Love at the 20-Yard Line

by Shanna Hatfield

  “I was teasing, too. I just didn’t… I didn’t think… I’m sorry, Brody.” As much as she enjoyed ogling Brody, she didn’t want to give him the wrong idea.

  “No worries. I just don’t want you to be mad at me. It’s all in good fun, right?” He helped her slip on a jacket since the night air was cool.

  “Right.” She moved away from him and opened the door.

  Brody grabbed the duffle bag he’d left earlier and followed her outside.

  If he had a brain in his head, he’d avoid being alone with Haven. She provided a temptation he found extremely hard to resist.

  Then again, Brody hadn’t always been known to avoid trouble.

  Chapter Ten

  Haven looked up from her desk as her assistant, Jordan, carried in a vase of gorgeous pink and white tulips.

  “It’s starting to look like a florist shop in here,” Jordan said, searching for a place to set the flowers.

  Haven jumped up and cleared a spot on the corner of her desk for the vase. It was the third bouquet she’d received that week.

  Monday, Allie sent her a bouquet in a smiley-face mug along with a note apologizing for acting like an idiot after the game.

  A gift basket from a pleased client arrived Tuesday afternoon. After picking out the chocolates she liked, she put the rest in the break room for the staff to share.

  Another client sent her a bouquet of daisies and carnations Thursday in thanks for a successful launch of an online campaign Haven developed for them.

  The huge bouquet of tulips Jordan set on her desk was one of the loveliest she’d ever seen. Searching for a card, Haven had no idea who would have sent the flowers.

  Finding the florist envelope, she read the short note then sank into her chair and stared at the bouquet.

  “Everything okay, Haven?” Jordan asked, noticing her boss looked a little pale.

  “Yes, fine. Thank you, Jordan. If you wouldn’t mind taking that vase with the daisies to the reception area, they might look nice on the side table by the couch.

  “Sure.” Jordan took the flowers from the top of Haven’s filing cabinet and left, even though she wasn’t convinced the woman was fine.

  Haven read the card in her hand again and smiled.

  To the sweetest girl I know.

  Happy Birthday, doll.

  Have a great day.

  Love,

  Brody

  She’d been disappointed to discover Brody would be out of town at a game that weekend. It was her birthday and she’d hoped to be able to see him. Instead, he’d left yesterday to go to a game across the country.

  Not wanting him to think it would bother her if he missed her special day, she didn’t mention her birthday was fast approaching.

  Someone must have told him, though, because he’d just sent her the loveliest tulips she’d ever seen.

  “Aren’t you the popular one this week?” Mr. Young walked in with a tastefully wrapped gift box in his hand.

  “So it would seem.” Haven smiled at her boss.

  “These tulips are magnificent.” Critically studying them, he turned to Haven. “Can we take some photos of them while they’re fresh?”

  “I guess so.” The flowers were exceptionally lovely. No wonder Mr. Young wanted to take photos of them. She had no doubt they’d be used in some promotional piece or ad campaign.

  “Great. Just take them to Adam and tell him I said to be careful with them,” Mr. Young said, setting the box on her desk. “Happy birthday, Haven. You should leave early tonight. Celebrate! You’re only young once, you know.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Uncertain if she should open his gift while he waited or save it for later, he made the decision for her when he smiled and left her office.

  When she removed the lid from the box, she was surprised to see a bowl she’d admired at an art show one of their clients hosted. Carefully lifting it, she held it up and marveled at the way light reflected through the glass.

  As she set it back in the box, a slip of paper caught her attention. She pulled it out and laughed when she read, “Go home early! Or else!” She planned to be out of the office before four.

  Quickly picking up the tulips, she carried them back to their small studio where Adam attempted to take photos of a client’s cleaning products.

  “Ah, sweet relief.” Adam took the tulips from her and set them on a pedestal in front of a light gray backdrop. “These are far and above much more photogenic than that mess.”

