Page 46 of Rosie and the Beast Next Door

“Nothing. Just having an off day.”

Charlie approached on the other side. “Please tell me this isn’t a Lizzy with mud on her dress situation.”

Rosie blinked, her eyes too wide to be actually innocent. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“A little mud was an intriguing imperfection that Mr. Darcy couldn’t resist.”

Rosie dropped the innocent act with a huff. “I thought you supported the plan.”

“Not if it means making yourself less. Be an accomplished lady, Rosie,” she pleaded. “Please.”

These two were talking in code. A really weird code.

But I could guess enough based on how Rosie’s gaze drifted to the stands again. “Ignore Maximillian. There’s nothing a guy likes better than to see his girl killin’ it. Trust me.”

“It’s Max,” she grumbled, but her eyes had a spark in them. “And I’m not his girl yet.”

“Yeah, but he’s going to wish you were.”

“Let’s move!” Greg yelled. He tapped his watch.

“I’m just going to back away slowly,” I said.

“Good idea.” Rosie put the bat over her shoulder and zoned in on the pitcher. “Things are about to get real.”

Chapter 18

Rosie

I’d begged the teamto go to the ice cream parlor instead of Icy Asps Restaurant, like we usually did. Mostly because I was getting sick of being there so much with my work schedule.

Besides, the ice cream parlor was only open in the summertime, so we needed to get our fill of it while we could.

I got a homemade waffle cone with two scoops—one cookies and cream and one mint-chocolate chip.

“So you like to eat toothpaste.” Dylan had opted to get one small scoop of strawberry sorbet in a cup, like a sad grandpa who’d forgotten how to have fun.

“And you hate happiness.” I motioned toward his cup. “We all have our quirks.”

“Sorbet is delicious,” he said defensively. “Have you tried it here? It’s fresh fruit puree.”

“Why in the world would I try it when I could have full cream and sugar with huge chunks of chocolate?”

He held out his spoon to me, a small bite of sorbet on the end. “Come on. One bite. You owe me.”

I made a face. “For what?”

“For winning the scrimmage for you.”

“You didn’t—”

The spoon touched my bottom lip, stealing all my words and thoughts from me. It was cold, but the look he gave me was heated. I opened my mouth on instinct and ate the sorbet.

The way Dylan watched me sent shivers all the way to my toes. “Good?”

I nodded, words impossible to find. I blinked away the weirdness. I was not going to get all mushy brained overfruit puree.

“Needs dark chocolate chunks.”

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