Page 41 of Her Game Plan

Of course she has. Because, as certain as I was a few months ago that Charlotte had earned her nickname, I’ve realized she might live in a tower and wear fancy dresses, but there is nothing princess-y about this woman. She’s far more likely to pull out a sword and go toe-to-toe with a dragon than she is to wait for someone to save her.

I look around. “Where’s the guy in charge of this thing?”

Chris scans the area as well. “He left a few minutes ago to take a phone call. But he said the horse does this sometimes. And that it’s best not to fight it.”

Moving next to Charlotte, I hand her Marlee. “Here, Princess. Let me try.” I press a quick kiss to her cheek as I say hello. Only because I know how important it is to her that her brother believes in our ruse. Not because I feel like I’d give myself a hernia trying to keep from touching her if I didn’t.

She clears her throat as her gaze scans my face. “Um, thanks.”

I pull a few Nerds Clusters out of my pocket and offer them to the horse on a flat hand. The horse sniffs my offering before tentatively taking one, his lips soft against my palm.

“You can’t feed him candy!” Charlotte looks around as if she’s worried the horse police are watching.

“Don’t people feed horses sugar cubes all the time?” I whisper back, petting the pony’s soft, white nose. “While obviously infused with magic, I think these are basically just sugar and like, food dye.”

She covers Marlee’s ears. “Which could kill him for all we know.”

“I’m not going to feed him a whole bag! Look. He likes me now.” I pet his nose again before making a clicking noise I’ve heard the handlers make when they’re working with the team’s live mascot, Sunny the Stallion. “Come on, horsey.”

Amazingly, the pony takes a few steps, following me into the corralled area next to the trailer. Charlotte and Marlee cheer us on.

“How in the world do you know how to do that?” Chris asks as Charlotte and Marlee take up a spot on the outside of the fenced-in area.

I shrug. “I’ve seen the handlers with Sunny a few times.” I pat the horse’s neck. “And I think he was ready to be done dealing with Charlotte.”

Chris glances at his sister. “It’s not too often she doesn’t get what she wants. Been like that since she was a kid. Tough to see her dethroned by a four-legged animal.”

“Was she, though?” I ask as we leave the horse to eat grass. No way am I taking on the responsibility of the actual horse rides. “The horse isn’t in the trailer anymore.”

“Excellent point.” Chris shuts the gate behind us and moves around to grab Marlee before asking, “Is there a four-year-old here who wants to eat cupcakes?”

Charlotte grabs my cap off Marlee’s head and places it on her own, pulling her long curls through the hole in the back.

I tilt Charlotte’s chin up, pursing my lips as I examine her in my hat. It is doing things to my insides that are completely unexpected. There may be an entire gymnastics class in there flipping around. “That cap looks pretty good on you, Princess.”

She pulls the bill down, using her hands to bend the brim into a tight U.

I scowl. “Which is good, since I will never be wearing it again now that you’ve defaced it like that.”

Her hands stop. “Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t even think…”

I pull her fingers away from the brim. “It’s okay. I have about two hundred more exactly like that.” I flick the edge of the hat. “Plus, I was planning on forcing you to keep this one anyway. You can wear it to the next game. For luck.”

She narrows her eyes, trying to figure out my angle. “It’s one of the ones that has your number on it, isn’t it?”

I glance at the number 11 embroidered above where her ponytail sticks out the back. “Yup. I guess everyone will have to know you’re mine.” Claiming her feels good. Right. I know this thing is fake between us, but while we’re together, I want everyone to know it. Except maybe Nan. And that’s only because she’s going to become too attached. Or she’ll go all mama bear and make the next seven months a living hell for me and Charlotte.

“Yours, huh?” Charlotte asks, pulling my attention to the stunning woman wearing my hat.

I shrug. “You’re my friend.”

“Who you kiss.” There’s a glint of mischief in her eyes, but it’s counteracted by the way she’s popping the knuckles of her right hand.

I’m not sure what to say. Things with Charlotte are complicated in the fact that they’re not complicated. She’s beautiful and funny and has become one of the highlights of my day. She’s easy to be with, but at the same time, my body is on high alert when I’m with her. I don’t know what it means that I want to kiss her every time I see her, but I also know I don’t want it to stop.

I’m not sure I can stop.

So I offer her the only truth I have. “Who I kiss. Because we’re fake dating.”