6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Adam

“So wait.” Susie’s face looks adorable, with her nose scrunched and her bright green eyes reflecting her confusion. “You’re still a Canadian?”

We’ve been sitting and talking for over an hour, and before I knew it, I was telling her my entire life story. How my father died when Steve and I were ten and Olivia was eight, how my mother raised us with the help of her parents, and even about my life on the farm.

“You really didn’t know that?” My brows shoot up to my hairline, and I chuckle.

She shakes her head slowly, a bemused expression on her face.

“How did I not know this?” She says, flabbergasted. She had no knowledge I was born and raised in Canada. “I can’t believe I didn’t know this! I usually know everything.”

I shrug, a lopsided grin on my face. “It’s not like it’s a secret.”

“What about Steve?” She drops her elbows on the table, leaning in closer to me. Her floral scent carries over to me, and I take a slow breath, savoring the scent of jasmine and lavender.

“He’s not a Canadian,” I say with a straight face. Her head tilts, her eyes narrow, and confusion is written all over her demeanor. I press my lips together to keep from laughing. My chest starts to shake, and her mouth forms an O. She playfully taps me on my forearm, sending tiny shivers down my body. “Well, he’s not a Canadian…anymore. When he met Nicole in college, there was no one else for him. They got married right after we were drafted, and he started the process of becoming a U.S. citizen almost immediately.”

Her head tilts, and her nose does that scrunching thing that I’m finding I can’t resist as she takes in what I just said.

An image of Josh’s face crosses my mind from when he found out I met his sister. He wouldn't be happy if he knew I was having these thoughts, yet I can’t deny the attraction I feel toward Susie. There is an ease with her that I haven’t felt with anyone before.

Not possible. She’s off-limits. Friends then; we can be friends.

A nagging doubt that we could ever be just friends courses through me, but I push it down, deep down, in the recesses of my mind to be reexamined at another time.

Resting her hand on her elbow, she stares at me with a pensive look.

“What?” I ask, curious to know the thoughts running through her head.

“What about your mom and sister? Do they still live in Canada?”

A smile crosses my face as I think about Mom and Olivia. I’ll be seeing them again this Christmas. I feel the corner of my lips turn down, realizing things will be very different now that Steve and I are playing for two different teams in completely different parts of the country.

At least we’re in the same conference and will play each other frequently. Mom and Olivia can come to the games when that happens.

A warm hand covers my arm.

“Adam?” I glance up and see Susie's eyes full of concern. I look down at the hand on my arm, and she quickly pulls it away. “Are you okay? I mean, with the trade?”

My heart starts to race, and my mouth goes dry. How is it that this woman gets me? Why is it this woman who gets me?

“You don’t have to answer—”

“No, it’s okay,” I take a deep breath and run a hand through my hair. “It hasn’t been easy, and it came completely out of the blue for me. I knew that the Jags would try and trade for someone after Smith went down. I just didn’t expect to be the casualty.”

Her eyes are full of compassion, and she has a soft look. There isn’t any judgment at all. I place my hands on my thighs, running them up and down my sweats.

“Don’t get me wrong. The Mavericks are a great team, and Darius Brown is my old college teammate…but being separated from family for the first time is difficult.”

“I understand. Josh doesn’t talk about it often, but one of his biggest fears is being traded,” Susie confides. “He played at Pleasant Hollow High School, went to college in-state, and is now playing professional ball here. So yeah…”

She looks down at her folded hands as if trying to figure out what to say next. Her laptop catches the corner of my eye.

“Now that you know my entire history, can I ask you a question?”

She glances up at me with a twinkle in her eyes and splays her hands out in front of her. “Ask away, I’m an open book.”

“What were you working on so avidly when I walked over earlier?” She places a hand on her laptop protectively. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

She looks at me shyly. I think this is the first time since we’ve met that I’ve seen her hesitant. I watch her eyes look off to the side before she looks back at me with a sheepish grin. “I’m going to take you up on not answering…at the moment.”

I feel my eyebrows lift, and I throw my head back and laugh. A light blush creeps up her face and my gut does a little flip. Our gazes lock, and my heart rate accelerates.

“Susie,” Josh calls out to his sister, and I feel a tightness in my chest. Susie’s eyes snap to her brother, and she hops out of her seat, heading over to where he is. “Are you working on some ‘secret assignment’ again?”

Secret assignment? Now my curiosity is truly piqued. What exactly does Susie do? I would start asking more questions if I weren’t so concerned about how Josh would react to seeing me here with his sister.

“Josh,” Susie says, using the same annoyed tone Olivia uses with me and Steve. “Why do you have to be such a turd? You know what I do. Mom’s told you what I do…it’s not a secret, nor do I have secret assignments. ”

I push up from the chair and turn to face Susie and Josh. Bracing myself for whatever Josh’s reaction might be.

“Adam, what are you doing here?” Josh tilts his head and narrows his eyes at me. Luckily, I see more curiosity than anger. I let out the breath I was holding, but before I can say anything, Susie answers.

“He just came over—”

“I stopped in to pick up a cup of peppermint tea.” The twinkle in Josh’s eye at my drink choice has the exact effect I hoped for. “I know. Some of my old teammates would call me Peppermint Patty.”

I watch both of their eyes widen before they burst out laughing.

“Peppermint Patty?” Josh asks, just as Susie says. “From Peanuts? That’s classic!”

I roll my eyes at both of them. “Yeah, bring it on. I’m pretty sure you can’t come up with anything I haven’t heard before.”

“Oh, just give me some time,” Josh says with a mischievous glint in his eyes. My gaze falls to his sister beside him, and her eyes dance with humor.

“So, I came in for tea and saw your sister sitting in the back. I wanted to apologize if I came off as being abrupt the other day when I met her and Brie.”

“Susie didn’t overwhelm you with her rambling, did she?” Josh points his thumb at his sister, and I watch her cheeks turn a delightful shade of pink. She smacks her brother on the chest, and Josh pretends to shirk away. “She does this strange rambling thing that gets out of control pretty quickly.”

“Josh,” she shrieks at him.

“What? You get into this whole rambling thing. It can be overwhelming for people.” He turns his face toward me. “Were you overwhelmed?”

Susie covers her face with both hands, and Josh puts his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “It’s okay, Suse. We love you despite you not being able to control your mouth.”

She smacks him again, and this time, I burst out laughing. At the same time, my heart clenches while I watch the two of them. It reminds me of my relationship with my sister Olivia and sister-in-law Nicole.

I give myself a mental shake.

“I think it’s a Pleasant Hollow thing. Mrs. Baker and Maggie did the same thing.”

“You went to the library?” Josh’s mouth drops open, and his eyes almost pop out of his head.

“What? Is it a crime to like to read?” I ask, surprised that going to the library would get such a reaction. “Anyway, I have to get going. I need to study more of the playbook to prepare for practice tomorrow.”

“Let me know if you have any questions or need help.” His answer brings a smile to my face.

“Definitely a Pleasant Hollow thing.” I shake my head and chuckle as Josh turns his chin to the side. I slap his shoulder before starting to head toward the door. “Thanks, man, I appreciate it. You two have a good night.”

I stroll to the door, but before I step over the threshold, I glance back at Josh and Susie. Her smile lights up her face as Josh continues to needle her about the rambling, and my heart clenches.

I need to figure out how to keep my distance from Susie Owens. She is someone I could easily fall for. I was able to wiggle myself out of this situation, but I’m not sure I’ll be so lucky with Josh next time.