by Jill Sanders
He could see the slight differences in her. Her hips were a little wider, her breasts were fuller—she looked good. She definitely filled out the blue and white uniform. Her skin was tan and she had a nice glow going. She’d looked happy, like she was having fun—until she had seen him.
After the game, he stood around in the stands under the shade and talked to everyone. People approached his family, giving him handshakes or hugs and thanking him. He felt like a heel and wanted to be anywhere but there. Finally, after almost a dozen people had talked to him, he excused himself and started walking towards the dugout, hoping to find Haley.
She was there, surrounded by four of her closest friends and her sister Alexis. He didn’t mind her friends, but Alex had a side of her that no one in town liked to cross. He’d heard that she’d married Grant Holton last year, and he hoped that maybe she had softened up a little.
“Wes Tanner, you have some nerve coming here,” Alex said, crossing her arms over her chest like the other ladies were doing. Everyone except Haley, who was looking down at her feet like she wished she was anywhere but there.
“Lovely to see you, too, Mrs. Holton,” he said slowly, then he smiled and walked over to her, giving her a light hug. “I’m glad to see you finally ditched Travis.”
She frowned at him and nodded. “I guess you can say that the West sisters are not fools when it comes to finding the right man.” She nodded and looked towards Haley, and he felt his heart sink. Was she trying to tell him that Haley was seeing someone? Or worse, married? He’d been so busy during the game watching her, that he hadn’t asked his folks if she was involved.
When Alex and the other ladies noticed the shocked look on his face, they nodded politely to him and walked away, leaving him alone with her. Since she was still looking down at her shoes, he took that time to recover.
“Hey,” he said when they were alone. She glanced up at him quickly, then bent to pick up her duffel bag without a word. He walked over and stood right behind her. “What was your sister talking about?” he asked after a moment of silence.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, stiffly. When she turned around, she bumped solidly into him. His hands came up to steady her. She tried to jerk away, but his hands held her tight. He missed touching her, being this close to her.
“Are you seeing someone?” he asked and watched her chin drop. Then as quickly as it opened, she shut it and jerked her shoulders back.
“I don’t see how that is any of your business.” She turned and tossed her bag over her shoulder, trying to block him out.
“It’s not, I guess.” He dropped his hands just as Tom Blake walked down the stairs.
“Hi.” Tom nodded to Wes, then he watched the man walk up to Haley and plant a kiss on her cheek, sufficiently answering his question.
He felt his chest kick a little as he watched Tom take Haley’s hand in his own. “You did wonderful out there,” Tom said, trying to pull her closer, but Wes noticed when she hesitated. Just then, he knew he still had a chance with her.
He watched as the pair made their way across the field to where her family was. Her sister Lauren, brother-in-law Chase, and their new son were sitting with Alex and Grant in the shade of a row of oak trees. Their picnic table was full of food and it looked like they were staying for the fireworks that were due to start in a few hours.
His father walked up beside him, looking to where his attention was drawn. “Still have it bad for that girl, huh?” His father rested an arm on his shoulder.
“It never went away,” he mumbled. His father chuckled.
“Don’t wait too long. That Blake boy has been sniffing around her for a while. Sounds like they’re starting to get serious.” His father pulled him along to their picnic spot, where they had always sat. The old wood table was the same. He sat down in the spot where he had carved his and Haley’s initials in the old wood. Playing his fingers over the worn letters, he looked over just in time to see her glance away from him. Smiling, he decided he just needed to come up with the right strategy. After all, love was the most important battle he’d ever fought, and he was determined to win this war.
Other books by Jill Sanders
The Pride Series
Finding Pride – Pride Series #1
Discovering Pride – Pride Series #2
Returning Pride – Pride Series #3
Lasting Pride – Pride Series #4
Serving Pride – Prequel to Pride Series #5
Red Hot Christmas – A Pride Christmas #6
My Sweet Valentine – Pride Series #7
Return To Me – Pride Seires #8
The Secret Series
Secret Seduction – Secret Series #1
Secret Pleasure – Secret Series #2
Secret Guardian – Secret Series #3
Secret Passions – Secret Series #4
Secret Identity – Secret Series #5
Secret Sauce – Secret Series #6
The West Series
Loving Lauren – West Series #1
Taming Alex – West Series #2
Holding Haley – West Series #3
Missy’s Moment – West Series #4
Breaking Travis - West Series #5
Roping Ryan - West Series #6
Wild Bride - West Series #7
The Grayton Series
Last Resort - Book #1
Someday Beach - Book #2
Rip Current – Book #3
In Too Deep – Book #4
For a complete list of books, visit JillSanders.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
ISBN: 978-1-942896-05-0
Copyright © 2015 Jill Sanders
Copyeditor: Erica Ellis – inkdeepediting.com
Smashwords Edition
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
About the Author
Jill Sanders is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Pride Series, the Secret Series, and the West Series romance novels. Having sold over 150,000 books within six months of her first release, she continues to lure new readers with her sweet and sexy stories. Her books are available in every English-speaking country, available in audio books, and are now being translated into six different languages.
Born as an identical twin in a large family, she was raised in the Pacific Northwest. She later relocated to Colorado for college and a successful IT career before discovering her talent as a writer. She now makes her home in charming rural Florida where she enjoys the beach, swimming, hiking, wine tasting, and, of course, writing.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
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