Once Upon A Half-Time: A Sports Romance - Sosie Frost Page 0,147

boatload of kids running around giving you a headache.”

Mission-partially-accomplished. I swallowed.

“And I don’t want you to get hurt,” he said.

“I don’t either. But everything is getting more and more complicated.”

“If anyone can untangle things, it’s you.”

Sure, when the rope wasn’t looped around my neck. I forced a smile into my voice. “I’ll sort it out.”

“Don’t make me whoop your ass too.”

Oh no. That was still to come. “Please…don’t tell anyone? I’m trying to keep the wedding as drama-free as possible.”

“Oh yeah.” Rick gave a deep belly-laugh. “Lindsey’s drama-free wedding. Right. Am I invited to that one too?”

“I won’t tell her you said that.”

Rick kept laughing. I ended the call.

My phone immediately buzzed. I bit my lip.

Nate.

Part of me actually fluttered as I considered answering. I had no idea why, but I wanted to hear his voice. Except he would want an explanation I couldn’t give.

His messing around bothered me, but I wasn’t just a jealous lover. I knew the type of man he was and why it was a bad idea for me to get too close.

This wasn’t about me. I had to worry about the baby.

I hated to do it, but I ignored the call. I didn’t pocket my phone. I expected Nate to call back, like he had done all week.

I gave it a solid two minutes.

The phone stayed silent.

And that hurt most of all.

12

Nate

I sat outside the country club, waiting for the right moment to confront Mandy.

I was done with this passive aggressive bullshit.

Mandy refused to answer my calls, texts, or emails? Fine. Then I’d talk to her face-to-face. Explain myself.

Except I had no idea why I felt the need to justify my actions—especially since I fucked the other bridesmaids before I slept with her.

And I didn’t know why it pissed me off so much to be ignored. Or why it panicked me.

Or why it…hurt.

I wasn’t in the wrong. I did exactly what she wanted. She asked me to stay at the cabin. She walked with me to the dock. She was the one whispering don’t stop.

So why was I being punished? Hell, why did I even care?

Easy. Because Mandy was keeping something from me.

She had no reason not to trust me and every reason to answer my calls and give me an honest explanation of what really bothered her.

I’d never hidden the truth from her, so why was she so damn secretive with me?

Bryce gave me the info on the family tour of the venue. The Prescotts and Washingtons were doing a walkthrough of the reception hall for last-minute measurements and pictures. It was the only place I could pin Mandy down.

I shouldn’t have gone to find her, but if I didn’t untangle myself from her now, I’d be knotted up forever.

And if we were being real honest? I’d make sure those ropes bound us together tight.

Lindsey decided to get married in my family’s church, humble and quiet, but she demanded the party be held in a ritzy country club, the type that demanded their security deposit in gold. I stalked inside, prepared to grab Mandy and get my answers.

I was used to pissing women off, but they never cried in my presence. Never wasted a tear on me.

Mandy did, and I wasn’t going to be the man who caused any woman pain.

Especially her.

Mandy sat on the edge of an indoor fountain, tickling her fingers through the water. She smiled at the patient assistant who volunteered to lead her family on a tour.

How the hell did this woman get more beautiful every time I saw her?

If she was a magnet, I was the rusted lump of metal dragging along the ground to avoid smashing into her.

Soft. That’s what she was. A vision of softness, gentleness, and peace. Her curves accentuated a distinct femininity, something no other woman I’d slept with had ever possessed. Even her eyes looked brighter. They widened, the golden honey burning amber the instant she saw me.

She wasn’t happy to see me, but I was the lucky son of a bitch fortunate enough to see her.

She stood, crossing her arms. I memorized her mouth, the angle of her cheeks, the way her ebony waves cradled over her shoulders. Her hair fell over the swell of her chest.

I shouldn’t have gotten hard while Mandy coiled for a strike, but damn, I couldn’t keep myself away from her. Something drew us together, and if I couldn’t satisfy my lust, I could at least satisfy my curiosity.

Mandy frowned. “What are you doing here?”

“We have to talk.”

She