Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
I burst out laughing and hug her again. Her arms go around me for a squeeze, the Velcro on her wrist braces scratching my neck. When she releases me, I plop back down in my chair. “At any rate, this woman will be at the teammate’s wedding and we’re going to put on a big show to convince her our relationship is real and that she needs to drop it. His closest friends are in on the ruse, so they’re all coming over to meet me so we can act authentic.”
“This is crazy,” my mom murmurs as she shakes her head in amusement. “Only you, Tempe.”
“It’s an adventure and it just so happens to pay well.” I laugh. “Plus, they volunteered to put up the mobility rails in the bathroom. I’m also going to use their muscles to rearrange some furniture while we’re at it to give you a bit more room to maneuver.”
“And you’re personally okay with this charade?” she asks, a mother’s concern now in her tone. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
I pause, considering. The truth is, Rafferty’s easy to be around, more than I expected.
Actually… he’s quite fun and well, add in that he’s hot and kisses like a fiend and I’m more than good. “It’ll be fine. It’s just for a short while longer. Plus, the money he’s offering will really help out with bills and maybe even give us some breathing room for once.”
Mom reaches across the table, her hand brushing mine. “I just want to make sure you’re not getting in over your head, sweetheart.”
“I’m not, Mom. I promise.” I squeeze her hand, grateful for her concern but also for her trust. “And you’ll get to meet him and his friends soon. Rafferty’s good people, so I’m going to assume they are too.”
“Well then,” she says, drawing back and picking up her tablet with a soft chuckle, “I suppose I should get ready to meet your ‘boyfriend’ and his merry band of helpers. Just be careful, Tempe. Hearts can start out pretending, but they don’t always end that way.”
I smile, a flutter of something inexplicable stirring in my chest. “I’ll be careful.”
I help Mom first to the bathroom and then to her room where she insists on changing into a different outfit. It makes me wonder if I should touch up my own makeup, but I decide against it. That would be nothing more than freshening up my mascara and possibly putting on some lip gloss, as working at the grocery store doesn’t require much more than that.
By the time I have Mom situated in the living room in the reclining chair, I hear vehicles pulling up outside. “Looks like they’re here,” I say, glancing out the living room window.
Our modest house is in a lower-income neighborhood where space is efficiently maximized. The exterior is clad in faded redbrick, and for as long as I remember has shown signs of age from the relentless Pittsburgh weather, with patches where the mortar has crumbled away. The front yard is virtually nonexistent with a small patch of dead winter grass before a broken concrete sidewalk, although there’s a little more in the back. A few resilient shrubs sit at the base of the porch and it looks like every other home, neatly wedged in beside one another on our block.
The driveway is but a narrow strip of cracked asphalt, just long enough for Mom’s car to be parked in a detached garage that has seen better days, its paint peeling and eaves drooping slightly. My car is right behind hers with its tail end almost blocking the sidewalk.
I see Rafferty’s Escalade at the curb with a huge white pickup behind it. Doors open and holy hotness… apparently Rafferty isn’t the only gorgeous Titan visiting my house today.
Five men are all dressed in athletic wear—track pants, tennis shoes, heavy winter jackets with the Titans logo. If I had to guess, they just came from practice.
I glance back at my mom and she grins. “Time to meet your Prince Charming.”
I roll my eyes at her and at the sound of multiple heavy footsteps on the wooden porch, I smooth down my shirt nervously and take a breath. Through the lacy curtain covering the glass in the door, a line of large, athletic forms loom—Rafferty at the front with his hand poised to knock on the storm door. My heart races. Inviting one hockey player into my home was daunting enough, but now it’s five. The reality feels overwhelming as I pull open the door.
Rafferty greets me with a boyish grin, the cold air swirling around him and his friends. Behind him, I recognize the four faces from team posters and TV games (as well as some quick stalking of the team roster since meeting Rafferty), looking slightly awkward under my scrutinizing gaze.