Catching Summer (8 page)

Grayson showed up right before the lunch crowd arrived, and we were slammed. It was busier than it had ever been. I was thankful we’d hired more staff because there was no way I could’ve handled it on my own with only Grayson behind the bar. Our chefs were amazing and the food tasted like heaven. Their love for cooking definitely showed up in the flavors; they cooked all of Grayson and Austin’s recipes.

Luckily, a break came around three o’clock and it usually stayed slow until around five. Grayson was wiping down the bar when I approached, and he greeted me with a smile. At least it wasn’t a look of disdain. “I’ve noticed you staring at me a lot today,” he teased. “I was starting to get a complex.”

I sat down, and he passed me a glass of water. “Thank you. I guess I’ve just been a little worried.”

“About what?” he said, focusing on me. “Evan?”

I nodded. “I was afraid of what you and your family would think.”

“Are you kidding me?” he laughed. “We’re happy for you. Mom called me today, crying. She said you looked amazing in that picture. They’re all excited about it. They like Evan.”

“Do you?”

“I do, but I think the question you really want to ask is what Austin would think about this.” Sighing, I closed my eyes and nodded. “Austin would want you to be happy, Sum. And if that happiness comes from being with Evan, then so be it. You can’t live your life in guilt if you fall in love with another guy. Have you been holding back because of that?”

“Kind of,” I admitted truthfully.

“Then stop and tell him how you really feel. Once you’re completely honest with him, you’ll be able to move on. Why don’t you go and talk to him?”

“Now?” I asked incredulously.

He rolled his eyes. “No, tomorrow. Yes, now. I want you to be stress-free for the night shift. Also, I want us to have a private party for our friends next Wednesday in celebration of our article. Invite the team and anyone you want.”

“But not Luke,” Lara said in passing.

Grayson growled low. “Now that, I agree with,” he said to me. “Don’t invite that scumbag.”

“Why, so you can have her all to yourself?” I teased.

Shaking his head, he circled around the bar and pushed me toward the door. “Get out of here, Summer. If you come back and the door is locked, just wait outside.”

“Oh my God, don’t you dare have sex in my restaurant.”

“Correction, it’s
our
restaurant. And how do you know we haven’t already?” he said with a sly smile.

Lara snorted and smacked him on the head. “I heard that. Summer doesn’t need to know everything, dumbass.”

I stood there with my mouth gaping as they both smiled smugly at me. “Ugh, you two are going to drive me insane. I’ll be back in a little bit.” My purse was in the office, so I scurried off to fetch it and opened the back door.

“Take your time,” Grayson called.

“All right, if you don’t see me until eight o’clock don’t get mad.” I wouldn’t do that to him, but it was obvious he didn’t care because I didn’t get a response. I wasn’t about to go back into the restaurant for fear of what I would see.

On the way to the practice facility, I called Kate and told her I was making a surprise visit. She met me at the door and let me in so I could sneak onto the field unnoticed. The team was split, all of them doing various exercises. Evan was on the far end with Gavin, just like he said he would be. It was hot outside, and I could feel the sweat beading down my back and soaking the white sundress I wore. I didn’t care. I could go inside and watch through the window, but it was completely different being able to see Evan up close, the way he handled the ball and helped Gavin. Gavin was an exceptional player, but he wasn’t as fast as Evan. If coaching was what Evan wanted to do after he retired, he’d be amazing at it.

“You do realize you haven’t moved from that spot in two hours,” Kate said sometime later. The other players started to disperse, but Evan remained on the field.

Without turning to look at her, I smiled. “What can I say? I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.”

“He should be done soon. Cooper and I are going to go home. I’ve been having some of those Braxton-Hicks contractions and it’s driving me crazy.”

This time I faced her, excitement bubbling inside of me. “It means your baby will be here soon. Just hold out until after next Wednesday. Grayson and I are having a private party at the restaurant. I want you to be there.”

She rubbed her stomach. “If this little tyke holds out, we’ll definitely be there. Lara told me about the magazine contacting you. What an honor!”

“Thanks. We’re excited about it.”

About that time, Cooper ran up and gave her a sweaty kiss before racing off toward the back, laughing the entire way. With her nose scrunched, she wiped off her face. “Do you see what you have to look forward to?”

“Yes,” I said, laughing.

“All right, well, I guess I better go. See you tomorrow?”

