“Uh, it’s Fallon.” Dani suddenly looks sheepish. “But you won’t find my books under that name. My pen name’s Charlotte Ann.”
I raise an eyebrow, looking for further clarification. “Okay…” I await her explanation.
“There’s a lot of crazies out there. Other than my family and close friends, I don’t tell a lot of people my real name. It’s easier that way.”
Boy, do I know about the crazies. This is the first woman in forever to know me as just Luke. I haven’t mentioned what I do for a living, because it’s so refreshing to just be myself and not worry about any expectations she may have about me. Besides, I never know if the women I meet, who also happen to be fans, want to be with me or the man who coaches the Renegades. Even as an assistant coach, I’ve always had wanna-be WAGs, trying to go through me to get to the players. Dani seems different, she doesn’t appear to want to be wife or girlfriend material to members of the team, but I’m not pressing my luck. Besides, the season’s just starting, and I hardly have time for more right now.
There’s something about her that I don’t want to let go of though, and I can’t explain it. Perhaps that’s why I asked her where I could find her books. Who the fuck knows what I was thinking? All I know is that I couldn’t let her go, without trying to get to know her more.
“Well, your secret’s safe with me, Dani,” I assure her. Anonymity’s priceless in the world we live in. It’s part of the reason I chose to live on this island for the past six years. For the most part, I’d met most of my neighbors when I first started working for the Renegades. Now they think nothing of it. Occasionally, someone will mention how we did on our last game, but they’re not fame chasers and respect my privacy, which I appreciate.
“Thanks.” She pulls in her bottom lip and slightly appears shy. Her phone suddenly rings, and she shakes her head. “I have to take this and knowing it’s Nancy, it’ll be a while.” She answers the call with a “Hey, Nancy. Can you hold on a sec?” She then looks in my direction and whispers, “Thanks again for your help and the ride home. Hopefully we’ll run into each other under better circumstances next time.”
“It’s no problem. I’ll let you get to your call.” I gesture to the phone she’s covering with one hand. “I’m sure I’ll see you around.” With that, I make my way back to my Jeep, back out of her driveway to head back to my place.
The entire ride home, I replay our easy conversations from earlier. Dani seems genuine. She has a strong head on her shoulders and is following her dreams. If I had time for anyone, she would be someone who’d pique my interest. Who am I kidding? When was the last time I even thought twice about someone in any way? Obviously, she’s piqued my interest, but with the season just getting started, I don’t have time to start anything near what she deserves.
When I park my Jeep in the garage, my thoughts are still on Dani. I pull out my phone and suddenly find myself looking at bike repair shops. I easily recall the model of her bike and before I have time to think twice about it, I’m ordering a new wheel for her. With a simple phone call, I’m talking with the manager of the store and convince them to deliver it to the ferry terminal later this afternoon. I’ll just hop a ride over as a passenger and pick it up in Steilacoom. Sure, it’ll take an hour out of my day, but it also means I’ll see Dani again.
To pass the time until the ferry arrives, I spend the day tinkering out in my garage. My pet project these days when I’m not working, is restoring a ’66 Mustang convertible. I bought it on a whim from an older woman who lived here on the island. Her husband purchased it in the early seventies and kept it in one of their outbuildings after it stopped working, nearly thirty years ago. She didn’t even realize it was still on their property until he died, and she had to go through his things to downsize and move off the island.
Knowing that money was an issue for her, I paid a reasonable price and had it moved to my garage. I’ve had it for a few years and am slowly rebuilding the engine. It’s in good shape, hardly any rust, and only some minor body work needs to be done. I would have had it up and running instantly if I’d sent it to a shop, but there’s something to be said about doing things for yourself. Unfortunately, my time’s been limited, and I’ve hardly had the chance to work on it, due to my chaotic schedule. But I hope to finish up the engine this week while I’m off. Then all I’ll have to do is some minor dent repair and send it to a shop to be repainted its original color, nightmist blue. Who knows, by the end of the season, I might have it finished.
