Page 16

CHAPTER 16

No Kiss Necessary

KELLEN

Saturday, October 12

I missed Ava’s soccer game last weekend because we were en route back from our last preseason game, and we were at our first regular season away game during this past Wednesday’s soccer practice.

But I saw Coach Lucy at Ava’s game this morning, in all her glory coaching five- and six-year-old girls.

It was adorable, and hilarious, and I couldn’t stop smiling. I’m also happy to say that the Snowballs are now on a two-game winning streak—score being kept or not—thanks to Coach Lucy’s strategies. The main one being to remember which way to kick the ball.

Seeing Lucy coach Ava’s team did something to me. Is it possible I missed her? Maybe. But I definitely can’t stop thinking about her. The way she makes me laugh. The easy way she connects with Ava.

And that soft kiss that I’ve been reliving multiple times a day.

My phone buzzes.

Lucy

On my way, be there in ten

Me

Ok no problem

Lucy

I was busy celebrating over a few drinks with my winning soccer team

Me

1) The game was eight hours ago, 2) No you weren’t, unless it was with chocolate milk or Capri Sun, and 3) they’re a bunch of kindergarteners so I don’t think that’s appropriate

Lucy

Don’t be jealous because I didn’t invite you

I grin and slip my phone back in my pocket.

I’ve been looking forward to tonight, and it’s got nothing to do with s’mores or pumpkins.

“Hey.” Lucy appears in front of me dressed as a soccer player for Halloween. She’s wearing her DC FC jersey, short athletic shorts, high socks, and sneakers.

“Are you kidding me?” I fake scoff at her. I’m not in costume but instead wearing my Blizzard jersey working next to Harley, handing out s’mores kits to kids. “What did we talk about with the soccer gear?”

Every year, a bunch of guys on the team work different booths at the fall festival. Some years we’re away at a game and miss it, but we got back late last night after three days on the road.

We played two away games and won both. Atticus, Harley, and I managed to score against Chicago securing a 3-2 victory on Wednesday night. Nashville wasn’t as close—we walked away with a 4-1 victory.

Paul didn’t travel with us .

“What? I didn’t have much to work with.” Lucy looks down at her soccer outfit.

I shake my head. “Give me about two minutes to finish up.”

“Whatever you say, roo.”

I stop and look at her. “Roo?”

“You know, as in a shortened version of kangaroo?” My eyes widen, and she bites her lip. “No? Doesn’t work?” Lucy sighs. “I’m having a hard time coming up with pet names for you. I feel like after puppy and kitten, it’s kind of weird.”

I laugh and go back to stacking graham crackers and chunks of chocolate on plates. “It’s definitely weird. Luckily, there are endless options that involve food, my little cream puff.”

“Damn, that does sound better.”

“Here you go,” I say to a young girl, who adds an extra marshmallow to the plate I hand her. “Have fun!”

“Yay!” The girl takes her mother’s hand and walks away.

When I look back at Lucy, she’s staring at me with a warm smile on her face. And I swear her gaze flits quickly from my eyes to my lips.

“Want to make a s’more?” I wonder if she’s been thinking about me as much as I’ve been thinking about her.

“Of course I want to make a s’more.”

“I can handle this, Kellie. Go on,” Harley says. “Help your little cream puff make a s’more.”

“Christ,” I grumble and grab supplies. “Stop eavesdropping.”

Lucy laughs and follows me to the bonfire. Her red curls are loose around her head, and I take a moment to absorb her. She’s gorgeous. I thought so from that first moment on the ice only a month ago, when I handed her Waffles. But each time I’ve seen her, she gets prettier.

Even in a soccer uniform.

Or maybe it’s just how I’m seeing her that’s evolving.

We sit on an empty hay bale, and Lucy stabs a giant marshmallow onto the skewer. She looks at me questioningly .

“Roast my marshmallow for me? Honestly, I’ll probably fall into the fire, or my hair will go up in flames.”

I laugh and take the skewer, stepping close to the fire.

“I’m kind of an expert at this.”

