by Hart, Taylor
The floor scraped as Roman shoved out of the booth and the table shifted on the cement floor. He was tired of everyone assuming that he’d had a choice in the matter.
“Roman!”
He and Lou were now facing each other. Both of them had their fists clenched. Roman knew his agent would not be happy when this story broke—Destroyer’s Quarterback takes out small town waiter.
“Roman!”
He swerved to face her, pulling back on his temper. “What?”
She pushed out of the booth and moved in between him and Lou. Her face was desperate. “Don’t you remember you were going to take me sledding?”
Roman teetered between giving in to his temper and being better than that. Finally, he pulled his wallet out and dropped a hundred dollar bill on the table. He turned and shoved past Lou. “Then I guess we’d better go.”
Chapter 6
The hill she took him to was…big. In Texas it would be considered a mountain. Here, it was considered a hill. Neither of them had talked about what had happened.
Katie had quickly gone to Jim’s front closet and outfitted them both with better gear for sledding. She’d tried to crack some jokes, but he’d simply given tight smiles. He knew why Lou’s comments ticked him off so much…because they were the truth.
They parked at the top, and then she handed him the tube. “You go first.”
He didn’t move. “Why did you do that?”
“What?”
“Back there with Lou.”
Her face went serious. He couldn’t help noticing that, even though her hair looked all fuzzy from the hat, her skin was flawless and a few freckles dotted her nose. He could honestly say she was one of the most naturally beautiful women he’d ever met. “I didn’t think it was worth it.”
He sucked in a breath. “You mean me blowing my top?” The media coverage had shown some not so nice scenes of him after the accident—drunk and frightened, which had translated into a fist into the side of his Ferrari. The dent mark had been all over the news.
“No.” Her voice was clipped and she stuck her chin up. “I don’t think it’s worth it to defend something you know the truth about.”
He frowned.
She pointed at him. “You know that you would have come if you’d have know.” She gently tapped his chest. “You know. It doesn’t matter what I thought, what everyone else thinks because you know the truth.”
Chills washed over him. Her certainty filled him with a measure of hope. Pride. Something that he hadn’t felt about himself in a long time. He liked it. He blinked and looked around. He didn’t remember sledding on such a big hill. Nervous jitters wound through him. “That’s a long way down.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Come here, would you mind if I took your picture for my son?”
He could tell that she didn’t like asking for things. This made him want to give it to her. “Only if you’re in it with me.”
She hesitated.
He motioned her over to him. “C’mon, bachelorette, pretend like you want a rose tonight.”
This made her laugh. They posed, and she snapped a picture.
“Thanks.”
He liked being able to do something for her, even if it was just taking a picture. “You’re welcome.”
She gestured down the mountain. “Now, are you going to be a pansy, or are you going to take the hill like a man?”
Giving her a bored look, he ripped the tube away from her and threw it on the ground. He grunted and pounded his chest. He let out a war cry and jumped on the tube. “Me. Man!” he shouted. Then he was flying. His speed picked up, and mists of snow flew around him. He could hear traces of her laughter behind him.
When he got to the bottom, she was whooping and hollering. “Oh yeah! That’s what I’m talking about, that was awesome!”
He would be lying if he didn’t feel satisfaction from her praise. He knew she meant it. She wasn’t one of those baller girls hanging on his every word, trying to be something he wanted her to be so she could spend all his money and then cheat on him with his best friend. He grinned and gave another war cry back at her.
She clapped and laughed.
He stood still, watching her with her pink pom pom hat and her red hair coming in waves down her shoulders. Then he did something he never should have done. He wondered how it would feel to have her at the games, to look up and see her smiling and cheering him on.
He huffed back up to the top of the mountain, realizing that it wouldn’t matter how many carbs he ate today. This trudging through deep snow would burn up everything.
When he got to the top, she had her arms crossed, an eyebrow lifted.
“What?” he asked, sucking in air and handing her the tube.
Her eyes narrowed. “Do you still love her?”
This question, he had not expected. For some reason it made him feel weird to have her ask it—like he couldn’t lie to her but he couldn’t tell her the truth. He purposely tried to think about it. “No.”
She cocked her head to the side. “You can’t try to pause. Then I know you’re lying.”
He threw his hands up. “I’m your boss. You’re an employee. Why do you care if I love her?”
She looked him up and down. Then she shrugged. “You’re right. I don’t.” She grinned. “Is sledding still as fun as you remember?”
He grinned. “The best.”
“Worth paying me twenty bucks an hour? Because I’m collecting, QB.”
He shook his head. “Worth every penny.”
She put the tube down. “Want to go together?”
Confusion clouded his mind. “Why?”
An innocent grin filled her face. “Why not?”
Sitting down in the middle of the tube he patted his lap. “Hop on boss!”
“Wait.” She motioned for him to stand. “Go on your stomach. I’ll back up and give us a push as I jump on.”
He acquiesced, thinking it was kind of close quarters. He flopped down, and before he knew what happened, she was pushing his feet to the edge of the hill and then hopping on top of him.