  Haven smiled and looked at the array of cleaning products, agreeing with Adam. There was nothing appealing about any of them.

  “What account are these for?” Adam asked, setting up his camera and lights.

  “None at the moment.” Haven observed as Adam adjusted a light. “I received them and Mr. Young suggested we take some stock photos, since they are so perfect.”

  “Good idea.” Adam snapped a test photo and made a few adjustments to the lighting. “I needed a break anyway.”

  Haven stood quietly while he worked. In a few minutes time, he handed the flowers back to her.

  “Whoever sent those has excellent taste. Much better than someone who thinks I can make mops and bottles of cleaner look exciting.”

  “Lots of luck, Adam. Thanks.” Haven felt sorry for her coworker. Sometimes Adam got to shoot fun, cool stuff. Other times, he had to deal with a multitude of boring subjects.

  After returning to her office, Haven sent a text message to Brody, thanking him for the flowers.

  She slipped her phone in the pocket of her skirt and returned her attention to some online research she compiled for a client. She’d barely touched the mouse of her computer when her phone rang.

  “Haven Haggarty,” she said, politely, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

  “Hi, doll. Happy birthday!” Brody sounded a million miles away, although the two thousand miles between them might as well have been that many. “Hope you’re having a great day so far.”

  “Brody!” Haven was surprised to hear his voice. “The tulips are gorgeous. Thank you so, so much.”

  “You’re welcome. I didn’t want you to think I forgot about you.” Brody was glad Hale mentioned something about Haven’s birthday when they were at the farm Sunday. “Any other birthday surprises?”

  “Mr. Young bought me a bowl I liked from an art show we attended. Other than that, the day is still young.” Thrilled that Brody called, she hoped she wasn’t keeping him from something he needed to do. “I thought you’d be tied up all day.”

  “They gave us a few moments of peace for good behavior. I have to go in a sec, but I wanted to wish you a happy birthday. Have a really good one, Haven.”

  Voices in the background made it hard to hear then Brody mumbled something about being off the phone in a minute.

  “It sounds like you need to go, Brody. Thank you again for the flowers and the call. I really appreciate both.” For a guy who made it clear he was keeping things casual with no strings attached, he seemed to be just as tied to her as she was to him.

  “You’re welcome. Maybe I can take you out for dinner or something when I get back.”

  “That sounds great.” Haven wanted to thank Brody in person. If he were in town, she’d have no problem leaving the office early. “Have a great game. I hope you win. Jump high and catch everything that comes at you.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Brody said then yelled at someone in the background to leave him alone. “Bye, Haven. Miss you.”

  “I miss you, too. Bye, Brody.” Haven stared at the phone in her hand for a minute before stuffing it back inside her pocket.

  Unable to concentrate on doing detailed research or any work involving her full attention, she decided to clean out some files while her thoughts lingered on Brody. Feelings she’d never before experienced surfaced whenever she thought about Brody. She had no idea how the sound of his voice could make her simultaneously elated and unsettled.

  Allie showed up to take her to lunch before sh
e could further explore the effect Brody had on her system.

  After lunch, Allie gave her a hug and slipped a card in her hand as they parted ways in the parking lot. When she returned to her office, Haven opened the card and laughed at the silly greeting, excited to receive a gift card to her favorite store.

  In the early afternoon, she worked on some creative design ideas but lost her focus every time one of her coworkers stopped by to wish her a happy birthday. Finally giving up on getting any work done, she gathered her things, picked up the vase of tulips, and locked her office at a little past three.

  “Have a great weekend, Haven,” Mr. Young said as he saw her leaving.

  “I will, thanks!” she called as she hurried out the door.

  On the way home, she treated herself to a pedicure. At her apartment, she carried the tulips inside and set them on her coffee table, admiring how they brightened the whole room.

  Leisurely staring at them a while, she finally got up and changed into jeans and a soft blouse. She drove out to the farm where her family would gather for dinner to celebrate her special day.

