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“His contract is up this year.”
All eyes turned to Josh.
“Nathan told me. He also told me you were asking him about Bryson Robinson’s stats last month.”
My parents both looked from Josh to me, each with their brows raised.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t interested in him. As a ball player,” I quickly added.
“Riiight,” my mother drawled out. “As a ball player.”
“In the meantime, what about a job?”
Leave it to my father to bring that up.
“I already asked Morgan and Georgiana if I can work at the boutique. They both jumped at it. Morgan just came back to work full time and said she is struggling to be away from Blakley, so if I work there, she can take more time off. And I’m going to call Bryson tonight and talk to him about the design. I could make a good amount of money designing his house if he still wants me to. I’ll have to call Loren and see if she’ll give me his number. I’m sure she will. Unless he told her not to.”
A sudden rush of sadness swept over me at that thought.
Mom reached for my hand and squeezed it as she asked, “Do you think you can keep work and your feelings for him separate?”
“Of course, I can,” I said, not sure I believed my own words.
My parents exchanged a look with one another before my father stood. He walked over to me, kissed me on the forehead, and said, “You’re an adult, so I’m going to leave this all up to you.”
He turned to Josh. “Come on, let’s get you to practice.”
“Ty?” my mother called out.
“Yeah?” he asked as he stopped and looked back at us. “Don’t brag to the other dads about Bryson.”
He slapped his hand to his heart. “You think I’d gossip about my own daughter?”
“Do I need to remind you about the time Garth Brooks had her come on stage at his concert?”
My father looked at my mother like she was crazy. “It was Garth Brooks, Kaylee!”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Don’t worry, Dad,” Josh stated with a wide smile. “I already told everyone on the team so you can save your breath.”
Giving him a pat on the back, my father said, “I’m raising you right, kid.”
Pacing back and forth in my living room, I chewed nervously on my thumbnail while I waited for Bryson. I wasn’t even sure he would come after what happened earlier this morning. After calling Loren and getting his phone number, I had sent him a text right before I left my parents’ house and asked if he would come to my place so we could talk. I wouldn’t blame him if he never even spoke to me again. After all, I had told him I wasn’t interested in a relationship and called him an asshole in front of a number of people. I wasn’t even sure if he had heard me.
I jumped when I heard the knock on my door and nearly let out a scream. Drawing in a deep breath, I slowly let it out before I made my way to the door. When I opened it and saw Bryson, my knees nearly buckled out from beneath me. He looked even more handsome than ever. He wore a cautious expression on his face, and I couldn’t blame him.
Blinking a few times, I let my eyes take in the man who stood before me. It wasn’t Bryson in the baseball cap and uniform that made my mouth drool. It wasn’t the Bryson in business slacks and button-down shirt with a tie from this morning. It was Bryson in black jeans, a black T-shirt, and a freaking black cowboy hat that made his green eyes pop even in the dim porch light.
Fighting to gain control over myself, I smiled. “Did you dress all in black in hopes no one would see you coming here?”
A devastating smile broke out over his face, and he let out a soft chuckle. “I was out when you texted.”
My heart felt like it tumbled out of my chest and to the floor at the thought of him being on a date.
“At a place called the Blue Moose.”
I forced a smile. “Local bar in town. I know it very well.”
Bryson raised his brows and gave me a look that silently asked if I was going to make him stand on the porch or invite him in.
“Please, come on in. I didn’t mean to interrupt a date.”
As he walked by me, I closed my eyes and drew in the smell of him. Woodsy with a touch of bergamot and citrus. Same as the night we spent together. I needed to find out what cologne or aftershave he used and douse my pillow in it every night. So I could revel in my own self-inflicted misery.
I watched as Bryson took in my apartment. It wasn’t anything grand like his penthouse, but I liked it. The living space was one giant open room, with the living room being right when you walked in from the door that led to the back alley. Off to the left was a small eating table, and the open kitchen farther in. A large wall of windows looked out over Main Street. I had two bedrooms as well. The main bedroom had a balcony facing Main Street, and one of my favorite things to do each morning was drink my coffee out there. The other room faced the alleyway.
