ROMANCE: SPORTS ROMANCE: Bad Boys of Sports: A Complete Collection (Alpha Male, Football, Hockey Secret Baby Romance) (Contemporary Sports Romance) (34 page)

CHAPTER 2

“Kiara Michaels, how dare you come back to Prescott and not visit your own mother the minute you stepped foot in this town?” 

Her mother Mimi was waiting for her on the front porch of Kiara’s new pink home, holding bags of groceries and what looked like a casserole for her daughter.

“Sorry, mom!  I meant to, I swear!” She hurried to help her mom with the bags.  “It’s just that I got so hungry; I went to grab some breakfast, which turned into lunch after running into a friend, and…”

“Who did you run into?”  Her mother was always nosy about Kiara’s social life.  “Were you at Dan’s?  I bet you ran into Owen Cunningham then.  I knew it was just a matter of time before you two to caught up to each other.  What do you think?  He’s Prescott’s most eligible bachelor now, making some big bucks with his general contracting business.”

“Mom, it’s not like that,” Kiara waved her off as they walked into her kitchen.  “We’re just friends.  Can I make you some tea?”

“That’s all right sugar; I can do it.  And a
friend
is just a
lover
that’s not caught on fire yet, or something like that, as my friend Cecily says.”  Mimi clamored around the unfamiliar kitchen, preparing a pot of tea like she owned the place.

“Mom, it’s not like that,” she put a hand on her mother’s arm.  “I came back to Prescott to build the organic and sustainable foods market I’ve been dreaming off. 
Not
to find myself a husband.”

“All I’m saying is, why can’t you do both?” 

Kiara let out a loud sigh of frustration.

“And besides,” Mimi said with a twinkle in her eye, “wait ‘til you see him with his shirt off.  What?  Don’t give me that look.  That boy walks around town with his damned shirt off all the time, even in the winter.”

~

Three lots were up for sale, according to Steve, a local commercial realtor. He came off a recommendation from her mother and arranged timely visits to each lot for Kiara to view them.

“Great, my general contractor and I will meet you at the first lot this afternoon,” she told him.  By her “general contractor,” she’d meant Owen.  She wasn’t planning to hire him as her builder since he specialized in residential homes instead of commercial buildings, but she liked the way it sounded so professional, calling him that.

The first lot wasn’t promising. The dirt was too packed in some areas and rocky in others. There was an abandoned home beside it, and the sight of its’ rotting wooden planks made her cringe.

“I can’t be next to a relic like that,” she muttered.

Owen cleared his throat and shot the old house a darting look. “Yeah, business wouldn’t be too great...” 

It was kind of him to accompany her, she thought to herself, as his knowledge of buildings and foundations would be valuable while visiting these sites. 

The second one’s price tag made her eyes burn. While the location was excellent, it was right next to an upper-crust restaurant and spa.  She thought about herself as a young woman, often feeling excluded from the fancy areas of her college town. This area was the classiest that Prescott had to offer, and possibly the best for business.  Yet it didn’t have the feeling of rightness she was looking for.

When they packed up in Owen’s truck to head to the last lot, she said a prayer under her breath that next one would be the winner. He trailed behind Steve as they drove over a few blocks closer to downtown.

“Nervous?” Owen asked her, eyes still on the road but smiling ahead as if he was looking at her. She offered an anxious smile back, shrugged up against his truck door.

“I just want it to be perfect.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.  Gotta love a woman with big dreams.”

Hearing that sent her heart into flutters as his truck hummed into a parking lot next to Steve’s sedan. She slid out of the passenger seat and turned to survey the last option.

Much better than the others
. She practically skipped out onto the packed dirt, pale red and ochre yellow with a solid foundation.  It was located in an area experiencing some reurbanization, which was precisely the kind of neighborhood what she was looking for.

“Do you like it?” Steve asked, dress shoe scraping the dirt as he surveyed the lot.

“I think so,” she replied with a smile. “Of course, I’ll need to consider it some more.”

“It looks great, Kiki.  The foundation is solid; it’s ripe for building.” Owen’s arm brushed up next to her, and she felt her blood heat with a rush at the movement. He used to shorten her name in high school and call her that all the time. Hearing it again sent a shower of invisible sparks over her skin.

