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“Not even to your best friend?”
She sent me a sidelong glance. “Eva isn’t here.”
I winced. “Ouch. That one hurt. Here I was thinking I’d earned bestie status with all the time we spend together studying.”
Even in the dim light, I saw the flush move across her cheeks. I’d hoped to remind her she trusted me during our purely platonic naps, but her reaction spurred a different train of thought. For a second, I was lost in the memory of her ass snuggled against me, with her warm and relaxed in sleep.
I missed her, and the loss sliced through me.
Riley met my eyes for an instant, and I saw the same longing there. Then she blinked, and I wondered if I’d imagined it.
Mac’s chair scraped through the dirt, reminding me we weren’t alone in the woods. I glanced over to see both Mac and Noah looking our direction. Mac raised a brow, silently asking if I wanted them to head out, but I shook my head at him.
Better if he stayed. I hadn’t wanted to come to the camper for a chance to be alone with Riley. Her presence was a bonus.
I spread my hands. “Look, we tried Google, but you’re surprisingly absent on the internet for someone who was recruited by a D1 football coach. You don’t have to tell us anything, but we’re curious because we care about you. Nothing you say will go beyond us if you don’t want it to. Right, guys?”
Mac mimed zipping his lips, and Noah crossed his heart with his finger. Both wore giant shit-eating grins.
Riley rolled her eyes. “Fine. What do you want to know?”
All three of us scooted closer, and I ended up with my chair arm nearly touching hers. “Where’d you play before this?”
She pointed to the dark green shirt she wore. “Southern Wisconsin University. The Beavers. D3 school, not a bad coaching staff, but focused more on the run.”
We all stared at the large angry beaver splashed across her chest, and Mac spoke up first. “TU Wildcats are kind of an upgrade. Beavers don’t really inspire fear.”
“We could be the TU Christmas trees for all I care. The mascot’s only a symbol. The power comes from the team.”
There she went again, surprising me with her insight. I wanted to ask her how she could say that with such authority. What had given her the confidence I found so sexy?
Noah leaned back in his chair. “You should tell that to the rest ofourteam.”
She pursed her lips. “I’ll leave the motivational speeches to Shaw. Feel free to use it though.”
“You grew up in Wisconsin, right?” Mac asked.
Riley nodded, and I hoped she’d tell Mac more than she’d told me.
He shifted to the edge of his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. “What was it like?”
Riley laughed. “Great—if you enjoy cows, cheese, and a cult-like obsession with the Wolves.”
“You don’t sound like you miss it.”
“I don’t. Living in Wisconsin is really fun in a lot of ways, but I was ready to move on.”
Mac sent me a pointed look, but for once, I couldn’t decipher his meaning. “Well, we’re definitely more fun than cows and cheese. No comment on the Packers. Not going to jinx my chances by bad-mouthing any team.”
Riley tilted her head at him. “Are you going out for the draft after this year?”
“Nah, girl. I’m playing out my eligibility and getting my degree. My mama would kill me if I left school early. If I get picked up by a team after that, it’s all good, but I’ll have a back-up plan in place.”
My brows drew together. This was the first time I’d heard him mention anything other than the draft after college.
“What about you?” he asked.
She shrugged. “That depends on what happens over the next two years.”
