Chapter Eight
Finn didn’t check his messages until he got back to his place at midnight. There were several from clients and the office, so on Friday, he scrambled to catch up, to see that everyone got what they needed.
But he smiled through it all. Kenzie had found the kittens she’d been longing for and he’d helped make that happen. Then she’d invited him home with her, fed him dinner and taken him to bed.
Life was good and bound to get even better.
Yeah, she claimed she was through with love, that she would be raising her baby on her own. But sometimes, when he held her close and looked in her eyes, he knew that deep down she wanted what he wanted—another chance at the forever they’d lost when they were teenagers.
No, they weren’t there yet. But they would get there. He just knew it.
And not only were things going well with Kenzie, but the Titans were really stepping up, showing him both grit and dedication. Those boys got better every day. They loved the game and they gave it their all.
Friday afternoon, the team radiated excitement and energy as they boarded the school bus for Big Dusty, Montana. When the bus pulled in at Big Dusty High, home of the Eagles, Kenzie and the team moms and dads were already there.
At kickoff, the bleachers were packed on both sides. T-Grizz and the cheer squad got the Tenacity fans going as Dusty the Eagle and the Big Dusty cheerleaders got their team fired up.
The game went into overtime. But the Titans triumphed 14–7. At the team meeting in the Eagles’ girls’ locker room afterward, Finn had nothing but praise for his players. The bus ride back home was a happy one.
At 1:05 a.m. Saturday morning in the Tenacity High parking lot, Finn and Barrett thanked Oscar for the good work and watched him drive off with his dad.
A moment later, Barrett’s fiancée, Nina, drove up.
She jumped out to give her future husband a steamy congratulatory kiss.
Finn laughed and advised the two of them to get a room.
Then he stood there in the darkness waving as they drove away, thinking about Kenzie, who was probably home already, tucked into her bed.
He was turning to head for his truck when a familiar Bronco pulled in right beside him. Suddenly the empty parking lot seemed to shimmer with promise.
“Lookin’ for a ride, big guy?” Kenzie called out her window.
He stepped right up and leaned in close. “Hey.”
They shared a kiss through the open window, one every bit as steamy as the one Barrett had planted on Nina a few minutes before. When Finn started to pull back, she grabbed his shoulder and yanked him close again. What could he do? If Kenzie wanted another kiss, he was so there for that.
Finally, she gave a low laugh against his parted lips. “Follow me home?”
“You’re on.”
* * *
Finn woke to sunlight streaming in Kenzie’s bedroom window. She was already awake, and grinning at him.
“What?” he asked. “Something’s funny?”
“Nope.”
“So, then…?”
“You’re just all cute and cuddly when you’re sleeping.”
He thought that over for a minute. “Cute and cuddly, huh?”
“Don’t be offended,” she advised. “Manly men can be cute and cuddly, too.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “If you say so.”
“I do. How about some breakfast?”
He pulled her closer and claimed her sweet mouth.
She felt just right in his arms, the round fullness of her belly pressed close against him.
He could so easily see himself waking up next to her every morning for the rest of his life—not that he would say that out loud to her at this point. She had her rules, after all.
“Breakfast?” she asked again.
“Hmm. I don’t know. I think I just want to lie here in this bed with you all day long.”
On the nightstand, his phone chose that moment to ping with a text. He ignored it.
Kenzie didn’t. “That thing does a lot of pinging.”
“Happy to silence it.”
She reached up and gently brushed his hair back off his forehead. “Nah. I just mean, you work hard. And I bet you have appointments today.”
“Not until this afternoon.”
“What about recovery practice.”
“It’s not till ten. We have plenty of time.”
“Really?”
“Really.” He pulled her closer.
She giggled like a little kid. “I can feel exactly how glad you are to see me.”
He nuzzled her throat, breathing in her sweet scent. “Let me show you how glad…”
She giggled again. Slowly, he slid hand down between them. Her giggle ended on a sigh.
* * *
Monday was Labor Day. That meant no school and no practice. Finn took the day off from selling real estate, too.
Too bad reporters never seemed to take a break.
More than one of them had found Finn’s school email address and used it to reach out for an interview.
He debated getting back to them and ended up deciding that a little properly managed PR would be good for Tenacity and for the Titans.
He answered those emails and agreed to be interviewed via Zoom.
