Which I guess could be true. I was going to be a junior while my best friend and potential boyfriend would be seniors when school started in a few days. They would be graduating before me, leaving me alone once again.
Mrs. Prince also told me not to worry about looking too far ahead, saying I should follow my heart and let the pieces fall where they may. Her advice seemed solid but still, I worried my nagging feeling was something more.
Crushing on a boy as amazing as Lucas Hargrove didn’t help matters. His parents were postcard perfect. So was everything at their house. I visited once for a team event, and it was enough to keep me from ever wanting to let Lucas see the mancave my dad raised me in.
Don’t get me wrong, my dad is the best. But he lives and breathes baseball. I grew up calling him Coach. As you might imagine, he didn’t really put much effort into making our house into anything but a shrine to the sport he loved. Which up until now had been okay by me. But it was becoming increasingly obvious that my dad didn’t know the first thing about raising a daughter.
That’s probably why I’d ended up a tomboy with no clue how to date. I mean, I loved sports and knew as much about baseball as most of the analysts on ESPN, but lately I’d found myself wondering if I might have had other interests if I’d grown up with any sort of female influence in my life.
Just a few months with Alex’s mom had brought out an interest in appearance that I’d never expected. It felt almost shameful to admit it—like I’d be breaking the tomboy code or something if I confessed that I might not hate the idea of makeup as much as Alex did. I mean I’d never admit to her that I’d secretly saved my grass-cutting money to buy the same lipstick Mrs. Prince used on me a few weeks ago. All of it made me feel guilty, like maybe I was living a double life or only doing it to make Lucas like me more. But was it really so wrong to want to explore my girly side after being a tomboy for so long?
“Earth to Casey,” Alex called, waving a pale pink dress in front of my face.
“Oh, sorry. That’ll look great on you.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “Okay, now I know you weren’t listening. I wouldn’t be caught dead in something this color. It’s for you, weirdo.”
I fought the urge to tear up as I took the hanger and let my fingers glide over the luxurious fabric. I didn’t own anything this beautiful. “I can’t,” I started. “It looks expensive,” I whispered to Alex.
“Nonsense, sweetheart,” Mrs. Prince said. “It’s been sitting in the back of Alex’s closet for two years. It’s yours.”
“Seriously,” Alex begged, lowering her voice. “Please take it or I’m going to have to listen to another dress-abuse lecture from my mom. And it’s pink!”
“Actually, it’s petal,” Mrs. Prince said from the closet.
“That’s just another word for pink, Mom.”
She came out of the closet with her hands on her hips. “Just because you don’t like pink doesn’t mean Casey can’t. Besides, this color is just stunning with her porcelain skin tone.”
Alex rolled her eyes once her mother was back in the closet. “Whatever. I’d still rather die a slow death before ever letting anything that color touch my skin.” She winked. “But it’ll look great on you, Case.”
I stuck out my tongue, laughing as I relented and saved the poor mistreated garment from certain doom in Alex’s closet.
“Ahh, here it is! This one will be perfect on you, Alex,” Mrs. Prince said, coming back out of the closet with a vivid blue number for her daughter.
Alex sighed as she took the dress from her mother. “Well, at least it’s not pink.” She glared at the dress like it might actually cause her harm to put it on. “I still don’t see why I can’t wear this,” she complained, tugging on her oversized baseball jersey.
Mrs. Prince practically choked. “Because you’re going to be photographed with Grant!”
“Yeah, at a baseball game, while he’s throwing a baseball! Name a better place to wear a baseball jersey?”
“Sweetheart, take it from me, tonight Grant is the star and it’s your job to help him shine. This dress does that.”
I had to hand it to Mrs. Prince. The woman knew how to pick her battles, and this was one she knew she would win. It was hard to argue with a woman of such grace and style. And I couldn’t think of anyone who had more experience in the arena of helping athletes shine than Alex’s mom. She’d been on the arm of Alex’s Major League father since high school and managed a house full of sons who played ball at the professional level. And no one looked better doing it than Mrs. Prince.
Begrudgingly, Alex took the dress from her mother and threw me one of her famous you-owe-me-one looks.
“Chop-chop, girls. The boys will be here to pick you up soon!”
Chapter Three
Lucas
“So, are you finally going to ask her tonight?” Grant asked as I drove toward Alex’s house to pick the girls up.
I knew exactly what he was talking about but decided to play dumb, because talking about asking Casey to homecoming terrified me. We hadn’t talked all summer. The last time I’d seen her, I’d kissed her. The look on her father’s face told me it was something I’d better not do again if I wanted to survive senior year, but my heart was telling me the exact opposite.
All summer, I hadn’t been able to get Casey and that incredible kiss out of my mind. And that was saying something considering my grueling schedule. If I didn’t know better, I’d think my parents were trying to kill me! Two summer camps, travel ball, and seven college campus tours barely left me enough time to eat or sleep, but somehow my parents still managed to fit in a trip to the Hamptons.
