Chapter 5
Juliet
I’ve got the resort itinerary pulled up on my phone as we walk around the small store, putting things like microwavable soup and crackers into the little cart that Parker is pushing around.
“We should do the sleigh ride. I’ve always wanted to ride one of those,” I say, realizing only after the words are out of my mouth that a sleigh ride at Christmastime is one of those things couples do in romance movies.
“That’d be great,” Parker says, grabbing some anti-nausea medicine off the shelf.
I have to hold back a full-body shiver. Maybe he doesn’t think it’s romantic, or maybe he just doesn’t care.
“And didn’t Blair say she booked a massage for the two of you?
If you don’t mind, we could do that too.
I’ve got a killer knot in my neck, and a massage that my sister paid for? Sign me up.”
I shift to look at him as he scans the different medications on the shelf. He doesn’t seem to be feeling the same way I do. I don’t seem to be affecting him the way he’s affecting me. I shake away the feeling. “Sure. Massages are always great.”
By the time we’re in the checkout line, I’ve got a tidy little list on the notes app of my phone of all the things we’re going to do. And since Parker will never see the list, at the very bottom, I have my very own item to cross off at the end of this week.
Don’t fall for Parker James
It’ll be great. What could possibly go wrong with this plan?
Back at the cabin, Blair thanks us for everything we bought before rushing back to the bathroom. We take that as our cue to explore the resort and maybe grab some hot chocolate if we can find the hot chocolate bar Blair mentioned earlier.
“So, how’s soccer?” Parker asks at the same time as I blurt out, “Do you like being a math professor?”
He chuckles, a deep laugh that makes my belly swirl with attraction. I try to shove it down, but I don’t know how much more shoving I can do at this point.
“Being a professor is good. I like it. I do think I want to go back into the secondary schools, though, and teach high school or middle school. College is good, but I feel like I could have more of an impact teaching high school.”
“That would be so cool.” I stuff my hands in the pockets of my coat to keep me from reaching toward Parker and linking my arm with his, like Blair did earlier with me. “I’ve thought about coaching at a high school or a club team when I retire.”
His hazel eyes swing to meet mine. “You’d be great at that.”
I shrug off his compliment. “I briefly helped at a summer camp a few years back. It was just a few days, but I think I loved it almost as much as I love playing the game.”
“You should do it then.” We’ve reached the main lodge and Parker grabs the door handle, pulling it open and holding it for me. Swoon.
Gosh, I really should have gone on that date my teammate tried to set me up on a couple of weeks ago. Maybe then everything Parker is doing wouldn’t feel so perfect. So romantic. It’s a door, nothing more. We both have to go through it.
“We’ll see. I want to play for as long as I can.
I’ve got at least a few more really good years.
” Training as hard as I do, playing the way I do, isn’t exactly easy on my body.
I’m only twenty-eight and I’m already feeling the fact that I’ve played soccer for twenty-three years.
In my mind right now, I imagine that I’ll either play as long as I can while also having kids, or I’ll retire once I hit thirty-five so that I can settle down and still have time to have a family.
I want kids, the picket fence, a husband coming home from work each night, and a night with us laughing, flirting, and just being in love.
It feels idyllic—it probably is, but it’s still the dream.
Well, the dream once my first dream—soccer, preferably on an Olympic team—ends.
But I don’t like to think about closing this chapter of my life.
As much as I daydream about a future that has a husband, kids, and maybe a pet or two, I’m not finished playing the game I love the most.