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“Okay. Well, the invitation stands for that coffee. Whenever. Doesn’t have to be today or anything.”

“Thanks, Aspen,” Kendra replied before she turned, gripped the doorknob, and opened the door. “I’ll see you around.”

“You definitely will now,” she said.

CHAPTER 4

Aspen, apparently, walked outside and around her house in her bikini, which was going to be a problem for Kendra. How had she moved next door to Aspen Ashley? It was true that she’d done a lot of research on the house and the neighborhood, so she had noticed the sand in the backyard of Aspen’s house, but she hadn’t expected Aspen to be the one living in it. How had she managed to move into the house right next to Aspen’s, the woman she had always had a little bit of a crush on?

Seeing Aspen in that backyard, holding a volleyball and wearing not much of anything, had been enough for Kendra to almost get caught staring, but she was pretty sure she’d averted her gaze before Aspen noticed. She’d gone over there for that coffee, thinking she should because she’d been invited, but also because her coffee maker had still been in a box, her actual coffee had been in another box, and she’d had to wake up early to get the movers started, so she hadn’t had any. When she’d gotten there, though, seeing Aspen, yet again, in next to nothing, despite having seen her in that same look repeatedly for years, seemed wrong in the new context. Aspen was her neighbor now. She was also someone Kendra would have to interview again, so she felt like she should keep those two things separate.

At the moment, Kendra was on her way to a match for the AAWVL, the professional women’s league for indoor volleyball that now had sixteen teams. One of those teams was in Nebraska, where Kendra had to go to cover the event for the network. This was one of four matches they were airing in an effort to promote more women’s sports. While Kendra loved volleyball and had been looking forward to covering the league, the timing was off. She’d just started unpacking. Sure, it had been her life for a long time now that she always had a flight to catch, but as much as she wanted to keep highlighting women’s sports, Kendra also wanted to have time to unpack her new house.

“Wyatt, hey,” she greeted when she saw Wyatt Wicked, the co-commentator for the match.

Wyatt had been one of the first players in the league, had also been named the best volleyball player in history, had just about every award in the sport, and was still the most recognizable face in it, even though she’d retired five years ago. She had recently started a job for the league, commentating on matches, and she’d suggested that Kendra not only sideline report but commentate alongside her due to her experience with the sport.

“Hey, Kendra,” Wyatt said with a smile as she handed the toddler she was holding to her wife.

“Hey, Everly,” Kendra added when she approached.

“How have you been?”

“Good. You two?”

“We’re good,” Everly, the now very well-known sports psychologist who had written a book that had been on the best-seller list, replied. “Can you say hi to Kendra, baby?” she asked her daughter.

“Hi, Ken-duh,” the little girl said to her, substituting the sounds in Kendra’s name she couldn’t pronounce yet.

“So close,” Wyatt said with a little laugh.

“She’s two,” Everly replied. “She’ll get there.”

“Hi, Julia. How are you?” Kendra asked, tickling her tummy.

Julia giggled and turned her face away from Kendra.

“She’s still shy,” Wyatt said, rubbing her daughter’s back.

“That’s okay. I was shy when I was her age, too,” Kendra replied.

“I’m going to take her to the babysitter and come back after,” Everly said to Wyatt.

“Okay.” Wyatt leaned in and kissed her wife. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

“I love you, baby,” Wyatt added and kissed Julia on her temple.

“Bye, Mama,” Julia replied.

“I’ll see you two in a couple of hours,” Everly added to both Wyatt and Kendra, referring to the drinks-after-the-match plan they’d made prior to this since they didn’t get to see each other all that often.

“Sounds good,” Kendra replied.

“So, you ready?” Wyatt turned to Kendra when Everly walked off.

“Yeah, let’s do it.”