“Is that right?” Duke slips his hands in his back pockets, and I want to knock his aw, shucks, ma’am grin off his face. I’ve seen it a million times. He turns it on every time he’s around a woman he finds interesting.
“Oh, yeah. My friend Maggie and I used to come to all your football games.”
What the ever-lovin’ hell? If Tiger twirled her hair around her finger and popped her gum, I wouldn’t be surprised.
“Is that a fact?” Duke grins down at her.
I shake my head. “Of course they did, dumbass. They came to all my games too. What else was there to do on Friday nights in this town?”
“He has a point,” Duke says to my companion.
That ridiculous noise like bells tinkling comes from Tiger’s mouth again. The one that makes her sound like a teenager with a crush. “I guess he does.”
“What are you doing here?” The edge of each word could slice through steel. I can’t help it. It’s like I don’t exist.
Duke raises a brow. “You asked me to come.”
I wave away his comment. “I mean why are you here now? You said it could take a couple of days. I wasn’t thinking we’d start workouts until Monday.”
“I was able to rearrange my schedule.” His gaze moves between me and Tiger. “Is that a problem?”
“No.” And it’s not. I’m glad he’s here to help me get my mind back on football, where it should be. “I booked you a room at the Haney’s B&B. Mrs. Haney said they had plenty of vacancies this week, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem for you to check in early.” I knew Duke wouldn’t want to stay with his mom and stepdad.
“Thanks, man. Ruby Haney’s breakfast is almost as good as your mom’s. How is your mom?”
“She’s good.” The slap of misery that hits me isn’t surprising. I hate letting my mom down, and I’ve really disappointed her this time, on a couple of levels.
His muscled arms cross over his chest. “Should I pick you up there, and we can ride to the high school together to work out?”
My gaze slides toward Tiger. “Naw, I’m staying at Wayland Estate.”
“What?” both Tiger and Duke say together. It’s the first word she’s spoken to me since Duke got out of his car.
I ignore her and address Duke. “I bought Wayland Estate yesterday.”
“Really? Why?”
I wave him off. I don’t want to talk about my mom right now. “Doesn’t matter, the point is I’m staying there while I’m in town.” I cut my eyes to Tiger. “I want to keep an eye on the construction.”
If the scarlet climbing up her neck is any indication, then my words did their job. I guess she thought last night was a one off and that I’d go back to my mom’s tonight. Not a chance.
She shuffles her feet and won’t meet my eyes. “Why would you want to stay at the house? There’s nothing there but a camp cot and a bathroom. You should stay at your mom’s until we’re done. It’s really not safe.”
I’m sort of embarrassed that I’m enjoying her discomfort so much, but can’t bring myself to care because now I have her attention. “Seemed pretty safe to me last night. Besides, I like waking up with you.”
“What?” Duke says at the same time that Tiger says, “We didn’t wake up together.”
I focus on the beauty queen. Duke I’ll deal with later. “I don’t know, I was pretty awake after our little meet up.”
“Do tell?” Duke’s worse than a gossiping granny.
The death glare sparking in Tiger’s eyes should make me fear for my life, but interestingly, it’s having the opposite effect. I’ve never felt so alive. Every cell in my body is primed and ready.
Her attention returns to Duke. “Ignore the football player, he likes to start rumors about me. It’s a pattern with him.”
I slap my hand over my heart. “Good thing we said we were past all that, Kitty Cat.”
It’s like I never spoke. She keeps talking to Duke. “He slept in the big house last night, and I slept in the pool house, where I live.” She hurls the last three words at me like little darts. “And,” she finally turns to me. “I’d happily move past what you did in high school if you didn’t keep doing the same thing.”
“Me?”
“Also, the house isn’t safe. You could get up in the middle of the night and step on a nail or trip over a cord …