Next Man Up (Making the Score Football Romance Book 2)

by Tawdra Kandle

  “Ohhhhh.” She breathed out. “Oh, Eli. This is beautiful.”

  “It’s not a first edition, of course, but it’s . . . well, it’s old. About a hundred years old. And I picked A Midsummer’s Night Dream because I think of it as our play. It’s the one that made me remember how we met.”

  “How did you do this?” Her eyes were shining, and suddenly, I felt as though I could jump out of this damn chair and run a mile.

  “I kind of had help. My mom has a lot of connections to bookstores that sell vintage stuff, and so she gave me a hand. But it was my idea, and I chose it.”

  “Your mom rocks.” She shot me a swift smile. “It’s just—gorgeous.” She opened the book to the middle and lifted it to her nose, sniffing with her eyes closed. “And it smells good, too. Like a book should. As though it has tons of history.”

  I shook my head. “You’re the only person I know who smells books, Zel. But I’m glad it meets your expectations.”

  “It’s more than that, it’s . . .” She’d flipped to the front of the book, to check out the first page, and she stopped in mid-sentence. Her lips parted slightly, and her eyes widened. “Oh, Eli.” Her fingertips brushed the words I’d written as she read them aloud. “Because you are the dream I didn’t know could come true.”

  “Is it too much?” I questioned, frowning. I’d agonized over what to write, but in the end, I’d gone with my gut and spilled my heart.

  “It’s perfect,” she whispered. “Thank you so much. This . . . it’s just exactly right.”

  “Okay, part one is a win.” I lifted the second, smaller box. “Keep that in mind as you open this one.”

  “Hmmm.” She went about opening it just as she had the first, her brow furrowing just slightly when she saw the small white jeweler’s box. She pulled off the lid and drew out the fine silver chain. “It’s so delicate.”

  The bracelet was simple, with just the chain and a plain solid silver piece with scrolled engraving. Zelda held it up and read the words there.

  “Try everything at least once.” She glanced at me. “Okay. Oh! That was your fortune the night we ate Chinese food last year.”

  “Yeah.” I nodded. “Now turn it over.”

  She did, and when she saw what was engraved on the other side, she fell back against the sofa cushions, laughing. “I can’t believe you did that, Eli.”

  “Hey, it’s tradition. You have to add it to every fortune: in bed.” I held her gaze. “But even though it’s kind of funny, it’s important, too. Because that was the first night we were together. And I mean it, too. You should try everything at least once—and that includes stuff that scares you shitless. Stuff like . . . us.”

  “I’m not scared.” Her reply was knee-jerk automatic.

  “Okay.” I winked at her. “We’ll table that for now. Do you like the bracelet? I was thinking about a necklace, but I know you always wear that star. I’ve never seen you without it, so I figured it wasn’t something you take off. I thought the bracelet would go with it, though.”

  “I love it, Eli. It’s beautiful. Will you help me put it on?” She handed me the bracelet and extended her wrist, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as she watched me fasten it. “And you’re right about the necklace. I always wear it. It’s probably kind of stupid, but . . .” She lifted one shoulder.

  “Did your grandmother give it to you?”

  “No.” She gave her head a small shake. “Ah. Kind of, but . . . well, when I was about seven, my mother—Lottie, that is—had a short time period when she was . . . better. Not entirely well, but the best I’d ever known her to be. The doctors had found the right combo of meds, and for about six months, she was relatively stable.” Zelda pressed her lips together. “I’d only known crazy, manic Lottie, but I was at an age where I really craved mother-love. Not that Grammy didn’t love me—she did, and she does—but it was still different. For those months, though, Lottie recognized that I was her daughter, and she treated me that way. She read to me, she talked with me . . . and one day, the three of us, Lottie, Grammy and me, we went to the market in downtown Lancaster. It was the best day I’d ever had. At one of the booths, I saw this necklace, and I fell in love with it. I never asked for anything, but Lottie noticed me staring at it, and she asked Grammy to buy it for me.”

  “And she did.” I spoke quietly, not wanting to distract her from the story.

