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“It would be pretty messed up if he did.” He grabbed onto a strand of my hair, sifting it through his fingers. “You’re pretty amazing, you know that?”
I looked away from him, hoping to hide how uncomfortable his compliment made me. “I don’t know about that, but I try to be aware of my actions and how they affect others. Then I put myself in someone else’s shoes. What would it be like to be sent away to a new town with no friends? What would I do? How can we make it better for him?”
He tapped my nose lightly with his finger. “I think it’s a great idea. I’ll go down to the garage and ask his dad what he thinks.”
I tipped my head to the side. “You’ll ask Corey to help?”
Colton ran his hand through his hair. “I was going to leave it up to his dad.”
I gave in to temptation and moved close enough to feel his body heat. “I think you should ask him. It shows you trust him. Coming from a police officer, that will mean a lot.”
“I guess it’s similar to how we check in with the kids in the neighborhood.”
I rested a hand on his chest, leaning my body against his. Behind all the gruffness and resistance was a good guy, despite what he seemed to think of himself.
Looking down at me, he said, “We want to be approachable, visible in the community.”
I bobbed my head to cover my surprise. “Makes sense.”
Something seemed to pass between us then, an understanding. It was as if the last bit of me that was holding back snapped, pushing me the rest of the way into his arms. His hand cupped my cheek, and he kissed me. It was slow and sweet, the perfect kiss.
I pulled back when an idea popped into my head. “I think an attorney from Avery’s firm is married to a football player.”
“I’d heard something about that. Reid Everson?”
I nodded. “That’s him. What if we asked him to come? The kids would love that.” I remembered being a foster kid and feeling overlooked and left behind. I certainly didn’t feel special.
“He runs Rebel Sports with two of his teammates. They raise money so all kids can have the equipment they need to play sports.”
Pulling out my phone, I quickly searched for Rebel Sports, confirming what Colton said. I could barely contain myself, bouncing on my toes. “It’s the perfect partnership. They can make sure the kids get what they need to play sports: encouragement, equipment, whatever. How amazing would it be to have Rebel Sports there along with professional football players?”
“Pretty amazing,” Colton said, his lips lifting.
“We make a great team.” I had an idea, and he fleshed it out into a better one.
“Don’t get your heart set on it. They could be busy.”
“I know, but still… It’s a great idea. If the players can come, it’s going to be huge. Epic.”
“Epic?”
She rolled her eyes. “Do I sound like a dork?”
“If so, you’re my dork. Beautiful and quirky, warm an—” I swallowed over the emotion that threatened to overwhelm me.
“Warm and…?” I prodded gently.
He stroked my hair, avoiding my gaze. “Caring. I wasn’t prepared for you.”
Slowly shaking my head, I said, “And you’re not my type at all. You’re a grumpy, rule-following cop who’s given me a ton of parking tickets.”
He tickled my ribs, making me giggle.
I tried to move away from him, but he held me tight. When my stomach ached, and I was breathless, I yelled, “Mercy!”
Colton eased up his assault, and I settled into his arms.
I sobered, the lightness from a second ago faded away. “I love you, Colton.”
