Love at the 20-Yard Line

by Shanna Hatfield

  “I’m going to kick you, hard, under the table if you don’t tell me who came in,” Haven demanded, wondering what had gotten into Allie.

  Seth rolled his eyes and took another bite of his pie.

  “It’s the naughty hottie from the football game.” Allie stared over Haven’s left shoulder toward a booth. “He’s even cuter dressed in normal clothes. I would pay money to see him without his shirt on.”

  “Hey, do you not see me sitting right here?” Rick asked, clearly offended as he frowned at Allie.

  “Sorry, babe. Just trying to help out Haven.”

  “Sure you were.” Rick frowned then glanced behind Haven. “I don’t see what the fuss is all about. I could totally arm wrestle the dude.”

  Rick flexed his biceps and Allie squeezed them then kissed him soundly on the lips.

  Disgusted by the public display of affection, Haven wondered how she could possibly be related to her cousin. They were nothing alike. At all.

  “Could you please stop that before I lose my dinner?” Haven asked, shoving her half-eaten piece of chocolate cake away from her. “And before you embark on more theatrical demonstrations, Allie, just tell me who came in.”

  “Brody Jackson. He’s sitting three booths behind you, looking mighty fine and terribly lonely.”

  “How stupid do you think I am? Like he’d show up in a place like this when he has a party with adoring fans to attend. I don’t think so, Al, but nice try.” Haven shook her head then sipped her hot tea.

  Seth caught her eye and tipped his head, letting her know that she should turn around and look for herself.

  Pretending to drop her napkin, Haven bent down to pick it up and looked behind her. She sucked in a gulp of air as she discovered Allie told the truth.

  “What do we do now?” Haven sat up so straight in her seat, it looked like someone shoved a board up the back of her shirt. “How can we leave with him sitting there? Does this place have a back entrance?”

  “Are you insane?” Allie grabbed the bill the waitress brought to the table and motioned for Rick to finish eating his pie. “It’s obvious he’s interested in you and you practically ran out the door when he invited you to that party. I still don’t know why you wouldn’t just say yes. I know you hate that type of thing, but the rest of us wanted to go.”

  “Fine. Next time, go without me. I suppose we’ll have to stop and say something to him on our way out. It’s the polite thing to do.” Haven stabbed her fork into her cake and took a distracted bite.

  “That’s right. You wouldn’t want to be impolite, would you, dear cousin?” Allie subtly motioned for Seth to put on his coat.

  “Of course not. I just don’t want to encourage him, is all.” Lost in her thoughts of how gorgeous Brody Jackson looked up close, she mused that he remembered her name and spoke to her after the game. Haven didn’t think he’d noticed she was even there.

  Part of her hoped he would call about the modeling offer. She wouldn’t have minded seeing him somewhere other than the football game. She didn’t know why Brody had taken an interest in her, but guys like him just didn’t ask girls like her on dates.

  She might be inexperienced where men were concerned, but she wasn’t stupid. With his good looks and the way his voice made delicious shivers run up and down her spine, she knew staying away from him was the intelligent choice.

  Haven renewed her resolve to give him a wide berth. She’d smile on her way out the door and try to avoid running into him again.

  Quickly excusing herself to the restroom, she returned to find an empty table. She glanced outside as Allie and Rick pulled into traffic with Seth following right behind them.

  Shocked the three of them would sneak out and leave her at the diner, Haven knew it was Allie’s idea. Her cousin was in such deep trouble, she might never work her way back out of it.

  With an aggravated sigh, she turned around to find Brody standing next to his booth watching her.

  “Haven?” he asked, stepping toward her. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. No. I’m not sure.” Haven let him take her arm in his hand and lead her back to his booth. He snagged her coat and purse from the booth she’d occupied with her friends and set them beside her.

  He motioned for the waitress to come over. She brought Haven another cup of tea as she settled onto the plastic-covered bench and looked across the worn table at Brody.

