She laughs. “I suppose I am. I just moved here from Georgia a month ago.”
Myra
He takes the roses from me, and I try to ignore the electricity I feel when our fingers brush. “Why’d you move across the country?” Major asks.
I drop my gaze then, a shadow casting over the store. “Just needed a fresh start,” I say softly.
“I just moved back myself,” he tells me.
“You grew up here?”
He nods. “Yeah, my Grandma Trudy raised me. Best woman I’ve ever known.”
“Hence the flowers,” I say, pushing away my past. “Lucky woman.”
Now it’s Major’s turn to frown. “In some ways, maybe. But she’s just fought cancer, she’s in remission now, and can’t do the things she loves for the time being.”
I set a hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry,” I say. “I didn’t know.”
He gives me a smile. “Don’t apologize. Life is like that, isn’t it? Never how you expect.”
Understanding the sentiment all too well, I nod. “My grandma always told me when life gives you lemons, make sweet tea.”
“I like that.” Major’s eyes meet mine and we share a soft smile. “You love your grandma too?” he asks.
I nod. “She passed a few years back.” Exhaling, I pull my eyes away from his deep green ones. “Gosh, that got heavy quickly.”
“You scared of heavy?” he asks me.
I laugh nervously. “To be honest, yeah. I am.”
He nods. “Why did you move here?”
“I pulled out a map of the USA and closed my eyes and waved my finger and here I am.”
Major chuckles. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“So, you’re scared of things getting heavy, but you aren’t scared of starting over?”
It’s my turn to chuckle. “I guess not. I just needed a fresh beginning.” Major smells the peach-colored roses and it endears me to him. “Is that why you moved back to town?”
“Uh, something like that.” He seems to clam up and I wish I knew why.
“Right. Well, should I ring you up?” I move to the cash register and he follows, the air between us thick with something I wish I understood.
He pays quickly and I expect him to leave, but he pauses, his eyes finding mine again. “Would you like to go out sometime?” he asks.
I fight the urge to say yes. Because in this moment, it’s what I want to say… but I made a promise to myself when I packed up my car and drove west — I wouldn’t let a man bruise any part of my body again, and I’d certainly never let one break my heart.
And Major looks like a heartbreaker, through and through. He has all-American good looks, a charming smile and drool-worthy eyes. He’s tall — six foot five, easy — and when I touched his arm, it was solid muscle, pure panty-melting perfection.
And a terrible idea.
Not how a girl moves on.
“Sorry, but I’m busy.”
He frowns. “I didn’t even mention a time.”
“Sorry Major, I’ve gotta get back to work.” And with that, I run down the aisle toward a customer. Yes, it’s cowardly —but it’s also self-preservation. And right now, that’s all I’ve got.
Chapter Two
Major
Since moving back to town, I’ve started working out with some old buddies of mine. They are all members of a CrossFit gym, and so I joined too. Didn’t realize that in the last year, so many guys my age had gotten hitched. Makes me feel like I might be missing out.
On a lot.
I was an anomaly in the NFL world. Not that I would bring it up, but I’m a virgin with a capital V and I gotta admit — I’m ready to change that status. STAT.
But it’s hard, ya know, after all this time. How do you go from zero to a hundred without it meaning something after waiting this long?
Well, before today I didn’t have an answer but now, I do. Now I know. Myra is how I accelerate fast. With her, I wanna go all in.
But damn, she turned me down fast.
I need to know why.
After our late afternoon workout, most of the guys at the gym are ready to head home to their wives, but when Grady asks if I want to grab a beer at O’Malley’s, I jump at the chance. I need to know more about his employee.
“So, are you seeing anyone?” Grady asks as we walk to the bar down the street from the gym. I can tell this guy is getting fed up with his friends getting wifed-up.