  When she walked inside her parent’s home, Mason and Jed slammed into her legs, almost knocking her over backward.

  “Aunt Haven! Happy birthday!” they said in unison, dragging her toward the family room where cheerfully wrapped packages sat on a side table, waiting to be opened.

  “You’ve got tons of presents,” Mason said, pointing to the festive-looking gifts.

  “And Mom said we can’t open them. They’re all for you,” Jed said, nodding his head for emphasis.

  “Is that right? Well, that’s pretty cool, isn’t it?” Haven ruffled the hair on one dark head and then the other.

  “Where’s Brody? We brought our football so he can throw it to us. Will he jump over the fence again?” Mason danced around, tugging on her hand.

  “Brody’s gone to a game far away right now. Maybe you guys can come see him when his team plays at home in a few weeks.” Haven walked with the little boys to the kitchen where her mom and Tammy finished dinner preparations.

  “Happy birthday, sweetie!” Rachel enthusiastically hugged her daughter. “Did you have a good day?”

  “I did, Mom. It’s been really nice so far.” Haven snitched a strawberry from a bowl of fruit salad.

  “I heard you tell the boys Brody’s out of town. Did he remember your birthday?” Rachel asked.

  “Actually, he sent me the most gorgeous tulips.” Haven took her phone out of her pocket and showed her a photo. Adam sent her one of the images from the photo shoot. It made the flowers look even more beautiful.

  “Oh, my gosh!” Tammy grabbed the phone and stared at the flowers. “Those aren’t just ‘hey, I’m dating you’ flowers, those are ‘I’m in love with you, baby’ flowers.”

  “You’re insane.” Haven rolled her eyes as she stuffed the phone back in her pocket. “Brody and I both know he’ll be gone at the end of the season. It’s not like either one of us expects this to be a long-term relationship. Allie informed me I need to get out and have more fun, and she’s right. Brody wanted to be friends who date, so there it is.”

  Tammy gave Rachel a look that said neither of them were buying Haven’s story, but they didn’t say anything.

  After dinner with her family, including Allie, Rick, a few other cousins, aunts and uncles, they all convened to the large family room where Haven opened her gifts.

  The boys helped remove the paper and ribbons, leaving a path of shredded destruction in their wake while Haven opened the gifts and offered words of thanks.

  “You’ve got one more gift,” Hale said, handing her his laptop computer. Footage from a football game played and Haven suddenly realized it was Brody’s game from that evening. With the time difference, he had finished playing an hour or so earlier.

  “Look, there’s Brody!” Haven held the computer so Mason and Jed could watch over her shoulder. He leaped high in the air and made a perfect catch before turning to run with the ball. After the whistle blew, Brody tossed the ball to a ref, looked into a nearby camera, and held up his hand. The words, “Hi, Doll!” marched across his wide palm, for the entire world to see.

  “He didn’t!” Haven shook her head in disbelief then looked at Hale for confirmation. He nodded his head and grinned.

  Everyone wanted to see, so Haven passed around the laptop and they watched the video over and over.

  “Yep, he’s just a dating kind of friend,” Tammy said to Rachel while both of them gave Haven a knowing glance.

  Unsure how Hale knew to show her the video, her brother explained that Brody had a friend make sure the clip was posted online and send Hale the link.

  “Thank you for your sneaky involvement in making today extra special,” she said, giving Hale a hug as he walked her to her car.

  “I’m glad you had a great day, Haven.” Hale held the car door while she slid inside. “For the record, I like him.”

  “Me, too.” Haven drove back to town floating on cloud nine.

  Too wired to sleep, Haven sat with her computer and watched the video clip again. A string of comments had been added, the most common wanting to know whom Brody referred to as “doll.”

  The secret knowledge that it was her warmed Haven from her toes all the way down deep into her heart.

  She sent Brody a text message telling him he made her day amazing. She’d barely set down her phone when he called.

  “Hey, Haven!”

