“Hey! How did your day go?” I ask Burton when I find him along the edges of the crowd.
He grins. “This was all incredible. You did an amazing job up there.”
He pulls me in for a hug, and I can’t complain in the least. He smells like sweat and cologne, which is not horrible for him. It’s like every part of my body is firing we’re so close.
I sink into the hug a bit more, enjoying the comfort. Is it possible for someone to give the best hugs in the world? Burton definitely does it right.
“My grandpa was impressed with the challenge-a-pro part. If I hadn’t held him back, he would’ve grabbed a stick and tried to go against one of you.”
Burton blinks several times. “What do you mean? Your grandpa came today?”
Laughing, I nod. “Grammie too. They said they needed to see this sport in person.”
“I’m sad I didn’t get to see them. The crowd would’ve been even louder for your grandpa than they were with some of the other people there.”
“They didn’t stay too long. Grammie wasn’t feeling very well, so they left after a couple of hours.”
He gives me a soft smile. “Tell them thank you for coming and supporting us.That means a lot.”
“Of course. I always looked for them during my races and meets. It makes a difference to know someone is in your corner.” It’s not until I’ve said the words that I realize how they must’ve affected him. Instead of dwelling on it, I change the conversation.
“So, Leslie Burton—” I say, pulling back a little.
He laughs and shakes his head. “Closer, but still not my name.”
I tap my forefinger on my chin and say, “Okay, so more of a feminine touch. How about Jordan? Taylor? Although I don’t think you’d be that skittish with those names.”
“Why do you want to know so badly?” Burton asks, suddenly serious.
“Because while it might annoy you, it’s a part of your history.”
He raises an eyebrow. “And you want to know that history?”
“Of course.”
He leans in with his lips next to my ear, and I keep still despite the shiver running down my spine. “My parents named me Courtney.”
I pull back and look at him. “That’s not that bad. I’ve known a few Courtneys who are guys in my life.”
He gives a small shake of his head. “Have they ever played a professional sport?”
I think that through and shake my head. “No,most of them just went by Court and worked in random professions.”
“It’s hard to have a female name while playing a male sport.”
“I can understand that. But don’t be too hard on a name.”
“You don’t think it’s weird or laughable?” he asks, studying my face.
I shrug. “No. I think, for good or bad, it shaped you. Sometimes we have to be grateful, even for the parts of life that are harder or test us more.”
A loud sound echoes through the air, and we turn to see the fireworks. I can still feel his arms around my lower back, and I tighten my hold around him, pulling him closer. Is this way more forward than I’m used to being? Yes, but maybe I’ve needed to do this for a while.
I turn to look at him watching the fireworks, grinning at the thought of this man in my life. He’s not the steel wall he wants everyone to think he is, but he’s kind and willing to help people, along with being funny and so many more outstanding qualities.
He turns to look at me, and then, within a second, he makes the distance between us disappear. His lips press to mine, and I’m pretty sure every nerve ending is firing right now, especially in the lip area. The kiss isn’t rushed or pressured, but more of an exploration.
I get lost in it but jump as the finale of fireworks goes off.
