Page 47 of Home Field Advantage
Great. Going on two whole weeks now.
Lily
You can’t avoid him forever.
Blair
I think he’s really into you, Pop.
I can’t allow that to happen. He’s off-limits.
Lily
Oh, please. *eye roll*
Blair
Off-limits can be so fun!
When I open the car door and step outside, the cold air hits my face, shaking my body. The temperature in town has dropped significantly in the last few weeks as winter fully setsin. I’ve officially had to move my early morning yoga sessions into my living room because the frost coating the back deck doesn’t help me relax like yoga should.
But it’s helped ease my anxiety of coming face-to-face with my neighbor again.
After he showed up on my porch and admitted he would have continued flirting with me even if he knew who I was, my brain went haywire trying to figure out how to deal with this.
Dallas Westbrook is hot.
I’m not talking casual hot; I’m talking all-consuming, rigid muscles, incredible smile, and bold personality hot. Being near him in any capacity only fills my body with a strange craving to be closer to him. IknowI need to stay away because he’s the parent of one of my students, and if I were to allow myself to get closer to him, he’s only going to break my heart when he learns about who I really am.
Dallas seems spontaneous, like he’s up for any adventure at the drop of a hat.
As I step into the general store for my Saturday morning grocery trip, the heat hits my face, and I welcome it with a smile while brushing off the thoughts of my neighbor. I barely make it to the produce section when Nan spots me.
“Pretty Poppy.” She beams, using one of the nicknames she has for some of us in town. It’s cute because it’s very Nan. She’s named most of us—Pretty Poppy, Grumpy Griffin, Lovely Lily, and newly added, Talkative Tucker. “How unlike you to be here at exactly nine o’clock on a Saturday morning for grocery shopping.”
I prop my fist on my hip, tipping my head to the side before giving her a knowing glare. “Nan, you know this is my weekend routine.”
“Very predictable.” She laughs. “That’s why I’m here.”
I narrow my eyes, wondering where she’s going with this.
“We haven’t seen you around karaoke night in a few weeks,” she says.
“You know I don’t frequent the bar like that.”
“But you can.”
“You’re right, I can. But I also don’t want to.” I laugh with a shrug. “You know my job has always come first for me, and the last thing I want is a parent seeing me and tarnishing my reputation because they saw me have a drink or something.”
My anxiety spikes just saying it out loud. My entire family knows that, including Nan. Even if she’s not a direct line of the Barlow family in any capacity, she knows I love my job. It’s my entire personality at this point.
“I understand,” she says in a more somber tone. “I just miss my Pretty Poppy. And love to see you have a good time and let loose every once in a while.”
Placing a hand on her shoulder, I offer her a reassuring smile. “I’m happy, Nan.”
“Are ya?”
The question throws me off guard.
