He wasn’t going to take a full-time position until he was sure his relationship with Natalie was on solid ground…and he wasn’t going to accept a coaching gig until he knew he liked coaching. Right now, he was happy with his preparations for camp and the consulting he was doing for Special Olympics. Once camp was over, he could reassess.
Ultimately, he needed to see if Natalie would allow him to venture further into the complicated labyrinth of her heart and the beautiful curves of her body down south. He knew he needed to be patient, though it was getting harder and harder to remind himself of that.
After another solid week of kissing marathons, the kind that left him hard and aching, he invited her over for dinner. It was time to introduce a little more romance to see how she reacted. Since she used to drape their backyard with special party lights—just for them—he ran an extension cord from his house and decorated the bridge with white lights to guide her way to him. If she smiled when she saw them, he’d know it was okay to give her the bouquet he’d bought for her—sunflowers, her favorite.
That night, pink, red, and orange fingers reached across the valley as he waited for her on the edge of the bridge, the better to see her reaction. The first star appeared in the sky, and he made a wish even though it made him feel a bit foolish.
Let her be mine again. All of her.
She emerged from the twilight like a goddess, her curly, brown hair bouncing down her back, her red sleeveless sundress skimming down to her ankles, which were wrapped in gold gladiator sandals. Touchdown, who’d been with her the past few days, reached him first, but for once, he didn’t bend to greet him. He zeroed in on her face to see what it would tell him.
Her smile wasn’t full as she approached, but the corners of her mouth were curved. “Looks like you had some extra time on your hands.”
Even though he wasn’t breathing, he made himself smile and gesture to the lights. “I thought you might like it.” He gulped.
“I do. It’s beautiful.”
Fresh mountain air filled his lungs, and this time, it was easier to smile and step forward to kiss her cheek. “Hi.”
Okay, her smile seemed fuller now. “Hi.”
He held out his hand, and she took it. As he laced their fingers together, he experienced the same euphoric burst he’d always felt after a touchdown. She’s going to allow more romance.
They started walking down the bridge together. Her skin glowed in the white light, and he wanted so badly to take her in his arms and kiss her. But it was too early in the night for that.
“Come. We’ll see if I can impress you with my ribs.”
“You cooked ribs?” she asked.
He didn’t have to look at her to imagine the shocked expression on her face. “You love them, so I called Jordan’s girlfriend and asked her to help me.”
You love them, so I made them.
“We Facetimed, and Grace walked me through everything. Hopefully it will be okay.” God, he hoped it would be okay. Who knew cooking could be so terrifying?
“Huh. I’m impressed. I never thought about calling up a professional chef like that.”
“Probably because you cook like a professional chef. We mere mortals in the kitchen need help from experts like Grace.”
The wind rustled the trees, kicking up fallen leaves on the ground as they left the bridge and walked across his backyard.
“How is she? I was so glad Jordan brought me that recipe from her. I’ve been wanting it forever.”
Grace and Jordan had been close friends since childhood, but they’d only started dating after he moved to Atlanta, where she was a sous chef at one of the hottest restaurants in Buckhead. They were a good match, but Jordan had confided in him that Grace was finding his fame more and more difficult to deal with. Now he was worried about their future together, but that wasn’t something he wanted to mention to Natalie right now.
“She’s great. Working hard at the restaurant, but still loving it. You know Grace. No one is better named.”
“True. Is she planning on coming out here with Jordan for the camp?”
“I doubt it,” he replied. “I’m going to keep him busy. I’ve asked the guys to hang out with the kids in the evening. We have some fun things planned.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Sounds like a great time. I’m so happy you’re doing this, Blake.”
Because he couldn’t suppress the urge, he raised their joined hands and kissed the back of hers. “Me too.”
His backyard was surrounded with torches that spilled light around them as he led her to the patio table.
“What would you like to drink tonight? I have champagne.” Another one of her favorites.
She settled into the chair and pulled Touchdown onto her lap. “Why not?”