“Okay,” Sophia said.
Gunner pushed off the wall and followed Gwendolyn with Sophia. When they reached the alleys, Candace Snow, the director, ushered Sophia over to the side. “Hey, Sophia, we’re going to have you put the guys’ names in as you pull them out of the hat. Gwen has them writing their names down now.” Candace handed her a hat with the bowling alley’s logo on it. Bowl-O-Rama. Not the most original for sure. “You’ll have them put them in when they’re done. The lanes are already set, and once the roster is up, you guys bowl.”
“Any other instructions?”
“A fist fight?” She chuckled. “I’m kidding.”
The woman was smiling and laughing, and yet Sophia couldn’t be positive she was really kidding, so she laughed. “Funny,” she said as she walked to the scoring machine between the lanes.
“Okay, Sophia, guys, are we all clear on what we’re doing today?”
With a chorus of agreement, Candace took her seat, hushed the crew, and called action.
Sophia waited a beat and said, “Okay, guys, you ready to put your name in the hat?”
Riley stepped forward first. “Yep.”
The rest of the guys followed suit and tossed their names in. She shook the hat a little to mix them up and then held her breath. She wanted Gunner on a good team. Maybe with Justin, Landon, or Blake.
“Okay, it’ll go like this. First name called will go right; second name, left. It’ll follow that pattern until the last name. I’ll be first on the left team and last on the right team so it gives me time to move back and forth and chat.”
She stuck her hand in the hat, swished it around, and pulled up the first name. “Landon.”
He smiled, sauntered over to her right, and sat down as she typed his name in.
She called the next name. “Christopher.”
He stopped next to her, bent down, and whispered, “I plan to win today.”
Chuckling, she nodded. “I hope so.” What she really hoped was that he’d drop the bowling ball on his foot.
“Blake,” she said.
He winked and walked to the right.
“Riley. To my left.”
Just like Christopher, he stopped next to her and smiled. “This will be fun.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for.”
Pulling out the next name, she inwardly cringed. “Justin.”
Without even saying anything, Gunner moved to the left side and took a seat at the far end.
“Great, the screamer who can’t bowl,” Christopher said, acting as though he’d mumbled it.
There was no way this guy was spending the next eight weeks around her. She’d been mousy in school. Without Hillary and Travis, she would have never survived. They’d helped her when she’d cried and loved her no matter what she thought of herself. It was because of them and their support that she’d been able to overcome her weight problem and turn it into a hit YouTube show.
If she could, she’d send Christopher packing, but drama was good for the show. That didn’t mean she had to spend time with the jerk. “Right lane go ahead, and I bowl first in the left lane. Just so you know, you’ve got a handicap. I’m not the best bowler.”
Blake shrugged. “It’s for fun. But I’d like to win because a date with you would be awesome. So, do your best in our lane.”
She touched his arm. “Thank you.” She shimmied past him to the left lane and stood with her hands on her hips, looking at the ball return. “Guess I need to grab a bowling ball.”
“I’ll pick one out for you,” Riley said. “I’m on a league back home, so I’ve got a pretty good eye for these things.”
“Um, okay.” She shrugged.
He shot her a smile and winked before walking toward the shelves of bowling balls. That should have sent tingles down her spine, but there was nothing. Zip, zero, zilch. At least there was a little something with Blake, Landon, Justin, and definitely Gunner.
Christopher sidled up to her. “I’m looking forward to this game.”
Talk about zero attraction. He slammed the nail in that coffin the second he grumbled about Gunner, but the show had to go on. “Me too. Although, you may get frustrated with me because I’m not a bowler.”
“If you want, I can give you stance tips. I’m no pro, but maybe it could help.”
Ick. No. She shivered just thinking about him wrapped around her. “Thanks.”
Christopher laced his fingers in hers, put the back of her hand to his lips, and kissed it. “No problem.”
“Okay, found one. I think it’ll be the perfect weight,” Riley said as he returned. His gaze traveled from Sophia’s face to her fingers linked with Christopher’s. He tried to hide the disgust on his face but failed. He held out the ball to her. “You’re up first.”
What he didn’t understand was that, at that moment, he was her knight in shining armor, giving her the perfect excuse to untangle herself from Christopher. “Thanks,” she said, pulling free and taking the ball.
She glanced in Gunner’s direction, and his gaze caught hers. More and more, she was wishing she could get some time alone with him. With a smile, she turned, walked to the edge of the lane, and tried to focus on the pins at the end.
It had been forever since she’d bowled, and the last time, she’d been a gutter girl. She couldn’t hit a pin to save her life. Now, she was on national television, about to show the world how badly she stank. She took a deep breath, stepped back, and let the ball fly.
Only it didn’t fly in the direction she had in mind. Christopher and Riley both let out a yell as they jumped to avoid it, and Gunner, as casual as ever, used his foot to stop the ball from rolling.
“Whoa,” Riley said. “I didn’t realize when you said it had been a while that you were meaning terrible. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. You just need some instruction and more practice.”
Christopher laughed. “Good thing we jumped out of the way. That was some throw.”
Sophia’s face grew warm. She’d embarrassed herself on camera. When this episode aired, she could only imagine the memes that would be created and spread over social media.
