She rested her cheek on his chest, allowing herself a moment to enjoy the security and comfort of his arms. “I’m sorry, Brady. I shouldn’t have said that.”
He gave her a squeeze. “You’re mostly right.” He edged back to look at her. “Is Teddy staying here?” She nodded. “He’s out with some friends right now. Why?”
He ran his thumb under each of her eyes to rid her face of the moisture collecting there. “I don’t think you should be alone tonight.” Her stomach quivered slightly so she extracted her body from his arms and headed for the kitchen. “Umm, do you want something to drink, or something?”
“Sure, whatever you have.”
Sitting quietly on the couch, they watched a late game until Teddy came home. Taylor was slightly amused at the surprise and curiosity in Teddy’s eyes and waited for the questions to come. But Teddy didn’t say a word - just greeted them both before escaping to the bathroom to change.
When Brady announced that he needed to go, Taylor walked him to the door.
“Call me if you need anything,” Brady said. “I mean it.”
She nodded. “Thanks Brady. For, um, everything.”
Leaning in, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “We still need to talk, love. But I’ll give you the space you need right now.” She nodded again and watched him walk to his car before shutting the door.
It took her almost a week after Teddy had returned to school before she finally drew up the nerve to call Brady. He had given her the space he’d promised and now she was ready to put the past behind her.
She invited him over after a Sunday afternoon game, feeling safer on her own territory and knowing he had to leave early Monday morning for another road trip.
He arrived with a pizza from Mario’s, the place they used to go to regularly while dating. The irony certainly was not lost on her; or him, judging by the smirk on his face.
She ushered him to the sofa, running to the kitchen to fetch paper plates and ice tea. They made small talk while they ate and when they could eat no more, Brady sat back, his lips pursed and his eyes on her.
“Thanks for inviting me over,” he began. “I hope you’re ready to let me explain.” Fiddling with her napkin, she nodded. He leaned forward and covered her hands with his.
“Relax, love. Just hear me out, okay?” His voice was confident, yet still pleading.
She closed her eyes and nodded again. “I just want to hear the truth, Brady. No excuses.”
“I promise,” he told her, leaning back once more and running a hand through his thick, dark hair. He took a deep breath. “We were bored, Jason and I. We had nothing going on. Neither one of us was on the basketball team so we had nothing to do that winter. It was Jason’s idea - but I can’t place the entire blame on him. I agreed to it, after all.”
He stood and walked to the living room window, drawing another deep breath. “Only a few people knew, I swear. Just me and Jason and Jordan. Jordan came up with the terms. Each of us had to find a virgin, get her to date us for the rest of the year, and have sex with her on Prom night. We couldn’t do it before or else we’d lose. That was supposed to be part of the challenge. There were other stipulations, stupid ones.” He spoke so methodical as if he was explaining a complicated medical procedure.
“How did you know we were virgins?” Taylor whispered, not quite able to look at him. She could feel the heat and shame filling her cheeks.
He gave a bitter laugh. “Jordan’s cousin threw that slumber party a week after we started dating, remember? He convinced her to invite you and Amanda and told her to play Truth or Dare or some stupid game like that to find out if you two were virgins. He told her that Jason and I wanted to know but we didn’t want to ask you ourselves.”
Taylor nodded, remembering the party well. She’d welcomed the chance to get out of the house for a night, even if it was with girls she didn’t normally associate.
“What would have happened if you would have found out that neither of us were virgins?” Ducking his head, he toyed with the hem of his shirt. “We would have had to dump you and start over.” He moved away from the window and sat next to her on the sofa. “But I really started to like you, Taylor. Please believe me.” His call oused hand covered her smooth one as his eyes begged her to listen. “You were nothing like the other girls I had dated. When we were together, I forgot all about the bet. When I’d go home, I’d sit in my room and think of ways to get out of it, or how to tell you. But I chickened out. I was afraid I’d lose you or Jason would spil everything if I quit. So, I just let it continue.”
“I wish you would have told me,” she whispered, dropping her gaze to the floor. Her heart dangled on a thread, wondering if it was going to fall or be rescued.
“What would you have done, huh?” he asked. “You would have ditched me immediately and run off to Amanda.”
“Maybe,” she shrugged. “But I really liked you. I thought it was genuine.”
He squeezed her hand. “It was genuine, Taylor. Please believe me.”
She plucked her hand out of his. “I don’t know what to believe.”
