Page 2 of The Mistletoe Trap
At least I’ll see her soon. Then maybe it won’t feel like we never get to fully catch up.
“Why don’t you fly her out for a game already, Frost?” Tyrone Marshall asked. “I still haven’t met her in person.”
“He’s trying to keep her to himself,” Jason said, and then he lifted his hand to the side of his mouth and stage-whispered, “Even though he claims they’rejust friends.”
“Wearejust friends,” Julie said, and Jason grimaced at the phone.
“Forgot you were still on speaker, babe. Did you need advice on another outfit? You know you can call me for tips anytime. My number’s seven-two-six—”
“That’s it. I’m taking her off speaker phone.” Gavin gave a halfhearted kick toward the crowd. “Now, piss off.”
“Wait,” Julie said. “I do need to tell Jason something.”
A giant grin spread across Jason’s face as he moved closer.
“While we’re talking tips, you’ve really gotta stop celebrating before you cross the goal line. You’re gonna get the ball stripped at the one-yard line during a big game, and I don’t like talking to Gavin when he’s all crabby from losing.”
The guys laughed and jostled Jason. The wide receiver was a huge showboat, but half of it was playing to the crowd, who ate it up. Not that Coach Bryant hadn’t given him the same lecture about premature celebrations.
“Till next time, Jason.” Julie hollered out goodbyes to the rest of the guys. “Now you can take me off speaker, Gavin.”
At the tap of the button, her voice switched back to simply being in his ear.
“For someone who’s not your girl, she’s certainly got you whipped. Do this”—Jason made a whipping motion, along with the cracking noise—“do that.”
Gavin flipped him off before turning away so he could focus on Julie. Lately it’d been hard to touch base, and he really ought to stop taking calls in the locker room or gym where there were way too many interruptions. Easier said than done, considering he practically lived at the training facility. Not that he was complaining. After three years of playing backup to one of the best QBs in the NFL, new owner Lance Quaid had taken a chance on him, and he wasn’t going to blow it.
Which was why his shoulder needed to chill.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so bossy,” Julie said, and the hint of remorse dug at him. She’d seemed down for weeks, and he resolved to find a way to cheer her up once they were in the same zip code again. Unfortunately, it’d be for only an extended weekend, but at this point, he’d take whatever he could get.
“No worries. I don’t give a shit about what Holt thinks anyway. In fact, it’s fun watching his shocked expressions when his come-ons roll right off you. He has such a hard time believing you’re not affected by his charm.”
“It’s not like he wasactuallycoming on to me. He just likes trying to fluster me, and at least this time I was ready for it.”
Not even close to true, but Gavin meant what he’d said about not letting Jason anywhere near Julie. She’d already dated enough players, and somehow she still saw the best in people, to the point that she occasionally ignored warning signs and ended up hurt.
That wasn’t happening on his watch ever again.
“Anyway, circling back to my swimsuit dilemma…”
“What did you put on your packing list?”
“How did you know I—?” He heard the crumple of paper on the other side of the line. “Fine, I have a list, but it literally says, ‘Decide which swimsuit to take.’ I’d like to look sexy while soaking in the hot springs—as sexy as is possible for me, anyway—but our families and everyone we went to high school with will undoubtedly be around as well…”
His stomach clenched, and somehow the bottom still fell right out of it. He’d been so psyched for his long holiday weekend with Julie and his family that he’d managed to suppress the possibility of a run-in with his ex-girlfriend. Gavin hadn’t seen Kristin since the devastating breakup the tabloids speculated about and reporters sporadically brought up if he slipped and let his guard down. Didn’t matter that it ended during his second season with the Pythons—right around the playoffs, at that.
Guess that was what happened when you proclaimed how strong and unbreakable your relationship with your high school and college sweetheart was shortly after you were drafted. It made the haters all the more ravenous when it crumbled apart.
“…so maybe that means I should go for a sturdy, full-coverage suit,” Julie continued, and he shoved away his past drama to concentrate on her words. “Plus, your family’s forever insisting on playing a pickup game.”
“And you’re more of a belly-flop girl.”
“Hey!”She paused, and he could picture her gnawing on her lower lip. “But you’re right. Sturdy it is. It’s not like I can flirt with our families around anyway. Which reminds me… Has your mom started dropping hints again about how you and I should totally be a couple?”
“You’ve met Darlene Frost, right? She doesn’t drop hints. She smashes you over the head with them.” He pitched his voice as high as it would go to imitate his mom. “Julie’s single again, you know. She’s such a beautiful, sweet girl, and so smart, too. It’s amazing how well she fits right in with our family. In case you haven’t realized it yet, it’s also the first time in years you’ve both been unattached at the same time…”
“Let me guess, you evaded and brought up the success I’ve had in my career.”