“You’re a big s’mores household?”

“Sure am. I have a built-in fire pit in the backyard and always have s’mores ingredients on hand. We switch it up sometimes and use peanut butter cups or caramel chocolate.” I glance at Lucy.

“Sounds amazing.” Lucy licks her lips, and I almost drop the skewer into the fire. “How’s Ava feeling after this morning? She did a great job out there.”

“She was so happy. She can’t stop talking about Coach Lucy and Bear on the sidelines.” Honestly, the girl loves Lucy. Even Bri has been impressed.

“I’m so glad she had fun.” Lucy gives me a giant smile. “Hurry with the s’more, roo, I’m starved.”

I turn back to the roasting marshmallow. “The key to a perfect s’more is patience. Low and even heat over hot coals, no catching fire. The marshmallow or you.” Lucy giggles, and I twist the marshmallow, perfectly browning each side. “Got that chocolate on the graham cracker?”

“Yes, chef.”

I turn and carefully place the gooey, brown marshmallow on top of the chocolate she’s set on one of the graham crackers, then sandwich it in with another and gently pull the skewer out.

“There. Let the chocolate melt for a second.”

“It’s beautiful.” Lucy takes a big, messy bite and moans as the s’more breaks apart in her teeth, sending crumbs all over the place. I settle next to her on the hay bale as she finishes every last bite.

She attempts to lick the chocolate off her lips, and I try not to stare.

“You’ve still got chocolate all over your face.” I sigh and pull a napkin out of my pocket. “No wonder Ava likes you. She eats s’mores the same way. ”

“Hey,” Lucy starts, but stops when I run the napkin below her lip, then touch the corners of her mouth gently.

“There. You’re good.” I swallow.

She’s good, but am I?

“Thanks.” Lucy presses her lips together, suppressing a smile.

“Ready to stroll?”

Lucy nods. I hold out my hand and she slips hers into mine, letting me pull her up off the bale.

“Did you see Paul when you got here? I’ve been behind the booth for two hours.”

She nods. “Yeah, he was over by the drinks tent with Savannah.”

“Well, let’s get a drink.” I don’t let go of her hand. No way I’m gonna do that tonight, when I have the perfect excuse to act like her boyfriend. Besides, her hand fits perfectly in mine. Might as well leave it there.

“Ava with Bri tonight?” Lucy steps closer to me to let a group of kids in knight costumes run by, and her body presses against my side.

“At a birthday party. Bri brought her earlier, and she shoved her face with s’mores. Just like you.”

“Hey.” Lucy squeezes my biceps with her free hand.

“Ouch! You’re strong for a soccer player.”

Lucy laughs and relaxes her grip on my arm.

“Bri likes you, you know,” I say.

“Thank goodness.” I feel her look my way. “Were you guys married? Together long?”

“No.” I glance back at Lucy. “The short story is that Bri was in town for a weekend. She’d been broken up with her boyfriend for a month. We just had a one-night thing but then she realized she was pregnant a few months later. She did the math and knew it was mine.”

“Wow.”

“Showed up at my house six months pregnant. And never left.” My complicated life with Bri is one of the reasons I’ve never wanted to deal with dating. I have too much on my plate, and I don’t want to be with someone who will end up jealous or not understand how our co-parenting relationship works.

“You didn’t think about getting back together?” Lucy’s voice sounds curious, not jealous.

“No. We were never together to begin with, and we just focused on Ava once she got here. We’re family now.”

I love Bri like family. She is family. We work well as co-parents. I don’t want anything more with her and she feels the same.

“Oh, mulled wine!” Lucy exclaims and pulls me to the right. Lachlan’s working the drink table, and he raises his eyebrows when we approach.

“Well, there’s Kellcy, looking cozy.”

“Hush. Can we get two mulled wines?” I hand him cash and look around the crowded tent. “Is Paul around?”

“Just walked out.” Lachlan points out the other side of the tent to a group of people standing around high tables.

“Ready for this?” I look down at Lucy, who nods.

