The Rookie: Book 2 The Last Play Series

by Hart, Taylor

  “Shut up!” she burst out.

  Seeing her so frustrated, he laughed.

  Whirling on him, she let out a sound of frustration. “What is so funny?”

  He laughed more. “You.”

  “Me?”

  Then they both fell into giggles.

  “Yeah.” He relaxed, taking her hand back into his. Fighting with her and laughing with her seemed to put his world right again.

  Rolling her eyes, she lay back into her seat. “Man, you are the most frustrating man I know, Legend James.”

  He grinned. “Good, that means I have you just where I want you.”

  Chapter 30

  Charity swung the kitchen door open at eight am the next morning. Legend stood there—all jeans and Ute t-shirt, wearing flip-flops and that rugged, gorgeous aloof look. He lifted his eyebrows and, quicker than she could pull away, pulled her against him, inhaling deeply. “Missed you last night.”

  How come she could feel herself literally melt against him? She swore that being next to Legend made her feel like a swooning teenager. “Hey.”

  After he’d dropped her off, he’d gone home, and she’d taken over running the B and B for the night, getting guests checked in and settled. Shelia had taken the night off, but agreed to come back and run breakfast.

  “Glad to see you dressed up for me.” Legend pushed back, but kept her close.

  She laughed without wanting to. She’d only meant to sneak a cup of water before going back up and getting showered. “You’re early.”

  Legend pushed past her, letting himself in. He scoffed, “Early. I’ve already been for a run and had two protein shakes.” He shook his finger at her. “And don’t ask what kind of whey.” He lowered his voice. “I don’t share those kinds of secrets.”

  A twinge went through her gut. She wanted to kiss him. He thought he was so dang funny and sexy. And he was. She grinned.

  He grinned back. “Which doors need fixing?”

  “You don’t need to do this.”

  Leveling her with a mock glare, he smiled. “I’m keeping my word to your grandpa, nothing more.”

  “Nothing more?” she challenged. Just being inches from him continued to put her at her wits’ end.

  He stepped closer, lacing an arm around her waist and tugging her into him again. He inhaled deeply. “Man, you even smell good just out of bed.”

  His fresh rain smell was in full effect. She couldn’t help but laugh. “And you, Legend James, are laying it on thick.”

  He pulled back. “Is it working?” He searched her eyes.

  Another round of crazy butterflies. “What do you want from me, Legend?”

  Gently, he rubbed the side of his face against hers and then kissed her temple.

  She tried to step back, but he held her firmly. “Ah, ah, ah, you did ask the question.”

  Wiggling, she tried to get away from him, but her laughter betrayed her, and she hated herself for loving the attention. “Fine, then answer.”

  He kissed her cheek then softly kissed her lips. “You know what I want.”

  The kiss pulsed through her, zooming from her head to her toes. It was light and wonderful.

  He stared into her eyes. “I’m just waiting for you to realize you want it, too.”

  She thought her heart would pound out of her ribcage. “I told you I don’t trust myself.”

  The side of his lip went up. “That’s why they call it taking a chance.”

  She pushed back. “Legend…”

  He pulled her back to him. “I haven’t trusted myself for the past two years. I didn’t think it mattered because I just focused on football, but now, after being with you the past couple of days, I just…” he let out a whistle.

  “What?”

  He blinked then frowned. “It’s like that feeling you get when it’s the fourth quarter, fourth down, and we get possession of the ball back.”

  She grinned. “Okay.”

  He ignored her. “There’s just this static in the air, and you know you have to act. Now. You have to make something happen before your chance is lost.”

  She shivered, chills rushing through her at his words.

  He kissed her softly again, this time for longer. “But listen, we can just be friends as long as I still get to kiss you.”

  This made her smile. “Whatever.”

  He held up a finger. “I guess we’re starting the count early today.”

