“Are you okay?”
I nod my head briskly. “I’m fine. It’s weird, that’s all. How long will they stay out there?”
He glances at the door. “I don’t know. Hopefully they’ll leave when I do.”
“Can they come into the store when it opens?”
“They can but we can throw them out. I don’t have practice until this afternoon. I’ll stay with you until then.”
“Who’s Nikki?”
Colt blows out a long, exasperated breath. “I was hoping you didn’t hear them ask about her.”
“You don’t want to tell me about her?”
“No, it’s not—It’s nothing. She’s a cheerleader on the Kodiaks’ squad. We dated a couple of times. I haven’t even talked to her in a while. They brought her up in front of you to start shit. They were looking for a reaction.”
I smile thinly. “Good thing I didn’t give them one.”
I’m shocked when Colt doesn’t smile back. Instead he steps in close to me, wrapping his arms around me tightly. “I really am sorry,” he tells me quietly.
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”
“No, it is. This is the fame. This is what you didn’t want. I thought if I didn’t talk about you they’d leave you alone longer than this. I shouldn’t have mentioned the bakery so much. I shouldn’t have come here as often as I have.”
“You said my name on TV the day you ate dicks.”
He laughs, his big body shaking us both. “I forgot about that. Sorry.”
“Stop saying that.”
“I’ll stop being sorry when they leave you alone.”
“When do you think that will be?”
“The story right now is that I have a new girlfriend.” He raises his hand to smooth my hair away from my face the way he loves to do. The way that sends lightning down my spine. “The longer we date, the more boring we’ll become. It’ll die down.”
My stomach swims excitedly. “Girlfriend, huh?”
Now he smiles. “Is that not what we’re doing here?”
“Well, I don’t know. I’ll have to ask all my other guys on the side what they think.”
“How many are there?”
“Five. Six. Eight at least.”
“Damn, girl. You’re busy.”
I shrug. “I like to stay active.”
He widens his stance, lowering his body closer to my height. “What’s it gonna take to lock you down? Make you a one-man woman?”
“A victory against the Vikings next week,” I answer immediately. “Four points should do it.”
Colt’s eyes dance with amusement. “Are you betting on our games?”
“And taking the three point spread. That’s why I’m gonna need those four points.”
“Holy shit,” he breathes excitedly. “That is so hot.”
I smile happily. “So you’ll do it? You’ll beat the Vikings for me?”
“Lilly, I’ll kill them with my bare hands for you.”
“Running up four points on them will be enough, thanks,” I laugh.
“On one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You spend the day with me tomorrow. We played on Thursday so we’re off this Sunday and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than with you.”
I blink, my smile faltering as my heart skips three beats. Four. “Um…”
Colt straightens. “You don’t want to?”
“No, I do,” I swear, and I mean it. “It’s just that Sundays are sort of a family day for me. Michael and I go to our parents’ house for lunch.”
“Right, that’s when you said you watch football with your dad.”
“Yeah. So I can’t bail on that. It’s important.” I try to take a breath, but I can’t manage it. My words are thin as paper when I say, “You could come with me.”
There’s an awkward moment where we stand there staring at each other, the chatter outside sounding impossibly loud. The clock on the wall ticks impatiently. In the back the refrigerator kicks on with a heavy thunk.
“Do you mean that?” he asks me warily.
I understand his hesitance. My words said one thing while my tone said another.
I lick my lips, wondering what I’m doing. Wondering if I can handle it. I definitely want to be able to, and I think that’s close enough to being the same thing.
“I do,” I pronounce with certainty. “My dad will die if he gets to meet you and I know my mom would be excited. But if you don’t want to, I understand. It’s a big thing asking you to meet—“
“I want to,” he interrupts decisively. “I’ll be there.”
I nod my head, swallowing to try to silence the rush of blood in my ears. “Okay. Great. I have to work in the morning but I’m off at noon.”
“Can I come in and work with you?”
I chuckle. “I’m going to have to start paying you if you do.”
“I’ll take my wages in apple fritters.”