Tackling Love - Kathleen Kelly Page 0,20
to talk to the security guards about letting you in.”
“Colt, I’m your emergency contact. Of course, they let me in.”
I grin and shake my head. “Right, I forgot.”
“Dude, get it together, we have a Super Bowl to win.” Gray stands and puts on his jacket. “See you at practice.”
“Gray, I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, I know. Next time we go out, you’re paying ‘cause you owe me.” He points at me, grins ,and leaves.
I pull my cell out of my pocket and dial Skye.
“Colt?”
“Yeah, sugar, it’s me. Look, I’m sorry. I’m a dick. I overreacted today. It won’t happen again,” I blurt out, but silence greets me. “Skye? Sugar, you there?”
“I’m here.”
“Talk to me,” I whisper.
“You hurt me today.”
With those few words, my heart instantly hurts because it’s the last thing I wanted to do.
“I’m sorry, Skye. I lashed out because I thought you were embarrassed by me. It’s stupid, I know, but when you didn’t acknowledge me at the school…” I trial off.
Skye’s silent for a moment, and I’m about to speak when she says, “You thought I was embarrassed by you?”
“Yeah.”
“Idiot.”
I laugh. “That’s the second time tonight someone has called me that.”
Skye laughs. “They must know you pretty well.”
“That’s nice, real nice,” I tease. “Let me make it up to you. Can I come over or see you tomorrow?”
“I don’t know, Colt. Maybe this is as far as this was supposed to go.”
“No, it’s not. Come on, Skye, we’ll go wherever you want. Please, sugar, let me make it up to you.” I can hear her breathing on the other end of the line, and in my mind, I can picture her face, creased with indecision. “To be honest, love, I’m the one who should be annoyed at you for not telling your boss we are together.”
“Are we, though? Are we really?”
“Yes.” And I know I mean it. I’m ready to take this to the next level. I want Skye, and I want her in my life. “Let me prove it to you.”
“Come over. I’ll make dinner, and we can talk.”
“There’s my girl.”
Skye’s laughter causes me to grin.
“Okay, Mr. Biceps, be here at seven with a good bottle of red.”
I hang up, grateful I have been given another chance.
COLT
It’s late afternoon as I enter the school where Skye works. No kids in the halls making loud noises, only quiet as I head for the office seeing Marion sitting in her usual spot.
“Hello, Marion, how are you?”
“Very well, thank you. Miss Carson, Juliette, is down the hall in the auditorium. Do you need me to show you the way?”
“No, I’ll find it, and thank you for setting this up.”
Marion blushes and fiddles with her hair. “It was my pleasure.”
I give her a wink and walk toward the auditorium. When I open the door, I find who I assume is Miss Carson sitting cross-legged on the stage painting a backdrop.
I walk down the stairs toward her. She hears my approach and looks up at me, so I wave and smile at her.
“Miss Carson? I’m Colt Anders, thank you so much for meeting with me.”
Miss Carson is five foot five, dark hair, dark eyes, and as she stands up, I see a figure most women would die for. I’m a lousy judge of age, but I’m thinking she’s the other side of thirty and is wearing no wedding ring.
Using my best smile, I take the stairs to the stage and extend my hand.
She smiles and takes my hand in hers. “Please, Colt, call me Juliette. Thank you for reaching out to us.”
“Oh, that’s fine. You working on the sets for the play?”
Juliette turns around and looks at her handiwork. “Yes, I am. What can I do for you?”
“I’m in the Big Brother Program here at the school, my little brother is Blaise Geyser.”
“Ahh… my handsome prince.” Juliette grins.
“Yeah, he’s pretty excited.”
“He wasn’t until this morning, before then, he kept telling me football practice was more important. Did you have a hand in that?”
“Blaise said he preferred acting to football, and I told him he should do what he loves, but I also said I’d help him with his football.”
“Good advice. So, why are you here?”
“Blaise mentioned his mother will have to make the costume for the play. I know this is a wealthy, private school, so I was wondering—”
“Why we’d need parents to make the costumes?” I nod at her. “In two years, we’ll have the money we need to fully fund the drama department, but right now, all the extra money goes into