Free Calling It by Jen Doyle Page A

great job this year. They might actually take it all the way.”
    Barb’s face froze. Then she broke into a huge grin. “You follow the team? Oh, my God .”
    Laughing, Jules reached out and touched Barb’s arm. “Didn’t we tell you he did?” She rolled her eyes. “Why doesn’t anyone ever believe us when we say that?”
    Clutching Jules’s hand, Barb turned to Nate and said, “Will you come to their game today? They’re playing at 3:30 in the gym. You know—the gym that, um, you guys built for them.”
    Nate started to open his mouth and give the same nonanswer he’d given to Tuck a few nights before—but then he suddenly realized that thinking of Dorie had put him in a much better mood and he kind of actually wanted to go. With a genuine smile, he answered, “I think I could swing that. But you should probably let it be a surprise.” That way he could just sneak in the back, hang out with the coaches and not have to talk to anyone except the kids playing.
    After Barb left, Nate ordered a coffee for himself and then decided that it couldn’t hurt to bring some over to his aunt and uncle. And, yes, Dorie. If she ran away again? He’d deal with that if he needed to. “I’ll take some muffins, too.”
    A few minutes later he found himself in front of the library, pastry box in one hand, tray full of coffees in the other. He had no idea whether Aunt Laura and Uncle A would be working this morning—wasn’t entirely sure he wanted them to be. But he was one hundred percent working under the pretense that he was here for them.
    It did bother him that he wasn’t sure of the reaction he’d get from Dorie—that he was actually manufacturing reasons to see her. Heading up the walkway he decided it didn’t matter. Right now he just wanted to see that smile again. To feel the weight lift off his chest when she looked his way. If his motives weren’t pure, so be it. It wasn’t like he’d made her any promises he couldn’t keep. He wasn’t even sure he’d see her again after this week. Except the second he walked in the door, he knew he was fooling himself. His blood ran cold at the sight of her sitting up on Wash’s shoulders, laughing as she almost lost her balance while reaching up to change a lightbulb. As she steadied herself by wrapping her arms around Wash’s head, clamping her thighs down on his shoulders.
    “Need a little help?” Nate asked, the door snapping closed behind him.
    The amusement in Wash’s eyes as he turned did nothing to settle Nate down.
    “Oh, my gosh.” Dorie reached her arms out to Nate, completely unaware of any tension, sexual or otherwise. Nate, on the other hand, practically dropped the coffee and muffins on the floor in his rush to grab her. Luckily, there was a step stool nearby to catch them so he didn’t make a total fool of himself. Thank God he was used to moving on instinct rather than thought. Being an elite athlete had its perks.
    She fell into him, gripping his shoulders as his hands went to her hips. His eyes locked on to hers and everything came to a thundering halt as the earth stopped spinning on its axis. The building could have fallen down around them and he wouldn’t have cared. He had to count to ten in Japanese, for fuck’s sake, in order not to dip his head down and kiss her. No, claim her.
    Fuck.
    Two days, he’d known her. Two days. He’d known Courtney for two years and he’d never felt like this.
    He lowered Dorie to the floor and took a step back. “I, uh, brought coffee. For my, um, aunt and uncle. And you. Cream, light sugar, right?” He couldn’t stop his tongue from tangling itself up with words. Jesus.
    “Thanks,” she said, not looking at him as she pulled away. She picked up the tray. “I’ll bring it to them.”
    It wasn’t until she’d disappeared from sight that Nate noticed Wash staring at him. “Shit, boy,” Wash said, a smile erupting as he clapped Nate on the shoulder. “You have it bad.”
    Even if he wanted to