Time flies while I’m in the shop working. Though my mind drifts to Dani often, I manage to get a bit done. Evelyn hears me tinkering and stops in to say hello. She catches me up on her grandkids as well as things that have been going on around the island, while I’ve been gone at camp these past few weeks. She asks if there’s anything I need at the store to put on her shopping list, as she’s going to head to the mainland tomorrow to do her weekly shopping. I make my request of a few things, but nothing out of the ordinary.
By five p.m., I find myself on the ferry as a passenger to the mainland. It’s a thirty-minute ride and only takes me a few minutes to find the delivery guy for the wheel I ordered. I reward him with a generous tip before making my way back to the line of passengers to get on the ferry once again. Within the hour, I find myself back in my Jeep that I left at the ferry terminal. As I try to decide which way to go, I realize I’m left with a dilemma. How the hell am I going to give this to her? Do I just show up and act like it is no big deal, or should I wait a day or two to deliver it? Sure, I’ve been busy all day, but if I’m being honest, Dani hasn’t been far from my mind. Hell, I have no business taking any interest in her, not with the season just getting underway, but I can pass this off as a Good Samaritan, right?
Without allowing myself time to think about it more, I pull out my phone and bring up her contact information. When given the option to call or text, I immediately press the green button. Before I know it, there’s ringing coming from the line. A flash of adrenaline courses through me, that I haven’t experienced in years. I take a deep breath and steady myself. Christ, it’s not like I haven’t called a girl before? What the hell is wrong with me?
After three agonizing rings, I hear the line pick up, then a slight thud before a nearly breathless, “Hello?”
“Hey there,” I open without thought again. What am I, back in college?
“Luke?” she asks in a clarifying tone.
“Yeah, it’s me.” Real smooth, dumbass. Get to the point or at least stop sounding like an idiot. “Um, I’m just checking on you to see how you’re doing?”
“Oh.” There’s silence on the line for a moment, that seems to last for an eternity. Dani clears her throat. “I’m doing okay.”
“Are you sure? You took one hell of a hit this morning,” I say in disbelief, knowing she must be hurting to some extent.
“I’m a little rough for wear, but not as bad as I thought it might be,” she sheepishly admits. Then after a pause, her voice sounds stronger on the other end of the line. “I’m getting better though. I’ve stayed on top of the ibuprofen as best as I could since this morning.”
“That’s good to hear,” I say, more relieved than I would’ve thought for just meeting someone.
“Yeah, Nancy’s relieved. I won’t be down for too long. Thankfully I’m in the middle of edits this week and not having to finish a manuscript. There’s a lot more reading than typing at this point.”
Ah, her editor. “When’s your next deadline?” My curiosity gets the best of me.
“I have three weeks to fully complete the edits and have it ready for release date. My cover reveal is later this week, and I must spend time in book groups promoting my upcoming release as well as in my own reader’s group. Now that I can afford it, I at least can hire a promo company to help deliver ARCs, as well as everything else needed for release date, so that’s one less thing on my plate,” she says in a blur. Once she stops, there’s an audible huff as if she’s overwhelmed by her list of things to do.
I follow most of what she says, but some things aren’t clear. “ARCs?”
“Advance Review Copies to blogs and people who will promote me by leaving reviews on the retail sites.”
“Oh.” I’m still not completely following her, and thankfully she continues, so I start to understand.
“Yeah. If I send out ARCs, people will read my book and review it before release day. Then hopefully when release day arrives, they’ll post their reviews, and I’ll get further promotion from the various retailers themselves.” She lets out a sigh, sounding exhausted.
“There’s obviously a lot more than I ever thought that goes into publishing a book. I thought only publishing companies or something like that, leave reviews posted on the book jackets,” I say without thinking.
“Not really. If I’m lucky, someone big in the book world will take it upon themselves to promote my book, but mostly it’s through the average consumer, bloggers, and my fans that I get promoted by word of mouth to new readers. Sure, I can market to specific audiences, which I do. But how I’ve made it so far, is through my fan base. I’m honored the people who like my work take the time to promote it to their friends, making my fan base grow.”
