Chapter 1
Ainsley
Today is goingto be a good day.
The rhythmic crunching of my sneakers against the concrete slows as I round the corner of my street. Seagulls squawk overhead, alerting us that Spring is finally here. The corners of my mouth tip up. Spring means lacrosse season. My favorite time of year.
I flick my wrist to check the time on my watch, and a full-blown smile stretches my lips.
“Hey, Coach.” Bernard waves from the rocking chair on his porch at the house next-door to mine. “How’d you do today?”
“Four miles in under thirty-minutes.”
“You’re getting faster, and I’m getting older.”
I laugh as I jog up my porch steps. “You’d feel a lot younger if you stopped eating hot dogs every night for dinner.”
He rolls his eyes, and adjusts the oxygen hose in his nose. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told the doctor: I’m seventy-eight, so let me eat what I want before I die.”
I hold up my palms on either side of my head. “I’m not saying you have to turn into one of those wheatgrass drinkers. But you can at least eat a better part of the pig than whatever’s in a hotdog.” I shiver at the thought. “I’ll whip up something better for dinner tonight.”
He lifts a busy grey eyebrow. “Depends what’s on the menu.”
“It’ll be a surprise, but I promise you’ll love it.” I wink. “I’ll be knocking on your door around six.”
“Fine.” He lifts a wrinkled hand and points his index finger at me. “But if I don’t like it, I’m not eating it.”
I shake my head and chuckle to myself as I make my way inside my house. Never thought I’d meet someone more stubborn than I am, but Bernard has a heart of gold under that gruff exterior so I let it slide.
“How was your run?”
My sneakers squeak against the tile as I skid to a stop, my shoulders shooting up to my ears. “Jesus, Travis.”
“Sorry.” He smiles, and his blue eyes travel down the length of my body. “Wow, you look amazing even when you’re all sweaty.”
My chest heaves as salty droplets roll down my skin. “What are you still doing here?”
He shrugs like him still lurking in my house after we said goodbye earlier is a normal occurrence. “I took off work. I figured we could spend the day together.”
Oh.“Uh...you know I have work today.”
Travis’ hands slip around my waist as he pulls me against him. “Call out.”
I’ll admit, it’s tempting. A day off spent rolling around the sheets with Travis Henderson soundsverytempting. But something’s off, and this doesn’t feel like the same as the late-night booty call we usually have.
I press my palms against his bare chest, and push him backward. “I have tryouts today. Can’t call out.”
His smile fades, and he rests his hands behind him on the counter.
I force a laugh to ease the thickening tension. “Besides, you didn’t leave me with much energy after last night. I don’t think I could survive the entire day in bed with you.”
His eyebrows collapse. “I wasn’t insinuating we’d spend the day in bed, Ainsley.”
Oh. I see what’s going on here.
“I thought we could go to the beach, and then get lunch after.” He steps closer to me again, and clasps my hands. “We never hang out during the daytime.”
My stomach churns, sirens blaring in my ears. “Well, I’m not a vampire. I swear. I just came from outside. See?”
