One Night Valentine (Tangled in Temptation)

1. Tara

1

TARA

The crowd erupts as the Jasper Eagles score another touchdown. I stand up next to my best friend and cheer loud and proud even though I’m really not feeling it. As a matter of fact, cheering or anything else that involves happy emotions has not been something I’ve felt like doing in a while now.

My best friend, Lexi Payne, is hooting and hollering, and when the excitement dies down, she remains standing, her hands pressed against her chest. I can only imagine what she’s feeling right now. “How is Cruz doing… with everything, I mean?”

There’s people all around us, and even though none of them are paying attention to us, I still don’t want to say something I shouldn’t. Lexi’s brother is the defensive end for the Jasper Eagles, and no one knows it, but this is going to be his last game. According to Lexi, he’s going to make his announcement next week.

With her eyes on her brother, she explains, “He’s okay.” With a shrug, she looks at me. “Well, at least he lets on to me that he’s okay. I’m not sure he’d tell me if he wasn’t.”

I nod and put an arm around her. “Well, I may not know him all that well, but if he’s anything like you, he’s going to be just fine. You’re one of the strongest women I know.”

She puts her hand on mine. “Okay, okay. Whatever. I don’t know. My brother is such a great guy, and I just want him happy. After Mom and Dad passed, it was just me and him. He’s putting me through college, and he’d do anything for anyone. I just want him to be happy. He deserves to be happy.”

I squeeze her tighter, but I don’t comment. There’s no doubt Cruz has been a good big brother to Lexi, heck, probably the best, but he’s also known for being a player, both on and off the field. Of course, I hope he does well with his retirement, but I wonder if he’s really going to be happy out of the spotlight.

I don’t want to say any of that to Lexi.

There’s one minute left of the game, and everyone around us remains standing. We’re in a box that is meant for family of the players, and everyone is watching the game. I look down at the field and find Cruz Payne.

I try to keep my wits about me, but it’s hard when you’re looking at a man like Cruz Payne. He’s handsome, charming, and even if he is a player, he’s still a decent guy. He’s always on the news donating to one organization or another. I heard he’s a silent partner with the new community center in Whiskey Run. He donates to the women’s shelter and to the animal shelter. It seems he does a lot to help people, and so it’s hard to begrudge him in any way.

If only he wasn’t so handsome.

“This is it,” Lexi says, squeezing my hand in hers.

We both watch as the time runs out. The people in the box go wild, the Jasper Eagles team celebrates, and to anyone else, Cruz looks like a man who just won the playoffs. I can’t take my eyes off him. He’s happy about the win, no doubt, but there’s something about the way he looks around the stadium as if he’s just soaking it all in. He has his hand over his heart, and even though it’s frigid out and I can see the rapid puffs of his breath as he exhales, I can tell the emotions are hitting him hard. His teammates are all slapping hands, hugging, and there’s absolute pandemonium on the field.

Lexi’s voice is thick with emotion. “Come on, let’s go.”

It takes a few minutes to get through the crowded room, and we’re halfway down the walkway when I finally ask her, “Where we going?”

She’s pulling me along beside her. “We’re going to dinner with Cruz. I promised him I would.”

I pull Lexi to a stop beside me. “You go. I can get a ride home.”

She’s not having it, though. She’s pulling me with her. “No, you’re coming. You have to be there. I’m going to tell him about the wedding.”

I groan. “Lexi, no. This is horrible timing. You can’t ask him to do this tonight. Plus, I mean, wouldn’t he rather be out celebrating with his teammates than having dinner with his little sister and her best friend? I mean, this is it, right?”

She does stop this time but just to laugh in my face. “You don’t know him at all. No, he would definitely not rather be partying. That’s not Cruz at all. Will you just trust me about this?” She doesn’t stand around to argue her case. Nope, instead, she’s pulling me along the narrow hallway and through tunnels, and the farther we go, the less people there are.

I’m huffing when we finally slow down, and she stops, pulling me flush against the concrete wall. “Are you taking me down here to kill me, or what? Where are we?”

She just smiles at me, and before she can say a word, a door nearby slams open, and the team starts tunneling through. They each give Lexi and then me a high-five as they pass, and when Cruz stops in front of us, he pulls his sister into a big bear hug. I can feel the emotions rolling off both of them in waves, and even though I feel like I’m invading on a private moment, I can’t tear my eyes away.