They parted ways with realtor Steve, who told her to contact him whenever she made a decision. He left them standing in the magnificent dirt lot.

“There’s so much potential here,” she said dreamily.

Owen smiled at her with an approving nod at the lot.  His eyes flickered to the bar across the street.

“You want a cold beer to think it over?”

She laughed. “You read my mind!”

They jogged across the small street, and Owen held open the door to a dim bar and ushered her in. The bar was a cozy neighborhood pocket of air conditioning and pool tables with peeling bar stools.  She sat beside him, spinning on the stool with an excited air.

“For you, Miss?” The bartender, thick and tall like a soldier, was buffing a pint glass.

“Rum and coke with lime.” The man nodded and took Owen’s order next, a light draft beer.

“Someone started celebrating early,” her handsome friend noticed as the bartender came back with her drink, two juicy lime slices on the rim. “He must’ve liked you. You got two.”

His teasing summoned another smile from her. “Two lime slices doesn’t mean anything.”

“I don’t know,” he said with a sly whistle as he peered at the bartender, who was unracking trays of clean glasses on the other side of the bar and out of their earshot. “I think he’s trying to make me look bad.”

Unexpected butterflies swirled in her stomach as she sipped the drink greedily. Her throat felt as dry as the desert. She licked her lips, tasting the citrus on the rim with pleasure and briefly wondered if she kissed him if he would taste it too. Desire curled in her belly.

“So, what did you think of the places today?” she asked, trying to distract herself.

He steeped in thought with a furrowed brow and his chin in hand. She peered at him from the side of her eye, as he began drumming his strong fingers on the bar top with his other hand.

“The first was not a good location. The second,” he worded this carefully as if he wasn’t quite sure why he felt this way, “It didn’t seem like you.  Not welcoming.  But, I thought the third one could be a winner.”  He cast a look back over his shoulder towards the dim green windows that barely revealed the lot across the street.

“You know what?  I think you’re right,” she smiled to herself and drank from her glass again. The bartender began putting up glasses, clinking them together in a rhythmic dance of clean vessels. A jukebox in the corner started playing the slow croon of a woman in love. She closed her eyes and listened to the lyrics, pouring emotion after emotion out.

When she opened her eyes and glanced at him, her body leaped. He’d been staring at her with a sexy grin, and when she jumped, he laughed deeply.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said with a bashfulness crossing his face. “It’s just... you’ve changed a lot since you left.”

Her eyebrows rose. “I’ll take that as a compliment.  And guess what?  It isn’t just me who’s changed,” she said with one corner of her lips curled up.

Owen chortled at that.

“I was a late bloomer. Puberty hit me like a roundhouse kick after graduation.”

“You? It hit me like a freight train.”

They laughed together until the song ended and a happier anthem came on. The bartender spotted their glasses dipping low and went off to get them refills.

“If you buy this lot,” he said with a beaming look, “Then you could come here to have a nice cold beer after work every night.  And I just might join you.”

“It’ll be our new Dan’s, swapping pancakes for cold beers.”

“I’ll cheers to that,” he said, and they clinked their glasses.

Her mind continued to play that fantasy. Visiting the bar every night was a stretch, which she knew, but the idea of being here felt right. Like she was supposed to be here in this moment, in Prescott, and in the diner this morning too.

“What have you been up to, Owen?” Her voice dropped lower.  “We used to be so close, but we managed to drift so far apart these past few years.  It really is a shame.”    She wanted to know everything about her childhood friend. Who did he date after high school?  What were his dreams? Was he happy? 

Luckily, he seemed open to talking. He ran a hand through his hair, slow with a stern half-grin.

“I’ve become a creep I’m afraid.”

“Oh?” Her lips formed a tiny circle of surprise. He took one look at her shock and laughed softly.

“No, not a creep on people, but on... well, places.”

“Like that house near the first lot today?”

Choking on his beer a little, Owen looked at her, embarrassed. “Was I that obvious?”

“You seemed interested,” she replied with a casual shrug and warm smile. “Want to tell me what’s so interesting about it?”

