Page 83 of Hometown Touchdown
My face goes up in flames. Because underneath the note, beneath another layer of tissue paper, is a matching set of navy-blue lingerie. Lacy, intricate, barely-there. A bra, panties, and a garter belt that could make a nun rethink her vows.
I lean back on the couch, staring at the contents of the box like it’s either a dream or a trap. Tonight might actually be the night. And Lord help me—Ihopeit is. And if Knox Dalton is ready to take things there…well, I’ll have shaved legs and be emotionally prepared.
Chapter forty-two
Knox
BythetimeIpull into the parking lot at Cedar Perk, I’ve already smiled more in the past twelve hours than I probably have in the last six years.
And it’s entirely Brynn Marlow’s fault.
Her laugh’s still echoing in my head. Her bare legs are still imprinted on my memory. That sleepy kiss this morning when she stretched against my chest and whispered, “You’re going to ruin me.” Yeah. I’m not exactly functioning at peak coach mode right now.
I push through the door of the café, scan the room, and spot Cam in a booth near the back. Of course he’s early. He’s already nursing a black coffee, probably solving an equation in his head or overthinking a text he never sent. The guy might be a math teacher, but he analyzes emotions like they’re word problems with only one right answer.
He looks up as I slide into the booth across from him. “You look smug.”
I smirk and snag a menu. “You look like you just got back from a date with your tax software.”
Cam snorts into his coffee. “Some of us enjoy a little structure in our downtime.”
“Some of us woke up with a beautiful woman tangled in our sheets,” I say, not even trying to hide it.
His eyebrow lifts. “So…you and Brynn have been spending a lot of time together.”
I shrug one shoulder, even though I’m not sure why I’m pretending. “Yeah. Things are going really good.”
Cam studies me for a second, then leans back, arms crossed. “That’s good, man. I mean it. You look…lighter.”
I nod. “Feels different this time. Better. We’re not rushing into anything, we’re building. We’re both all in. That’s a start.”
“You think she’ll want to go public anytime soon?” he asks, but it’s careful—not nosy, just genuinely curious.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “That’s her call. She’s still carrying a lot from what happened before. I get it. But it’s hard, man. Watching her pretend there’s nothing between us when everyone’s already watching.”
Cam’s quiet for a beat, then says, “Sometimes the weight people carry isn't just about what happened. It's about how much they wanted something, and how it fell apart anyway.”
That one lands harder than I expect. I glance at him. “Are you talking about me, or someone else?”
His mouth quirks. “Maybe both.”
I study him. “Have you been seeing anyone lately?”
He shakes his head. “No. I’ve hit pause on dating for a while.”
That surprises me more than it should. “Since when do you hit pause on anything?”
“Since I realized I was going through the motions,” he says. “Apps, awkward coffee dates, forced chemistry. It feels like noise. I need quiet.”
“That’s the second time you’ve mentioned quiet today,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “You sure you don’t just have a crush on someone and don’t want to screw it up?”
He rolls his eyes. “I knew having lunch with you was a mistake.”
“I’m just saying,” I tease. “There’s been a lot of lingering looks at a certain curvy librarian lately.”
Cam’s face stays neutral, but the way he reaches for his coffee feels like a dodge.
“She’s got great taste in books,” he says lightly.
