I stretched my fingers, resisting the desire to ball them into fists. The irresistible urge to shove this cocky kid against the wall was almost too much to fight. In my mind, I had Simpson pinned against the wall with my forearm to his neck. As his face grew a darker shade of crimson, I would explain exactly who Maeve Hubbard was.
She was intelligent and fun, kind and compassionate. Her smile lit up a room or an entire football field. Her loyalty and dedication were without bounds. She was stunningly beautiful whether she was waking up or dressed for a social event. Her purpose overtook her fears. She’d never met a challenge she couldn’t conquer. Yet she could be confident and vulnerable at the same time.
I gritted my teeth. Vee wasn’t as shallow as the word pretty.
Dennison’s shoulder bumped into mine. “Let’s go eat some lunch.” After Simpson walked away, Dennison spoke softly. “Are you all right? What was that?”
“The woman just lost her father. She doesn’t need stupid-ass comments about her looks.”
“Yeah, all right. Maybe you need to go see that new woman of yours and work out these frustrations.”
My smile returned. “I told you. I don’t have frustrations.”
“Sure.”
During lunch, no one from the executive offices entered the cafeteria. I knew, because I kept an eagle eye on the entry. My every thought was about Vee. While I’d checked my phone between meetings, I didn’t have any messages from her.
I managed to speak civilly with Simpson during the quarterback meeting. Once it was over, I didn’t waste any time making small talk as I gathered my shit together and headed out to my truck.
Once I threw my bag in the back seat, I checked my phone for the hundredth time. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of Vee’s name. The text message had arrived only a few minutes earlier.
* * *
“I’M STILL NOT DONE AT DAPHNE’S HOUSE. I’M NOT SURE WHEN I’LL BE HOME.”
* * *
I texted back.
* * *
“I DON’T WANT YOU TO BE ALONE TONIGHT.”
* * *
Her reply came immediately.
* * *
“DOES THAT MEAN YOU’LL STAY OVER AGAIN?”
* * *
“IF YOU WANT ME, I’LL GO HOME AND GET MY THINGS AND HEAD BACK TO YOUR PLACE.”
* * *
“I WANT YOU. I’LL TEXT WHEN THIS SHITTY FAMILY MEETING FINALLY ENDS.”
* * *
I considered my next text before hitting send.
* * *
“I LOVE YOU, VEE HUBBARD. (Heart emoji)
* * *
