Page 15 of Fumbled Beginning

He laughed. “I don’t miss those losses.”

When my friend retired last season to raise his family, I was bummed. We’d played together for years. We had undeniable chemistry and were always on the same page. The tabloids used to say we had a bromance going on because we just clicked, both on and off the field. Between his good arm and my good hands, we made a damn good passing tandem.

“I bet you don’t.” I flicked my blinker to switch lanes. “At least now I can sleep in all day like you for the next few months.”

“Bitch, please. My kid gets up at the butt crack of dawn. There is no sleeping in around here.”

“And you wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Damn right. Listen,” he cleared his throat, “Kinley has a friend coming into town next weekend. Her name is Taylor, they used to work together. Any chance you’re available to go out to dinner with us? My sister offered to babysit.”

My body tensed. Did Rylee know he was asking me? Was she trying to set me up with someone else? I stared straight ahead, thankful that my friend couldn’t see me. It was taking everything I had not to pound my fist on the steering wheel. I had no idea where I stood with that woman.

Irritation licked its way up my spine. If these feelings I had for her were reciprocated, she wouldn’t be offering to babysit her nephew. She wouldn’t want me on a double date with another woman. It was well past time I accepted the fact that she didn’t want me at all.

I heard her loud and clear.

“Sure, let me know when.”

CHAPTER5

RYLEE

I was bouncingZander on my lap and swiping through my Instagram to see if there were any updates to JP’s story.

I hated everything about this and was questioning my sanity at this point. When I offered to babysit, so Maverick and Kinley could go out to dinner with her friend, I had no idea they would turn it into a double date. Actually, it was my sister-in-law that suggested it. I had a feeling she did it on purpose.

She was pushing me to admit my true feelings. Instead, I called her bluff. Now, I regretted it.

Taylor was nice, but watching her get ready, asking a million questions about my brother’s friend, and seeing the excitement in her eyes when he showed up made me want to rip her little head off.

I faked my way through an entire conversation when he got here. He stayed for a full ten minutes before they left, but it was the longest ten minutes of my life. I told them I hoped they had a good time, which was a big fat lie.

After a bath, a bottle, and two more books, Zander was passed out in his crib, and I was snuggled up under a blanket on a Friday night on my brother’s couch.

I was flipping betweenStranger ThingsandThe Walking Deadwhen the front door swung open. I switched on the lamp and sat up, noticing three figures instead of four.

Maverick unzipped his coat and hung it on the rack, and Kinley dropped her purse on the side table. JP stood in the doorway with his hands shoved in his pockets, looking annoyed.

“Hey.” I kept my gaze trained on the door to see if Taylor was behind them. “You guys are back early.”

Kinley sidestepped the guys and walked down the hall toward Zander’s bedroom. “The meal took forever, and we were all tired, so we didn’t end up going out for drinks after.”

I could feel JP’s gaze burning into my skin from the corner of my eye. What was his problem? Did his date not go well, and he somehow blamed me?

“Where’s Taylor?” I asked, pushing the blanket off my lap.

“She went back to her hotel,” my brother answered as he walked into the kitchen to grab some beers from the fridge. He popped the caps off and handed one to JP. “How’s my little guy?”

“He was a perfect angel.”

I took a sip of my water, trying to buy some time before I had to acknowledge the man who seemed to melt my brain cells with a simple look. I lifted my gaze to see him standing there, watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite read.

When he strode over and sat beside me, I had to force myself to stay calm and collected. There was plenty of space for him to stretch out on the other end, so what the hell was he doing? My mind was racing, and I hated the way he made me feel all out of sorts. I don’t ever recall having a problem being around him like this before.

“I’m going to change into sweats.” My brother put his beer down and quickly left the room.

Then there were two.

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