She’s so beautiful, and she doesn’t even know it.
We knew of each other in high school. Her friend dated my friend, but we didn’t get to know each other more until Brynn moved back to Cedar Falls and set my best friend’s life on a tailspin. When she was younger, she was all sharp wit and polite distance. Now, she’s the quiet librarian that I can’t quite get enough of.
That night at Gordy’s, when she kissed me for the first time, changed everything. I was a goner.
Now, even when I tell myself to keep it light, she makes that impossible.
When practice ends, I walk over to the fence. Evie’s sitting on the grass, eating one of the cookies I picked up from Penny’s Cafe this afternoon.
“You’re a menace, Wells,” Katie says, shaking her head. “She’s never going to sleep now.”
“She earned it,” I say, leaning against the fence. “Two solid hits. The crowd went wild.”
“The crowd being you and six other children?”
“I’m an enthusiastic audience.”
Her smile softens. “You’re good with them.”
“I like seeing them light up when they get something right.”
“You were like that as a kid, weren’t you? All heart, no patience.”
I chuckle. “Still am, depending on who you ask.”
Her eyes glint, and for a second, the air between us tightens.
She clears her throat. “Evie’s going to talk about you all night.”
“I’m honored.”
“She already tells everyone her Coach Wells makes the best jokes.”
“That’s because she has excellent taste.”
Katie laughs. “You’re impossible.”
“Maybe,” I say, tilting my head. “Are you coming to Penny’s tomorrow morning? Knox said he and Brynn are grabbing brunch before they leave for the honeymoon.”
“I might.”
“I’ll buy your coffee if you do.”
She gives me a suspicious look. “That’s bribery.”
“Think of it as encouragement.”
Her lips curve, but her voice softens. “You don’t have to keep doing things for me, Wells.”
I look at her for a long moment. “Maybe I want to.”
She studies me like she’s trying to decide if I’m a good idea or a storm she should run from.
I nod toward Evie, who’s now lying on her back, pointing at clouds. “She’s a good kid.”
“She’s my whole world,” she says quietly.
“Yeah,” I say, “I can tell.”