  “Yeah, she did. Lottie put it on me, and I promised her I’d never take it off. One night a few weeks later, Lottie was tucking me in at night, and she touched the star pendant. She said she remembered when she knew she was pregnant with me. She said I was the reason she’d made her way back to Lancaster. She told me that I had to remember that no matter what, even if it seemed like she was lost again, I was always her shining star, the star that led her home.” Zelda drew in a deep, ragged breath. “About two weeks later, she went off the meds, and they were never able to get them just right again. But still, I never took this off. I never have.” She shook her head. “It sounds ridiculous. It’s not like she knows me anymore. It’s not like it means anything to her. But it reminds me that once I did have a mother. So I keep it on.” She touched the necklace and then the bracelet I’d just put on her arm. “And now I’ll keep this on, too, to remind me of you.”

  “I hope you won’t need to be reminded too often. I hope I’ll be with you.”

  She met my eyes. “I hope so, too.”

  “I’ve never eaten a meal like this. Zel, you’re amazing.” Leaning back in my chair, I exhaled a long breath. “I’m so stuffed. But in the best way.”

  The remnants of our meal were still on the small table. Zelda had prepared a braised short rib, with scalloped potatoes, garlic green beans and homemade yeast rolls. Everything had been perfect.

  “I’m glad.” She folded her napkin into small squares. “Since I’ve never had a first date—well, not since I was fifteen, that is—I wasn’t sure what would be the best thing to make. I ended up going with what I thought we’d both like.” She glanced wryly at my scraped-clean plate. “I guess I was right.”

  “You were.” I studied her, thinking how crazy it was that even the way she sat turned me on. My thoughts must’ve been pretty clear on my face, because she leaned forward a little, her eyes lighting with an answering desire.

  “Would you like to hear about what we have for dessert?” Her smile was teasing and full of promise, and God almighty, I was so ready to go there. But I had to rein myself in for just a little longer.

  “I would. I mean, I do want to hear, if it’s what I think it might be. But I need to ask you something first.” Balling up my napkin, I tossed it onto the table next to my empty plate. “This was our first date. Is there going to be a second, and a third?” I reached across and threaded my fingers with Zelda’s. “Will you take a chance on us, Zel? Can we try this?”

  Her lips twitched slightly, and that little line between her eyebrows deepened. “I want to say yes. But I’m probably going to fuck this up, Eli. And the idea of losing you as a friend—I can’t handle that. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re too important to me. What happens when I do something wrong? What if I suck at this so bad that you end up hating me? What then?”

  “Zelda.” I disengaged the lock on my chair and maneuvered around the table to get closer to her. “Baby. Stop. You could never do anything that would make me hate you. I promise.”

  “You don’t know that,” she whispered. “I can be a fucking bitch.”

  “I do know that,” I corrected. “I mean, I know that I won’t hate you. No matter how much of a fucking bitch you might be. You’re forgetting that I’m a real dick sometimes.”

  She shook her head. “No. You haven’t been a dick in a long time.”

  “Thanks. But my point is that neither of us is perfect. We just have to keep that in mind. And we’ll take it one day at a time. Nothing has to change between us—not really. Except that I want to call you my girlfriend. I want to know that I can
call you ‘babe’ without you flipping out on me. I want to take you places as my date, not just my friend. I want to hold your hand, kiss you in public—and most of all, I want to know you’re mine, and only mine.”

  “Oh, Eli.” Zelda laid one hand alongside my cheek. “I’ve been yours for a long time now. You must know that. It irritated the hell out of me at first, but you ruined me for other men. It’s fucking annoying.”

  Inside my chest, I swore my heart swelled to twice its normal size. Yes, I’d assumed she wasn’t sleeping with other guys, but I hadn’t known for sure. This assurance warmed me from the inside out.

  “The thing is, sweetness, we’ve been a couple for months now. It’s just a matter of you acknowledging it, because I can’t be out here on my own. I need to know you’re here with me.”

