Page 2 of One Night Valentine

After he names the exclusive restaurant in Whiskey Run, I just shake my head. “They close at nine. We’ll never make it.”

He opens the door that all his teammates disappeared through, and the noise from inside spills into the hallway. Cruz has to speak louder. “I reserved the whole restaurant. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”

Lexi nods. “Sounds good, big brother. I drove, so we’ll meet you there.”

I’m all smiles because as soon as I get away from the too-handsome Cruz Payne, I’m going to convince Lexi that her idea is a bad one, that there’s no way I can ask him to be my fake date at my sister and ex-boyfriend's wedding on Valentine’s Day. Nope, it’s not happening.

As soon as he shuts the door, Lexi grabs my hand and is pulling me down the hallway. In my head, I’m trying to work out how I’m going to get out of this. We walk through the parking lot, finally find her car, and it’s not until we’re a few miles from the stadium that I force a fake yawn. “You know what, I think I’m going to call it a night. You can just drop me off at home. We go right past it on the way to the restaurant.”

She doesn’t say anything; she’s just smiling as she drives.

I turn in my seat. “Lexi, seriously, I think you and your brother should celebrate on your own. You don’t need me there, making things awkward.”

She still doesn’t say anything, and I cross my arms over my chest and lean back into my chair. I’m quiet the rest of the trip until we pull up to the empty parking lot of The Peddler. As we sit here waiting for Cruz to show up, I try one last time. “Seriously, do you know how humiliating this is? I can’t ask your brother to be my fake date. I can ask someone else.”

When she doesn’t say anything, I lean up and throw my hands in the air. “Lexi Payne, talk to me. What is going on in that head of yours?”

She finally turns to me. “Okay, hear me out.”

I barely resist rolling my eyes. One thing I forget about Lexi sometimes is that she can talk her way into—or out of—anything. She has that gift. I grit my teeth. “I’m listening.”

She nods. “Okay, I need you to do this for me.”

She reaches for me, but I pull back. “Do what, exactly?”

She holds her hands together in front of her. “Cruz has played in the league for twelve seasons, and he says he’s ready for this, but I know it’s going to be hard for him.”

When she doesn’t go on, I try to make the connection. “And what? You think that him taking me on a date is going to get his mind off it? That’s crazy talk, Lexi. I mean, this isn’t even a normal wedding. It’s going to be awkward and embarrassing,and well, there’s no part of me that wants to be there, but I have to be. There’s no way he’s going to want in on this.”

She leans back with a smug smile. “You may be surprised.”

I blurt out a laugh. “Why? Does your brother have a fetish for saving women in despair? Trust me, you’re going to mention this and he’s going to run for the hills.”

She’s all smiles as headlights pull into the parking lot. “Well, it’s a good thing I know my brother better than you.”

She goes to get out, and I grab her hand, stopping her. “Promise me that whatever his answer is, you’ll accept it. We’re not begging him or trying to make him feel guilty. None of that. Got it?”

She gives me the look, the one that makes me laugh when I’m on her side and scares me when I’m not. “Sure, whatever you say, Tara. Come on, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

She gets out of the car, and I try to calm my nerves as I get out too. Cruz is standing next to his car, and I try not to stare. His hair is still slick from the shower. He changed into a tight black T-shirt and khaki pants. The longer I look at him, the more I know this fake date is a bad idea.

2

CRUZ

“Seriously. How are you feeling?”

My sister is looking at me worriedly, and I’m not faking the smile on my face. “Good. Free. Excited.”

She tilts her head to the side and looks at me like she’s trying to see if I’m telling her the truth or not. Our parents passed eight years ago, and since then, it’s just been Lexi and me. I know she wants me to be happy, and I’m sure that retiring from football is a step in the right direction. Don’t get me wrong. I love the sport. I love my team and teammates too. But it’s time for me to find something else I’m passionate about because I’m getting older, and I’m starting to feel it more than ever. I reach across the table and wrap my hand around my sister’s. “You need to quit worrying about me. I promise, I’m good.”

She sucks in a breath and nods. “I know you are, but I worry about you, and I just… I want you happy, Cruz. You deserve it more than anyone.”

“I am,” I assure her.

The waiters come at the perfect time. They start setting down numerous plates, and I gesture to my dinner guests. “I hope it’s okay. Since I asked them to stay open, I told them to just serve whatever they wanted.” I look at Tara, even though I’ve triedhard not to since we sat down here. Why does my sister’s best friend have to be so pretty? And the more I get to know her, the more I realize she has no idea how beautiful she really is. “Tara, I apologize. I didn’t know if you had any preferences or any allergies. I should have asked you before now. Is there anything you want to eat? Or any food you should avoid?”

Her mouth drops open like she’s surprised by my request. I smile at her patiently. “You can tell me if so. I can ask them to fix you something different if you’d like.”

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