I nodded. “I’ll be here.” She smiled and made her way inside. Evan was still out on the field, but Gavin had packed up his things and was headed my way. He took off his helmet and smiled, his face streaked with dirt.

“Summer, right?”

“That’s me. How long is he going to be out there?”

He glanced over his shoulder at Evan. “He should be coming right along. He asked me to meet him tonight at the tavern for drinks.”

“Ah, that’s nice. I guess I’ll see you there then.”

“Yep. See ya.”

As soon as he turned to leave, I ventured out onto the field, my heart pounding the entire way. “I have to say, you’re a dedicated player,” I called out.

With a surprised grin on his face, he turned around. “What are you doing here? Didn’t I already see you this morning?”

I was almost to him. “You did, but I couldn’t wait any longer to see you.” Once the distance was closed, I wrapped my arms around his neck and he captured me. His arms were dirty and covered in sweat, but I didn’t care.

“I’m going to ruin your dress, sunshine.”

“I don’t care. I just wanted you to know that I’m ready. For whatever it is we’re doing with each other. I’m ready to see where it goes, to take the next step.”

He kissed me hard and held me tight in his arms. “Are you sure? If we do this, there’s no turning back.”

I looked into his soft gray eyes, and every doubt, every fear, just vanished. “I know,” I murmured against his lips. “I don’t plan on ever looking back.”

The first step to opening up was joining Evan and the team at their away game. I hadn’t flown in a plane since returning from Vegas after I was released from the hospital. That was one place I’d vowed never to go back to. Now we were headed to Arizona. “Have you ever flown first-class before?” Evan asked as we took our seats on the plane. They were much wider than the ones I was used to and definitely more comfortable.

“No, Austin and I always flew coach. I didn’t mind it. But now I’m starting to think we should have upgraded. Though we didn’t need the space like you and the others do.” Evan was a tall guy, very muscular with long legs. He needed the extra room.

“How tall was Austin?” he asked, perfectly interested. We’d been getting to know each other the past couple of days and it was nice to be able to talk to him without holding back. He was comfortable with hearing stories about my life with Austin. It actually helped me feel better to be able to talk to him about my past.

“He was only about an inch taller than me, so about five foot nine. Definitely not over six feet like you. You’re a beast.”

“A sexy beast,” Derek corrected from across the aisle.

Brianna looked over at me and rolled her eyes. “I swear, by the way they talk you’d think they were gay.”

Everyone chuckled, but then it was time for takeoff. While the stewardess went over the usual flight instructions, Evan took my hand and kissed it. I leaned into him and placed my head on his shoulder. We were on our way to Arizona for the weekend game. Lara and Grayson were managing the restaurant for me so I could get away. I was due for a vacation.

Once we were up in the air, we could finally hear each other over the roaring of the engines. “Who all have you invited to the party on Wednesday?” he asked curiously.

Lifting my head from his shoulder, I sat back in my seat and smiled. “I, personally, have invited some of the guys on the team and told them they could bring dates. Lara and Grayson are inviting some of their friends.”

“What about your family? Are they coming?”

With a wide grin, I nodded. “Usually my mom can’t get off work during the week, but she and my dad are going to come down for the day. I haven’t seen them in so long. They’ll be excited to meet you.”

“I hope so. What about Grayson’s family? Will they be there?”

By the look on his face, I could tell he was worried. I reached for his hand and squeezed. “They already know we’re together, Evan. They’ll be happy for us, I promise. You have nothing to worry about.”

He blew out a sigh. “You sure?”

I giggled and squeezed his hand harder. “I promise. Everything will be perfectly fine. They’ll love you.”

“Okay, I trust you on that. What about your doctor? Are you going to invite him?”

“Well, he’s not exactly my doctor anymore, but I think I should probably invite him. I’ll call him as soon as we get back into town. You haven’t told Luke, have you? Lara gave me strict instructions not to invite him.”

He shook his head. “I figured that. I just wish he’d get his head out of his ass.”

“One day he will, but it’ll be too late. He can only blame himself then. I’m just thankful you’re not like that.”

“That’s because when something perfect is in my reach, I’m going to grasp for it and not let go. He just hasn’t realized that Lara is perfect for him. One day he will.”

“I think it might be too late,” I confessed.

He glanced over at me, eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I think Lara and Grayson are seeing each other now. They haven’t publicized it yet. I don’t know if they will or if this is just a lonely phase they’re going through.”