  “What was that all about?” Brody asked, scooting his plate toward her so she could take a fry if she wanted. She shook her head and he slid his plate back.

  “My cousin Allie thinks she is much more clever and amusing than reality continues to prove.” Haven considered what sort of retribution Tom would demand if she called and asked for a ride home. She’d call Hale, but he had a big date with Abby and didn’t want to be bothered. Maybe she’d just call a cab.

  She pulled out her phone and started searching for a cab company.

  Brody leaned over and glanced at the screen. “Left you high and dry, did she?” Allie was now among his favorite people. He’d have to remember to thank her the next time he saw her. He hadn’t even noticed the group in the diner until Allie and the two guys ran by, smiling and waving on their way out the door.

  He wondered what they were doing as they sprinted across the parking lot and sped off into the night, and then he noticed Haven. Obviously, she hadn’t expected to be left behind.

  “Something like that. My brother would make my life pure misery if I call him to come get me, so I’ll just call a cab.” Haven had no idea which cab company was more reputable. Too tired to care, she decided to randomly choose one.

  “Put down your phone. I’ll take you home.” Brody finished his burger and smothered a fry in a puddle of ketchup before eating it.

  “No. That’s completely unnecessary. I wouldn’t want to put you out.” Haven stared at him with frightened eyes.

  He wondered what exactly about him scared her. He supposed it could be his height or his career. Maybe she’d gotten wind of his supposed reputation with women. Whatever it was, he could see the fear on her face and wished he wasn’t the one who put it there.

  “I insist.” Brody glanced across the table, drawn to Haven’s pink mouth and soft skin. She looked so utterly feminine. If someone needed a visual of the words sophisticated or lady, he thought she’d be the perfect picture. “Really, it’s no trouble.”

  “Well, I…”

  “Come on. I have to be better than some random cab driver. I promise to get you home safely or you can have your brother beat me up.”

  Haven laughed and the dimples bloomed in her cheeks. Brody held his hands beneath the table to keep from reaching out and touching each indentation.

  “I don’t think you have to worry about that. He was very impressed with you after the game last week,” Haven said, relaxing a little and taking a sip of her tea.

  “Last week? How many brothers do you have?” Brody asked, wondering if the men with her were her brothers. If one was, they both had to be because they looked so much alike.

  “Three, but Hale and Tom went with me to the game last week. I guess we didn’t get around to discussing that during introductions.”

  “No, we didn’t.” Relief flooded through him. The two men who seemed quite familiar with Haven were her brothers. That knowledge improved his mood significantly. “What about the guy with you tonight? Seth? He your boyfriend?”

  Haven laughed again and shook her head. “No. Seth and I are the lead consultants at the firm where we work. He’s engaged. His fiancée hates sports of any kind, but he is a huge football fan.”

  Brody tried not to grin too broadly, oddly satisfied the guy was a coworker. “So does your boyfriend not like football?” he asked, fishing to find out if there was a boyfriend.

  “I don’t know if he does or not.” Haven gave him an innocent smile.

  Brody looked confused. “How can you not know? Didn’t you invite him to the game?”

  “No
. It would be hard to do that when I’ve yet to meet him.”

  “You have a boyfriend you’ve never met? Wait. That’s just weird.” Her words left him puzzled. “He’s not one of those online stalkers, is he?”

  Haven gave him a pointed look. “No, of course not. But I had you going, though.”

  Brody chuckled and finished his glass of soda. “So you don’t have a boyfriend? Or a fiancé? Or a husband and three kids waiting at home for you?”

  “Sadly, none of the above. It’s just me and Mad Dog,” Haven said, taking another sip of tea, glancing at Brody over the rim of her cup. The look on his face was priceless. His handsome brow wrinkled in confusion and he looked completely bewildered.

  “Mad Dog?”

  “I’m reading a book about a cop named Mad Dog and the bad guy she’s trying to catch. It has gruesome murders and a crazed killer. Oh, there’s some romance in there, too.”

  “Sounds great, at least up to the romance part.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re one of those guys who think romance is stupid.”

