She rolled her eyes at the unnecessary explanation. Who didn’t know who Cash Latham was? If he wasn’t splashed over the gossip blogs with a girl, she still had to see his face on nearly every sports channel, right next to her beloved Caleb.
Unknown: I didn’t get a chance to apologize.
Kenadi: How did you get my number?
Unknown: Candice. I told her it was important.
Candice was her brother’s fiancée. Kenadi rolled her eyes as she struggled to pull her sports bra over her head.
Unknown: Can I apologize over a cup of coffee?
Her plan to ignore him for the rest of her life was failing. A post-workout caffeine fix did sound good, and no apology was truly complete without a scone.
Her stomach rumbled in agreement.
Kenadi: I’ll meet you at the coffee shop on Rosser and Ivy at 10. I have spin class across the street. I’ll be there after. I’ll take an iced coffee with almond milk and a raspberry scone.
Unknown: See you soon.
Her hand paused on the door handle as she caught sight of her reflection in the glass of the coffee shop. All the gumption she had left in her body released in a heavy sigh at the sight of her oversized, well-worn t-shirt and exercise spandex. She’d forgotten to factor in how completely sweaty and gross she would be when she met with him.
She wondered if she was ever going to pull it together enough to make a good first impression on a football player she wasn’t related to.
Finally entering the café, she scanned the room in search of him, fully prepared to add his tardiness as fuel for her attitude, when a hand shot up.
He actually came.
His eyes were fixed on her as she walked over and slid into the empty seat across from him, letting her gym bag slip from her shoulder.
“Hope you don’t mind sitting all the way back here. The paparazzi have been pretty relentless lately.”
Kenadi shrugged as she applied a healthy glob of sanitizer to her hands. “Right. God forbid someone sees you with me.”
“It’s not that—”
She loudly stirred the ice cubes in her drink. It was weird to have a desire to hear what he had to say while also not wanting to talk to him.
“You said something about an apology.”
“Right. I really didn’t see you until it was too late. I shouldn’t have been acting like an idiot at your brother’s house. Are you okay?”
“Not even close.”
His remorseful face punctured the bitter grudge bubble she had been walking around in.
“I took some ibuprofen. I’ll survive.”
“Good.” There was a hint of relief in his smile. He folded his hands before he continued. “I…uh, spent some time thinking about how you like C.K.—I mean, Caleb…”
Her cheeks flamed.
How could she have let her most important secret slip? And to Cash, of all people.
“If it’s all right with you, I’d really appreciate it if you would delete that information from your mind and never tell Caleb.”
“Why haven’t you told him yourself?”
“It’s not so easy.”
“But it is.”
“It may be easy for you and the kind of girls y’all are used to. But me?”
Kenadi shook her head emphatically, picking at the corner of her scone before putting a crumb on her tongue. “Caleb is beautiful. You saw me last night—heck, you see me now! I’m not his type. No matter how hard I try or how badly I want to be.”
Cash barely blinked as he looked at her.
CASH
“What if I helped you?”
The way she swung from sassy to a heap of insecurity baffled him. The question was out of his mouth before he could stop himself.
“Helped me?” She stopped stirring the straw of her drink long enough to look him in the eyes again. Those dark eyes and long lashes of hers were intense.
“You like Caleb—”
“Shhh!” She shot forward in her chair, clasping her hand over his mouth.
Cash rolled his eyes and waited for her hand to fall away.
“He is my best friend. I could help you shoot your shot with him. You’d have a major advantage.”
“For normal people, maybe, but I’m not good at dating. I have no experience. The idea of going from zero to Caleb is unlikely, even if I wish otherwise. I blamed last night on you, but it was probably my fault. It usually is.”
He held up his hand.
“No. Last night was my screw-up, and I need to make it right. I’ll help you get your do-over. I’ll be your dating coach. You can’t swim with the sharks until you swim with