Page 57 of Playing for Keeps
She deadpans. “No, I just made that up.”
I bark out a laugh. “You’re impossible, Ivy James.”
“Mom! It’s Wyatt Brookes!” a small voice shouts from across the lot, cutting through our banter.
We both turn to see a kid, maybe five years old, his eyes wide and almost vibrating with excitement as he stares at me.
“Hey there, buddy,” I say, walking toward him with a smile. “What’s your name?”
“Luca,” he says quietly, glancing up at his mom.
“You a Cardinals fan?” I ask, and he nods enthusiastically, his whole face lighting up.
I look to his mom. “Are you here for a stadium tour?”
Her cheeks flush, and she shakes her head. “Not today.” She lowers her voice slightly. “I couldn’t afford the tickets.” Then, more cheerfully for Luca’s sake, she adds, “We just drove up from Prescott so he could see it in person. He’s a huge fan.”
I glance back at Luca. He’s still staring like he’s not sure I’m real.
“Well, you can’t come all this way and not see the inside,” I say with a grin. “You and your mom can be my guests. What do you say?”
His eyes widen. “Really?”
I nod. “Really. As long as your mom’s okay with it.”
He spins to her, grabbing her hand. “Please, Mom. Please can we?”
She lets out a surprised laugh, looking at me with cautious gratitude. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Her expression softens into a smile. “Thank you. Truly.”
Luca tugs at her hand, already heading for the entrance. As they walk off, I turn back to Ivy. She’s watching me with this look I can’t quite name, something soft and warm and a little bit in awe.
“Is this okay?” I ask, realizing I might’ve derailed the day I planned for her.
She smiles and slips her arm through mine. “Of course. You probably just gave Luca the best memory of his life.”
I glance down at her, her arm looped through mine, that smile of hers doing dangerous things to my heart.
“Maybe,” I whisper.
“Definitely.”
I stop in surprise when she suddenly goes up on tiptoe and presses a light kiss to my cheek.
I glance down at her, grinning. “Not that I’m complaining,” I say with a wink, “but what was that for?”
“You’re a good man, Wyatt,” she says, a blush creeping into her cheeks.
Something sparks in the air between us, subtle but undeniable. I look at her, and I swear I’ve never wanted to kiss someone more than I want to kiss her right now. Her tongue flicks out to wet her lips, and it nearly undoes me.
Unable to stop myself, I reach up and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers brush her skin. She doesn’t pull away, and for a heartbeat, everything else fades. My pulse is pounding, loud in my ears, and I find myself wondering if she feels even half of what I do.
“We should head in,” she says, cutting through the moment between us.
I nod, offering a smile. “Yeah… let’s go make a few dreams happen.”
