Page 6 of Learn the Play
“I don’t know about that, but I’m gonna work my ass off every day to make them think so.” He nods, as if he’s agreeing with his declaration. “What about you? You want kids? Your dream man?” he says, lightening the mood.
“I’ve always said no. I never want to go through what my mom went through, or what I went through, but it’s hard to give that same answer after hearing yours.”
“Don’t change for me. I want your real.”
“My real is that if I could find a man who thought like you did, as long as he doesn’t have a career similar to my dad’s, then yeah, I’d like to give the happily ever after with kids a shot.” My stomach rolls at the thought of finding the forever kind of love Reid speaks of.
“That’s enough of the heavy. How about another drink?” he asks.
“I don’t know. I kind of like this midnight stroll thing we got going on.”
“Babe, we’re sitting in the sand; we’re not doing much strolling,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. Seeing it even in the moonlight has my belly tightening for reasons that have nothing to do with fear, but desire. It’s been a long damn time since I’ve had this kind of connection with a man. Hell, I’m not sure that I ever have. Figures I’d meet him while thousands of miles from home. That’s my luck.
“We’d better get to strolling, then.” I stand without dropping his hand, and once I’m on my feet, I tug, and he grumbles but gets to his feet.
“Where are you taking me, woman?” he asks, pulling gently on my hand, and suddenly I’m in his arms, and my head is pressed against his hard chest.
Damn, he’s hiding some muscles under that dress shirt. I could tell he was fit, but this… I want to stand here all night and feel him up. I don’t know what’s going on with me, but I’m acting so out of character. Maybe it’s the wedding. Perhaps it’s the fact that we’re both here, in a neutral location away from the reality of our real lives. Whatever it is, I’m here for it, at least for tonight.
“I’m good here,” I tell him. His deep, husky laugh wraps around me as his body shakes with laughter. “Fine,” I concede, pulling away. “I’d like to walk the beach a little more. Join me?”
He nods toward the wide-open beach. “Lead the way,” he says, never letting go of my hand.
I should pull away. I shouldn’t let myself pretend for a single second that this man could be different from the others. Different from my father. Whether it’s the alcohol or the atmosphere, I’m throwing caution to the wind for one night. When the sun rises, I’ll never see this man again. Besides, it’s just a little walk on the beach; what can it hurt?
“Favorite color?” he asks, swinging our joined hands between us. It’s an innocent gesture, but my body still heats from the contact of his calloused hands.
“Green. Not just any green, emerald.”
“That’s very specific,” he teases.
“Can’t blame a girl for knowing what she likes. What about you?”
“I don’t know. Blue.”
“What shade of blue? Royal? Baby blue? I need particulars here, mister.” He releases another laugh that washes over me. It’s almost as comforting as the hug he just wrapped me up in.
“Navy blue.”
I nod. “Navy blue it is. Okay, music?”
“All of it. I can’t pick a favorite. What about you?”
“Same. Why choose when there are so many good options out there?”
“You’d fit in just fine with my friends back home. We play Name That Tune a lot when we’re just hanging out, sitting by the fire.”
“Is that what you do for fun?”
“Mostly. I have four best friends back home. Two of whom just recently got married. Another who just became a dad, a single dad. Well, kind of. They’re not together. It’s a long story, but they’re co-parenting and making it work.”
“He sounds like one of the good ones.”
“Yeah, our job schedule is hectic, but he does what it takes to make it happen.”
His words just confirm what I already knew. My dad didn’t want to do what it took to make it happen. He was selfish and chasing his career, and he forgot that he had a family at home who missed him.
“You two work together?”