  Zelda laid her head on my shoulder. “You’re not on your own, Eli. I’m with you. But I need you to understand that this isn’t easy for me. I need you to give me some . . . allowances. I promise that I’m in. But I want to take it slowly.”

  “Absolutely.” I tipped her chin up to mine and touched my lips to hers. “This is your timetable. You tell me what you need. As long as I know we’re together.”

  “I don’t want to make a big deal about it to everyone. Is that all right? I mean, I told Quinn today . . .” Her voice trailed off.

  “What did you tell Quinn today?” I prompted.

  “I told her I was making dinner for someone because I had a date.” Zelda shifted to get closer to me, awkward as it was with the arm of my chair between us. “I told her that I don’t trust myself. I said I was going out on a limb tonight, and that I was scared shitless.”

  “You’re never scared,” I reminded her. “You just told me that, before dinner.”

  “I lied.” She laughed softly. “But Quinn told me . . .” I felt a slight shudder in her body, as she tried to push away emotion. “She told me not to be scared. She said a lot of nice things about me, and then she said any guy would be lucky to date me, and she warned me not to mess this up just because I think I’m not the relationship type.”

  I brushed a hand over Zelda’s hair. “Quinn is my absolute favorite person. You should listen to her.”

  “I guess I should. And . . .” She straightened and pivoted so that she was facing me. “I’m going to listen to her. I’m in, Eli. I’ll try.”

  “Zelda.” I pulled her toward me until she was curled on my lap, no mean feat with her long legs. “I promise, babe, it’s going to be good.”

  “I trust you.” I knew how hard it was for her to say that, and it meant all the more to me because of that. “Now . . . are you ready to talk dessert?”

  I leaned back to look at her. “Depends. Is chocolate involved?”

  “Well . . .” Her arch smile was filled with promise. “Chocolate, yes. Also whipped cream . . . and black lace. What do you think?” She turned, rising up on her knees until she straddled me. “I call it the boyfriend special.”

  My dick went painfully hard. “I think I’m going to love being your boyfriend.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Tuck

  Sometimes, life could be fucking good.

  Once, I’d thought it never could be again. But right now, as the summer days wound to a close, all I could see in front of me were good things.

  Being Zelda Porter’s boyfriend was like nothing I’d ever known. If I’d had a glimmer of a clue how amazing it was going to be, I’d have pushed her to try sooner.

  Most nights, I spent with her, sleeping in her bed, with my beautiful girlfriend wrapped in my arms. We were discreet, but it didn’t take much, because Gia and Matt were so preoccupied with their own shit that they barely noticed us, let alone paid attention to who might be in Zelda’s bed.

  It wasn’t all sex, either. We went out. We went to the movies, we ate out at restaurants and we even drove down to the shore to walk on the boardwalk. We went to dinner at my parents’ house a couple of times, although Zelda had nearly hyperventilated the first time we did that. But since my parents were cool, she soon relaxed and realized that no one was judging her.

  I could tell she was a little worried about how things would change when summer ended and Quinn came back to school. There was no way we’d be able to continue seeing each other the way we were now without Quinn and Nate catching on. But that was something I was willing to think about later.

  “Hey, babe?” I glanced up from my phone to look at Zelda, who was laying on her bed, stomach-down, her tanned, bare legs waving idly as she read. “Nate’s downstairs with his parents at our new apartment. Or what will be our new apartment. I guess we need to do some kind of walk-through with the department of student services to verify that it, ah, meets our special needs.” I grinned. “Or a roll-through, as the case may be.”

  “Okay.” She marked her page in the book with one finger. “You need me for anything?”

  “Always and everything.” I reached over and captured one of her bare feet, drawing it toward me so I could press a kiss to the sensitive instep. I loved her feet, and I was not normally a guy who cared about a woman’s non-sexual parts. But Zelda’s toes were always painted some sexy color, the skin on her feet was always soft and smooth . . . and there was just something undeniably sensual about their shape.

  “You’re tickling me.” She pulled away from me, giggling. “Go on, get down there and take care of your apartment stuff. But don’t invite Nate back upstairs.” She quirked an eyebrow at me. “I have plans for you. Gia’s up visiting her mom until tomorrow, so that means we’ve got the place to ourselves.”

