Page 35 of Resisting the Running Back

“The kids are likely coming along, anyway, so with the entire Banks and Nash family along for the ride, if everyone is in, that just means more babysitters,” Tanner says. He wiggles his eyebrows at Cassie, who laughs.

“Oh!” she says. “Can I plan it? Ilovelooking up vacations, and I was planning to book something for our honeymoon anyway.”

We spend the rest of the meal chatting about cruises, where to go, and who might be able to join us, and I see the excitement in Sophie’s eyes.

I guess we’re really doing this.

CHAPTER 15: Sophie Summers

A Margarita in a Can

Cassie already feels like my best friend, and I just met her an hour ago.

Maybe it’s because she’s marrying Tanner, so she already feels like family since these two boys have been like family to me for half my life.

Or maybe it’s because we’re part of this exclusive club—the only two women who’ve ever been engaged to the Banks brothers. It’s quite a feat, to be honest. They’re some of pro football’s most eligible bachelors, and we managed to snag them.

Except for me, the only thing Isnaggedis a friend.

A good friend, but still just a friend.

But when he tosses his arm around me and looks down at me in that way he has, sometimes it feels like it could be more than just a friendship.

And when my hand lands on that huge thigh of his…my God.

Iwantit to be more than just a friendship.

But this is Miller Banks. My Millby. The guy who would show up for me at the drop of a hat. The guy whodiddo justthat and invited me to live with him as he facilitated a way for me to give my dreams a real chance at being my reality.

And so I will carefully pack away these new feelings I seem to be having. I will continue resisting the running back…no matter how hard that may be.

Speaking of hard…good God, that thigh muscle.

I remove my hand from his thigh and toward my margarita instead because, yeah, tequila is a great idea when I’m already having inappropriate thoughts.

Dinner is served, and Cassie laughs as I fill her in on all the stories of the twins as teenagers. She asks me a million questions about the direction of my career change, and by the end of the meal, I slip a business card over to her so she can pick up one of my books.

And that’s when Miller says, “She’s an amazing author. You’ll love her stuff.”

Tanner turns to his brother. “I didn’t even know she wrote, and you’ve read her books?”

“Every single one of them,” Miller admits proudly.

And then I melt into a puddle. How the hell am I supposed to resist this guy?

The longer I sit beside him, the more real it feels.

By the time we’re done, it’s like we’re two couples out on a double date.

We’re photographed as we leave the restaurant, and Tanner drives us back to Miller’s house. We say our goodbyes to Tanner and Cassie, and Cassie and I exchange numbers. She tells me she would love to meet up for coffee and show me around town since I’m new, and since I don’t have any friends here, well, the truth is, I’d absolutely love to.

“Is it too soon to text her?” I ask as Miller shuts the door behind them.

He laughs. “Yeah, it might be a little on the early side.”

“I don’t care. It’s not like a dating situation. It’s a friend thing, and if she’s marrying Tanner, then she’s stuck with me being part of your lives.” I say the words as I pull out my phone to send her a text, but then a question plagues my mind.

Will she be stuck with me forever?

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