“Let’s do it.” She accepts a steaming cup of mulled wine from Lachlan and takes a sip. “Wait.” She looks back and forth between me and Lachlan. “Are we kissing?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Lachlan immediately replies.

“Only if necessary,” I say, because I can’t read Lucy.

“Help me, help you, mate,” Lachlan says with a giant eye roll and Lucy giggles.

“Fuck off.” But I’m not really mad, because Lachlan at least made Lucy laugh.

“If you don’t do it, I can.” The Aussie tucks a blonde curl behind his ear, hair loose from his usual man bun.

Lucy takes a deep breath. “Okay.”

“Okay I can do it? Or Kellen?” Lachlan plasters an innocent look on his face .

“Kellen, if it comes to that.” She bites her lip, and I follow her out, avoiding Lachlan’s knowing smile.

I take her hand and follow her lead. The crowd of people at the table has thinned, and Paul and Savannah are standing by themselves. They haven’t spotted us yet.

“Let’s go.” Lucy drags me right over to their table. I’m too stunned to question her methods—I’d have needed to gather the nerve to approach them.

“Hello, Lucy,” Paul says. His eyes flick to me, then down to our linked hands. “Kellen.”

“Soccer player? That’s brave of you.” Savannah tilts her head and smiles at Lucy. Paul watches the interaction.

“I guess I’m a soccer girl at heart.” Lucy squeezes my hand.

Savannah looks at me, then back at Lucy, calculating. Not unkindly. I bet she’s thinking of the cafe kiss she witnessed.

“How is your father?” Paul asks Lucy, who shrugs.

“Haven’t talked to him recently.”

“Things going well with the work here?” Paul looks like he’s taking mental notes.

“It’s going great,” Lucy says too enthusiastically. Savannah raises her eyebrows.

An older man calls Paul’s name, and he holds up a finger.

“We have to go. Enjoy your evening.” Paul nods his head at us.

“Bye, have fun tonight.” Savannah follows Paul but looks over her shoulder as they walk away. There’s an interested look on her face.

Shit. I should’ve kissed Lucy before we walked up to Paul and Savannah. Should I kiss her now? Savannah’s no longer watching. They’re long gone.

“Um, did our plan work already?” Lucy asks.

A panic rises in my belly at the idea of us achieving our fake dating goals too early and ending this delightful charade.

“Nah. It’ll take more than two appearances to convince them for sure. ”

“You think?” A pair of kids dressed as minions runs past us, and Lucy smiles and watches them. “Even with the HR paperwork we signed?”

“Yeah. Did you see that look she gave us?” I feel like an asshole immediately. It wasn’t a mean or vengeful look. If anything, it was a wistful one, like she’d rather hang out with us than talk to another old dude.

“I guess you’re right. Maybe we should have kissed in front of them.”

I swing my head to look at her, eyes wide. She’s got a corner of her mouth turned up. I consider suggesting a practice kiss but totally chicken out. Would she let me kiss her right now?

How had Lucy’s idiot ex cheated on her? I take the last sip of my mulled wine and place the empty cup on the table just as my phone buzzes.

It’s a text from Savannah.

Savannah

Can we meet up for a drink? I don’t think Paul even remembers the whole NHL Tea picture thing

I flash the text to Lucy, relief washing over me. Relief that Savannah is not yet off my back.

What is wrong with me?

“Look,” I say, ignoring my inner thoughts. “It’s not working well enough yet.”

“Oh.” Lucy smiles after reading the text. Is she relieved as well? Because I feel like this—whatever it is we’re doing that’s possibly not only fake dating—is just getting started.

“Want to go on a hay ride?” My phone buzzes again in my hand, and I glance down.

Savannah

You seem happy with the PR woman. Glad for you

I don’t show Lucy the second text.

“Sure,” she says.

I slip my phone in my pocket and pull her against me, leaving an arm around her shoulders. Lucy snuggles into my side and looks up with wide eyes and a smiling, tempting mouth.

I could fake date this woman all day long.