Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Maybe our kids one day, if they climb in bed with us, but I have a feeling that if I tell her that’s where my mind went, I’d just freak her out even more. Do I think we’ll ever get there? I hope so, but we aren’t there yet. We still have a lot to learn about each other, and we have this hurdle to jump where her fears regarding my career are concerned.
I can say that one night with her changed me, and that she’s the only woman I see or think about. That has to be enough for now.
My Dream Girl: Goodnight, Reid.
Me: Night, Dream Girl.
Plugging my phone into the charger, I place it on the nightstand and turn off the light. Today changes nothing for me. I don’t care who her father is. He can’t bench me. He doesn’t have a good enough reason. I’m one of the highest-ranked tight ends in the league. Sure, he can make my life hell at practice, but that’s a small price to pay for her. It’s going to take some time, but I’ll show her that I’m not going to make the same mistakes her father did. I stare at the shadows on the ceiling for hours, thinking about her and what steps I’ll take to prove to her that she’s my priority, before sleep eventually claims me.
As soon as I step into my condo, I drop my gym bag to the floor and drag my ass to the couch. I hit the gym with the guys to get ready for training camp. Knox, our quarterback and team captain, keeps us all in line. Even Landry is doing better this year with diet and cutting out alcohol, but something tells me that has more to do with his wife than him. That man loves to eat, and he doesn’t care if it’s on the approved list of foods or not. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I fire off a text to Bellamy.
Me: Are you free for dinner?
Her answer is going to be the same as it has been every day for the past five. Ever since seeing her at family day, I’ve texted her, asking her to have dinner with me. She always has an excuse.
My Dream Girl: I’m washing my hair.
A laugh bursts out of my chest. The past four days have been filled with plans or late nights at the office as her excuse, but this is an obvious blow-off, and it makes me smile.
Me: I can help with that. I have big hands, great for massaging the scalp.
My Dream Girl: Thanks, but I’m going to have to pass.
Me: You sure? I’m really good with my hands.
She knows this. She got to experience what my hands can do to her firsthand, but a little reminder never hurt anyone.
My Dream Girl: I’m sure.
Well, fuck. I toss my phone onto the cushion next to me. How am I going to be able to show her that I’m not her father if she doesn’t let me see her? It’s been five days since I laid eyes on her—five days since I’ve heard her voice. I went a month before, but then I didn’t know where she lived. She’s in my city, yet she still feels so far away.
Grabbing my phone, I’m about to order takeout, but instead, I end up hitting her contact and placing the phone to my ear. It rings, once, twice, three times before she picks up. I was starting to think she wasn’t going to.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Dream Girl.”
“Reid,” she breathes my name, almost as if she’s both relieved and annoyed that I’m calling her. Honestly, I don’t think she knows which way she’s feeling right now either.
“How was your day?”
“It was fine.” She pauses. “How was yours?”
It’s the polite thing to do to ask me back, but she hesitated. “Good. I hit the gym for a lift session with the guys. We try to meet every day during the week about a month before training camp to get back into shape, and now, I’m sitting here, trying to decide what to do for dinner. My girl is busy washing her hair.”
She chuckles. “It’s a thing.”
“Oh, I have no doubt. She has beautiful, long, dark brown hair. I offered to help her, but she turned me down.”
“Maybe she doesn’t need a man to take care of her.”
“She definitely doesn’t need anyone to take care of her, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to.” She doesn’t say anything, but I can hear her breathing change. “I miss you, Bell. When can I see you?”
“I—I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“How am I supposed to prove to you that I’m not him if you don’t let me?”
Another heavy sigh from her. “We’ve been over this.”
“We have, but we’re still at an impasse. Let me bring you dinner. You don’t even have to eat with me. Just let me drop off dinner so you don’t have to cook.”