Play with Me (With Me in Seattle, #3)(14)

So everyone is munching and enjoying the game. Instead of a hospital lounge, it looks like someone’s living room during the Super Bowl.

The kids love the sense of normalcy, and I can’t wait to thank Will for it.

Everyone groans as Will is tackled on the field and I hold my breath until he gets back up and walks steadily to his teammates.

Dear God, I can’t watch him get tackled again. How does he not get hurt?

The first half of the game comes to an end, and Will’s team is winning, twenty-one to seven.

My eyes are glued to the television, watching intently for my message from Will, and sure enough, right before they go to commercial, he’s on the screen. His hair is wet with sweat and plastered to his forehead, face is dirty, and he’s breathing hard from exertion, but he grins at the camera and taps his nose with his forefinger, then points to the camera and mouths, “miss you.”

Well, shit, he’s sweet.

Without over-thinking it, I pull my phone out and text him.

Miss you, too, football star.



*



“Miss McBride?”

“Yeah.” I croak and stare at the man through blurry eyes. He’s standing on my porch, in a uniform of some kind, holding a clipboard. I run my hand through my hair and frown. “What time is it?”

“Ten in the morning, ma’am.”

Fuck, it’s early.

“What’s up?” I ask and wish for coffee.

“I’m Doug from Home Security Systems. I have a work order to install a system in your home.” He smiles politely and I scowl.

“I didn’t order you.”

“I know, Mr. Montgomery did.”

“How do you know?” I ask.

“Because I own the company, ma’am. He asked me to do it personally.”

I sigh deeply and lean my forehead against the door. I guess there’s no getting out of this.

“How long will it take?” I ask, resigned to letting it happen.

“Most of the day. This is a full system.”

“How much is my monthly bill going to be?” I ask and juggle some things around in my head. I could disconnect the cable.

“It’s been paid in full for the next year,” he replies as he makes notes on his clipboard.

“Seriously?”

“Yep. Can I get started?”

“Go ahead. I’ll be in the shower, but then I’ll be around if you have questions.”

“That’s fine, I’ll start outside anyway.”

I trudge back to my bedroom and flop down on the bed. I grab my phone and dial Will’s number.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he whispers.

“Why are you whispering?” I whisper back.

“Because we’re watching tape from yesterday’s game. Why are you whispering?” I hear the smile in his voice and it makes me grin.

“Because you’re whispering.”

“Did the alarm guy show up?”

“Yes, control freak, he did.”

Will chuckles softly. “Good. I trust him, he’s done all of my family’s homes and businesses.”

“Okay. Did you have to send him so early?”

“It’s ten am, sweetheart.”

“I didn’t go to bed until four,” I remind him.

“I’m sorry, I forgot.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t want to sleep my whole day away anyway.” I get up and start the shower. “I’ll let you get back to your tape.”

“Okay. Do you have tomorrow off?”

“Yeah.”

“I have to train in the morning until about noon, but then I want to spend the rest of the day with you.”

God, his whispery voice is sexy as f*ck.

“Sure, what do you have in mind?”

“You’ll find out tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at noon.”

He hangs up and I take a long, scalding hot shower. It wakes me up and invigorates me. I dress in a loose, floaty black tank dress and head into the kitchen, open my laptop on the countertop. While it wakes up, I brew some coffee.

Thank God for coffee.

I hear drilling and see the security system guys bustling about the townhouse, one in the front and one in the back. So while they work, I decide to work a little too, catching up on email, Facebook and bills, while I bring up my favorite station on internet radio.

By the time the alarm workers are done at around six, I’m caught up with my virtual social life, emails, made a few calls and I’m broke. Well, I will be, anyway, when I send Sylvia her check.

I’m shown how to set my alarm, disable it, punch in my passcode, and call for help. It’s incredibly scary.

Not the idea of being burgled, but how many damn steps I have to go through to arm this f*cker.

When I’m finally alone, I slip on my flip-flops and head out for a walk through the neighborhood. I don’t know why Will is so freaked out about my safety. My neighborhood isn’t that bad. It’s just an average, middle-class area of Seattle. In fact, the majority of my subdivision is townhomes. Some are condos, and most are single or childless couples who live there. Surrounding us are single family homes, all rather cookie-cutter, built in the last five years or so.

It’s not the freaking ghetto.