Rubbing his face, he released a long breath. “Anyway, Prom night came and, well, you know what happened. The next day, Jason and I met at Jordan’s house to tell, you know, what happened. Jason talked about how Amanda was putty in his hands and how easy it was to get her to, uh, sleep with him. It made me sick. I couldn’t believe how call ous he sounded. I knew they both expected me to talk the same way about you but I couldn’t. I told them nothing happened, that we just made out but you wouldn’t go all the way.” She gazed into his eyes, studying them intently, searching for any hidden lies.
Gently taking her hand, he swallowed. “I fell for you, Taylor. I swear. I wanted to keep seeing you. I left Jordan’s house and when I got home, my brother Brad, told me that he knew all about the bet. He told me that he’d overheard Jason talking to me about it before Prom. He was so mad because he truly liked you, that he went to Josh Parker’s house to tell Josh. He said that he wanted Josh to find you and warn you but Josh reassured him that you’d never…have sex with me.
“I hurried to your house, scared to death. Well, you weren’t home so I went down to Josh’s to find out where you were and to sort of sound him out. He was so angry and I couldn’t blame him. He pushed me around and punched me in the jaw. I didn’t fight back. I deserved it and I knew it. I begged him to tell me where you were. I just wanted to see you; to explain. He wouldn’t tell me anything so I kept trying to call you all night and when you didn’t show up for graduation, I got twice as worried.”
“I was at the hospital,” she murmured, tears leaking from her eyes.
“I didn’t know that at the time,” he said, exhaling loudly. “Three days after graduation, we left for my grandmother’s house in Michigan for the summer so I didn’t even get to see you. I tried to call every chance I got, but you never answered so I just gave up. My grandmother grew very ill and that’s when my parents put our house up for sale so we could move in with my grandmother. I left for college and never came back. When my agent told me that the newspaper from my hometown wanted to interview me, I refused. But when he called again and said they wanted to send you, I thought I would finally be able to talk to you and explain.”
Kneeling on the floor in front of her, he cupped her face in his hands. “Taylor, I am so sorry, more than you’ll ever know. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
“Brady, I….”
“Wait, Taylor. Just think about it, okay?”
She nodded and he got to his feet, hauling her with him. He gave her a tentative hug before heading to the door.
“Think about it. I won’t rush you or pressure you but I do want you in my life again. Call me when you’re ready.” After opening the door, he paused for a moment. “I’m sorry how things turned out and I’m sorry I was such an ass, but I’m not sorry I made the bet.”
His smarmy smirk appeared as her head snapped up and she glared at him.
“If I wouldn’t have, I would have never talked to you and never got the chance to get to know you.” Giving her a wink, he left.
***
The Racers were off to Buffalo for a three game series followed by a three game series in Orlando. Taylor kept busy with the ongoing mall saga. She made daily trips to Indianapolis as officials and residents of Somersvil e had taken the fight to higher authorities.
Brady hadn’t called her since he’d left her house Sunday night nor had she called him. Her heart had forgiven him but she wasn’t sure where to go next. She felt something for him, she couldn’t deny it. Did she want to trust him again? Let herself fall for him all over again?
She groaned as she pulled into the parking lot at the newspaper office. She’d stupidly left her cell phone on her desk so she intended to run in, grab it, and sneak back out. It was nearly five and all she wanted to do was go soak her tired body in the tub and stop thinking about Brady for five minutes.
“Tia and I are taking you out tonight,” Josh informed her as soon as she reached her desk.
She snorted. “Don’t you have a wife and a life?”
“Oh shut up and agree already.”
“Thanks, Josh, really but all I want to do is soak in the tub.”
He glared at her, hands on his hips. “Better make room for me and Tia then.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. But you two are buying.”
An hour later they were comfortably seated on the patio at a local sports bar digging into cheeseburgers and beers.
“Okay, so what’s the occasion?” Taylor asked between bites. “It’s not my birthday or your birthday. Why the night out?”
“I’m hurt that you think we need to have a reason to take you out,” Tia pouted.
Taylor laughed. “No, really. What’s the reason?”
“We haven’t spent much time with you since your dad died,” Josh explained. “We’ve been a little worried is all.” She smiled at her friends. “Thank you, but I’m doing fine. His estate is nearly settled and I’ve made arrangements to have his ashes buried next to my mother’s. Teddy and I will go up there sometime next month.”
“Did you ever talk to Brady?” Tia asked.
Taylor nodded, realizing how busy she’d been lately that she hadn’t even taken a few minutes to update her friends on her life. Sighing, she retold the entire conversation, her cheeks blazing.
Pushing her plate out of the way, Tia leaned over the table. “So what have you decided?” Taylor shrugged and picked at her hamburger bun. “I don’t know. I don’t know if I want to see him again or not.”
“He obviously likes you otherwise he wouldn’t go through all this trouble to talk to you.”
