The butterflies stalled. A few of them crashed into the floor of her belly. “Youdon’t?”
“No.” He took her hand. “I don’t want to pick up where we left off. I want to begin again. I want to meet you where you are now, and I hope you’ll meet me where Iam.”
“London Wilder, that was just about the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.” She placed her hand on his cheek, the warmth of his skin seeping into her and spreading up her arm and to herheart.
“I told you I could beromantic.”
He was right. He wasn’t the same guy she’d crushed on in high school. In a way, she had to let the old London go in order to grab on to this one. If the hope and the attraction and the care she saw swirling in his molasses eyes was any indication of what was to come, then she could take thatleap.
She put out her hand. “Hello, famous football player London Wilder. I’mMaia.”
His grin stretched from end zone to end zone. “Hello, Princess Maia. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Instead of shaking her hand, he turned it to the side and pressed his lips to theback.
She giggled. “I’m not a princess; I only play one in themovies.”
He chuckled, the sound humming through his chest and into her back where she leaned against him, filling her chest up with his happy sounds. “You were meant to be a princess, honey.” He pressed a kiss to her head and came away with his nose wrinkled. “Is there anything we can do about that?” He tugged lightly on her bright pink, chin-lengthhair.
She reached back, removing pins. “I have to warn you, I have a massive case of hat hairunderneath.”
“I think I can take it.” He busied himself getting the food out of the basket and finding the plasticutensils.
She lifted one shoulder. When the pins were out, she pulled off the wig and then the wig cap. Her hair was braided tightly against her scalp, and she freed herself of the bands and braids. Finally, she was able to shake her kinky hair out and sigh withpleasure.
London echoed her sigh. “It’s not fair for you to have all that going on, youknow.”
“Says the man with the giant muscles.” She trailed her hand up his arm, loving the smooth bumps and valleys. He handed her a takeout container filled with chicken enchiladas, a side of rice and beans, and a small cup of pico. She inhaled the aroma and settled more comfortably on the blanket. Her leg throbbed when she woke up this morning, but she’d been fanatic about alternating Tylenol and Advil, and the pain was down to a manageablegrowl.
“Tell me about your team.” She managed a large bite andmoaned.
London brushed a finger fondly down her cheek. He leaned back on one arm and glanced around the stadium. “What do you want toknow?”
Maia thought for a moment. If she were meeting London for the first time, she’d want to know everything. She’d gobble up the tiniest bits of information as if they were sweet raspberries. As many daydreams as she’d entertained over the years, having him right here where she could reach out and touch him was so muchbetter.
Unlike a daydream that had to end, the time with London could go on and on if they wanted it to—if she could let it and if he would open up to her. He wasn’t hiding anything today; his eyes were an open door into his heart. She briefly wondered what would happen if she tiptoed close to forbidden territory—the place he’d always kept her outof.
With the sunlight and the deep green grass and the music playing like a sweet serenade, she didn’t want to think about the dark place she’d seen in his eyes at prom. “Tell me about Knox—is he always sogrumpy?”
London tipped his head back and closed his eyes. “That’s an interestingstory.”
* * *
“Well.”Maia shifted as London set her down at the door to her bungalow. Her stitches were starting to burn. She needed to move inside and elevate her leg—or collapse into bed and sleep for twelve hours. Normally she had the energy of a bunny on Dr. Pepper, but her body was pooling resources intohealing.
Instead of putting the wig back on, she’d tucked her hair up into his baseball hat. It was after dark. The sound of the crowd drifted over the tops of the buildings. By the sound of things, there were now a couple thousand people out there. “I had a pretty greattime.”
“Don’t sound so surprised.” London rolled hiseyes.
“Did I? I didn’t mean to.” She laughed as she shoved his shoulder. “Don’t be sosensitive.”
He swept her up into a hug. “I had a pretty great time too. You wanna do thisagain?”
“Do you picnic in the stadiumeveryday?”
“Naw, today was a once-in-the-off-season opportunity. I may have to volunteer with the custodial crew to pay back thefavor.”
“You’d look cute pushing a broom around. You wanna come inside and clean thekitchen?”
He pulled back so he could look in her face. “Are you inviting me in?” His eyes grew heavy withsuggestion.
