “You have a date?”

“Mmm-hmm.” She bent down to pick up her dishes, avoiding my gaze.

“Anyone I know?” I asked, even though I knew I shouldn’t look like I cared.

“It’s a secret.” She shrugged and started walking toward the kitchen.

“A secret?” I raised an eyebrow and followed her.

“Yes.”

Why was she being so mysterious all of a sudden? Was she trying to make me jealous?

Because it was working.

“Would those selfies you were taking when I walked in happen to be for this guy?” I asked, unable to help myself.

She stopped walking momentarily, as if the question startled her, but after a short pause she looked over her shoulder with sultry eyes and said, “It’s really none of your business, but yes, maybe they were.”

And the jealous pit that instantly hit my stomach with her affirmation that she was dressed up for some other dude was not pleasant in the least.

“Kira said you were bringing a date, too.” She stepped up to the sink and started rinsing off her dishes. “Sounds like you’ve been busy off the fields as well as on.”

I frowned. “Kira said I had a date?”

Emerson nodded. “She told me today after court.”

Why would she say that? I had told Derek that I might show up with one of our teammates’ sister-in-law if his wife arranged it.

But nothing was set in stone.

And if I was to be honest with myself, I knew that there was a part of me that had hoped Emerson would show up alone so I could continue with my New Year’s resolution, which was to convince her to forgive me and maybe remind her that even though I had screwed everything up, we did have something worth fighting for.

“Anyway.” She set her plate on the bottom rack of the dishwasher. “I hope we can both enjoy the wedding without feeling too awkward about seeing each other and our dates.”

“Oh yeah, sure,” I mumbled, feeling my heart sink from my chest to my stomach. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

She put the rest of her dishes in the dishwasher and then turned back around to face me. “Are you bringing anyone I know?”

“Um…” I said, wondering if I should just admit that Kira was misinformed about my plus-one status. But deciding I’d rather play the game she was playing, I said, “My date is a secret, too.”

She raised her eyebrows, “Really?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

Especially since it was a mystery to me at the moment as well.

Looks like I should probably tell Chelsea Stockton to go ahead and set me up with her sister after all.

Emerson seemed like she was about to say something more when Jaxon’s little footsteps sounded on the tile floor.

“I’ve been waitingfor-ever!” he said in his impatient voice, his hands balled up into fists and resting on his waist. “Aren’t you going to come see my dinosaurs?”

“Yes, of course.” I stood up straighter. “I was just talking to your mom for a minute.” I held my hand out for him to take and lead me up the stairs. “But let’s go see your dinosaurs before it’s time for you to go to bed.”

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