“Maybe,” Taylor sighed. “Or maybe he’s trying to clear a guilty conscience.”
Shaking her head, Tia looked into Taylor’s eyes. “Maybe you should just give it a shot. Go out with him once or twice and see how it goes.
Maybe you’ll be able to figure out if he’s sincere.”
Taylor snorted. “I thought he was sincere before.”
“Maybe he was,” Tia argued. “I mean, he purposely lost the bet. He didn’t tell anyone. Seems like he really likes you.”
“I don’t know, Tia,” Josh said. “Maybe Taylor should move on now that she has her closure. Maybe it’s best if she just puts Brady Nolan in her past.”
Tia fixed Josh with a glare. “You just don’t like Brady, that’s all.”
“It doesn’t matter if I like him or not,” Josh said.
Taylor nibbled on a fry. “All this love and dating stuff is over rated anyway.”
“How can you say that?” Tia asked, absolutely scandalized.
Taylor pointed a fry at Tia. “Look what it got my father.”
“I think your father was braver than any of us,” Josh said. When both girls gave him equally confused looks he continued. “He allowed himself to love his wife so much and so freely that it actually killed him when he lost her.”
***
Josh’s words echoed throughout her brain for the rest of the week. She rubbed her temples as she walked to her car. She’d spent the day in downtown Indy going through records and interviewing attorneys, getting as much background information as she could while the mall battle raged on.
The farmer who owned the land and the mall developers had agreed on a price and the land was in the process of being purchased. This latest development had startled more residents and they quickly joined ranks with their neighbors to stop the progress.
Taylor smirked as she thought about it. She actually wasn’t too concerned, though she’d personally prefer not to have a mall mar her small town.
But she was willing to wager that most of the people protesting now would be the first ones to shop at the new mall if it ever was built.
When she got in her car, she leaned back, closing her eyes. It was already after seven and her stomach reminded her she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. Starting the engine, she headed over to the nearest fast food place.
After she ordered, she sat at a back table, taking her time to eat while enjoying the cool air conditioning. Glancing at her watch, she wondered if the Racers were back in town yet. It was their travel day and they were set to start a home stand this weekend. Brady hadn’t called her all week.
He’d remained true to his word and left her to make her decision in peace.
She finished eating, threw out her trash, and got back in her car. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, trying to decide what to do. Her heart kept saying “Just call him! You know that’s what you really want.” But her head kept arguing, telling her it was a bad idea. When Josh’s words played in her mind again, she grabbed her cell.
He picked up on the second ring.
“Hey, Taylor,” he answered in his cool, cocky tone. She could hear voices in the background.
“Where are you?” she asked.
“At the Line Drive Club. Why? Something wrong?” he asked, all smugness gone.
“Nope. Stay there,” she ordered as she promptly hung up. She started her car and headed toward the stadium.
She’d driven past the Line Drive Club several times. She’d heard that some of the players liked to hang out at the sports bar after games or on off days so it was no surprise that Brady would be there - probably with several teammates. She hoped that if he was there with guys from the team that it was the guys that Taylor had already met. She needed to talk to Brady and didn’t want to do it with strange prying eyes watching.
Ten minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot and parked next to his car. Since it was Thursday, and still quite early, the bar didn’t look too crowded, though she still worried she’d have a hard time getting to him. With his good looks and great playing, he’d accumulated quite the little fan club.
But when she walked in, she spotted him right away. He was sitting at a table with Kyle and Samantha, the girl Kyle sometimes dated, along a beautiful blonde girl Taylor didn’t know. Her heart sank and she almost turned around to leave but he appeared in front of her before she could move.
He bent to look her straight in the eyes. “Are you okay, love?”
She nodded. “Are you, umm, here with someone or something?”
“Huh?” he asked, brow furrowed. She nodded at the girl sitting with Kyle and Samantha. “No. Not at all. That’s Samantha’s cousin. She’s here visiting Sam for a few weeks.”
She released a breath she hadn't realized that she was holding, causing him to smirk. “Not jealous are we, love?” Narrowing her eyes, she jabbed a finger in his chest. “Shut up, Brady. Don’t open your mouth and make me change my mind.” His eyes sparkled in amusement as he took her hand and led her to an empty table. “I’ll be good. Now tell me, what’s on your mind?” Taking a deep breath, she concentrated on his face. “Brady, I swear to God that if you ever hurt me again like you did before, I’ll castrate you!” He sat straight up, stunned momentarily into silence, and stared at her wide eyed. Suddenly, his face broke out in a wide grin. “Does this mean you’re going to give me another chance?”