  “Guilty as charged.” Brody accepted the bill from the waitress and thanked her. He pulled money out of his wallet and left a hefty tip on the table along with cash to cover the bill.

  Haven slipped on her coat and looked at him, seeming hesitant to leave with a man she barely knew.

  “If it will make you feel any better, you can call Allie and talk to her the whole time I’m driving you home. That way, you know I can’t abscond with you.” Brody offered Haven one of the sincere smiles he rarely shared. His mother and Marcus were among the privileged few who’d seen it.

  “That won’t be necessary, I’m sure,” Haven said, surprised when Brody held the door for her as they walked outside.

  “Where’s your coat?” she asked, glad to be wearing her warm wool coat in the frigid air. The night was cold but clear as he took her arm and guided her toward a shiny pickup.

  “I left it at home this afternoon. It was warm then, you know, and I didn’t think about needing it later.” Brody held the pickup door open while Haven slid inside. She was just tall enough she didn’t require his assistance getting into the pickup. Disappointment trickled over him as he shut the door and walked around to the driver’s side.

  He got in and started the truck, studying Haven. She sat against the door with her hands folded on her lap, appearing ready to bolt.

  “Seriously?” he asked, giving her a once over when she looked at him. “I promise I won’t turn into a vampire, a serial killer, or whatever else is running through your head, between now and the time I drop you off. But you are going to have to tell me where you live.”

  Haven let out her breath and worked up a smile. For some unknown reason, Brody made her extremely nervous. She seemed to have that problem around really cute guys, particularly ones that actually spoke to her.

  “Okay. But if I turn up with fang marks on my neck or my head missing tomorrow, you’re gonna be in really big trouble.”

  He chuckled as he pulled out onto the nearly deserted street and followed her directions. She didn’t live all that far from the diner. In fact, her apartment was only five blocks from his place.

  “Got it. No biting or decapitating.” He glanced her direction as they sat at a red light. “At least for tonight, I’m on my best behavior. I’m trying to impress this girl, but I get the idea she isn’t all that into me.”

  “Really?” Haven wondered what was wrong with a girl who wouldn’t be flattered by attention from Brody. “Where did you meet her?”

  “At a football game. I looked up into the stands and there she was.”

  “What does she look like?” Haven asked, curious as to the type of girl that caught Brody’s eye. She pictured someone like Allie.

  “She’s got curly blond hair, beautiful blue eyes, dimples in her cheeks, and the pinkest lips that just beg for a kiss.” Shocked that Haven didn’t seem to know he spoke of her, Brody tried to keep a straight face.

  When she caught on to his teasing, she narrowed her gaze and glared at him. “You ought to know I’m well-versed in being teased. I do have three older brothers, remember?”

  “I know, but you’re so gullible.” Brody liked that fact. She was so innocent it was almost comical.

  “I’m not either,” she said hotly, turning her head and staring out the window. After a moment, she sighed and glanced back at him. He could see the hint of her dimples as she smiled. “Maybe a little.”

  “Maybe more than a little, Miss Haven Haggarty.” Brody turned into her apartment complex and parked in an empty space close to her door.

  He unfastened his seat belt, jumped out, and ran around the cab of the truck. Determined to walk her to the door, he wished she’d invite him in. He’d enjoyed talking with her and hoped she’d be open to continuing the conversation for a while.

  “You don’t need to be out in this cold, Brody. I can get myself to the door.” Haven took his hand as he helped her out of his truck.

  “I know, but I’ll walk you to the door just the same. You never know when a vampire or crazed killer might jump out of nowhere.” Brody strolled down the sidewalk with her hand still held in his. He liked the soft, delicate feel of her fingers against his palm. That mere connection of her skin touching his sent a flurry of sensation zipping up his arm, right into his chest.

  “How about that? Here we are at the door and we’re both still alive with no madmen in sight.” Haven pulled her fingers from his grasp so she could dig in her purse for her key and unlock the door.