Granted, she didn’t weigh much, and he didn’t mind absorbing her weight. What he hadn’t anticipated was how the extra weight would speed them up.
She let out a yell next to him. “Wahoo!”
His heart leapt in his chest, and he echoed her, “Whoo-hoo!”
Snow flew in their faces, but he glanced up at her. Her hair had gotten free—red curls flew in his face with the snow. He could honestly say that this was the first time in as long as he could remember that he felt like a kid.
They got to the bottom, and she quickly rolled off, laughing. “Oh my gosh, that was fun!”
He brushed himself up. “That was fun.”
She got to her feet and grinned.
“Thanks for asking me.” He meant it.
A wicked glint came into her eyes, and she backed up starting into a sprint up the hill. “You’re carrying the tube, right? Come on, QB. I’ll race ya to the top.”
Now he understood. He watched her sprinting. She’d asked him because she wanted him to be the pack mule. But he had never been one to back away from a challenge. He grabbed the tube and took off. It wasn’t hard to pass her. As he did, he turned around and taunted her, “C’mon, boss, never stop. Never quit.”
She only grinned wider and winked at him. “Really, you’re proud of yourself for beating a girl? That’s pathetic.”
At that, he laughed. This woman, she was driving him mad. This time, before she knew what was happening, he threw the tube down and grabbed her, holding on while he dove sideways onto the tube. “I’ll show you pathetic.”
A squeal louder than a foghorn came out of her. “Let me go!” She giggled.
Then they were off, flying down the hill. When they got to the bottom, he gently rolled off the tube and messed with her hair. “That’s right, boss! I’m proud to beat a girl!”
More giggles erupted from her. At this moment she looked�
��so young. Child-like. He liked it.
“Stop!” she shouted.
He stopped, collapsing into a heap next to her by the tube.
She panted hard and turned onto her side to face him. “Dang, you’re in good shape. What do you do—like running drills all day at work?”
He picked up a little piece of snow and tossed it in her hair. “No, apparently, I run an inn.”
Trying to pick the snow he threw out of her hair, she flipped her hair back. “What about the injury? Are you going to go back out there?”
“If by going back out there, you mean am I going to keep playing football, the answer is yes.” The conversation had taken on a serious tone. Granted, the media couldn’t stop talking about which quarterback should have the shot. “If they give me a shot, I’ll take it.”
“Hmm.” She eyed him top to bottom.
“Hmm,” he mimicked, moving closer to her and wiping at a clump of snow in her hair.
Giggles erupted out of her for the second time. “What? Do I have snow in my hair?” She shook her hair at him.
It didn’t matter what anyone said to him after this point. Right now, he knew he had to be with this woman. Suddenly he quit grinning, concerned by this realization.
Seeing him turn serious, she stopped giggling, too. “What’s wrong?”
The hammering inside his chest reminded him of the first time he’d thrown the winning touchdown in the first championship game he’d won. “Nothing,” he said too fast.
Squinting at him, she grinned. She stood. “C’mon, QB, don’t be lazy. We can do a few more runs before I have to pick up Josh!”
Chapter 7
Roman had insisted on going with her after they’d dropped the tube back at the inn, saying that he wanted to meet Josh. He’d followed her on a different snow mobile through Main Street, passed the hardware store and down the opposite direction from the ski resort. The road led to a small elementary school and a combined junior high and high school.
The snow had subsided substantially. Roman wondered how long it would be before the attorney would be able to get up to the inn to get the paperwork done to sell the place. He was surprised he actually didn’t want to think about it. He pushed the thought away because it made him sad.
They waited with other snowmobiles or pretty hefty four-wheel drive vehicles for the kids to get out. They didn’t have to wait long before a mass of children burst out of the building. He watched Katie wave to a child with a batman backpack and batman hat and gloves.
The boy came running quickly for the snowmobile. Roman noted that he had the shape of his mother’s face and nose, but his hair was blonde. “Mom!” He held up some piece of paper. “Look, I painted this for you today!”
First, Katie hugged him. Then she kept her arm around him and studied the picture with a serious face. “I love it!”
Pure joy lit up the boy’s face.
Katie nodded toward him and then tugged him by the hand. “I want you to meet someone.”
Nervous seemed like an understatement for how Roman felt. Butterflies pounded into his gut. Meeting the most important man in any woman’s life was a huge deal and he suddenly wondered if he was really ready for this.
Katie gestured to Roman. “Josh, meet Roman. This is Jim’s nephew. He owns the inn now. He’s been…helping me for the past two days.”
Josh scrunched up his face, like meeting Roman was some sort of scientific project. “You look like that football player.”
Roman put his hand out. “Roman Young, nice to meet you.”
Tentatively, Josh put his batman glove in Roman’s hand. “Could I get you to sign something?”
“Josh!” Katie shook her head.
Roman grinned. Young fans were the best. “Absolutely!” He released Josh’s hand.
After fist pumping the air, Josh laughed. A loud, kid kind of laugh. “Now I can say I’ve met someone famous.”
Katie gestured to the other snowmobile looking flustered. “Josh, it doesn’t matter if someone is famous or not, every person is important. Please say goodbye, and let’s go home and get you warmed up.”
