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“She’s walking around and looking at the items up for auction. You know this is one of her favorite events.” His face softens as he thinks about his wife. “Apparently The Camden Snow Bowl is auctioning off a very generous ski vacation that Lily’s been eying. Cottage Grove’s charm is rubbing off on her.”
“Nice,” I say belatedly at his pointed look. Honestly, I didn’t realize he had stopped talking–not that I remember what he said anyway.
“When are you going to tell her?”
My eyes widen in surprise and I look at Mike. “Tell who what?”
“Don’t even try to tell me that you’re just friends. I know what a man who is just friends with a woman looks like and you and Emily, my man, are not just friends.”
Mike’s a smart guy, and honestly, I’m exhausted. So I give up the pretense and move toward the bar.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve messed everything up,” I confess as we walk over to grab a drink. “Maybe I’m too late. Emily deserves to be happy.”
Mike scoffs. “Of course she deserves to be happy, and so do you. Have you noticed the way you two look at each other?”
I instinctively look toward Emily and catch her eye before she quickly looks away. I take in a deep breath.
“Like what? I am sure she doesn’t look at me as anything but her brother’s best friend.”
Even as I say the words I can’t help but second guess them. There have been moments between us when I’ve felt something from her. She’s wanted to kiss me, I know it in my bones. We didn’t, but the desire was there. She was as caught in the zingbetween us as I was. I look over at her with Adam again. The smile on her face is radiant and I feel my heart drop. She looks so beautiful and happy.
“Then you weren’t paying attention to her face when she talked about your games or when you brought up Julia.”
I nod in Mike’s direction acknowledging what he hit on. “I caught the expression when I mentioned Julia.”
“But not the way Lily and I did. When you brought up Julia the light that was shining in her eyes dimmed. Lily and I were talking about it later. The chemistry between the two of you was so obvious and yet both of you seemed completely oblivious to how the other feels.”
Mike is emphatically shaking his head at my supposed obliviousness. I turn to look at Emily just as she throws her head back and laughs.
“Dude, I’m just not sure anymore,” I mutter into my watered down cocktail and rub my chest trying to ease the tightness. It’s like a vice around me.
“Mason, you’re not a quitter. You’re a professional football player. A man who knows how hard it is to go after your dreams and make them a reality. The only reason you stopped playing was because of an injury to your kicking leg. You know you’d still be playing if that wasn’t the case.”
What he says grabs my attention and makes me really think. He’s right. That’s who I am. Not the football player part but the man who goes after his dreams, regardless of how high the odds stacked against him are. The feeling of losing Emily would be worse than any pressure I’d ever felt on the field. This isn't a season I'm trying to win, but the love of my life. How would I prepare for a win? Falling back on what I know best, I know I need to block out the noise and make my play.
“You’re right, man. Thank you.” I clasp Mike’s shoulder, grateful for his friendship and the bond that we’ve formed asteammates. “Looks like I have a game to plan for. One that will decide the rest of my life.”
I look at Emily again and feel a smile creep on my face. She glances at me and I see a look of surprise cross her face but she quickly looks away again. I continue to look at her and feel the determination from the decision I’ve just made take hold. I’m in love with Emily and I am not going to give her up that easily. I know what it takes to make the impossible possible.
If I truly believed that Emily didn’t have feelings for me I would let her walk away and find someone she really did care for. I’m not selfish like that, especially where Em is concerned. But as I think back to all the years we’ve known each other, I’m getting a fresh perspective on every interaction we’ve ever shared.
The way she would blush when I would tease her about being a happily ever after girl or her laugh that was a little too high or nervous at certain times. How she would playfully hit me or her subtle touches. Even the glances I caught but didn’t think anything about. It’s amazing to me that I didn’t see the flirting that was happening.
With this new found knowledge, I vow to myself to do whatever is necessary to woo this happily ever after girl of mine until we both have a happily ever after that people will compare to the best romance novel out there.
I take a deep breath and finally feel the tension leave my body.
Everything is going to be okay.
Chapter Twelve
Emily
Adam took me hometonight from the auction. He’s a really great guy and I have fun with him. It feels good to have someone pay attention to me, who sees me as something other than just their best friend’s little sister. Even though I like him and enjoy spending time with him he’s not Mason.
On top of that, he lives in Colorado while he’s playing for his team. Who knows where else his professional career will take him. There’s no way I would ever consider leaving Cottage Grove. My business is here, yes, but so is my heart. I love my hometown and the people in it.
I was disappointed and relieved when Mason didn’t argue with me about having Adam take me home. I hate feeling so torn about this. I hate that my crush is back running rampant and I really hate the thoughts that are running through my head abouthim and me together. It’s only a fantasy. There is no happily ever after in the cards for Mason and I.