  Shelia bustled in from the living room where the guests were still eating. She pulled back when she saw them. Then the edges of her lips widened into a gigantic smile. “Well, Legend, you’re back.” Rushing forward, she took him into a hug, forcing him to release Charity.

  He sputtered and then halfway hugged her. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I remember seeing you that morning, but I don’t remember your name.”

  Pulling back, she kept her hands on his shoulders. “Shelia. Shelia Green. I live next door, and I’m best friends with Faith.” She gestured back to the living room. “I help run the Bed and Breakfast when they need me. Can I just say how lucky we were to have you here when Grandpa had that stroke.” She shook her head and went to the counter, picking up a tray and putting small pastries on it. Her eyes had a wicked glint in them. “And Faith told me all about that witch lady saying ‘fate has taken its course, but it is up to you to take a chance on love.’” Her eyes went dreamy. “I love that we always have a choice in our life, ya know. No matter what the past, we can be someone completely different.”

  Charity cut her off. “Shelia, could you show Mr. James the stuff that needs fixing?”

  “Absolutely, follow me.” She picked up the tray and moved for the door to the living room. She winked at him. “I have a bunch of newbies at the B and B, and I don’t think having Legend James as a handy man will be bad for business.”

  Unable to resist, Charity followed them to the door and held it open while Shelia and Legend moved into the dining room. She surveyed the girls. Charity assumed they were sorority girls based on the way they were all tan and done up. They looked like they were directly out of a magazine.

  “Ohmygosh!” One girl jumped up.

  Charity saw the sudden tears that popped into her eyes. “So dramatic,” she murmured to herself as a pang of jealousy hit her. This is what life with Legend would be like for the rest of his life—filled with constant admirers. Turning away, she told herself she didn’t care. She had to think about getting a working draft of the article to the New York Times soon. Plus, it would do no good to worry about every girl with a crush on Legend, she told herself.

  Until she heard Legend say, “Katrina? What are you doing here?”

  Chapter 31

  Getting clobbered by his ex had not been in Legend’s plans for the morning. “Whoa.” He stumbled back as Katrina slammed into him with all the force of a linebacker before letting him go again. The smell of mango assaulted him as Katrina let out little yip laughs and clasped her hands together. She swung her head back to the crowd of scantily clad girls. “I told you all I dated him.”

  Legend felt the stares of six other girls on him. Not typical stares, either. No, these were the stares of predatory cats. Immediately put on edge, he tried to cover it with a smile. He nodded to them. “Ladies, where are you all visiting from?”

  Giving him a shy look, Katrina widened her heavily lipsticked mouth. “Oh, darling, you know I had to transfer to South Carolina our sophomore year. Remember daddy wanted me closer to home?”

  He hadn’t known where she’d gone. Truth be told, he’d defriended her on Facebook and everyone else that was a mutual contact because he’d wanted to forget her. Forever. He tried to keep his smile from looking like a jilted boyfriend. “Well, that’s nice, then.” He picked up his toolbox. “You all have fun on your visit.”

  Her hands slithered around his arm. “Legend, I was kind of hoping to see you while I was in Salt Lake.” Her face was red. “Of course I didn’t want to just call you because I didn’t want you to
think I only wanted to connect because of your popularity.” She let out a little chuckle and glanced to her friends and back to him. “Obviously, fate has intervened on our behalf. Don’t you want to meet my friends and have dinner with us tonight?” She waved to the group. “We’re going to a popular Karaoke place tonight.”

  “Oh, no.” No. No. No. Getting sucked into Katrina’s lair of friends and all that…crap between them would not be happening.

  “Please. Please,” all the girls begged. “Then we could tell all our friends back home that we met a famous football star.” One girl with bleach blond hair winked at him then licked her lips really fast.

  Repulsed, Legend shook his head no, trying to continue moving. He nodded to Shelia. “Ladies, I wish I could, but I have lots of work around here that has to get done.”

  Katrina kept her arms laced through his. She put out her lip. “Puh-lease.”

