Page 26 of Shot on Goal at a Second Chance
After taking a bite, she lets out a soft moan. “These are amazing.”
“I piped in the custard myself.”
Her eyes widen as she stares at me. “You’re kidding, right?”
I chuckle. “No, actually. I’m not. I interrupted the owner teaching a class on making Berliners, which are typically filled with raspberry. But she had custard in the fridge. I asked if I could do the honors.”
She laughs. “Why?”
I lift a shoulder. “Curiosity. Or I wanted to make sure they didn’t skimp on the part you like the best.”
“Because there should be custard in?—”
“Every bite,” I say, finishing her sentence.
Because I remember.
From the look on her face, she’s almost shocked.
“I remember, Becks. All of it.” I tap the side of my head. “I revisited those memories a lot, especially after my sister died.”
With her donut only half eaten, she sets the plate on the coffee table. “So, were the memories enough for you?”
The hint of sarcasm in her voice puts me on edge. “If I’m going to be honest, no.”
The temptation to tell her the truth rises up and nearly smacks me in the face. But I still can’t bring myself to say anything negative about her father, even though his words felt like a rejection. The man I respected not only as my coach but as a father figure basically told me I wasn’t good enough for his daughter.
Rebecca stares at me as if she’s waiting for me to tell her why I disappeared from her life. That’s when I notice a small splotch of custard on the corner of her mouth.
Without thinking, I reach out and wipe it away with my thumb, but as soon as my fingers brush her skin, my brain checks out. I don’t even remember leaning in. Just the feel of her lips against mine, the taste of sweet custard mingling between us as our tongues dance together, and her musky scent reminding me of one of the happiest times in my life.
I don’t know how long we kiss because I’m so lost in the feel and taste of her. Time can take a flying leap for all I care. Because all that matters right now is this moment and having Rebecca back in my arms again.
As our kiss slows, doubts creep in. More like unanswered questions.
We lost a lot of years. And maybe, if I’d fought harder for her, we’d have wound up together. Maybe not. But right now, I want to know if she wants this—a second chance—as much as I do before we go any further.
“Rebecca.” Her name sounds more like a growl than a whisper.
A smile plays at her lips at my pause. “Zach.”
Her gaze lingers on my mouth—she wants me tocontinue kissing her. And I want to—and more—but not until we clear up the past.
“We should talk.” I wait for her to look up.
“Why? Do you have a secret girlfriend you haven’t told me about?” Her tone is teasing, but I don’t miss the flash of fear in her expression.
“No, of course not.” I rake a hand through my hair.
“Then what is it?” Her eyes dart back and forth as she searches my face for the answer.
Like a promise of more to come, I kiss the tip of her nose. “I want to do this right this time, but if you don’t feel the same?—
She puts a finger over my lips. “We just reconnected, Zach. Don’t you think it’s a little soon to talk about the future?”
I let myself drown in her blue eyes, struggling with whether to tell her I wanted to marry her back then and that after all the years that have passed, I can still picture a life with her. “No. Not when it comes to you.”
“Oh.” Her smile slips, and then she swallows. “I’m still wrapping my head around you being here. You took me by surprise.”
