“I’d call most of them friends, but I’m probably closest to Cole, TJ, and Kellan.”
“Who, what, and where?” I ask.
He laughs. “Cole Andrews is a tight end. TJ Brooks and Kellan Price are both wide receivers. We hit the town together sometimes.”
I’m not sure why my chest tightens a little at that. Theyhit the town, and everybody knows that has to mean they’re out picking up women.
I don’t like the sound of that. It makes me wonder how many women he’s been with. It’s not my business, notreally, but at the same time, if we’re getting married, it kind of is. And my big mouth opens before I get the chance to stop it. “What doeshit the townmean?”
He shrugs. “You know. Go out. Get a few drinks together.”
“Pick up ladies and head home separately?”
“Sometimes,” he admits carefully.
“Is that what you do?”
“I can’t say I never have. But what I can say is that the last time Cole talked me into going out, even though I technically went home with the girl, I never stepped foot into her apartment and instead caught an Uber home.”
My brows dip down. “Why?”
He stares straight ahead, and his voice is low as he says, “Because it wasn’t fair to her that I was thinking of someone else.”
My breath catches in my throat.
Oh.
He means me.
I’m not quite sure how to respond to that, and I mumble something about how that was gentlemanly before I switch back to the topic at hand. “So do you even celebrate Christmas?”
“Depends what day of the week it falls on. If it’s a Monday or Tuesday, I’ll fly to Chicago for the day. Any other day, I either have practice or a game.”
“So this year it’s a Friday,” I say. “What are your plans?”
“Breakfast with my fiancée, maybe exchanging a gift if that’s something you’d like to do, and then it’s practice and preparing for Sunday.”
I press my lips together. What do you get the guy you’re going to marry that hails from a billionaire family and can get anything he wants at the snap of a football?
I’ll have to think about that, but I’m curious enough about what he’ll get me that I say, “I’d love to exchange gifts with you.”
He nods. “Then we’ll do it.”
“Can we get a Christmas tree tomorrow? It doesn’t feel like Christmas at your place, so we need to decorate.”
“Absolutely.” A cute little crooked smile plays at his lips. “But Tate?”
“Hm?” I ask, glancing over at him.
“It’sourplace now.”
My heart melts a little at that.
We arrive atourplace, and I pull up a cheesy Christmas movie as I settle in on the couch. “Watch with me,” I say, and he grabs some popcorn and settles in beside me.
Our thighs are touching.
I know we’re getting married. I know we’re in this trial dating phase. But he usually doesn’t sit this close to me, and I can’t help but like it.
