7. Guy
GUY
I’m crazy. That’s all I can figure because I’m sitting outside the Regency Hotel, waiting for Nicole to get back. Now that I know where she is, I don’t want to let her out of my sight. When I see her being dropped off at the front entrance, I pick up my phone and call her.
She stops, digs her phone out of her purse, and smiles when she looks at the screen. She fuckin’ smiles when she sees it’s me.
“Hello.”
“Hey, sweetness.”
Her smile gets bigger as she walks into the hotel. I stay parked where I am. “How were the pancakes?”
“Good. I mean, have you ever had a bad pancake?”
I chuckle. “You’re right about that. Is this a tradition with you and Grant?”
She sighs into the phone. “Yeah. When I was younger, I stayed with my granny a lot, and the three of us would eat pancakes after Dad’s games. Granny made the best pancakes, but after she passed, Dad and I started finding a diner wherever he was playing.”
She’s quiet for a second before asking, “What about you? What are you doing?”
I start my car and put it into drive. “Driving home.”
“Just now?” Her voice rises, but then she quickly adds, “Forget it. It’s none of my business.”
I set my phone down when the call transfers to the speakers. “Go ahead. Ask me what I’ve been doing.”
She groans. “I don’t think I want to know.”
“You’ll only find out if you ask.”
I can picture her debating with herself. Her voice is low and wary when she finally says, “Okay, I’ll bite. What have you been doing for the last two hours since the game?”
I don’t hesitate. “I showered, got dressed, and then sat outside your hotel waiting for you.”
“The Regency?” she asks. “You’ve been here? Doing what?”
“Waiting to make sure you got back safely.”
“You have not,” she accuses.
I shake my head. “What kind of men have you been dating that they don’t worry about your safety?”
“We’re not dating,” she says too easily.
“Ah, ah, ah. We have a date tomorrow.”
“Guy, this is ridiculous. You know that, right?” She lets out a frustrated breath. “What is it about me? Do you think I’m playing hard to get? Because I’m not. I genuinely think this is a bad idea.”
“I know you’re worried about your dad and the team, but I told you, it can be our secret.”
“And I told you I don’t want to be anyone’s secret.”
I shrug, even though she can’t see me. “Fine. We’ll tell everyone.”
“No!” she practically screams into the phone.
I stop at a stop sign. “Seriously, Nicole, you’re not good for my ego.”
I start driving again, and when she stays quiet, I ask, “What are you scared of?”
She huffs out a breath. “You want the truth?”
“Always.”
She sighs loudly and then starts to ramble.
“I’m scared you’re going to break my heart.
I’m scared we’ll decide this is a bad idea and you and my dad and the rest of the team will have a problem with each other.
I’m scared that I moved to Jasper to build a life, and when we end things, I’m going to want to leave.
But I can’t because I don’t want to leave my dad. He’s all I have left in this world.”
“Nicole,” I start, but she doesn’t let me finish.
“I’m scared that, yeah, you want me now, but your world isn’t going to approve of me. Eventually, you’ll see it too and decide I’m not what you really want. And that’s fine, but—”
“Nicole. Stop. Breathe.”
She inhales slowly, and I soften my voice. “Listen to me. Really listen. I’m not sure what this is either, but I know I’ve never felt this way about a woman before.”
She starts to argue, but I stop her. “Listen. When I wake up in the morning, you’re the first person I think about. When I’m on the field, I wish you were there watching me. When the game ends, I wish I had you to run to. And when I lie down at night, I wish you were beside me.”
I suck in a breath. “I know this is fast, but I’m willing to slow down and go at whatever speed you need. If that means we start as friends, I’m fine with it. You want a no-touching rule, you’ve got it.”
Her voice rises. “You’re telling me that if I said no more touching and no more kissing, you’d be okay with that?”
I adjust myself in the seat. Just talking about touching her has me half hard. “Yeah. Whatever you want, Nicole. I just want to be with you.”
She’s quiet for a second, and when she speaks again, her voice is thick with emotion. “What time are you picking me up tomorrow?”
“Ten.”
“I’ll be ready.”
“And?” I ask.
“And what?” she asks, even though she knows exactly what I want.
“Can I hold your hand and kiss you?”
She lets out a low sound. “You know I can’t say no to you.”
“You can,” I insist. “You absolutely can. Whatever you want from me, you can have.”
She pauses. “Fine. Yes, kissing is okay, but I really don’t want my dad finding out about this.”
The fact that she wants to hide us makes me crazy, but I’ll agree to anything if it means I get to have her. “Fine. It stays between us.”
I’m not sure how I’m going to manage it, but I’ll make sure her dad doesn’t find out we’re dating. At least for now.
“Can I ask you something, Guy?”
“Anything.”
“Are you wearing my hair tie around your wrist?”
I answer without hesitation. “Yes. You’re my good luck charm.”
She sighs softly. “I can’t believe you kept it.”
“It was all I had of yours. I needed to keep it with me.” It’s the truth. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her, and having even a small piece of her with me has given me some calm.
She sighs again. “Are you almost home?”
“I am. You better rest up.”
“Oh, what are we doing tomorrow?”
I pause for a second. “I thought I’d take you horseback riding. What do you think?”
“What? For real?”
“Yeah. What do you think?”
She sounds surprised. “I love riding. What made you think of that?”
“I remembered your dad talking about his daughter once and saying how much she loved horses.”
She giggles. “It’s been eight or nine years since I’ve been on one.”
“That’s okay. I’ll be right beside you.”
She goes quiet for a second, and when she speaks again, her voice is softer. “I think I’d like that.”
“I’ll see you in the morning, honey.”
“Night, Guy. Have a safe drive home.”
“Night, honey. I’m pulling into my driveway now.”
“Good. I won’t have to worry about you either.”
The call ends, but I sit there for a second, feeling the effect of her words. My family worries about me. I know that. But this feels different, in the best possible way.