Page 48 of Here We Go Again

I slip the photos back into the envelope and close it up. “Thank you for these,” I say. “It was nice of you to bring them.” I tilt my head toward the nurses’ tent, just on the other side of the grass. “I’m going to go put them with my stuff.”

I expect Theo to head back to his tent, but he waits while I stick the photos in my bag, then move back to the track, ignoring the very pointed look Lexie gives me as I go.

“Can I walk with you?” he asks.

“Of course,” I say. I tilt my head in Lexie’s direction. “But just know I’m making an enemy by saying yes.”

He tsks. “I should get you a playoff jacket. That would really make her mad.”

I chuckle even as my face heats, a jolt of sensation racing down my spine. Theo’s only making a joke, but he knows as well as I do that only wives and girlfriends get playoff jackets.

A few yards in front of us, Carter and another teammate are walking on opposite sides of a teenager wearing a Jaguars t-shirt. Carter seems to be leaning down, like he’s listening intently to whatever the kid is saying.

“So that’s one of the conversations someone signed up for?” I ask Theo, motioning to his brother.

“It is,” he says. “People make a donation in exchange for one or two laps of walking and talking with their player of choice. My slots don’t start until this afternoon.”

“Right in the heat of the day,” I say. “Lucky you.”

“Maybe I’ll text you and ask for a ride,” he says, shooting me a teasing grin.

“Very funny. Though I think the firefighters will do a good job of keeping everyone cool.” I look over at him one more time. He’s in gym shorts and a Jaguars t-shirt, sunglasses pushed up into his hair. It’s not quite bright enough for them yet, which means I can see those blue, blue eyes that used to be my undoing. “Theo, if you have to walk later this afternoon, you don’t have to walk with me now. I can go catch up with Mia.”

He pushes his hands into his pockets. “I know I don’t have to,” he says, his expression shifting into something bashful, almost shy. “But what if I just want to?”

12

THEO

“I just don’t see the point of waiting,” I say to my brother. “We walked two miles together, and we were basically laughing the entire time. That has to be a good sign.”

I pull a water bottle out of the cooler and twist off the top. It’s almost noon, and the sun is high in the sky, though the day isn’t quite as hot as we expected. There’s a nice breeze, and the humidity is lower than usual. It’s still in the upper eighties, but that’s nothing compared to what it was last year.

“It’s definitely a good sign,” Carter says as I take a long swig of water. He levels me with a look. “But it’s been less than two weeks since her breakup. You really think she’s ready to start dating?”

I open my mouth to answer but then close it again. I can’t argue with him. It makes sense that she might need some time. But I’ve been thinking about this woman for eight years.

I never thought I’d get a second chance with Becca, and now that it feels like I have one, I don’t want to miss my shot.

“I just don’t have a lot of time,” I say. “She’s only here temporarily. If she’s single, and I’m single, and I’m no longer blocked on her phone, I don’t see the harm in asking her to dinner.”

Holly steps up beside me and claps me on the back. “I’ll be honest, man. Not being blocked on her phone is a pretty low bar.”

Carter chuckles. “I’m not saying you can’t ask her to dinner. I’m saying wait long enough that you aren’t a rebound. Don’t rush things.”

I want to push back, grumble, but I know Carter’s right. I don’t want him to be, but he is.

“Hey, has anyone seen Jordan?” Maggie asks from behind us. We turn to see the Jaguars’ events coordinator standing with an iPad in her hands.

“He’s here somewhere,” I say. “But it’s been a minute since I saw him.”

She sighs. “I’ll go look for him. If he comes back before I do, tell him he’s up in fifteen minutes. Holly, you start at the same time. Carter, you’re back on in thirty, and Theo, that’s when you start as well.”

“Got it,” Carter says. “Thanks.”

“Hey, Maggie,” I call before she can move away. She’s in her twenties and always talking about her dating life. Maybe she’ll have some advice. “What’s the right amount of time to wait before asking someone out if you know they’ve just broken up with someone else?”

She purses her lips to the side. “Depends on the person. But you can tell if you pay attention to her Instagram. As soon as she posts an unfiltered selfie, she’s ready to date again. Unless she’s still mentioning sad girl playlists in her notes … then she’s definitely not ready.”