Page 67 of The Run Home
When we had our meeting with Principal Joseph and let out our secret, it was a shock to the system to have everyone’s eyes on me. Suddenly I was getting just as much attention as Boon, and while he took it in stride, I stumbled. Repeatedly.
And yet Boon was there by my side the whole time, a hand at my back to steady me and a sweet kiss every morning before we walked into the school. Not only had we announced my pregnancy, but Boon had decided PDA was fair game. That had caused all kinds of rumors, each more ridiculous than the last. The one I hated the most was the one that resembled the truth.
Shae must have trapped him with a pregnancy…
As if that was the only way I could get a guy like Boon to be interested in me. The truth hurt, of course, but I also knew how busybodies were, believing the worst because that made for more titillating gossip. Maybe Ihadtrapped him, not because I forced him to be involved, but because he felt obligated. However, the more time he spent at my place, the more I was starting to believe he actually wanted to be there. I’d started to hope.
“Shae!” Boon shouted from the double doors across the school as I turned to lock up my classroom for the day. His team had an important game tonight, and I knew I wouldn’t see him much except for out there on the field, yelling at and encouraging his players. If they won tonight, they’d go to the district championships.
He jogged down the hallway, every bit the professional athlete with muscles flexing, stride graceful like a wild animal meant for running, and not even out of breath when he got to me. I panted putting my shoes on these days.
One hand immediately went to my belly and the other to cupping my cheek. He laid a kiss on me that had me forgetting a student leaving late for the day might see us.
“Hey, lovebug,” he whispered against my lips. I could feel the cocky smirk forming.
“Hey.” Yep, I was already breathless.
He pulled back, scanned my cheeks that had gone hotter, noticed the rapid rise and fall of my breasts, and wagged hiseyebrows. He was pleased with himself for getting me all hot and bothered. I tried telling him it was just pregnancy hormones making me horny, but my body betrayed me every time he came near, and it just went to his big head.
“Got something for you.”
“Boon!” I whisper-shouted. Normally when he said something like that, his dick appeared shortly after and while this man could convince me to do a lot of dirty things, doing them here on school grounds was definitely off-limits.
He chuckled and kissed the tip of my nose, fogging up my glasses. “I love that your brain goes there.” He leaned back and pulled a jersey from where it had been hooked over the back of his shorts. “This is for you to wear tonight.”
I took it from his hand, seeing that it was a Blueball High baseball jersey. “Um, thanks? I was just planning to wear something blue and roomy.”
I’d started showing almost to the day we talked to Principal Joseph, the baby bump out in full force since then. I gravitated toward my roomiest sweaters and finally gave in to some maternity pants when Gigi and Kinsley took me to the mall. The elastic waists were so much more comfortable. Heck, I might just continue to wear these after the baby was here.
Boon unfolded the jersey and held it up so I could see it. Ah. Now I understood. The back of the jersey had his old number with the Texas Outlaws emblazoned on it, along withWolfein bright white block letters.
I snatched it back and lifted an eyebrow. “Are you trying toclaimme? Like some kind of caveman?”
His grin grew to showing off all his white teeth. “Yes.”
I rolled my eyes and went with his ridiculous move. “I’ll even make a poster that says I’m rooting for Big Dog. Since you like that term so much.”
His grin turned to a grimace. “Just…wear the shirt, okay?” He leaned back in and pulled me close, kissing me like he had all the time in the world when I knew his team was waiting for him.
I pushed him off me before I dragged him into my classroom and broke my own rule. “Go! I’ll be there in about an hour, okay? Lydia and I are getting an early dinner, then we’ll be here for the game.”
He stepped back and then lunged in again to steal one last kiss. We were both laughing when he broke away and sprinted down the hallway. I shook my head and watched him go. Lydia’s low drawl behind me had me jolting.
“That is too adorable for words.” Then she made a retching noise.
“Shut it, woman. Be happy for me.”
She slid her arm into mine and we began to walk down the hallway arm in arm. “Oh, I am. Just jealous as hell.”
I looked over at my best friend. We’d talked for hours about what we wanted in a man and how while we were okay being single, we both wanted a partner in life. “You’ll find him, Lyd. He’s out there.”
She snorted. “Come on. Let’s go feed that baby so you can drool over your man tonight.”
Sounded like a good plan to me.
“The girls are all here.”
Lydia hung up her phone after whispering so quickly I couldn’t hear half of what she said. She’d been odd all evening, talking so much I wondered if she’d had an afternoon coffee when she’d been expressly forbidden from having caffeine after ten in the morning. Then she’d gone silent and stared off into space.