  “Shit, babe, now you’re making me regret that I agreed to go down there. I can always tell Nate that I can’t make it, you know.” I didn’t make a secret of the way I reached down to adjust my dick, which was stiffening at the idea of an afternoon in bed with my girl.

  Zelda laughed. “No, you need to be responsible and a good friend, too, to Nate. Go on down, do your thing, and I’ll be here waiting when you come back.” She hooked her thumb around the strap of her tank top and tugged on it a little. “Naked.”

  “Aw, fuck.” My voice was hoarse. As Zelda rolled a little to her side, there wasn’t any mistaking the fact that she was braless under that clinging tank . . . and her nipples were already hard and waiting for my mouth.

  “That’s the general idea.” She made a shooing motion with her hand. “Go on now. Get your stuff done so you can come back and play.”

  I chuckled as I maneuvered out of her bedroom, through the living room and then out into the hallway. Living just two floors down from Zelda was going to be fucking perfect this year. I couldn’t wait to move in and be that close to her all the time. I didn’t even care that she was still being stubborn about keeping our relationship on the downlow; just being able to come up and hang out with her was enough.

  Downstairs, just a few steps from the elevator, I could see the Wellmans standing in the hallway, chatting with an older woman who wore jeans and a Birch College T-shirt. When they spotted me, Mrs. Wellman waved.

  “Thanks for meeting us here, Tuck. Ms. Alloway just wanted to make sure you boys will have everything you need this year.” She exchanged a pointed look with her husband. “Since the apartments aren’t maybe what we all would’ve chosen as living arrangements for you and Nate.”

  “Are your parents coming over?” Mr. Wellman inquired. “I haven’t seen them since you boys were freshman.”

  “Nope.” I shook my head. “They’re in Florida right now, visiting my grandparents. They’ll be back in time to help move us in here, though. No worries.”

  “Ah.” Mrs. Wellman nodded. I felt for her. I really did. While both Nate and I had physical challenges, the difference was that Nate’s illness was almost definitely going to result in an early death. It wasn’t something either of us talked about much, but I was aware that it had to affect his parents and how they worried about him. I might’ve convinced my own mom and dad to ease off a little on the hovering, bu
t I doubted the Wellmans would ever be that hands-off with their son.

  “Hey, Tuck.” Nate greeted me as I wheeled into the apartment. It was a flip of the one the girls had upstairs, laid out in the exact opposite direction. I noticed that the doorways were slightly wider, too, to accommodate my wheelchair.

  “Let me give you both a little tour.” Ms. Alloway was a no-nonsense lady who’d always been business-like and efficient in her dealings with Nate and me. I liked that she didn’t fawn over us like we were children, as some of her associates did, nor did she treat us with resentment because we made her job slightly more complicated.

  We made our way around the small apartment, and Ms. Alloway pointed out the lift bars and the special shower in the bathroom that was attached to my bedroom, the lower counter tops in the kitchen and the ramp that led to the small deck just outside our backdoor.

  “And of course, if there’s anything that you think might make life a little easier for either of you, just email me.” She consulted the clipboard in her hand. “Otherwise, if you’ll both sign off on this, we’ll be all set. You’ll be able to move in here in three weeks, when the dorms open.”

  “What about a personal alarm system?” Nate’s mother frowned. “I think there should be one in both of the boys’ bathrooms. You know, like they have in hospitals—so if something was wrong, they could get help.”

  Mrs. Alloway nodded, but she turned to face Nate before she answered. “Nate, Eli, do you feel you’d like to have a system like that installed? I can’t promise anything, but I can present it to my team and to the school, to see if they’ll fund it.”

  “No.” Nate was emphatic. “That’s ridiculous. Mom, I don’t need something like that—I’m not living in a hospital, I’m living at a college.”

  “But Nate, sometimes you get sick so suddenly—”

  “And I always have my phone with me, Mom. It’s a hell of a lot more efficient than a string I’d have to pull and then hope someone sends an ambulance.”