Page 10

Despite being married to a man who’d dedicated his life to football, Audrey never showed much interest in the sport itself. Whenever I tried to talk about the particulars of the game, her eyes would glaze over, and it wasn’t long before her attention strayed to her phone or she changed the subject.

Sometimes, I couldn’t believe that I had been married for so long to someone I barely had anything in common with. The only thing we really shared—beyond a physical connection that was adequate but not mind-blowing—was our daughter, and that just wasn’t enough to make a happy marriage.

Or to keep Audrey faithful to me.

But still, she fought the divorce when I initiated it. I meant what I said about Audrey clinging to her former title of Mrs. Lynch because of the way it benefited her. She was married to a star NFL player, and she liked the money and attention that came with it. Just as the divorce went through, I began coaching, and I knew that it bothered her that she couldn’t stand in the spotlight with me anymore.

“Wait a minute,” Heather said, her eyes widening. “So, you broke a record for most rushing yards as a rookie, and you were named Coach of the Year the first year you started coaching?”

I might have been bragging a bit, but it was worth it when I saw that I’d finally managed to impress the woman.

“Yep.” I leaned back in my seat and took a sip from my beer bottle. It was nearly empty by now, and Heather had just finished her daiquiri. Neither of us signaled the waitress to bring more booze, but we also didn’t make a move to leave. We were enjoying each other’s company too much. “And if I have my way, I’ll take my team straight to the Super Bowl this season.”

We got damn close last season but didn’t quite make it. I tried not to be bitter about that kind of thing though. We’d just have to push even harder this time.

Heather chuckled, shaking her head. “It’s funny that I find myself chatting up a football superstar when I’ve never even watched a game.”

“I can’t imagine that.”

“I hate to break it to you, Coach Lynch, but you’re hanging out with a nerd.” Her voice was light with humor, but there was something else in the depths of her eyes that I couldn’t quite name, something almost vulnerable.

“Oh yeah? You were a real Steve Urkel back in the day?”

Her eyebrows knit together. “Who?”

I groaned. “Fuck. I almost forgot how young you are. He was a nerdy character from a TV show when I was a kid.”

“I might not have watched it, anyway. I was more of a reader as a kid. Books and graphic novels, mostly. You say you always wanted to play football? Well, when I was a kid, I wanted to create graphic novels. It’s just too bad that I wasn’t a very good artist. I wanted to be the next Frank Miller, but I realized my sad little stick figures weren’t going to get the job done.”

She laughed at her own lack of artistic ability, and the sound struck a chord inside me. This woman had sparked desire from the moment we met—the kind that threatened to bring me to my knees—but now, I was starting to feel a deeper connection.

I liked her.

“So, what it is that you do for a living?” I silently chastised myself for not asking this sooner. I’d gone on and on about my career, but I wanted to know more about her.

“I’m an engineer at an aerospace firm. For now.”

“Sounds like there’s a story there.”

She picked up the cardboard drink coaster with the resort’s logo and fiddled with it. “There is, but it’s a bit of a long one.”

I looked at my empty wrist as if there was a watch there. “I’ve got time.”

I didn’t actually know how late it was, but I didn’t care. As Heather launched into the story of being passed over for a promotion and her decision to go back to school for her doctorate, I watched her talk and had no interest in leaving this bar until she shared her whole story.

“So, I’m going to leave the job, probably take a couple of months off, and then start the grueling four-year process of getting a more advanced degree.”

Despite her words, she was smiling.

“You’re looking forward to it?”

She thought for a moment. “Yeah, I am. It’s scary and exciting, like all the best things in life.”

My eyes seemed to have a mind of their own as they drifted down to her cleavage. I swallowed hard.

“Yeah,” I agreed, my voice rough. I cleared my throat and forced myself to look into her eyes again. There was no way she didn’t notice where my attention shifted for a moment, but at least she was grinning. Still, I needed to get my mind back on track. “So, you’ve already applied to school and been accepted? It’s a done deal?”

“Actually, I applied to three, and I got accepted to all of them. Now, I have a decision to make.”