“That’s impressive.” I had no idea what went into getting a book onto shelves. “I guess I just take for granted, the authors I like publish books, and I pick them up when I need something to read.” I can’t say I’ve ever paid attention to when books are released, except for the Harry Potter series. Who didn’t pay attention to those?
“Sorry, I’ve been in edit mode all afternoon. You’ll have to forgive me. It makes me a little obsessive.” She lets out a light laugh, and I feel a shiver run through my body. It’s a warm summer evening, so the weather has nothing to do with it.
I grin in response. “It’s no problem. It’s nice to see how passionate you are about what you do.” A horn from the ferry blasts as it takes off, and I recall what I had originally called for. “So, Um… You haven’t fixed your bike yet, have you?”
“Uhhh, I have no idea where the nearest bike shop is, let alone the time this week to take care of it.” She makes a sound as if she’s laughing at me in private. Obviously, she’s been busy, and I now sound like a moron. Great.
“Well, would you mind if I stop by and fix it for you?” Yeah, that doesn’t sound stalkerish or anything. What the fuck was I thinking getting that part for her today? She didn’t ask or need my help, yet here I am ready to do it anyway.
“I guess?” she says in what I can presume is shock.
“If you’re busy, I can swing by another time,” I offer as a way of letting her off the hook if she doesn’t want to be bothered by me today.
“No. Today’s fine.” There’s a pause. “What time is it?” Another moment of silence. “Geez, it’s almost seven. I haven’t eaten since I left your house today. Have you eaten dinner?”
“No, not yet,” I admit. Then I realize I dropped her off before ten today, and we ate somewhere around eight… I think. I ate lunch, and I’m already hungry. She must be starved.
“Wanna come over, and I’ll treat you to dinner at the cafe near the lake? It’ll be my way of thanking you for your help this morning. I’d offer to cook for you, but I’m not sure what I have around here. I need to make a trip to the grocery store.” She lets out a light chortle. “Sorry, when I’m in the zone, the world around me ceases to exist.”
“Obviously.” I shake my head, knowing what it’s like to be in the zone. “I’ll be at your place in a few minutes. I’m not sure what time the diner closes, but if we’re too late, I know somewhere we can go.” I’ve got plenty of food to fix at my place.
Living on such a small island, I pull into her driveway within ten minutes. I’m greeted by an even more beautiful Dani than I remember. She’s now wearing her hair in a top knot, which would be messy on anyone else but is gorgeous on her. She’s changed into a loose blue tank with a fitted green one underneath and a pair of khaki shorts that are perfectly molded to her. Her knees are still covered in bandages, as well as her elbows, but she still looks amazing and nearly takes my breath away.
“Hey,” she says as she greets me. “Give me a second, and I’ll grab my purse.”
“No problem,” I say as I wait on her front walk. “I’ll drive, since I’m blocking you in,” I tell her when she reaches the door and locks it behind her.
“Sounds good,” she says as I escort her to her side of my Jeep and help her in. It’s lifted, and I use this as an excuse to stand behind her, ready to assist in any way I can. Dani’s a champ and doesn’t require assistance, so once she’s in, I simply close the door and make my way to the driver’s side.
I bought this Jeep when I was still in college. It’s not flashy and doesn’t stand out in this community, so it’s what I drive while I’m here. I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face when I remember how excited I was to buy it new, as a junior in college. I’d saved up and worked my ass off to get this on my own. Of course, I had it paid off as soon as I got my signing bonus when I was drafted into the league.
“So… What have you been up to today?” Dani asks as I put the car in reverse and leave her driveway.
“Well, after you left, I worked on a project in my garage for a bit then I ran some errands,” I reply, keeping my answer vague. No need to tell her what I did to get the wheel for her.
She angles her body toward me in the seat. “What kind of project?” she probes with genuine interest.
“Well, when I get the time, I’m restoring a ’66 Mustang.”
“Have you been working on it long?”