In total, he took five Zoom calls that day, two with reporters from Montana outlets and three with writers from out of state. They wanted to know all about the former NFL quarterback who just might be leading his home team to a state championship.
Once he’d finished the Zoom interviews, he called Kenzie and talked her into meeting him at the Silver Spur Café.
The cozy Western-style diner served breakfast and lunch. And as usual, it was packed. They lucked out, though, and got a deuce tucked back in a corner.
Too bad their private nook didn’t stop people from dropping by their table to talk football. Or to bring up how great it was to see the two of them together. Nobody added “after all these years,” but the look in their eyes said it for them.
“We’re just good friends,” Kenzie insisted more than once.
Nobody argued the point. But judging by their knowing grins, nobody believed her, either.
Finn certainly didn’t. He saw what everyone else saw. The two of them were growing closer. He really did want to take what they had to the next level. It was getting harder for him not to push for more.
Yes, she kept insisting that what they had wasn’t serious. But she was wrong.
He knew that they could make it work this time, the two of them…and her baby girl. He wasn’t some selfish, confused kid anymore. He knew what he wanted now.
And what he wanted was Kenzie. If she could see her way clear to giving him a second chance, he wouldn’t blow it. Not this time.
This time, he would get it right.
Too bad he couldn’t quite make himself have that talk with her. He knew damn well that if he tried for everything, he risked losing it all.
* * *
Kenzie got the call from Anna at Hoof and Paw on Tuesday morning. Tom and Ed had tested negative for toxoplasmosis. They’d also had their shots. She could bring her kittens home today.
As soon as she hung up with Anna, she called Finn to share the good news.
“That is just great,” he said.
“I know, right?”
“So then, what’s your plan?”
“Oh, Finn. I am so glad you asked…”
He laughed, a low, rich sound that made her breath catch and a shiver slide over her skin. “I’m listening,” he said.
“Well, I don’t want to wait until after practice to bring them home. I want to use my lunch break to get them settled in. But then, I’ll just have to leave them and get back to work. Any chance you could meet me at my house, maybe stay for a while, keep them company for a bit after I have to go?”
The man didn’t even hesitate. “Yeah. No problem. I’ll meet you at Hoof and Paw, help out any way you need me there and then I’ll follow you home.”
It was exactly what she was hoping he might say. But really, she’d been taking total advantage of him lately and she couldn’t help but think that she should give the man a break. “Honestly, you could just meet me at my place around noon.”
“What time will you be at the vet’s to pick them up?”
“Finn.” She put on her best no-nonsense voice.
“Kenzie,” he replied in a similar tone.
“I get the feeling you’re not listening to me.”
“Because I’m not. What time will you be at Hoof and Paw?”
She let out a loud sigh. “I give up.”
“Finally. What time?”
* * *
When she arrived at the veterinarian’s office she found Finn leaning against his fancy crew cab, big arms folded across his broad chest. His Stetson shaded his eyes and he had on his team jacket.
She parked in the empty space beside him. By the time she pulled to a stop, he’d already walked around to the rear of her vehicle. He tapped on the hatch and she popped it. Then he grabbed the cat carrier, shut the liftgate and rounded the back of the Bronco to join her as she got out of the car.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Thanks for this.” She leaned up and kissed him.
His lips were warm. She smiled into the kiss…
and as soon as he lifted his head, she realized she probably shouldn’t have done that.
“For some reason, I can’t quit kissing you.
It’s getting so bad I’m doing it right out here in broad daylight for anyone driving by to see. ”
He gave an easy shrug. “It’s okay. I like kissing you. Feel free to make a move on me whenever the mood strikes.”
“Please. If I keep kissing you in public, nobody will believe me when I tell them that we’re just good friends.”
“Face it.” He was smirking. “The just-good-friends ship has sailed. You saw the looks on their faces yesterday at the Silver Spur. They’ve all decided we’ve got a thing going on, that we are getting our second chance at true love.”
“That doesn’t mean we have to encourage them in their delusion,” she grumbled.
“On the contrary, Nurse Osborne. I like kissing you and I don’t care who’s watching or what they think about it, either.” Then he bent close and kissed her again.
She probably shouldn’t have kissed him back. But, hey. It was a beautiful day and she was bringing her kittens home.
Not to mention the man could kiss. And she loved that he would be there to help Tom and Ed feel more comfortable on their first day at her house.