I’d used the week at the beach to catch up on sleep, but as usual my dreams had been full of Casey. It was maddening considering I had no idea how she felt about me. But the fact that she hadn’t messaged me once couldn’t be a good sign. I’d even been chronicling my summer on social media, something I did just to see if she’d comment so I had an excuse to open up a dialogue with her. But I got nothing. Radio silence. Static. Nada.
It was a major blow to my ego. And it was messing with my head.
I wasn’t exactly sure when my infatuation started. I’d known Casey for as long as I could remember, but last year it was like I finally saw her. It probably started at the carnival and the whole Grant/Alex disaster. That night had forced the four of us together. And things had worked out for Grant and Alex, so why not us?
I’d been working up the nerve to ask Casey out in some perfect way after that night, but then I sort of threw my plans out the window when I decided to plant one on her at our last game. I really don’t know what came over me when I kissed Casey. I think I was just on such a high from winning the championship, and when I saw her standing there, all brilliant smile and copper hair, looking just as excited as I was . . . I don’t know . . . something just clicked. I didn’t want to wait for the perfect moment anymore. The next thing I knew she was in my arms and I was kissing the most delicious lips of my life.
Then, bam! Summer!
It was like learning to swim and then quitting cold turkey. At this point, the idea of getting back into the pool was terrifying. And Grant wanting me to ask Casey to homecoming after three months of radio silence was like asking me to high dive into the deep end.
Not. Gonna. Happen.
I mean what did he want me to do? Waltz up to her and say, ‘Hey gorgeous, been thinking ‘bout ya. Let’s say you and me make things official? Be my homecoming date.’
It was laughable.
Maybe Grant King could get away with that, but not me. I didn’t have that kind of swagger. Money could buy a lot of things, but I was learning it didn’t buy happiness or Casey Beeler’s heart would be mine already. So yeah, sometimes it was easier not to know the truth. At least that way I could imagine that one day I’d get to kiss her again.
Even if she did feel the same way, I wasn’t sure I was ready to take our relationship to the next level. Girlfriends? Homec
oming? That was a whole lot of pressure, which I currently had enough of in my life.
With college looming in the not so distant future and my perfectionist parents’ expectations for me to go Ivy League, I didn’t need any extra stress on my plate right now—something I’d hoped my best friend would pick up on considering I’d avoided answering this question all summer.
“I think you should just ask her,” Grant griped. “What are you waiting for?”
I gave Grant another nonchalant shrug.
“What does that mean?” he asked.
I tried to focus on the road, but I could still feel Grant’s hard stare burning holes into the side of my head. I should’ve known I’d never get him to drop it. Grant King was like a dog with a bone in all things, including my love life, apparently.
I heaved a sigh. “It means I’ll ask her when I ask her, okay?”
Grant huffed. “Man, will you get it together and just do it already?”
“Dude, why do you care so much?” I yelled, my knuckles turning white as I gripped the steering wheel.
“Because, I already asked Alex and she said no.”
That shocked a laugh out of me. “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously,” he grumped.
My best friend’s urgency was starting to make sense. “And you think if Casey and I go you’ll be able to change Alex’s mind?”
“No, I think Casey will be able to change Alex’s mind,” Grant proposed. “How else do you think I managed to get my girl to dress up for the game tonight?”
I snorted. “I was giving Mrs. P all the credit.”
“Credit where credit’s due,” Grant admitted, “But Alex would do just about anything for Casey.”
Wouldn’t we all? But I kept that comment to myself.
“You know, for a self-proclaimed tomboy, Casey sure likes to get dressed up,” Grant added.
“So? Is there some kind of rule that says tomboys can’t wear dresses?”
“You’d think so with the way Alex goes on about it.”
“Well, maybe Casey will rub off on her,” I mused, but my mind was already rushing ahead to visions of what my gorgeous crush would look like all dolled up.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked all versions of Casey Beeler. I liked the tomboy Casey who wore overalls and ball caps while passing out water bottles and collecting bats at practice. I liked the fanatic Casey who looked comfortable in a sports jersey and cheered louder than anyone I knew at all Northwood sporting events. But most of all I really liked the Casey who kissed me and made me forget about all the things in my life that I didn’t want to think about.
I’d kissed a fair amount of girls, but none of them had ever made me feel what Casey had.
That one perfect kiss just made everything disappear and it was a sensation I couldn’t get enough of. I had a feeling if I could just swallow my fear and tell her I was crazy about her, I could feel that way all the time.
Casey was sweet and funny and real. I didn’t have to pretend to be perfect or try to impress her. That was something I wasn’t used to, but something I desperately needed in my life.
It honestly had me dreading the start of the new school year. I feared that with the return of high school I’d be faced with the return of my anxiety about my future.
There would be tests to ace, GPAs to maintain, sports to excel at, and of course the dreaded decision about where to go to college.
I sighed glumly.
Grant gave me side-eye causing me to school my features.
I was nervous enough about seeing Casey. I didn’t need Grant digging further into my concerns. He didn’t need to know that I woke up in a cold sweat from nightmares of Coach Beeler threatening to kill me for hurting his little girl, or even worse, that I’d actually muster up the courage to ask her out and then mess it all up in the end.
I didn’t know anything about having a girlfriend. But if Casey was going to be my first, I didn’t want to screw it up.