The boy didn’t move, still studying Roman. “You play for the Destroyers, but you got hurt last year. Jim told me all about you.”
The center of Roman’s chest tightened for a second. He grinned. “Well, see, your mom told me all about your frogs getting out yesterday, so I guess we both know stuff about each other.”
The boy gave a silly laugh and pointed at Roman. “I watched you play on that big screen at the inn last year.”
Another surge of impossible emotion. “Well, thanks for watching.”
Katie was already on the snowmobile. “Come on, son. Let’s go.”
Josh frowned. “Mom, can we have him over for dinner?”
This took Roman completely by surprise. “Hmm, no, I couldn’t.”
Katie looked stressed. “Josh, he probably has plans tonight. Let’s do it another time.”
Josh smiled at him. “Do you have plans?”
Roman looked from Josh to Katie.
She shrugged.
He grinned. “I’ll be there.”
Chapter 8
“Ned, what do you mean, you won’t be here for another two days?” Roman ran his hand through his hair. His agent was going to have a fit.
“Roman, I’m sorry. I put my back out, and I can barely move. I’m staying at my brother’s house in Salt Lake. I was adjusted yesterday, but it might take a steroid shot to get my L4 back under control.”
Flutters went through the pit of his stomach, and he thought of spending more time with Katie. “That’s okay.”
Ned sighed. “I wish you could come here or I could use my partner to execute these documents, but your uncle’s will specifically asks for me to execute the documents to you, at the inn.”
Roman knew this. “Who is buying the Inn?”
Ned hesitated. “What do you mean?”
“I want to talk to the new owners. I have someone in mind that could take care of the place for them. She doesn’t cost much. She’s fixing up the place.”
“Are you talking about Katie?”
Roman relaxed. Good. Ned knew. “Yes, I want to make sure she’s taken care of.”
“Uhh…”
“What?”
“Truthfully, I don’t know what they have planned and I don’t think it’s smart to put that kind of stipulation in the contract. They might want to flip it or something.”
“Oh.” His mind whirled with the ramifications of that for Katie.
“I didn’t think you’d mind. You said you just wanted to get rid of it quick.”
He felt trapped. “Well…”
“You do still want to sell it, right Mr. Young?”
“Yes.” He spoke quickly, immediately thinking of what Katie said about when you answer too fast. “I mean…” Of course he wanted to sell it. What in the world would he do with an inn in Wolfe Creek?
“Mr. Young?”
Frustrated, Roman gripped the phone tighter. He had to get to Katie’s house. He didn’t want to be late. “Can I call you back, Ned?”
Ned let out another sigh. “I knew this storm was a curse. The buyer really wants this deal. Tell me now if you’re having second thoughts.”
Being forced to do something he didn’t want to do had never been Roman’s style. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Ned.”
He shook his head and looked at himself in the steam of the master bath mirror. He’d only been here for two days, and he felt different. Changed. He thought of his uncle and the last conversation he’d had with him—‘Remember, you’re good at the game, but the game of life is important too. People are important. Don’t give up on love. Don’t give up on family. It’s the only important thing there is in this life.’ Could Wolfe Creek be more? Could Katie be more?
* * *
Because there was really no place to stop and get flowers, he stopped at the gas station to get…something.
“Runni
ng into Roman Young two times, it must be my lucky day.” Behind the register he saw Tiffany, the waitress from earlier.
Feeling caught, he took a step further away from her, toward the candy aisles.
She let out a low whistle. “Wow, you clean up good.” She dropped one shoulder and gave him a seductive look.
Truthfully, Tiffany wasn’t a bad-looking girl. Pretty even, but her huntress personality did not appeal to him.
“H-hey,” he said lamely, scanning the shelves of candy, thinking about what Katie and Josh would like for a treat.
Tiffany moved out from behind the counter. “Whatcha doing?”
He picked up some bubble gum and a couple of candy bars. “Nothing much.” Swiftly, he went to the next aisle, taking donuts and popcorn off of the shelves.
She was closing in on him. “I wondered if I’d get a chance to see you again, but if there’s one thing you can count on in Wolfe Creek, it’s that you always run into people.”
“Whether you want to or not,” he whispered under his breath. He moved to the counter to pay.
She was behind him. “What was that?”
Roman took an extra step closer to the register, and she took one closer to him. The only thing between them was the junk food, and he held it out like a shield. “Um, nothing. Could I buy this stuff? I’m running late.”
Shifting her gaze to all the junk food she snorted. “Do you eat this stuff all the time?”
Heck no. “Yep.” He did not want to engage more than he had to in this conversation.
Before he knew what happened, she pulled out a phone and took a picture of him holding all the junk food. “That’s crazy!”
Now he was angry. “What are you doing?”
She snapped another picture, and he had to resist the urge to rip her phone out of her hand and throw it to the floor like he did periodically to any paparazzi that taunted him. Truly, this had been the hardest part about being famous—the cameras. He thought about the fact that he hadn’t had anyone stalking him to take his picture the past two days and how nice that had been.
