Page 13 of Heartfelt Goals

Dustin blinked.

“You work for me, remember?” Dustin began, currently taken aback by the man’s angry voice as he got louder and louder.

“I work for the number one goalie in demand currently – but that might not be you next year. I’d like it to be, but for any of this to work it has to be as a team. I’m not staying in the rowboat if you are drilling holes in the bottom of it.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“No, I’m not.”

“We’re currently butt-cheek deep in water and sinking.”

“No, we’re not,” Dustin chuckled at the imagery.

“So you have a bride in mind, and you’re taking the deal?”

“I didn’t say that…” he hedged carefully.

“You live on the twelfth floor, right?”

“Yeah.”

“A fancy high-rise condo with great views?”

“I guess so.”

“Tell ya what – you take the stairs to your place instead of the elevator and tell me if you are getting married to someone to clinch this contract. You have twenty-four hours left to say ‘yes.’I wouldn’t wait until the last minute either,” Malcolm snapped hotly and hung up on him.

Hesitating, Dustin parked his car, backing it in… and looked at the rusty car beside him. His mind was racing with staggering, bone-chilling thoughts he had never even contemplated in his wildest dreams. As he got out of the car and limped toward the building, he looked up – and swallowed.

He could do it – but was it worth it?

4

LAUREL

Laurel wasin the middle of sautéing half a bag of frozen vegetables and some chunks of tofu while noodles boiled on the back burner when she heard a knock at the door. She needed the break and the food, hopefully, to give her another mental boost for her book because she’d effectively backed her character into a corner and didn’t want to rewrite it.

Kendall’s head popped around the corner.

“Are you expecting someone?”

“I was just going to ask you that.”

“Want me to get it?”

“Maybe it’s the maintenance guy to look at the faucet that drips.”

“Need me to get lost?” Kendall chuckled. “That’s how your smut begins, right? A plumber just magically shows up, and some dragon…”

“Forget it,” Laurel replied, exasperated and embarrassed. “I’ll get the door, and don’t forget that ‘my smut’just bought you new school clothes.”

Kendall blew her a kiss.

“I swear,” Laurel muttered, pushing the skillet off the burner, walked over, and yanked open the door – freezing immediately as she met Dustin’s bright eyes.

Kendall walked past her and whispered loudly, “I rest my case.Bow-chicka-bow-wow…” as she disappeared into her bedroom, shutting the door loudly, followed by a muffled, “I can’t hear you now – I’m safe!”

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