As Gunner stood, he picked up the ball and strode to her. “I think you dropped this.” The tiny smile he flashed, along with the twinkle in his eye, said he was being playful. He didn’t make her feel ashamed.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, taking the ball.
“For what? Being bad at bowling? So what?” He chuckled. “It’s just a game.”
Christopher scoffed. “That gets us a one-on-one date if we win.”
Gunner turned to him. “What’s more important? Making her feel bad or a date? And why would she want to go on a date with someone so obsessed with winning that they completely missed how upset she was?”
“I’m not so hung up on winning that I’m glossing over the fact that she’s upset,” Christopher replied, balling his fist and moving toward Gunner.
Riley stepped between Christopher and Gunner. “If you want, I can give you some pointers.”
She looked from Gunner to Riley and back. “Uh.”
“Let the pro help you,” Gunner said and walked back to his seat.
Yep, Sophia wanted way more time with Gunner. Riley and Christopher could go, and she wouldn’t shed a tear.
Once Riley finished giving her tips, she tried again, and surprisingly, her ball managed to knock over one pin. She threw both arms in the air as she jumped. “Yes!”
“Good job,” Riley said.
“Yep, that was great,” Christopher said. Only it felt condescending, unlike Riley. At least Riley wasn’t a complete jerk.
Blake held up his hand. “Uh, it’s your turn over here.” He smiled.
Her heart was racing with the tiny victory. It wasn’t big to Christopher, and most likely Riley, but to her, it was huge. She touched Riley’s arm. “Thank you so much for the tips.”
“I’m glad they helped.” He winked.
Maybe she wasn’t giving the guy the
fair shot she should be. There were still no sparks, but that didn’t mean there couldn’t be. Her gaze drifted to Gunner. If nothing else, she wanted Gunner’s team to win so she could go out with him and Riley. Maybe a little one-on-one time would give her a little more clarity.
Chapter 9
In less than two frames, the group date would be over, and the winners would be celebrating. Gunner couldn’t wait. Typically, his competitive nature would have had him doing his best to win, but seeing Sophia so upset about her first turn made him realize it wasn’t worth it.
First, he couldn’t get involved, and he’d already led her on more than he’d intended. Sure, he was supposed to act like one of the bachelors, but that didn’t have to include flirting with her or touching her, things he’d promised himself he wouldn’t do. But apparently, controlling himself around her was near impossible, as he’d demonstrated earlier.
He couldn’t understand the draw he had to her. It felt like he was in a three-way war with himself. He was there to catch the threat, not to fall in love. Even if he wasn’t, he couldn’t because of Bella. And then there was the lonely part of him that was desperate for connection and love. Winning a date with her would only make things worse.
Second, if his team won, Sophia would have to spend more time with the other two yahoos on his team who seemed more interested in winning than they did about her feelings. He didn’t want to do that to her.
Although, the letter writer had gone quiet since that first night. It made him wonder if maybe they’d found out he was there and they weren’t going to show themselves this season. Maybe he’d be going home sooner than he thought. That bugged him more than he was comfortable with.
“You’ll be up in a minute,” Sophia said as she parked in the chair behind Gunner.
He cut her a glance over his shoulder. “Yeah, I know, but I’m not sure it matters. The other team is stomping us.”
“Yeah…I’m sorry.”
Turning, he laid his arm along the top of the seat. “Why? It was the luck of the draw.”
She shrugged and leaned forward. Perfume? He didn’t remember smelling perfume before, but, boy, did she smell great. That scent was working for her. “I feel bad you got stuck with them,” she said.
“It’s okay. I got to spend time with you. That’s what matters, right?” What was he saying? Sure, he was supposed to be charming, but he wasn’t supposed to be leading her on. Except, he wasn’t. He liked her. Had liked her from the moment he saw her, or, well, was at least attracted to her. Her show had fueled his attraction, meeting her in person had stoked it, and spending the last two weeks with her had solidified it.
Her lips spread into a brilliant smile. “I guess so.”
A chorus of gasps broke the moment, and they both looked around to find everyone staring at the televisions spaced between the lanes. Gunner’s stomach dropped.
Sophia stood and read the words on the screen aloud. “He has a secret. Can you guess?”
The director called cut. “Where is that coming from?”
Continuing to read the message, Sophia said, “He’s out to make a fool of you.”
Gunner slowly stood, his heart jackhammering, wondering if he was about to be exposed. Was the letter writer in their midst, or were they doing this remotely? Knowing Ryder’s skill, either was possible. What would happen if Gunner’s cover was blown? Could the show’s security be trusted to find the person writing the letters?
The screen flashed a rainbow of colors, and then another message appeared. “Blake the surfer is a nice guy, but do they always finish last? His nice-guy ways are only plays. What will you do, Sophia? Will you let him play you?”
“Blake?” Sophia asked just above a whisper.
Gunner was both relieved and heartbroken for Sophia. At least he was still on the show. Blake, though? The look on his face was pure rage. “Who did this? I’ve worked for two years to clean up my image. Two weeks on this show, and it’s gone. I told my manager it was a bad idea.”
