Page 20 of Falling Stars

I can’t stop the tears this time. “Don’t be nice to me, Walker. I’m thirty weeks pregnant and everything makes me emotional.” So far, Sean has sent me a coupon book for restaurants. That’s how he “supports” me. Irritated with myself for the water leaking from my eyes, I swipe my arm across my face.

“You’ve always been a firecracker. Now you just have a soft middle.” The smile Mav sends me makes my insides warm and gooey.

“Shut up about my soft middle. I hate how much soft I have right now.” I sniff. “And thank you, but you don’t need to spend your money on me. I’ll be okay.”

“Don’t do that tough girl act. I know we haven’t connected in a while, but you’re important to me, Baylee.” Ugh, he can be so sweet. I hate it. “Listen, I need to go in a sec, but I wanted to invite you to come to one of my games in early December. I’m flying the whole fam up here to do an early holiday dinner, and you’re… well, you’re my family.”

A thick knot forms in my throat.

Hanging out with him is the very last thing I want to do while I’m emotional and vulnerable. Plus, I can’t afford to cancelany hair appointments. “Thank you for thinking of me, but I don’t think I should fly when I’m that pregnant.”

He nods slowly. “What if I bumped up the date? Maybe snagged a game next month instead. Would that work better for you?”

The old me would’ve jumped at the chance to see Maverick play in the NFL. The new me knows better than to get invested again. “I have a lot going on at the salon right now. My mom’s in Amarillo, taking care of my grandfather, so I’m managing the salon.”

“Gotcha. Well, maybe next time.”

“Yeah. Maybe.” I shouldn’t bring this up, but I love giving him shit. “Great job going viral last week.”

His expression goes flat. “Shut up.”

“How does it feel to be the hottest rookie in the NFL?” I ask with a smirk.

Shaking his head, he rolls his eyes. “I knew you weren’t gonna let me live that down.”

I tap my bottom lip. “It must be your long luscious locks.” He’s looking pretty shaggy right now with hair hanging in his eyes. “Maybe I should let everyone know that you used to pick your nose in first grade and rub your boogies on the back of my chair.”

He busts out laughing. “I hate you.”

We smile at each other, and for just a moment, it feels like old times. A small ache starts in my chest. I’m about to ask if he’s still dating Kira when a door slams and he glances away.

“I’m on a video call,” he says to someone off screen. “What are you doing? I’m in the middle of something.”

There’s a female giggle, and a second later, a lacy bra hits him across the face.

And this is why no one should ever fall in love with this man. I should be used to it by now, but there’s still a streak of jealousyzipping through me, which I attribute to pregnancy hormones. “Looks like you’re busy. I’m going to let you go. It’s been nice catching up.”

“Baylee, wait?—”

I disconnect the video.

This was the reminder I needed.

Because Maverick Walker will never change.

5

MAVERICK

EARLY DECEMBER

Sometimes I think about it.

What it would’ve been like if I’d kissed Baylee in high school. I guess I did kiss her, but I mean, what if I hadn’t stopped kissing her? What if we’d done all the things I’d thought long and hard about doing with her when we were seventeen?

Would we have made it through high school together? Would we have beaten the odds as a long-distance couple when I went off to college?

Would she have left Wild Heart and followed me to New York when I got drafted?

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