Page 49 of Rowdy Hearts

Rowdy didn’t answer right away, as we drove through town. Main Street was deserted, the sole traffic light blinking yellow.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it.”

“What are you going to do when you can’t play anymore?”

Shrugging, he flipped the blinker and made a left, heading down the road I recognized as leading to his parents’ place.

“Coach, I guess.”

“Don’t you want to use your degree?”

“Maybe. I guess I’ll see what happens when it happens.”

I shook my head, wondering what it would be like to have that kind of freedom. To make decisions as they came rather than worrying about the future and trying to plan out everything six months, a year, two years in advance.

Did that make me anal? Or was he a stunted man-child who knew his parents would be there to back him in whatever play he made?

And wow, was I being bitchy or what? Where had that come from?

You’re such a wimp. You want him. Don’t freak out now.

Bad Girl was right. I’d let myself forget how fearless I used to be. How fearless I’d had to be to navigate the Hollywood system as a child actor. How I’d become a mother at twenty-one. How I’d gone to college and started my own business with a toddler in tow.

I’d been so damn good for seven years.

As we passed his parents’ home, I let my gaze linger for a second on the warm light coming through the front window. I couldn’t help the slight twinge of guilt I felt at leaving my daughter in the care of someone else.

Rowdy took an immediate left onto a road I hadn’t noticed before. It went past his parents’ house and into a wooded area. The trees closed around us, cutting us off from the rest of the world. It got so dark, I couldn’t even see the moonlight through the trees.

“Where are we?”

“Still on my parents’ property, so we’re technically still in town, but my property straddles the township and the borough line.”

None of that made much sense to me because the most beautiful home I’d ever seen came into view. It had two stories, was made of stone with four double windows and a covered porch that ran the entire length of the house.

“Did you build this?”

I huffed out a laugh. “No. This was built more than a hundred years ago. It was a mess when my parents bought the property. They considered tearing it down but never got around to it. Rain and my brothers and I used to play here when we were kids, even though we weren’t supposed to. It was the one secret we were all able to keep. I’m sure my parents knew but they never said anything. I think they were just happy we had somewhere to play that wasn’t under their feet all the time.”

“Can’t say I can’t blame them with four kids.”

I turned away from that gorgeous house to catch him staring at me with the most serious look I’d seen on his face yet. But it vanished in a second, replaced with his normal grin. I was beginning to think that grin covered a multitude of sins.

“We were angels.”

I laughed so hard, I snorted, covering my mouth with my hand as his grin widened.

When I could talk, I said, “I call bullshit.”

His exaggerated gasp made me laugh even harder. “I think I’m offended.”

“No, you are definitely not.”

“No, I’m not.”

That smile took my breath away and, even though I tried not to let it show, I knew he could tell. I wanted to kiss him, but I was enjoying the anticipation almost too much to break it.

“I also can’t take credit for all of the work that went into getting this place to where it is now.”

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