Room for You(55)

“So … do you like cake?” Kacie asked out of the blue.

“Cake?” I laughed. “I’m a guy, I love all food.”

“Good.” Her smile was up to no good as she turned to face me on the couch. “Next week on Thursday, do you have plans?”

“Do I ever have plans? I do the same thing every day. Eat, workout, shower, eat again, play with Diesel, eat again and talk to you until late.”

“Okay, let me rephrase.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “Any chance you could come up here Thursday and go to a cake tasting with me?”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “A cake tasting? What the hell is that?”

“Where you taste cake,” she said sarcastically, sticking her tongue out at me. “Long story short, Lauren is going to be out of town for a little bit, so Alexa and I are stepping up and doing all her wedding planning while she’s away. One of the things I’m in charge of is picking out the cake, but I don’t want to go alone because … that’s a lot of pressure. Plus, then if the cake sucks, I can blame it on you.”

“Oh really? You’re using me as a shield, huh?” I grinned at her.

“Is that a yes?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows up and down.

“I’ll do it, but … it’s gonna cost you.” I peeked at her out of the corner of my eye.

“Uh-oh,” she said skeptically as she relaxed back into the couch, crossing her arms over her chest, staring at me. “Go ahead, tell me.”

“I need you to go to another dinner with me.”

Her mouth dropped open and she shot up straight, ready to chew me out, but I didn’t give her a chance.

“Before you say anything, it’s not at Blaire’s. It’s for the Wild. We have a charity called Wild Kids that helps underprivileged children pay for summer camps, band instruments, and art programs … stuff like that. Anyway, I need a date and I was hoping the most beautiful woman in Minnesota would accompany me.” I made sure the girls weren’t looking before I reached over and gave Kacie’s leg a quick squeeze. I started to pull back when she put her hand on mine, holding it there.

“Leave it a minute,” she said, squeezing my hand. Her eyes sparkled as she looked out at Lucy and Piper jumping rope in the yard. She took a deep cleansing breath, and a small smile danced on her lips. “Yes, I’ll go. Of course I have to run it by my mom, but I doubt it’ll be a problem.”

“Wow. That was easier than I thought.” I followed her gaze out to the girls. “I have to warn you, and you’re not allowed to change your mind since you already said yes, but Andy represents a bunch of guys on the team, not just me, so most likely he’ll be there … with her. I meant what I said though, I won’t let her near you.”

She shrugged and smiled at me calmly. “You know what? If she is, she is. If it’s a charity event I’m assuming there will be lots of people there. Who knows if I’ll even see her? And if she acts like a bitch again, I’ll hold my head high like a lady and walk away. Then once I get to the parking lot, I’ll ask you to point out her car so I can slash her tires.”

This woman blew me away at every turn. Last weekend, Blaire pounced on her like a predator attacking a wounded animal, and instead of hiding in the bushes forever, she was willing to confront her again. All the blows life had dealt Kacie had only made her stronger and I was in complete admiration of her for that.





Summer was in full swing and the last few days had been hot and I mean … hot. The poor birds were desperately seeking relief by splashing in the various birdbaths Mom had scattered around the yard, and the lake was as full as I’d ever seen it with people boating and swimming.

After the girls covered the driveway with chalk drawings of rainbows and flowers, they were ready for a popsicle break.

“Red, please,” Piper called out, hopping onto the stool at the island.

“Pink, please,” Lucy followed.

“Coming right up,” I said, opening the freezer.

Brody followed us to the kitchen and filled up Diesel’s bowl with fresh, cold water before sitting down at the island next to the girls. “Blue for me, please.” He grinned at me.

The girls giggled and started shooting questions at Brody, one right after another.

“How fast can you skate?”

“Faster than lightning.”

“Why are your hands so big?”

“To match my big feet.”

“Does Diesel like popsicles too?”

“Only the blue ones.”

He handled his mini-interview like a pro, entertaining them with his animated answers.

“Okay, twinkies, after popsicles, wanna go swimming?” Brody asked eagerly.

“Yay!” They cheered in unison with juice dripping off their chins.

“While you guys swim, I’m gonna bring my books down and study.” I sighed. “I’m so behind.”



On a scorching day like today, the cool, shaded grass felt good in between my toes as I walked down to the lake. The girls were ankle deep in the water, squealing as they ran away from Diesel who was jumping and splashing next to them like a kid on a trampoline. Brody stood a few feet past them. His golden arms were crossed over his broad chest, while he watched them like a hawk making sure they didn’t run past him into the deep water. He looked like their own personal security guard. I liked it; he made me feel safe. Navy blue board shorts hung off his hips, his toned oblique muscles sliding down into a sexy V as they disappeared into the top of his waistband. My face flushed when I thought about what awaited below that waistband. Knowing that it was inside me just last weekend was enough to make me want to drag him back to my room for a few minutes.