Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
I’m huffing when we finally slow down, and she stops, pulling me flush against the concrete wall. “Are you taking me down here to kill me, or what? Where are we?”
She just smiles at me, and before she can say a word, a door nearby slams open, and the team starts tunneling through. They each give Lexi and then me a high-five as they pass, and when Cruz stops in front of us, he pulls his sister into a big bear hug. I can feel the emotions rolling off both of them in waves, and even though I feel like I’m invading on a private moment, I can’t tear my eyes away.
Cruz is leaning over his sister’s shoulder, and his face is right in front of mine. When he opens his eyes, he looks at me and smiles softly before pulling back from his sister. He wipes at the tears in his eyes, and Lexi puts a hand on his shoulder. “I’m proud of you, big brother. I’m going to miss seeing you out there.”
He inhales deeply and slowly lets it out. “Are we still on for dinner? I made reservations for the three of us.”
Lexi hooks her thumb toward me. “Tara thinks she’s imposing.”
Cruz shakes his head. “You’re not. Plus, I need to find out what my sister has been up to. She’s been a closed book lately…”
I act like I’m sealing my mouth, locking it and throwing away the key.
He laughs and nods at me. “You’re a good friend, then. I like it. She needs someone like you. Well, I’ve already made the reservations, and you don’t turn down dinner at The Peddler.”
After he names the exclusive restaurant in Whiskey Run, I just shake my head. “They close at nine. We’ll never make it.”
He opens the door that all his teammates disappeared through, and the noise from inside spills into the hallway. Cruz has to speak louder. “I reserved the whole restaurant. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”
Lexi nods. “Sounds good, big brother. I drove, so we’ll meet you there.”
I’m all smiles because as soon as I get away from the too-handsome Cruz Payne, I’m going to convince Lexi that her idea is a bad one, that there’s no way I can ask him to be my fake date at my sister and ex-boyfriend's wedding on Valentine’s Day. Nope, it’s not happening.
As soon as he shuts the door, Lexi grabs my hand and is pulling me down the hallway. In my head, I’m trying to work out how I’m going to get out of this. We walk through the parking lot, finally find her car, and it’s not until we’re a few miles from the stadium that I force a fake yawn. “You know what, I think I’m going to call it a night. You can just drop me off at home. We go right past it on the way to the restaurant.”
She doesn’t say anything; she’s just smiling as she drives.
I turn in my seat. “Lexi, seriously, I think you and your brother should celebrate on your own. You don’t need me there, making things awkward.”
She still doesn’t say anything, and I cross my arms over my chest and lean back into my chair. I’m quiet the rest of the trip until we pull up to the empty parking lot of The Peddler. As we sit here waiting for Cruz to show up, I try one last time. “Seriously, do you know how humiliating this is? I can’t ask your brother to be my fake date. I can ask someone else.”
When she doesn’t say anything, I lean up and throw my hands in the air. “Lexi Payne, talk to me. What is going on in that head of yours?”
She finally turns to me. “Okay, hear me out.”
I barely resist rolling my eyes. One thing I forget about Lexi sometimes is that she can talk her way into—or out of—anything. She has that gift. I grit my teeth. “I’m listening.”
She nods. “Okay, I need you to do this for me.”
She reaches for me, but I pull back. “Do what, exactly?”
She holds her hands together in front of her. “Cruz has played in the league for twelve seasons, and he says he’s ready for this, but I know it’s going to be hard for him.”
When she doesn’t go on, I try to make the connection. “And what? You think that him taking me on a date is going to get his mind off it? That’s crazy talk, Lexi. I mean, this isn’t even a normal wedding. It’s going to be awkward and embarrassing, and well, there’s no part of me that wants to be there, but I have to be. There’s no way he’s going to want in on this.”
She leans back with a smug smile. “You may be surprised.”