Scored(26)

“My bat of a sister-in-law can.” I stumble to one side when she hits me again, laughing at her futile attempt to pummel me. “Can you focus on my back? Got a knot that needs to be worked out.”

“Just you wait, Dallas, I will get my revenge.” I’ve known Catherine since I was a kid, so her threats don’t bother me. “I’m going to tell your mom and dad about you throwing Michael into the pool last month.”

Okay, so that threat bothers me. My parents would have my ass for pulling that stunt. Yeah, I dove in after him and yeah, he was prepared, but our parents are more than a little overprotective of Mikey—not that I can blame them.

“Her name is Paige, and she’s a librarian at the Franklin-Hayes House.” I grab a sandwich and tear into it. “Happy?”

Catherine smiles triumphantly, and I wonder if I’ve just been played. “Thank you. Is she pretty?”

I nod, keeping one eye on my brother. He hasn’t joined us yet, but once he’s done figuring out whatever is in his head, he will.

“Are you going to ask her out?”

“We have dinner plans tonight. She’s cooking for me.”

Catherine grins. “She’s a keeper.”

“We’ll see,” I say noncommittally. A woman like Page is a keeper, but according to her, I’m not. After only one date, I shouldn’t care… but I do. Maybe it’s because I saved her life by catching her when she fell.

Mikey moves to the table, and his wife starts fussing over him. He looks at her like she’s his entire world. She tucks a napkin into the collar of his shirt, then rearranges his bowl and fixes the spoon into his good hand.

“Slow,” she cautions. “Slow and easy, baby.”

My brother cocks an eyebrow, like he wants to protest, but he doesn’t. “Okay. For. You.”

She touches his face again, so lovingly that it almost seems as intimate as sex.

Looking at the two lovebirds, I almost make a smartass remark, but jealousy rockets through me. For the first time… I want what they have.

Fuck.

*

Time slows to a crawl after I leave Mikey and Catherine’s place. A good thing, I guess, since I need to pick up flowers—specifically violets—and a bottle of wine before going over to Paige’s house.

After Googling the best florist in the area, I call the place and place an order. They offer to deliver, but I decline so I can take it in person.

Yes, she said I didn’t have to bring anything, but there is no way I’m showing up empty-handed. Not only am I pretty sure it’s a criminal offense around here to have bad manners, but my own mother would also be disappointed. My family, especially my mother, is my Achilles heel.

Always has been and always will be.

Now that I’ve had more time to think about it, my reaction to Catherine and Mikey was nothing. I was in the presence of two amazing humans who have overcome a lot of odds to be together. That’s bound to influence a guy.

I grab the PlayStation remote, put on my headset, and sign on to play Madden in a room created just for Renegade players to blow off steam. Aiden is already there, along with a few other guys from the team.

“Look who decided to sack up and join us, ladies,” Aiden says in a condescending tone that makes me want to kick his ass.

“Shut up and play,” I growl, then spend the next thirty minutes ignoring his commentary and thrashing our opponents.

“At least you play like you got a pair,” Aiden says.

“Why are you so obsessed with my nuts?” I ask, earning a few snickers. “Miss yours?”

“Fuck you.”

Aiden leaves the game. I smile, say goodbye to my teammates, and log off. I jog upstairs to shower, shave, and change, which takes me a good twenty minutes, and then I’m back on the road.

I make a couple of quick stops at the florist and one of those fancy-ass wine places since North Carolina doesn’t have party stores like we do back home, then jump into my SUV and arrive at Paige’s place with ten minutes to spare.

Learned that trick in Boy Scouts. If you’re not early, you’re late. If you’re on time, you’re still late.

Grabbing the violets and wine, I take my time getting out of my SUV and locking it before sauntering up to her doorstep while checking out her neighborhood.

It’s nice and middle class, comprised of rows of townhouses, each with a different color door. A good thing, since they all look exactly alike. Large trees dominate the sides of the buildings while postage-stamp-sized front yards are neatly trimmed with mums planted in the flowerbeds.

God knows how many of those holes I dug for my mom each fall. She loves mums so much that I make sure the lawn service I hired plants at least two dozen of them each year as soon as there’s a chill in the air.

Searching, without luck, for a doorbell, I rap the door with my knuckles and wait. A few long seconds later, Paige answers, looking as fine as anything in a pair of dark jeans and a green sweater that hugs her tits. Her honey-colored hair is pulled back in the front and held in place with a small barrette while the rest of her curls seem to float around her shoulders.

Her smile is bright and reaches her eyes as she greets me. “Hey, you’re right on time. I just took the roast out of the oven.”

Told ya. “I couldn’t wait to see you.” I hold out my hands. “Came bearing gifts and everything.”