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Claire pushed Dani away and made a guttural noise in her throat. She wiped her palm off on her dress, as if touching Dani had offended her. “No, thanks. I can figure it out myself.”
She once again took position and this time hit the ball through the loop. It went around the circle, coming out just inches from the hole. She smiled. “There. Your advice worked, Austin.”
He wanted to roll his eyes but refrained. He was taught to be polite to women, no matter what. So, that’s what he would do.
Claire walked over to her ball and hit it into the hole. Then it was Dani’s turn. She took position and after looking at the course for a moment, she hit a hole in one. A small smile crossed her lips, and Austin couldn’t help his own smile from showing. “Nice hit,” he said.
“Thanks.”
Austin placed his ball and took a minute to assess the loop. Then he turned to Dani and motioned to her. “Will you show me your pointers? How did you get this in one shot?”
Dani brightened and nodded. “Sure.” She put her arms around him and without even looking, Austin could feel the heat from Claire’s stare, but he didn’t care. Dani’s touch was light and sent a wave of attraction through him.
“You’ll have to hit the ball hard enough to go through the loop, but not too hard that it will shoot past the hole. Aim for the center of the entrance. That will give you the best chance for a hole in one.”
She showed him how far back she would pull the club and then she stood back to let him take the shot. He concentrated and did as Dani had said. The ball went into the center of the loop and came out the other side, making a hole in one.
Austin raised his hands in the air. “It worked!”
Dani laughed and put her club under her arm so she could clap for him. Claire, on the other hand, looked like she’d swallowed a gnat. She stalked across the green, her movements clipped. She grabbed his arm and cooed, “Ooh, good job. You’re so talented.”
“It’s Dani’s coaching. I tell you, she’s the best.”
Claire shot him a look. “Come on. Let’s go to the next one. It’s the windmill. I always have trouble with this one. Maybe you can help.”
Austin tried to get Claire off him, but it was impossible, so he just let her hang on him for the rest of the game. He couldn’t tell if Dani was upset by this or not. She seemed guarded. Relief lifted his shoulders when they finally reached the last hole where your ball was eaten by the clown. He didn’t even wait to let Claire shoot first. He plopped his ball down and shot that sucker into the gaping hole. “Got it,” he said.
Claire grinned at him. “I knew you’d do it. You were always so talented. Even in high school. I knew you’d be a professional football player when you grew up.”
Austin froze. He had been holding his breath, waiting for the game to end so he could send Claire on her way before she could say something like that. But now she’d said the one thing he was dreading. His heart beat loudly in his eardrums. He didn’t know what to do.
Had Dani heard? She stood there, looking at him funny. Time slowed. He had to do something. Anything. “Your turn,” he said to Claire, motioning to the clown.
“What?” Dani said, taking a step back. “Professional football player?”
He swallowed, unable to say anything. Dani stared at him, waiting for him to respond. He just needed to tell her the truth. It was a simple misunderstanding, that was all. It didn’t have to be a big deal. Right?
But his lips wouldn’t move. He couldn’t think. All he could do was stare at the way Dani’s lips turned down, and the unspoken question in her eyes. The one that said,Did you lie to me?
“Wait, you didn’t know who he was?” Claire’s voice broke in and Austin wanted to shove her away from them, but he couldn’t move. He couldn’t even breathe. All he could do was watch as Dani’s expression slowly changed from bewildered to hurt.
“What do you mean?”
Claire laughed, a cutting sound that made Austin flinch. He didn’t want to hear what was coming next. He wanted to sink into the Earth and let it swallow him up. But Claire’s words rang through the fog in his head. “He’s Austin Scott. The quarterback for the Los Angeles Demons. You didn’t know this?” She laughed again.
Dani blinked and took a step back, like she’d been struck. Her face said it all. She’d trusted him, and he’d lied to her.
Daggers stabbed at his chest. Words wouldn’t form. All he could do was stand there and watch Dani’s expression fall.
And then she turned around and walked away.
Chapter 16
Dani had no idea where she was going. She just knew she had to get away. Claire’s laughter could still be heard as she jaunted down the stone steps that led to the parking lot. She turned down the sidewalk, the laughter echoing in her head.
Austin wasn’t a maintenance man. And not only that, but he was a super famous football guy. Quarterback? Wasn’t that the most valuable player in the game? How could she have mistaken him for a maintenance man? How stupid was she?
Heat rose to her face as she walked. She’d made an innocent mistake, but Austin was the one who hadn’t corrected her. Was he trying to hide his identity from her? Why hadn’t he told her the truth? It didn’t make sense.
