Page 121 of Playing It Forward

Nolan grins. “They can try.”

He whips off his sweatshirt and hands it to me before descending the stairs into my front yard. He rolls his neck and shakes out his arms.

“Ready when you are.”

“NO!” I shout.

“Stay on the porch,” Nolan orders me. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“And I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t.”

I motion to my brothers who are now cracking their knuckles like this is some bare knuckles championship. “But my brothers want to fight you.”

“I’d want to fight the man who knocked up my sister, too.”

I throw my arms in the air. “It’s two against one.”

“And I’m a professional athlete. I’ve got this.” He winks.

“I had to fall in love with a crazy man,” I mutter.

He freezes. “Fall in love? You love me?”

The hope in those blue eyes I want our children to have nearly breaks me. “Of course, I love you, dumbass.”

Ricky elbows Scott. “She called him a dumbass.”

I ignore my idiot brothers. “Do you think I run around telling everyone about my mom? About how she died?”

“Dude.” Scott shakes his head. “She told you about her mom?”

Ricky offers his hand. “Welcome to the family.”

I hurry down the stairs and stand in between him. “He’s not a member of the family. I broke up with him.”

Scott snorts. “She ran scared on you?”

Nolan shrugs. “I’m fast. I’ll catch her.”

Scott barks out a laugh. “She’ll run a lot.”

“Good thing I’m a professional athlete.”

“She’s standing right here!” I shout.

Nolan wraps an arm around my shoulders and kisses my hair. “And you love me.”

I blow out a breath. I could deny it, but I admitted to it not five minutes ago in front of him, my brothers, and all my nosy neighbors who are pretending to water their plants. “I do love you.”

“Our work here is done.” Scott kisses my cheek before sauntering to his car. Ricky winks at me before following him.

“You better stop by and see Dad,” I yell after them.

“Who do you think sent us?” Ricky slams the door and they drive off.

Nolan smiles down at me. “Are you done pushing me away?”