The timing wasn’t ideal.
Everyone was making plans for college, but here I was deciding to fall for a girl who was a year younger than me. But love knows no age, right?
A flash of heat rolled down me like a tidal wave.
Had I really just thought that? The L word!
I needed to get a grip!
Too bad I wouldn’t have a chance.
Before I knew it, Alex’s driveway came into view and I nearly hit her mailbox.
“Lucas!” Grant scolded. “Watch where you’re going!”
“Sorry,” I mumbled, but it was hard to concentrate on driving when there was an angel smiling at me.
Casey stood in the front yard, her gorgeous hair glinting in the afternoon sun like liquid copper. She wore a pale pink dress that fit her slim frame like it had been made just for her. The sunlight made her creamy skin look like ivory and my legs went weak. The whole image made me feel like I was staring at the sun. It was hard to gaze at her for too long because of the paralyzing pain it caused my entire body. My heart swelled, my throat went dry, my lungs forgot my need for oxygen, and there wasn’t an antiperspirant strong enough to deal with the situation going on under my arms.
The L word seemed to replace each thump of my heart, taunting me to defy my true feelings.
Thankfully, my reflexes kicked in and I remembered to put the truck in park. I took a minute to catch my breath while Grant hopped out and ran up to Alex, swinging her off her feet in an excited hug. I followed him shortly after, forgetting how to speak when Casey wrapped her slender arms around my neck and squeezed. “Lucas! I’m so glad you’re back!”
And just like that, all of my worries disappeared.
Chapter Four
Casey
“So, what’d you do today?” I asked as we wound our way through the crowd at the college stadium. Since Alex and Grant had already left to do press, I had Lucas all to myself and I couldn’t wait to catch up with him.
It was weird, after spending the whole summer apart, I’d expected things to be a bit awkward, but we picked right back up where we left off.
Okay, not exactly right where we left off. His lips weren’t on mine . . . yet.
But I suppose that was the benefit of being friends since preschool. It was easy to fall into step with someone who endured the same embarrassing grade school moments as you.
“Not much,” Lucas replied. “I got back late last night, so I tried to sleep in but my dad woke me up early and made me help at the firm most of the day. Gotta get those ‘work credits’ to add to my college applications. What about you?”
“I had a few lawn jobs but I got them over with early so I could get to the cages with my dad for a bit.”
Lucas raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t know you went to the cages.”
“Yeah. Gotta get in shape if I want to play ball this year.”
He blinked his bright blue eyes at me. “How much did I miss this summer? Did Northwood decide to field a softball league or something?”
“No, I’m trying out for the boys’ team this year.”
Lucas’s eyebrows practically jumped off his forehead. “What? Why?”
“Why not? It worked out pretty well for Alex.”
A worry line began to form between Lucas’s eyebrows as his frown deepened.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“It’s definitely not nothing,” I teased, touching my finger to his creased brow. “You always get this line when something’s bothering you.”
“I do?”
I nodded.
Surprise morphed to concern across his handsome features. “It’s just . . . I don’t know.” Lucas slipped his hands into his back pockets, rocking back on his heels. “You remember how stressed Alex was last year,” he admitted, bumping me affectionally with his shoulder. “I don’t want that to happen to you.”
His thoughtfulness awoke the butterflies in my stomach. But still, I wasn’t giving up this dream. Not even for my dream guy. “If
Alex can do it, so can I.”
“I don’t doubt you can. But what about your dad?” Lucas asked.
“What about him?”
“Do you really think he’ll let you play?”
“I don’t see how he can’t at least let me try out.”
“Yeah, but he’s really tough on us. I’ve seen him make players cry. Do you really want that kind of pressure from him?”
I laughed. “Lucas, he’s been treating me like he’s my coach since I was born. I’ll be fine.”
“And the other guys? Can you handle them? They weren’t kind to Alex last year when she joined the team.”
“I know, Lucas. I was there.” Now it was my turn to frown, because suddenly his concern didn’t seem so sweet. “Do you not want me on your team?”
“No!” he rushed. “It’s not that at all. I’m just trying to look out for you.”
An unexpected gust of wind hit us as we turned the corner, entering the long corridor leading to our seats. My hair swirled around me in a cyclone as I grabbed the skirt of my dress so it didn’t flash the crowd.
Lucas moved in closer once we rounded the corner, the wind disappearing just as quickly as it’d appeared. He gently brushed my wild hair out of my face causing me to forget where I was. I was swept away by the proximity of his fathomless blue eyes and the intense way they were trained on mine.
“Casey, if you want to try out for the team, I think you should. I have all the faith in the world that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. I only meant I don’t want you to have it as bad as Alex did last season.” His warm hand cupped my cheek and I slipped further from reality. “But I know you can take care of yourself.”
I fought to clear my head. “That’s right. I can.”
He grinned.
My hands instinctively went to my hips. “Why are you smiling like that?”
“Because you, Casey Beeler, are a firecracker. And heaven help anyone who gets in the way of what you want.”
Tomboys Don't Wear Pink: How To Date A Tomboy Page 2
