Page 23 (1/2)

Author: Robyn Carr

He was stricken silent for a long moment Really, he was shocked Had he done that? He rubbed the bridge of his nose with a thuer "Jesus, did I do that? Aw, I’ize I was in love with Mac I had been for years I just didn’t think he felt the same hich is why I was very happy you asked me out to dinner And I ht away, you’re not ready to ive yourself per You ith your wife for a long ti, before she died I know you’d like to be in a nice stable relationship again and I know you’re frustrated, but you’re not ready You still want to be with your wife Until you run into someone who makes you see a whole new possibility, a whole new kind of life, it just isn’t going to happen And lucky for you, too, because if you force this you and the neife are going to have a third person in your ht But this is getting old"

She surprised hih "Tell me about it," she said "I spent sixteen years between lovers"

"I don’t have that kind of tilumly

"Oh, Scott, you have as much time as it takes Let yourself off the hook It’s okay if it takes a while to be ready toup the process?"

"I’ as it took you to askDevon out, neither of us was The One"

"Really? And how does that explain Mac?"

"Well, the short version of that story is that not long after we hts out of me and ere both a little overcome I was ready for that, more than ready But Mac, whose wife had left him with three small children, was terrified And he had this secret plan--he was going to use sheer willpower to keep away from any kind of roraduated froe bound" Then she sht’ve made him decide to take a risk or two When it ca alone and safe, he took the chance" She sighed "We were in love from the start We just had lives that were too complicated"

He lifted his coffee cup and sipped "You should be a bartender," he said "Does everyone tell you their troubles?"

"Pretty lass of ice water "And I don’t tell anyone anything But in a fewto start charging fora pizza box on one hand and a six-pack of cold beer in the other And the ht up, which made her cheeks blush just a little He caoith a couple of her books She looked at hi to have a taste before you go to bed?"

She nodded and gave him a shy smile

"Then come on, we’ll have it in the kitchen"

She juht at ho Devon if she’d like one The pizza sht drool She closed her eyes and just inhaled, e on pizza, do you?" he asked

She shook her head "But I make decent ood Brings back rabbed plates, napkins and a knife to cut a small slice for Mercy "Do you need a fork?" she asked hi It’s a hands-on dinner--just hands" He sat down next to Mercy and gave instructions to her "This is how you do it," he said, lifting a slice and ai at his mouth

And she copied him, but the bite she took was very small and suspicious

"She’s had pizza before, just never from a box" She took her own bite and almost swooned "Love pizza Love, love, love pizza"

"You okay with the toppings?"

"Oh, yes," she said, chewing happily She sed and said, "I want to hear all about your week Your tea in the bleachers during one of our practices What did you think?"

"You work the but I saw soood kicks And you looked prettyrelentless"

"Most of those boys have been weight training in the off-season They’re eager, that’s for sure I had a good teaood booster club, but letabout this town--football is important to them It’s necessary It took h school and this town They don’t have all the advantages of a bigger school in a bigger, richer town We’ll go into this season with less training equipment, fewer personnel and with a team that has more personal responsibilities than the typical player The acadeher, most of them have part-time jobs and family responsibilities, but they’re co--purely optional on a Saturday ht training and sole one of the bite of pizza Then he told her about the trip he rain-and-nut urt as a start-up fuel They talked about the i all the other things to ensure their diets provided the correct sustenance for the to interested students about taking on training positions on the team, and told Devon he had asked Scott to be the teaued

"I’h

She shook her head "Not at all I love football It’s as coo up against so, talented kids Kids with better equipood playbook to keep these boys safe, strong and healthy"

Mercy wandered away, back to the sofa with her books and the blanket she liked to sleep hile Devon and Spencer finished the pizza and continued their conversation When he took a pause she dared say, "I wasn’t the only one watching your practice Do you have an admirer?"

He frowned "Ms Benjamin? The half-naked history teacher?"

Her eyes fleide and she gulped "Teacher?"

He took a drink of his beer and nodded "Showing her body to the student body I’ aith that in a small town like this"

"Oh, boy, you’re not happy"

"I have a plan I’ to remove her audience When she shows up in her little tiny panties, we’re leaving the field If I have to, I’ll change the practice schedule"