Chapter 28 #2
She shakes her head. “It was more than that, Flic. You’ve given Grayson advice, told him the right things to say in meetings.
You’ve done exactly what we didn’t think was possible.
You’ve shown him how much the Stormhawks mean to Denver.
And I have it on good authority that you nailed it in the management meeting yesterday. ”
I laugh. “Does nothing get past you?”
Mama is right. The meeting Grayson asked me to attend yesterday went better than I could’ve hoped.
And I have to admit, sitting in the conference room at the top of the stadium yesterday and laying out my ideas for the Stormhawks was pretty cool.
I half expected to be laughed out of the room by the management staff and Donny, but instead they took me seriously.
Made notes. Asked follow-up questions. It felt like I was helping my team in a way I never thought possible.
And even though I’ve been a regular guest on Cal and Rico’s Fourth the cold air hits in a way that makes my lungs ache and my face sting.
Snow crunches beneath our boots as we skirt the edge of the frozen lake, its surface smooth and glassy, reflecting the pale winter sky.
The spruce trees crowd in as we follow the narrow path toward the paddocks.
“So… Grayson?” Izzy says, puffing white.
“We slept together in New York,” I reply, before I can overthink it.
“Obviously,” Harper says.
I shoot her a questioning look.
Harper glances at Izzy, before replying. “You look happy, Flic. Lighter.”
“And before you say anything, it’s a good thing,” Izzy adds. “You never let people into your world for long enough to get past your defenses. Makes it hard to get close and…”
“It was a onetime thing,” I add quickly before Izzy can go into any more detail. “We both agreed.”
Izzy stops and she and Harper turn to face me, looking at me like they don’t believe it for a second.
“What?” I ask.
“Was it…” Izzy grins, “…good?”
My smile widens and heat burns my cheeks despite the cold. “‘Good’ doesn’t even come close,” I reply quietly. “It was the hottest sex I’ve ever had.”
Izzy and Harper cheer before Harper throws her arms around me.
“What was that for?” I laugh.
Harper winks. “It was a welcome to the ‘really hot sex’ club.”
I shake my head. “There’s not a club.”
Izzy nods. “There is. We keep it a secret because you don’t know what really hot sex is until you have it, and now you have and you’re in the club.”
“What do we do in the club?” I laugh.
“Have really hot sex, obviously.” Harper replies with a grin. “And act smug.”
“Got it,” I reply, laughing again.
“So,” Izzy says, dragging out the word. “If it was that good, why is it a onetime thing?”
I start walking again, needing to move. Needing to avoid Izzy and Harper’s knowing looks.
“Because we make no sense together and we’re both stubborn as hell.
He wants to fix everyone and everything, and I’m fine on my own.
” I wave my hands out to the world. “He’s got New York and a global business and an NFL team. I run a fans bar in Denver.”
“I get all that,” Izzy replies. “But he’s staying in Denver for a while, right?”
“Until after the playoffs. Once the season is over and the sponsors are happy, I think he’ll spend less time here.”
“You think?” Harper says. “But you haven’t talked about it.”
“I’m not going to ask him to stay for me, if that’s what you’re saying.” There’s a fierceness in my tone I don’t mean to put on my friends. “Sorry, it’s just, I would never want anyone to change for me. And I would never want to change for anyone else.”
I bite my lip. “Football isn’t his passion the way his redevelopment projects are.
And even if it were, his father’s company still needs him in New York.
” I say it like it’s a fact. It’s sensible.
It’s a choice we’ve already made. I try to ignore the quiet, unwelcome ache in my chest that has nothing to do with logic and everything to do with a future I’m so certain can’t exist.
Izzy studies me. “OK. Still not hearing the part where it has to be one time.”
I blow out a long breath. “Because when have I ever had something casual? Or easy?”
She smiles gently. “Never. And that’s my point. You’ve lived and breathed The Hay Barn for as long as I’ve known you. But you’re not doing that right now, are you?”
I don’t answer.
“So maybe,” Harper adds, “you try something new. If there’s a natural expiration date on you and Grayson, why not enjoy it while it lasts?”
I say nothing. There’s another reason, hovering right there, begging to be said.
I almost tell her. Almost admit that even one night with Grayson cracked something open in me.
That I think about him constantly. That I want to talk to him all the time.
That the idea of another week—or a month—feels both intoxicating and terrifying.
Izzy bumps her shoulder into mine. “You have trouble letting people in. I get it. But it’s OK to widen your circle sometimes.”
We walk in companionable silence until the trees thin and the land opens out at the top paddocks.