  After opening it a crack, she turned to Brody and stuck out her hand. When he enclosed it in his big warm one again, a tremor worked its way up from her toes. She breathed in a whiff of his scent and was certain she’d never smelled anything so utterly masculine and divine.

  “Thank you for driving me home. I apologize for the behavior of my supposed friends,” Haven said, looking up at Brody’s face in the dim porch light. She was beginning to think he might just be the most handsome man she’d ever seen in person. Certainly the most handsome one she’d ever seen up close.

  An overpowering yearning to run her fingers along that chiseled jaw and chin made her take a step back. She bumped into the door, sending it banging against the inside wall.

  “No problem. I’m just glad I was there to drive you home.” Brody realized an invitation to accompany her inside wasn't going to materialize. He should have known he was wishing for something that wouldn’t happen.

  “Thanks again. Have a good rest of the weekend.” She tugged her hand from his as she backed into the apartment and flicked on a light. He could see a nice living room behind her and thought about walking inside, but knew instinctively that would frighten her.

  “I will. You, too. Thanks for coming to the game tonight.”

  Brody took a step in the direction of his truck. The last thing he wanted to do was leave, but he knew he couldn’t stay.

  “I enjoyed watching you play, Jump It Up Jackson.” Haven’s teasing smile brought out her dimples once more. She waggled her fingers at Brody, then shut the door.

  Shoving his hands into his pockets, he hurried back to his truck and drove home, caught in a state between bliss and undeniable longing.

  Chapter Five

  On a whim, hoping to catch Haven at home Sunday afternoon, Brody drove to her apartment and knocked on the door. After his fourth knock, he decided she wasn’t there. Or, if she was, she wasn’t going to let him in.

  By Wednesday morning, every nerve in his body felt tightly strung and about to snap, so he pulled her business card out of his wallet and called her at ten minutes past eight. He assumed she’d be in the office by then. He’d bet she even showed up early, to get a jumpstart on her day.

  Anxiously waiting for her to answer, he let out the breath he’d been holding when her soft voice came on the line.

  “Good morning, Haven. This is Brody Jackson. I’ve given some consideration to your proposal about modeling. I was won
dering if we could discuss it over lunch.” He had no intention of doing any modeling, but grasped at any excuse to see her.

  “Good morning, Brody. It’s nice to hear from you.” Haven spoke calmly, although her feet tapped out a happy dance beneath her desk. Her head told her to stay away from Brody Jackson, but her heart and the rest of her cheered enthusiastically at the opportunity to see him again. “Let me check my schedule and see what I’ve got open.”

  Haven didn’t care if she had to cancel every appointment on her calendar, she would have lunch with Brody. Fortunately, she had an opening at eleven.

  “Sorry for the short notice. I just thought I’d take a chance and see if you could squeeze me in.” Brody thought he sounded like an overanxious moron. Always in control, always smooth - Haven left him feeling like he’d just gotten off a rollercoaster. The constant state of highs and lows was entirely out of character for him.

  Since the team had a rare day off from practice, he hoped to use the time to further his cause with the cute girl.

  “I’ve got an opening if you’d like to meet at eleven. Would that work for you?” Haven hoped like everything he’d say yes. If they wanted to visit more than an hour, she would have time before her next appointment at half past one that afternoon.

  “That works great. I’ll come pick you up. See you then.” Brody disconnected the call before Haven could disagree.

  He shot both arms up in the air and pumped his fists in victory.

  There wasn’t a girl alive he couldn’t win over and he sure wasn’t going to let Haven be the first. He’d never had to work this hard to get a date, pretending to be interested in something he wasn’t, or had a girl infiltrate his thoughts for more than a day or two like she did.

  His unreasonable interest in the fair-haired girl had lasted for almost two weeks. Once he kissed her, he’d realize there was no spark and his life could return to normal. Her face would stop floating through his dreams, he’d stop imagining the feel of her soft sweaters or smooth skin beneath his fingers, and her tantalizing fragrance would cease to invade his senses.