Page 27 of Forbidden Love

“I think we start small. Let’s create a list of anyone who needs a dugout. We’ll see how much money we can raise and if there’s enough for everyone. Then we’ll see what else we want to do.” I didn’t want to overwhelm Kylie, especially if this was a short-term project for her.

“Did you have time to run the numbers for me?” Kylie asked, using her hand to shield the sun from her face.

I pulled the paper from my back pocket and sat next to her. I smoothed out the folds so she could read my writing. It was handwritten, so it didn’t look as clean and professional as the spreadsheet on her clipboard.

“Seriously?” Kylie asked as she leaned in close to read it.

“This works.” I showed her the numbers and the last one circled on the bottom. “This is what we need for each one.”

“Do you have the measurements?”

I flipped the page over and showed her the picture I’d drawn, along with the specs.

“This will work. Can I keep it?”

“Of course. I’ll take a picture of it so I have it for myself.”

“I’m going to visit the fields for the other teams that reached out to me to make sure there’s room for a dugout.”

“You need any company?”

“I can do it. I’m the one who doesn’t have a job, remember?”

“It sounds like a lot of work.”

“I want to be thorough. I want to make sure they need what we’re offering and that we can deliver.”

I tipped my head back to study the yellow tarp again. “If all the fields have this fence and cover, we’ll need permission to remove it. Do you have a plan for where we’ll start first?”

“I think we need to raise money first. I’ll use your numbers for the cost of supplies to show potential donors our target number, and then we’ll see what we get. We can do smaller raffles and fundraisers, too. I had another idea—what about a softball game? Contractors versus first responders? Or kids versus parents? We could have a few games going on at once, or even a double-header so everyone can see the games. We’d sell tickets to watch the games—all proceeds from the snack shack would go toward it–—and we’d accept donations. It’s not a fancy party like I had for the ski resort, but—”

I took in her flushed cheeks and the excitement on her face before I said, “I love it. It’s fresh and different but perfect for what we want to do.”

She flushed. “The idea just came to me when I was driving here.”

I wanted to ask if she was thinking about me, but I didn’t. I wanted to make a move, but I knew I had to be patient. We’d work together on this project, and I’d let things unravel how they would.

CHAPTER 8

KYLIE

“You’re good at this.”

“Planning events?” I asked, feeling a little conflicted about the compliment. I wanted to be good at something, but event planning wasn’t running the ski resort or building houses.

“That, too, but it’s more than that. You’re good at pinpointing what people need and getting it for them. I’m impressed.”

The pleasure from this statement went through my body until I felt like I’d burst from it. “When I worked at the hotel, I knew I was good at organizing things, but I didn’t realize it was the fundraising part, the helping people piece of it that was so intriguing.”

“If it means something to you, then you can get behind it.”

“It’s not that I’m not excited about the ski resort and making it profitable, but it’s already established. I want to do good somewhere that I’m needed.”

“If you decide to do this in the future, you can pick your projects. You can keep your brand as sports, or you can focus on whatever you’re passionate about.”

“You act like this could be what I do for work.”

“Why not?”

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