“I’m gonna let that slide because I know she loves still having someone to dote on. But, to be honest…no, I haven’t thought about it. I’m really hoping to stay here. For the long haul, potentially.”
“Ah. Okay. I mean, I get it. The weather alone is…wait. Wait a minute. What’s that grin?”
His calling me out only makes me smile wider. I can’t help it. Any thought of a future with Ellie has me grinning like a damn fool, and it’s getting harder and harder to hide.
“There’s a girl! Isn’t there? Jesus Christ, I can’t believe it. You’ve barely been here a hot minute, Teddy. How can you already be cheesing this hard over a girl?”
“She’s a woman, thank you very much. And I don’t know, Thatch. When you know, you know, I guess. I met her while volunteering, and she’s so funny and kind. She gets all excited about her friends’ gossip at the retirement home, and she kicks my ass at trivia every time.”
“Pretty?”
“Pretty isn’t the word, man. She’s beyond. Curves for days, confidence—”
I’m interrupted by the arrival of my muse herself, who’s quietly let herself in and is leaning against the archway into the living room, listening to me spill my heart out to my best friend. I feel lighter as soon as I see her, like something vital was missing and has now returned to make me whole again.
“Hi, baby.” I cross the room in three quick strides to pick her up and spin her around, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before pulling back. “You smell awful.”
Her tinkling laugh makes up for it, but she really does reek. “Well, after your game, I swung by and caught the end of goat yoga at the retirement home. But then one got loose and made quite a mess in the activity room, so I helped clean it up. I’ll take a shower and come back out smelling like you if you’ll introduce me to your friend first.”
With that, she turns her radiance onto Thatcher, who’s just as mesmerized as I expected. I jump in to make introductions as if they haven’t already heard plenty about each other.
“Thatcher, this is my girlfriend, Ellie. Ellie, this is my best friend and former teammate in New York, Thatcher Prescott.”
“It’s a pleasure. Teddy hasn’t told me much about you yet, but it’s clear you’re a special woman to enamor him so thoroughly.”
Would it kill him to leave a little charm for the rest of us?
“I’m excited to hang out with you guys tonight, but if you don’t mind, I really do want to shower and get the smell of goat off.”
“We’ll be here when you get back. If you’re lucky, Thatch will leave you some of the food.” I send her off with a kiss to her temple, enjoying the view as she waltzes down the hall in sinfully tight leggings. When I turn around, Thatcher’s fixing me with an uncharacteristically serious stare.
“What?”
“Nothing. Just that she’s sweet as shit, and you’re completely in love with her.”
“I…”
I am, aren’t I? I’m completely gone for the woman who’s naked in my shower right now. She’s flipped my life upside down, and I’m increasingly desperate to fill as many seconds of every day as I can with her.I think I’ve been a little in love with Elia Santori from the moment I saw her. How could I not be? Well, no reason to keep the full truth from the guy I’m hoping has at least one bright idea to help me with this mess.
“I am. And I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do about it. We’re keeping it a secret for a while, and—”
“A secret? Why?”
“You’re the only one who knows. I haven’t even told Grandma, Thatch. It’s because,” I run my fingers through my hair and feel the tiny ball of dread that’s my constant companion reform at the base of my spine. “Her last name is Santori.”
“Santori…oh shit.LikeSantori? As in your scary-as-fuck captain and barely-less-scary alternate captain?ThoseSantoris?”
“Ellie’s their little sister.”
“Jesus Christ, Teddy.”
“I know.”
“She’ssooff-limits.”
“I know.”
“There are a lot of rumors about that family, you know.”
