In addition to Paloma’s own shocked gasp as I include her, their cheers warm my heart and give me another reminder of why I chose to do this.
“Mr. Morrison.” I turn, finding Shayla behind me.
“What’s up, Shayla?”
“My brother and I always rent a set of clubs but we always play together and share them. Um. .actually...” I can see her beginning to backpedal, unsure if she should be sharing this with me.
“No worries there. I will talk to your grandad and get it sorted outbefore the tournament. Sound good? You two will be set.”
She beams at me as she nods her head, running back over to her brother, Kenny, and her grandad. I feel Paloma’s warmth behind me. She slides her hand up my forearm and wraps her hand around it.
“You’re really great for doing all of this. These kids' lives are going to be forever changed by this program.” Her voice is soft as she speaks.
Paloma stays back with me, answering questions about Albatross, details I didn’t even know she was aware of, and it fills something in me. We answer lingering questions from families, cheer on the kids as they make their first hits. The families split off with their children, making conversation with those around them, as they explore the first nine holes for the morning.
“Thank you, Dove. I want them all to have a chance I was lucky enough to receive. Even if the next pro golfer doesn't come out of this, lessons they learn in golf—on the course—are going to help them in life off the course.”
“I know you’re starting this off in our little town, but are you going to take this around the world too?” she questions, but her lovely voice tapers off toward the end. I’m going to nip that in the bud right now.
“If other golfers consider this, then I would gladly look into bridging out and allowing them to take this to their own spaces, but I'm not ready for anything other than what's here for me in Cypress Lake, Paloma.”
I pause, waiting for the last family to walk far enough out of view and pinch her chin between my fingers, angling her head up to mine so she can see the truth behind my words. No more hiding, no more running. “You will always be a part of my plan. Since the day I saw you again at Shaken Tropes, I knew then I would chase you to the end of the world. I’m not going anywhere, Dove.”
She nods her head, eyes glistening, and I pull her into my chest. Her muffled words heat the skin beneath my polo. “I wasn’t expecting such a confession.”
“It’s no confession. You just have to learn to accept this is our mulligan, and we aren’t running anywhere if we aren’t running together.” I pull back and lean down, brushing my lips over hers to coax her to open for me. When Paloma leans her body into mine, gasping at the slight contact, I press my lips to hers in a slow kiss. Wanting to truly savor the taste of her, a taste I’ve grown addicted to.
There is nothing better than feeling Paloma’s body surrender to me. She barely holds herself up, relying on my strength to keep us steady, and I fucking love it. Her trust alone makes me lose interest in being a gentleman. I trail my lips to her ear where I murmur, “If there was no one here, I would take you right here and now.”
My dick presses against my zipper at her moan of excitement. I grip the fleshy area of her waist, fucking loving how my fingers sink into her soft curves. “You like that, huh, baby?” I tease, but desire makes my voice rough. I press a chaste kiss to her lips before pulling back, adjusting this sinful golf dress she has on.
“I cannot believe you just kissed me like that, right here on the course.”
“Hm, no one can see us over here, and besides, you didn't stop me, you lush.” I tap her on the ass, her laugh infectious. “Let’s eat and get on with our day.”
We grab takeout and settle in at my place. Desire quickly overcomes the both of us, and we spend the rest of the afternoon tangled in the sheets of my bed.
I didn’t think I could ever miss the scent of someone, but her cherry fragrance lingers long after she leaves for the day.
30
Chuck:Enter the girl gang, stage left! The sanity squad in this chaos.
Lou:They might be the only ones who can actually steer this ship straight.
Chuck:Or at least keep it from sinking completely.
Lou:Either way, they’re a welcome sight.
Every single chance we get, Clinton and I are together. Hitting a few balls between shifts at Shaken Tropes and training sessions with the kids and long nights warming our hands over a bowl of black garlic ramen at Midnight Miso. I’ve even gone shopping with his cousin, Selene, who is so fucking gorgeous it’s hard to look at her sometimes.
Who has genes like that?Maybe our kids will be beautiful like her. My eyes widen, and I take a long look at myself in the mirror, surprised my train of thought went in the direction it did. Children are wonderful, and it's something I want but never considered.
I won’t bring a child into this world if I can’t understand how to be in a healthy relationship. It's not fair to them, or me. But now, the prospect seems like a reality I would like to explore someday. My phone vibrates, pulling me out of my thoughts, and I open the notifications.
Papi
Just checking on you.
