Page 11 of Sideline Sweetheart (Greenville Generals #4)
Chapter Eleven
Bryce
Once our team meeting concludes, I head down to Mackenzie’s office. I knock on her open office door so not to startle her. Her gaze immediately pivots from her computer screen to me standing in the doorway. “Hey, you,” she says as a smile pulls at her lips.
“Busy?” I ask, still standing in the doorway.
Mackenzie shakes her head. “Not unless you consider reading the latest medical journal, busy,” she says as she motions to a chair in front of her desk. I walk into her office and take a seat, her eyes tracking my movements. “I thought you would have already been headed home by now.”
“We had to go over travel details, so the team meeting took a little longer.”
“Oh, right. Sylvia dropped off my packet on her way to meet with you all.”
The season kicks off next week and we’re taking it on the road for week one. “Have you ever been to Colorado Springs?”
“No, I’ve only been west of the Mississippi once.”
“Seriously?”
Mackenzie laughs. “Don’t sound so surprised. In case you’ve forgotten, college teams don’t usually travel outside their conference. My first year at Clemson, we traveled to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl.”
“Well, we’ll plan a trip during the offseason. Do you ski?”
“I do. My dad’s family has a place in West Virginia. We used to spend Christmas break there when we were in school. To ward off cabin fever, my dad and uncles would take all the kids skiing.”
“Sounds like a lot of fun. My cousins were older than me, so we weren’t close growing up.”
I see a flash of sadness in her eyes as she tilts her head to study me. “I bet they are regretting it now.”
I shrug. “Maybe, but my parents have supported me both on and off the field. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Mackenzie grins shyly. “I wouldn’t say they’re the only ones supporting you.”
I chuckle as I rise from my seat and make my way around her desk. I turn her chair caging her in with my hands on the armrest. I dip my head and brush my lips lightly against hers. “You’re right, sweetheart, now I’m lucky enough to have you one the sidelines cheering me on too.”
“Mmm,” she hums as I run my nose along hers. “I could use a few more of those.”
I grin as I give her another kiss. “Later. How about I pick you up for dinner; does six sound okay?”
“Sounds perfect, see you then.”
As Mackenzie opens the door, ready for our date, I drink her in. Dressed in jeans and a long sleeve form fitting top, she looks gorgeous. Unable to stop myself, my hand wraps around her neck and I lean in for a kiss.
Her eyes flutter open, and her smile widens. “Hello, to you too.”
I grin as I drop another soft kiss on her lips. “Sorry, you looked too beautiful not to kiss.”
“Kisses and compliments, what more can a girl ask for?”
Right on cue, Mackenzie’s stomach grumbles and I chuckle as she blushes. “Evidently the dinner I promised her. Are you ready?”
“I am,” she says as she picks up her purse, while I open the door and twist the lock on the doorknob. I thread my fingers through hers as we walk downstairs to the lobby and then out to my car waiting at the curb.
I open the door for Mackenzie, help her into the passenger seat, and then walk around to the driver’s side to slide behind the wheel.
I pull away from the curb and out onto the highway heading back to my place.
The traffic light turns red, and I slow to a stop as my phone rings through the car.
I glance at the screen and see my mom’s name. “I’m sorry, I need to take this.”
“Of course,” she says as she pulls out her phone trying to give me a little privacy as I answer the call.
“Hi, Mom,” I say as the light turns green and I press my foot down on the accelerator moving the car through the traffic light.
“Hi, honey. Are you busy?”
The cheerful voice of my mother fills the car and between her and the sight of Mackenzie’s smiling, I can’t help but smile as well. “No, I was heading home to have dinner.”
Mackenzie’s gaze snaps to mine and I grin as she raises a brow at me. “Oh, well, I won’t keep you then. Let me put you on speaker, your dad just walked in.” I hear her tap the screen before she says, “Are you there?”
My smile widens. “Yeah, I’m here.”
“Hi, son.”
“Hi Dad. How are you doing?”
“Fine as a fiddle.”
I chuckle at his response. “Glad to hear it.”
Mom regains control of the conversation. “We wanted to let you know we got the email with our travel information and wanted to make sure you had the dates right. It looks like your dad, and I are flying in on Wednesday.”
“Yes, ma’am the date is correct. I set up a Pike’s Peak tour for you and Dad for Thursday afternoon and you have dinner reservations for Wednesday and Thursday at the hotel restaurant. There will be an information packet waiting for you at the front desk when you check in.”
“Bryce, you shouldn’t have.”
“Yes, I should, and you should get to see a little of the area since this is your first time in Colorado Springs. Besides, the team doesn’t fly in until Friday afternoon, so you staying locked away in your hotel room isn’t an option.”
“Well, thank you, son,” Dad says.
“You’re welcome.”
“We can’t wait to see you,” Mom says, and I feel a warmth in my chest at her words.
“I can’t wait to see you either. We’ll have dinner together Friday evening and spend some time together on Saturday after practice and of course I’ll see you after the game.”
“Sounds good, son,” Dad says.
“We’ll let you go, honey, so you can get dinner. We love you.”
“Love you all, too. We’ll talk again soon, bye.” I end the call and Mackenzie drops her phone back into her purse before giving me her full attention.
“That was sweet to witness,” she says as she places her hand on top of mine.
I lift her hand to my lips and place a kiss on her fingers, as I pull into my parking space in the garage. “Oh, yeah?”
“Mhmm, and sexy,” she practically purrs.
I can’t stop my grin from appearing. “Sexy, huh?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Sexy enough to skip dinner and the surprise I have for you?”
Mackenzie laughs as her stomach growls again. “I think you better feed me first.”
“Good idea, you’re going to need your strength for later,” I say with a wink as I get out the car and walk around to open her door and help her out.
I entwine our fingers as we walk to the elevator in silence.
Once the doors open, we step inside, and I push the button for my floor.
As the elevator rises, I pull Mackenzie in front of me and rest my hands on her hips.
“So, since you are traveling with us to Colorado, I wanted to ask if you’d have dinner with me and my parents Friday night. ”
Mackenzie pulls back, her eyes searching mine. “You want me to meet your parents?”
“I do, but if you think it’s too soon, I understand.”
I’m about to withdraw my offer completely, when Mackenzie’s posture softens and she says, “I’d love to meet them.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she says with a shrug. “They sound like sweet people, and I kind of like their son, a lot.”
Her comment makes me smile. “Good, because their son likes you a lot too.”