Page 2 of Forbidden Love

Kylie’s face softened. “Mac’s with my friend, Natalie, and Sam is with Alice.”

“I see someone I know,” Xander said by way of apology, when someone in the crowd caught his attention.

Kylie stepped closer. “What are you really doing here, Tyler? I never see you at these events.”

My throat tightened at her proximity, making it difficult to breathe. It was probably best to talk about the reason I was supposed to be here and not why I enjoyed being close to her. “We’re looking to get into some charity work.”

Kylie crossed her arms over her chest; the effect was pushing up the globes of her breasts. “And what? You’re here to take notes on mine?”

I swallowed hard, looking anywhere but at her chest. “Not exactly. I was hoping we could talk about partnering on something.”

Kylie’s face pinched, and I knew she was remembering how I’d left things. “I don’t think we have anything to talk about. Not after how you left things.”

I’d left her in one of the lodge’s guest rooms, sleeping. I should have left a note or texted her afterward, but I hadn’t. Back then, I was petrified of crossing her brothers. It was a small town, and the Wildes were a prominent family. “I’m sorry for how I handled things.”

Kylie huffed. “I’m a big girl. I’m not hung up on something that happened when we were kids.”

She had been eighteen, but I had always thought of her as younger and more vulnerable. Probably because that’s how her brothers viewed her.

“I’m sorry for the way I acted.” I used the only excuse that made sense at the time. “You know I’m friends with your brothers.”

Kylie rolled her eyes. “They’re why I left. I couldn’t have a life with them hovering and ruining anything good that came into my life.”

My brain snagged on the idea that maybe she thought I’d been some of that good, but I refocused on why I was here. “My brothers and I were talking about starting a charity, and we settled on baseball. Since we played and you played softball, we’d like to help local teams in some way. We’re just not sure how yet. You’ve done such an amazing job in a short amount of time with this event, and I was hoping you could give us a few pointers.”

Her head tipped to the side, and her expression softened. “Is that all you wanted?”

“We were hoping you’d partner with us since we heard you were interested in helping athletes.”

She shook her head slightly. “Tonight was just a test to see if I could fundraise. I want to help female athletes. Growing up, the girls didn’t have the equipment the boys had. But I’m not sure that’s what you were looking to get into.”

When I played baseball and football, I had everything I needed. But then the sports boosters raised money that went to the most popular sports—football, ice hockey, and baseball—all male-dominated sports. “What were you thinking?”

“Our team shared batting helmets and bats. We never had a dugout. Sometimes we didn’t even have a bench to sit on. We sat on the bleachers with the fans. Our field was used for gym class, while the boys’ field was covered in a protective tarp.” Her tone was tinged with disgust, and for the first time, I realized how things might have been different.

“I never thought about it like that.” It wasn’t my experience, and I was embarrassed to say I hadn’t been more curious back then.

“I guess you wouldn’t.”

My pitch had fallen flat, but Mac and Sam were depending on me. “I know you’re busy tonight, but do you think we can talk about this somewhere else? I’ll go back to my brothers with your ideas, and maybe we can still come up with something that will work for all of us.”

“What’s your goal in all of this, Tyler?”

“We want to get more involved in the community and give back. Mac’s contractor friend talked about renovating houses for those who are disabled.”

“I’m almost positive that whoever Mac’s friend is, that cause was something important to him. If you want to get involved in the community or raise money for something, it should be something you’re passionate about. I just don’t see you getting behind female athletes when your business is comprised of men.”

“You never know,” I murmured, a little distracted by the fire I saw in her eyes. This cause was important to her, and I knew she’d be successful at it. “I love your idea. I love what you’re doing here, and I’m confident we can do something together that will be amazing.”

Kylie’s lip curled. “I’m not just throwing the Wilde name up on team jerseys or on a banner on an outfield fence.”

My face heated because those were a few of the first ideas we’d come up with. “We want to do something more meaningful, something that will have an effect on the kids in the community and their ability to play sports. Buy the equipment they need. Sports are expensive, and these days, kids are expected to pay for the helmets, bats, cleats, and sometimes even the uniforms.”

“I’m happy to talk to you about it and give you some direction.”

My shoulders tensed. “But you’re not willing to partner with us?”

She held up her hand. “I didn’t say that. If you still have my number, text me when you want to grab coffee. We can discuss it further.” Her tone was professional, but my heart rate picked up at the idea of meeting her for anything.

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