Sophia hugged herself. “You were here to make yourself look good?”
Blake walked to her, leveled his gaze, and his lips curled into a snarl.
Before he could open his mouth, Gunner jumped over the seat, putting himself between Blake and Sophia. “You have a really pretty face, and I’d hate to smash my fist through it. You should go before you tempt me even further.”
Justin, along with Christopher, joined Gunner. “We’ll back him up.”
Gunner was taken off guard by Christopher. When it came to guts, Gunner didn’t think the guy had any. Then again, it was easy to look macho when you were being backed up by two guys bigger than you.
Blake pushed against Gunner. “She’s not even worth it.” As he strolled off, security flanked him.
Justin turned to Sophia and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him. “Darlin’, don’t listen to that guy. You are most definitely worth it.”
Christopher nodded. “Yeah, Justin’s right. Pay no attention to that creep.”
Gunner quietly stepped away but stayed within hearing distance. He wanted nothing more than to pull Sophia close as Justin had done, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that to her. Not after what Blake had done. If one of the other four guys could bring her happiness, then that’s what Gunner wanted for her.
As the director approached Sophia, she pressed end on her phone and slipped it into her pocket. “We can’t find out who did that. The manager of the alley said he found a note from our production team that we were looking for some spice and that message needed to play when the game was almost over.”
“Did anyone ask who on the production team gave the manager the letter?” asked Gunner.
The director nodded. “We did. The manager said he didn’t see. The note was on his desk, and it looked official. We were already rolling when he found it, and he figured the reason it was done like that was to keep things looking real.”
Sophia nodded. “Right.”
The director took Sophia’s hand. “As much as I hate how it happened, at least you aren’t dealing with a guy who’s only here for his image.”
Gunner agreed, and he’d been more than tempted to deck the guy. Why would any man do that to a woman? It made him question those personality tests for sure.
“Yeah, I know. I just…I never would have guessed he was playing me.”
Riley joined the group. “I’ve got friends that run in the surfing circles, and I’ve heard bad things about him. I just couldn’t say anything. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Let’s finish out the game, and we’ll forget that loser even made it through.” Sophia smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
The director nodded. “That’s the spirit.”
The guys returned to their lanes while the manager of the alley erased Blake’s name. With his scores gone, the teams were actually pretty even. If Gunner’s team bowled strikes…for the rest of their turns…they might actually win. But since he hadn’t managed to get more than seven pins down at a time, the chances of his team taking Sophia out on one-on-one dates was slim.
While everyone went back to the game, Gunner turned and then felt Sophia’s delicate fingers wrap around his wrist before he could take a step. The zaps of electricity racing through the touch nearly brought him to his knees.
“Thank you,” she said.
He turned and faced her. “No problem.”
She stepped into him, lifted on her toes, and kissed his cheek. “That was pretty awesome. The way you just leaped over the chairs.”
The grip on his wrist was nothing compared to the explosion of electricity now spreading from where she kissed him. Without even thinking about it, he covered the spot with his hand. “I didn’t want you carrying something hateful around.”
“I know you may not win today in bowling, but you certainly won with me. I look forward to a one-on-one date with you.”
Gunner nodded, and before he could stop himself, words he never me
ant to say tumbled off his tongue. “I do too. I have a feeling you’re even more special than I realize.”
Those dark-pink, soft-looking lips stretched into a smile that made his pulse jump, and she held his gaze. Second after second ticked by as they stood there as if they were in some sort of capsule and not surrounded by more than three-dozen people.
“Sophia, you’re up,” Riley called.
“Talk to you later.” Sophia smiled.
Gunner nodded like his neck bones had melted. Which, given how charred his cheek felt, it was entirely possible. “Later.”
It was right then that he knew there was no way this whole situation wasn’t going to end messy. He either needed to get himself together, working to skate the line between charm and arm’s length, or he needed to confess exactly what was going on and hope she didn’t hate him.
Bella’s face floated to his mind, and the knife that was her memory plunged into his heart and out through his back. What did a man do when he’d promised one woman he’d love her forever but forever wasn’t possible? How could he break his promise and keep guilt from devouring him? It had never been an issue before, but Sophia had him questioning if he could continue to keep that promise. Now, his promise felt more like a prison.
Chapter 10
Justin and Landon had won the bowling competition, so both of them were riding high. Blake’s departure actually made things a little easier. Of course, it narrowed Sophia’s choices, but Gunner would rather her have four good choices than be stuck with a jerk like Blake who was only in it for himself.
At least his cover was still safe. His heart, on the other hand, was definitely in danger. For the first time in his life, well, since Bella, there was a woman who made him want to see where things went. If he could just shake the feeling of betraying his high school sweetheart. Was it wrong to want to let her go? He’d never even considered it before.
What was he thinking? Even if he considered it, there was the matter of why he was there in the first place, and that wasn’t to charm Sophia or be chosen. His thoughts were stuck in an endless loop. Could he really get on one knee at the end of the show and ask her to marry him when he’d lied to her for ten full weeks? No, the answer was a solid no.
The Ranger's Heart: A Clean Army Ranger Romance Book Three Page 6