  “Brody, I can’t believe you did that.” Thrilled to hear his voice for the second time that day, she smiled. An abundance of noise in the background, like he was somewhere with a lot of people, made it hard to hear. “You’re awesome and I loved it.”

  “You’re welcome.” Ramped up from the team’s victory at the game as well as being able to surprise Haven, Brody felt on top of the world. “Did you get a lot of good junk at the party?”

  “Absolutely. Although I’m not entirely certain I’ll remember who gave me what when it comes time to write thank you notes because Mason and Jed helped me unwrap my gifts.”

  Brody pictured the two little boys ripping into the packages before Haven had a chance to read the card and discover the name of the giver. “I’m glad you enjoyed your day. Did you eat a piece of cake for me?”

  “No, but I brought home a piece for you and stuck it in the freezer. You can eat it yourself when you get back,” Haven said, uncertain as to when that would be. She knew Brody had another away game the next weekend.

  “I’ll look forward to it.” Brody dropped his voice so low, she had to strain to hear him. “And I’m looking forward to seeing you, too. I’ll call you tomorrow, Haven. Miss you.”

  “I miss you, too, Brody. Travel safe and know I’ll be waiting to see you.”

  After disconnecting the call, Haven smiled dreamily. She reached out to place a finger on her computer screen, touching Brody’s face. He’d greatly enriched her life in such a short amount of time. She refused to think about the end of June when he’d leave.

  When she went to bed that night, his gravelly voice, strong arms, and tender smile filled her dreams.

  Chapter Eleven

  After flying home on a redeye flight following the game Friday night, Brody crashed from exhaustion within minutes of walking in his apartment door. Afternoon rolled around on Saturday before he opened his eyes and stretched in bed.

  The team razzed him all the way home about his “doll” and kept asking who she was. Marcus was the only one who knew and refused to say anything. Brody threatened to inflict serious damage if he so much as hinted anything about her identity.

  Brody arrived home in the wee hours of the morning. He hoped after getting some sleep, to surprise Haven and take her out on a real date.

  Uncertain whether she’d be at home, the farm, or some event put on by one of her clients, he reached for his phone and sent a text to Hale. Her brother had proven to be an especially helpful ally, and one he genuinely liked.

&nbs
p; He could see why Hale was her favorite of the three brothers. Wes was all wrapped up in his little family, and rightfully so, while Tom spent most of his time focused on himself.

  Finally getting out of bed and shuffling to the kitchen, he drank orange juice straight from the carton then made an omelet. After eating it, he checked his phone and saw a message from Hale responding that Haven and Allie were shopping at the mall.

  Brody sent Hale a brief message of thanks, then hurried to take a shower and dress. Once he was ready, he drove to the mall, determined to find his girl.

  One of the last places he wanted to be on a sunny Saturday afternoon was in the midst of busy stores packed with people, but he really wanted to see Haven.

  He wondered if she liked seeing the message on his hand as much as she said. Then again, she wasn’t the type of girl to be coy or play games with him, which was one of the many reasons he was so attracted to her.

  Inside the mall, the noise level was somewhere between a football game and a rock concert. He watched a handful of kids scream as their mothers tried to drag them away from the play area.

  On his way to one of the big department stores, he took out his phone and sent Haven a text message, asking what she was doing.

  She quickly sent a text back that she was shopping with Allie.

  He asked her where.

  When she named one of the boutique stores located outside the mall, he stopped and bought three Italian sodas. He strolled to the front of the store and waited for her to step outside.

  When she and Allie walked into the sunshine a few minutes later, they both stared at him, surprised.

  “Oh, my gosh, Brody! What are you doing here?” Haven wanted to give him a hug, but his hands were full of drinks. She settled for kissing his cheek.

  “We caught a redeye home. Now that I’m awake, I wanted to see you.” He held out the drinks and the girls each took one.

  “Nice to see you, Brody.” Allie gave him a flirty smile before taking a sip of her drink.