“Okay, okay,” he muttered and then looked around. There were no other patrons, and the bartender was entirely engrossed in a baseball game at the opposite end. “I’ve been checking out old houses. Just exploring and seeing what’s in them.  It’s fascinating.  Prescott has some beautiful architecture that’s just being left to rot now.”

“Wow.”

“It is weird, I know.  It’s my new
Dungeons and Dragons
, I guess.”

“No,” she insisted and pressed her hand lightly on his elbow. “You have to tell me more.  What do you do when you visit them?”

He blushed bloomed on his face.  “Well, to tell you the truth, I usually just myself get into trouble.”

“Trouble?”   

“I sprained my ankle a few months back because I fell through a stairwell. The other day, a bucket rolled off a roof and almost knocked me out.”

She tried to stop the giggles from erupting, but they forced their way out. His cheeks grew even redder, and she threw her arms out, waving them as if to banish his embarrassment.

“That’s the Owen I remember! It’s nice to see you haven’t changed too much,” she explained and then hesitated as a new thought came to her mind.  Her fingers tapped against the glass of her cold drink as she regarded him with a sneaky look. 

“Owen, do you think I could come with you next time?”

“I’d be honored,” He said, his smile lighting up the entire bar.

CHAPTER 3

Owen had arranged to pick her up at her new place on Friday night. He’d been busy with a few jobs at work, but they’d both carved out the evening to have a bite and some wine together and explore the newest lot he’d found out about.

“Being a general contractor is nice for this kind of hobby,” he told her as he dug out some supplies for both of them from his truck.  He’d made sure they both had two flashlights, phone chargers, and water for the trip. 

“The house isn’t far,” he explained, “right on the edge of downtown.  They’re slowly revamping everything down there. It could even be a great place to put your shop, actually, but it needs some love.”

When they arrived, it was creepier than she’d imagined.  Like a set out of a horror movie – no worse than any movie she’d ever seen.  Not that she believed in ghosts or demons or anything.  Her business mind enjoyed an ample amount of logic, which was a departure from her nerdy teenage years spent escaping in fantasy. Besides, the rough hum of his truck and his hand brushing her own on the armrest was enough to have her sign up for ten scary houses.

“Just a little further,” he said as they turned down the small driveway that stretched into the back of the house. The gardens had all overgrown completely in the front, creating menacing shadows that popped out at them as the sun began to set. He cut the lights and then the truck as they parked.

“It’s easier to do this in the evening. I’ve heard the local pharmacy owner is thinking about buying this lot, and I don’t want him seeing us check it out.”

She slid out of the truck and felt the crunch of gravel beneath her sturdy hiking boots. A flashlight beam hit them first and then swiveled up to her neck. She squinted in the light and felt him step next to her, offering her the other flashlight.

“What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve found?” She asked as they began to scoot closer to the house.

“A crabby raccoon family,” he replied. She giggled and watched as his hands ran down the front of the door. The doorknob was rusted beyond comprehension and he pressed against it. It wheezed and gave away after a few seconds, pushing open a few inches. Their lights showed a cloud of dust rising up in the rays.

“Is anyone there?” His call echoed out into silence.

“Should’ve taken my allergy medicine,” she mused while watching more dust kick up as he forced the door open even more.

“Here,” he said, and his fingers brushed up against hers to offer her a folded handkerchief. She bit her lip at the flux of heat that passed between them.  His face was leaned down towards her so that he could whisper and she could hear his heartbeat in the stillness of the night.  His body seemed paused forever in space, something she wouldn’t have minded at all, but he jerked back with a start.  His eyes swiveled to the open door.

“Did you hear something?” She asked.

He strained his ears as he opened the door fully and they stepped in with slow, careful steps. A slam sounded, and a pack of bats came streaming out into the night from beneath the living room ceiling banisters. She let out a shriek and threw herself against his hard body.  His hands surrounded her as they waited.

Nothing else came out.  She was shaking.  His powerful arms propped her up against his chest.   

“Kiara, I’m so sorry,” he breathed with a voice dripping in guilt. “This place is spookier than I remember and no place for a lady. We can go back. Let’s go, I insist.” 