Cruz is leaning over his sister’s shoulder, and his face is right in front of mine. When he opens his eyes, he looks at me and smiles softly before pulling back from his sister. He wipes at the tears in his eyes, and Lexi puts a hand on his shoulder. “I’m proud of you, big brother. I’m going to miss seeing you out there.”

He inhales deeply and slowly lets it out. “Are we still on for dinner? I made reservations for the three of us.”

Lexi hooks her thumb toward me. “Tara thinks she’s imposing.”

Cruz shakes his head. “You’re not. Plus, I need to find out what my sister has been up to. She’s been a closed book lately…”

I act like I’m sealing my mouth, locking it and throwing away the key.

He laughs and nods at me. “You’re a good friend, then. I like it. She needs someone like you. Well, I’ve already made the reservations, and you don’t turn down dinner at The Peddler.”

After he names the exclusive restaurant in Whiskey Run, I just shake my head. “They close at nine. We’ll never make it.”

He opens the door that all his teammates disappeared through, and the noise from inside spills into the hallway. Cruz has to speak louder. “I reserved the whole restaurant. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”

Lexi nods. “Sounds good, big brother. I drove, so we’ll meet you there.”

I’m all smiles because as soon as I get away from the too-handsome Cruz Payne, I’m going to convince Lexi that her idea is a bad one, that there’s no way I can ask him to be my fake date at my sister and ex-boyfriend's wedding on Valentine’s Day. Nope, it’s not happening.

As soon as he shuts the door, Lexi grabs my hand and is pulling me down the hallway. In my head, I’m trying to work out how I’m going to get out of this. We walk through the parking lot, finally find her car, and it’s not until we’re a few miles from the stadium that I force a fake yawn. “You know what, I think I’m going to call it a night. You can just drop me off at home. We go right past it on the way to the restaurant.”

She doesn’t say anything; she’s just smiling as she drives.

I turn in my seat. “Lexi, seriously, I think you and your brother should celebrate on your own. You don’t need me there, making things awkward.”

She still doesn’t say anything, and I cross my arms over my chest and lean back into my chair. I’m quiet the rest of the trip until we pull up to the empty parking lot of The Peddler. As we sit here waiting for Cruz to show up, I try one last time. “Seriously, do you know how humiliating this is? I can’t ask your brother to be my fake date. I can ask someone else.”

When she doesn’t say anything, I lean up and throw my hands in the air. “Lexi Payne, talk to me. What is going on in that head of yours?”

She finally turns to me. “Okay, hear me out.”

I barely resist rolling my eyes. One thing I forget about Lexi sometimes is that she can talk her way into—or out of—anything. She has that gift. I grit my teeth. “I’m listening.”

She nods. “Okay, I need you to do this for me.”

She reaches for me, but I pull back. “Do what, exactly?”

She holds her hands together in front of her. “Cruz has played in the league for twelve seasons, and he says he’s ready for this, but I know it’s going to be hard for him.”

When she doesn’t go on, I try to make the connection. “And what? You think that him taking me on a date is going to get his mind off it? That’s crazy talk, Lexi. I mean, this isn’t even a normal wedding. It’s going to be awkward and embarrassing, and well, there’s no part of me that wants to be there, but I have to be. There’s no way he’s going to want in on this.”

She leans back with a smug smile. “You may be surprised.”

I blurt out a laugh. “Why? Does your brother have a fetish for saving women in despair? Trust me, you’re going to mention this and he’s going to run for the hills.”

She’s all smiles as headlights pull into the parking lot. “Well, it’s a good thing I know my brother better than you.”

She goes to get out, and I grab her hand, stopping her. “Promise me that whatever his answer is, you’ll accept it. We’re not begging him or trying to make him feel guilty. None of that. Got it?”

She gives me the look, the one that makes me laugh when I’m on her side and scares me when I’m not. “Sure, whatever you say, Tara. Come on, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

She gets out of the car, and I try to calm my nerves as I get out too. Cruz is standing next to his car, and I try not to stare. His hair is still slick from the shower. He changed into a tight black T-shirt and khaki pants. The longer I look at him, the more I know this fake date is a bad idea.