  He noticed her brown hair was shorter than when they’d been together. She had some kind of fake tan, and she matched the other girls in the fact she only wore a tank top and short Daisy Duke kind of shorts. But he waved Shelia on. “She was just showing me where to start working.”

  Katrina became more determined, stepping in front of him and putting her hands on his chest. “Now you wait there a minute, Legend George James. It is rude to say no to a lady, and it’s even more rude to say no to a lady’s friends.”

  He couldn’t stop himself from reacting to her hands on him. All the old memories came back. It was like her smell and touch had awakened dormant muscles in his mind and body. “Is it now?” He stared at her beautiful brown puppy eyes. The ones that had always been able to convince him to do anything she wanted.

  “Excuse me.”

  He flipped around, seeing Charity standing there. Her hair was disheveled; her hand clutched her coffee cup, and her blue eyes looked wild. It was the kind of wild he’d seen quite a bit over the past week when she’d been ticked off. “Legend is right. He’s agreed to get some work done today, girls, and what you all need to do is simmer down a bit.”

  There was a warning edge to her voice that made Legend grin. Until this moment, when her claws were coming out to fight for him, he hadn’t known how much she cared.

  But Katrina was not the kind of woman to be outdone. She swung to face Charity, making a pointed up and down sweep over her bathrobe. “Oh…and who might you be?”

  Without missing a beat, Charity gave Katrina the reporter look. The one that said ‘I don’t care who you think you are, you better back off.’ “I’m his boss.”

  At this, Katrina threw back her head and laughed. “Well, that’s just funny.” Her eyes leveled her with a glare. “Ya see, sweetie. It’s funny because tomorrow night my boy is signing a deal for, correct me if I’m a few points off, sixteen point five million dollars, so I know he’s not helping you out for the money.”

  Charity glared back. “It’s nice that an old friend keeps such close tabs on things like how much his signing bonus is.”

  Katrina’s eyes widened. “Oh, baby, I’ll always keep track of him. You see, we have a lot of history, and history always wins in the face of—” she paused— “new relationships.”

  Legend found this little game they were playing somewhat funny. Not just because there’s something to be said for having two beautiful women fighting over him. More than that, it was nice to see that Charity was in the game as a full participant. Ego boosting as the moment was, he did the honorable thing. “Hey, Katrina, I gotta go get some stuff done.”

  She pouted again. “Well, I won’t let you go unless you promise you’ll go with us to that new Karaoke place down on Second.”

  Knowing Charity would hate it, but not wanting to let her off the hook completely, he asked, “What do you think, Charity? Should we go with them?”

  Chapter 32

  Charity listened to the hammering all morning. It was accompanied by Shelia’s ridiculous amounts of praising and periodic giggles from the girls as they followed Legend around the B and B handing him tools and striking ridiculous Victoria Secret poses.

  It drove her so crazy that by eleven she had to get out for a run. She tried to slip out the back, but Legend was in the kitchen eating a sandwich and chatting with Shelia while the girls had gone out to do some shopping.

  “Hey.” He lit up as she entered the room. Then he frowned eyeing her spandex running shorts and tank top. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  She stuck her nose into the air, feeling suddenly very out-bodied by the other girls. “I’m going for a run.”

  He slid the chair back, taking the napkin and dabbing the sides of his mouth before throwing back the bottle of water. “I’m coming too.”

  “No.” She pushed out the door, starting into a trot. The last thing she wanted was him distracting her.

  He was beside her in an instant.

  “You’re in jeans and flip-flops.” She was annoyed by how much she wanted to reach out and touch that always perfect facial hair. “You want to show off?”

  Turning around, he moved in front of her, running backwards. “You mean show off because this is what I do all day, every day?”

  Not liking that he was taunting her, but liking that he was with her instead of the sorority sisters, she stared him in the eyes. “So Katrina magically appears the day before you sign for millions of dollars. What a coincidence.”