Groaning, he leaned his head against the seat. “Oh, hell, Luke’s not going to like that. But I guess he’ll get what he deserves.”

That he would, but I was also afraid Lara had turned to Grayson for the wrong reasons. She was old enough to lead her own life and make her own decisions, but I wondered if it would blow up in her face. I could only hope they knew what they were doing.

The plane landed safely in Arizona and we rented a large SUV. Derek and Brianna sat in the very back, while Cooper sat in the middle with Gavin. Kate was too far along in her pregnancy to fly, so she had stayed at home. I could tell by the look on Cooper’s face that he was worried about being away from her. As soon as the game was over, he was going to catch a plane back home.

Once we pulled up to the hotel, everyone got out and Evan grabbed our bags. “We going out tonight?” Derek asked excitedly.

Cooper shook his head and slung his bag over his shoulder. “I’m not.”

“We all knew that, old man,” Derek chuckled, slapping him on the back. Cooper said goodbye and retreated inside. “You in, Gavin?”

“You know it. Maybe I’ll get lucky and score some pussy tonight.”

Brianna scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I guess that’s the only thing you’ll be scoring, since you can’t get any touchdowns.” Shaking her head, she came to stand beside me. “Why do they have to be such perverted hornballs? I swear, all they think about is sex.”

“Not all of them are like that,” I whispered in her ear.

Her eyes went wide. “Are you trying to tell me you and Evan haven’t…?” I shook my head in reply. “Wow. From as much as you two have been together, I figured it’d happened by now.”

“I’m glad it hasn’t. It’s good to take things slow.”

“Well, honey, good for you. I’m sure it’ll happen this weekend, though. I’ve never stayed at this place, but from what I can tell it’s the epitome of romantic. I don’t think you’ll be able to resist.”

She winked at me and grabbed Derek’s hand so they could go inside. After the valet took the keys, Evan joined me. Brianna’s words echoed in my mind.
I don’t think you’ll be able to resist.
A part of me knew it might happen, and it scared me. I hadn’t had sex with anyone other than Austin.

“You okay?” Evan asked.

“Yes,” I blurted quickly.

“What were you and Bri whispering about?”

I waved him off. “Oh, just talking about how Derek’s a moron. You know, the usual.”

He chuckled and held my hand as we ventured inside the hotel. The lobby was amazing, with a fountain in the center surrounded by exotic flowers. I stayed there and sat on the ledge while Evan checked us in. He looked back at me and smiled, and I couldn’t help but tremble. I didn’t want to be nervous, but I was. It was a good nervous.

“Are you ready?”

“Sure,” I answered, my voice a little too raspy. “Are you sure you can carry all of that? I can get my bag if you want.”

Over his shoulder he was carrying two of my bags and one of his. I felt bad, but he jerked away when I tried to grab one of mine. “If you don’t stop trying to steal your bag, I’m going to carry
you
over my shoulder.”

“I think that would make an interesting headline,” I laughed. “Speaking of headlines, when is the article you interviewed for coming out? Mine will be out next month for the fall issue.”

A sly smile spread across his face. “December for mine. Why?”

“I’m curious to know what you said. For all I know, you probably told them you wanted a superhot model with large tits.”

We stopped at our door and he burst out laughing. “I might have. I guess you’ll just have to wait and find out.” He opened the door and held it open so I could walk in. I gasped at the sight before me. The dark wooden floors and cream furniture gave the room a bright yet soothing ambience.

“Evan, this is amazing. How much did it cost?” I went straight to the patio door and opened it wide. We had our own private fireplace with a large hammock covered in cushions and pillows, and the most amazing view of the mountains.

“The cost is of no importance,” he said from behind me. “I thought you might like it.”

“Like it? I love it. This place is so beautiful.”

As he placed his hands on my shoulders, I leaned into him and enjoyed the view. I could stand there and look at the mountains all night. “There are two bedrooms,” he murmured.

“What?” I said, turning around. “Why two?”

He brushed his thumb along my cheek. “I didn’t want to presume anything about this weekend. I’m willing to go at your pace.”

“You’re really okay with that?” I wondered aloud.

Pulling me to him, he kissed me softly and then deepened it. His tongue glided across mine and I closed my eyes, relishing the feel of his hands on my waist, holding me against him. “Just as long as I can kiss you anytime I want, I’ll be happy to wait for when you’re ready. Right now, I want to take you on a date.”

“I’d like that.”