She shook her head fiercely. “No!  It’s completely fine.  The bats just made me jump, is all.  They came out of nowhere.”

He nodded, chin resting against the top of her head, and sighed.  “I want us to go. We can grab a funny movie and forget about all this.”

Well, that didn’t sound half bad to her.  He gently grabbed her hand and led her back onto the porch.  She turned to see the twilight sun reflecting off his truck with an eerie sheen. A breeze passed by her, causing her skin to erupt into goose bumps at the sudden chill.

He shut the door carefully and went to turn the doorknob once more. With a shrill groan, it suddenly snapped off on the side he’d been pulling.  He cursed darkly under his breath.

“Damn, I always try to leave houses just like I left them.”

“Fool!”  An icy voice cried out from beside them.    

Kiara shrieked as she turned her flashlight, to reveal an old woman on the porch beside them, shrouded in the shadow of her long, wild hair.  He grabbed Kiara’s arm and forced her protectively behind his broad back, while she stared, frozen in horror.

“You will pay for your carelessness,” the woman screamed.  Her eyes were glowing red, glossy and raving mad under their lights.  Tufts of white hair were strung out on either side of her face revealing an ashy gray and crumpled skin.

“Please, he didn’t mean to,” Kiara begged behind him.

“All humans mean to destroy,” the woman fired back with a wagging of a gnarled finger.  “I know you people want to take my home away from me.  This land is mine.”

Kiara could feel the sweat of fear in Owen’s back.

“Look, we’re not here to take your land.  We just wanted to look around.”

“You will pay,” she cackled, menacingly stepping closer and closer to them.

“Whatever you do, don’t hurt her.”  His low voice boomed out, commanding her.  The crone threw back her head to cackle.   

“As you wish, boy!”  She cried and slapped her hands together with an unnerving grin. “Forever shall you be cursed to roam among these woods, not as man, but as beast.  Feel the animal within you and revel in this curse!”  With a loud crack, a gust of wind struck him hard, and he nearly fell back against Kiara, who cried out in shock.

“Owen!”

The woman was gone, leaving nothing but an eerie silence in her wake.  Kiara blinked, felt tears rushing to her eyes.

“I don’t understand,” she muttered in a voice that was breaking.  “How did she-? What the hell was that?”  Her eyes inspected his body, which appeared to have no marks or changes.

His hands pressed up against his chest as he frowned with a frustrated grunt.

“I have no idea,” he admitted and then paused. “She just wants to scare us into never coming back here again with her magic tricks.” 

“Let’s not have her ask us twice,” she said and gestured towards his truck. “Besides, you owe me a movie tonight.”

“Yeah,” he replied with a small hesitation. His eyes darted to the broken doorknob and lingered there with concern.   

“Please, Owen? Can we go?”

He nodded and grabbed her hand as they headed back to his truck. They slid in, buckled their seatbelts, and rocketed down the driveway. The bumps sent her stomach churning, but anything was better than being back there. She forced herself not to look back to see the dilapidated house disappearing behind them as the night swallowed it up.

Owen was completely silent as he sped down the road.  Without thinking, she shot out her hand to cover his own.

“Hey,” she murmured.

Her touch brought him back and pulled the faraway look from his eyes. He shot her a guilty look and heaved a heavy sigh as he flicked on the radio to a soft rock song.

“Sorry, Kiki. I really know how to pick’em.”

“It’s not your fault,” she muttered.  “That woman is probably escaped from some... asylum or something. She’s not well, and she has no business screaming at strangers for accidentally breaking off doorknobs that were already falling off. What was she even mouthing off about the land being hers?”

“I’ve heard of situations like this where a piece of land sold by its rightful owner has a few surprise squatters.  I should’ve thought of that before taking you there.  And that business about the curse…” he said in a bitter voice.

“I’m sure it was nothing,” Kiara said, squeezing his hand.  Owen looked at her softly.

“Let’s go watch that movie,” he told her.  “After what I put you through today, you earned the right to choose whatever you want to see.”

She smirked.  “It was always going to be my choice; I didn’t have to earn a thing.”