  Appearing to let the observation roll off him, he smiled. “I don’t care about Katrina.”

  “Mmm….hmmm.”

  Turning back, he fell into a jog next to her. “Well, you see, I kind of like this one girl I met this week that fights with me all the time.”

  Ignoring the stir in her gut that always came when he was around, she shrugged. “Why would this girl you like want to be part of all the catty girl fights and stupid competition for you football players? Seems like more of a hassle than it’s worth if you ask me. I mean, she’d always have to be going to events and strutting around as arm candy.”

  Legend didn’t speak for a few minutes. “Yeah, I guess that would kinda suck for her unless…”

  “Unless what?”

  He stopped, taking her by the shoulders. “Unless I had someone that wanted to be with me. Like on a permanent basis.”

  Clearly blind-sided, she sucked in a gulp of air. She glared at him. “What are you saying, Legend?”

  He kept her against him, breathing harder and moving closer. She got sucked up in his smell, in his desire. “I’m saying I’m tired of games, Charity Agnes Saint, otherwise known as Rookie. Come to Dallas and be with me.”

  She was kinda freaking out.

  “Rook?”

  How could she even be kind of considering it? Hyper manic panic shot through her entire body. “You know, and I now, The New York Times is the gold standard.” She said on autopilot.

  “So you’d never go to Dallas?”

  “I’m going to New York.” She insisted. She couldn’t believe this. Abruptly everything felt crazy. She turned back toward the house her run forgotten.

  “You don’t have to answer right now. Think about it.”

  She glanced at him. At his beautiful gold-flecked green eyes. At the stupid grin on his face. “Why would I do that?”

  His face sobered. “To be with me. To…marry me.”

  Now all of her senses were on overload. M-marry him?

  He laughed, and they turned the last block toward the Bed and Breakfast. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since you yelled at me on those steps.” He nodded to the house. “Something changed inside of me.”

  She didn’t know whether to laugh or scream.

  But she didn’t do either because when they turned the corner and started up the cobblestone steps…Paul was there.

  Chapter 33

  It was a mistake to go to the Karaoke place, Legend could feel it in his bones. Nothing had felt right since he’d shown up. Of course he’d invited Paul to come with them to Karaoke. What else was he supposed t
o do?

  Katrina was hooked to Legend’s side. Their arms were linked, like he was some kind of possession that wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without her. She kept yip laughing with the girls, and they definitely did their part to fawn all over him.

  Dislodging himself from Katrina, he chose a seat next to Charity. He grinned at her. “You look great by the way.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why we’re here.”

  He took one of her hands. “Let’s leave,” he challenged.

  Her cheeks blushed. “And take you away from the ex?”

  He shrugged. “You know I don’t want her. Where’s your ex by the way?”

  Shaking her head. “I don’t know if he’s coming.”

  Legend had officially shaken Paul’s hand. What he’d really wanted was to crush it into little bitty bones, but he’d refrained. Then he’d excused himself and told her he’d see her at eight.

  Charity had looked like she’d seen a ghost at that point, only nodding to him and staring at Paul. At least she was letting Legend hold her hand right now, but he wondered what had happened with Paul.

  She kept her eyes on the table. “He says he’ll do anything I want. He wants me back.”

  Unnerving anger washed through him. “And what did you say?”

  She grinned, her eyes glowing with pride. “I told him to kiss off, and it felt great.”

  Legend laughed, relief pouring into him. “You did?”

  She let out a sigh. “Ya know, I got stuck being Paul’s girlfriend for eight years. I finally told him what I should have told him a long time ago.”

  “What’s that?”

  “He wasn’t worth it.”

  Another laugh slipped out of him, and he squeezed her hand. “Nice, Rook. I mean, if you would have added one of your patented slaps, that would have been good, too.”

  She rolled her eyes and grinned. “I didn’t get to slap you.”