Unfortunately, a lot longer than I would like to admit. “Yeah, a couple of years.”
We pull into the cafe and realize it’s about to close in the next twenty minutes. “Uh, do you want to try going in or would you like to try some place else?” I ask, not caring either way. I have plenty to eat at my house, or we can go get something from the grocery store if she’d prefer to go home and fix something there.
Dani bites on her lower lip and contemplates her answer as she looks at the sign reading the hours of operation for the cafe. “I used to work as a waitress, and I hated when people showed up close to closing… Maybe we can have a raincheck?” She tacks on at the end.
“Well, since you said you haven’t eaten since breakfast,” I eye her dubiously, “what do you say I either take you to the grocery store or we go back to my place and eat?”
“Luke,” she draws out my name into more than three syllables. “I don’t want to put you out. I’m supposed to be thanking you, not taking advantage of you… Again.” The look on Dani’s face is priceless. I know she wants to even the score between us, not feel at a disadvantage.
“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want to. My housekeeper keeps my place stocked, so it’s really no imposition.” I can tell she’s about to protest, but I continue before she says another word, “I’ll admit I’m best at barbeque, so if you’re up for it, we can make dinner together, and I’ll bring you home afterward.”
“Will I get to see your Mustang? I love classic cars,” Dani hedges.
“Sure. She still has a lot of work left to do, but I’ll show you the progress I’m making,” I say as I pull out of the parking lot. Within minutes, we’re in my driveway.
Once inside, we make our way to the kitchen. I notice Dani takes her time as she takes in my home even more than earlier today. I’m sure her injuries made her preoccupied earlier, but I find myself enjoying her reaction to the view of both Puget Sound, Mt. Rainier, and the Olympic mountains from my living room. Her eyes are wide, but she doesn’t give any of her other thoughts away. I pop out to the deck to turn on the grill while she admires the view.
Within minutes, I settle into the kitchen and pull steak, mushrooms, asparagus, and baked potatoes to fix for dinner. I quickly prepare the potatoes and slice the mushrooms. By the time Dani makes it to the island, I’ve already begun chopping the asparagus to steam.
“What can I do to help?” Dani asks cheerfully. “You seem very efficient in the kitchen. Lots of practice?”
“Well, I have to eat,” I say nonchalantly. “If I didn’t cook for myself, I’d either have to go out for every meal, or starve. Being nearly thirty, and on the road a lot, I’d prefer a home-cooked meal.” I point to the barstool at the counter and gesture for her to have a seat.
“You travel for work?” Damn, she picked up on that. I walk out to the grill to start the steak. Dani follows, eagerly awaiting my response.
I might as well be honest with her. “Yeah,” I admit as I return to the kitchen. I place the chopped vegetables into two different pans, one to steam, the other to sauté. “I’ll be traveling a lot of the next few months.” I open the fridge and pull out a beer for myself, and offer one to her. “Beer?”
“Sure.” I quickly pull out an opener and hand her one, after popping the top. She takes a long pull on her beer and instantly has my full attention. What is it about women who aren’t pretentious and are able to relax and enjoy a beer now and then? “Ahhh,” she sighs after her first drink. “I haven’t had this in forever. It’s my favorite.” I smile, knowing that most don’t know Irish Death, or like the dark ale from Ironhorse Brewery in Ellensburg.
“It seems we have something in common.” I set the burners on low and head out to the barbeque on the deck, checking on the progress. When I return, Dani’s sitting at a barstool at the kitchen island.
“Are you sure I can’t help you with anything?” Her ocean-blue eyes widen with disbelief that I’m doing everything.
I shake my head. “Naw, I got this. Have a seat and relax. Dinner will be ready before you know it.”
“You sure know how to spoil me,” she teases, and the smile on her face is infectious. “So, where do you travel?”
“I get to travel all over the country,” I admit. Not that I want to hide what I do for a living, but that usually tends to have certain expectations. I’m enjoying her company and don’t really want it to change.
“That has to be interesting,” she assumes. “Where’s your favorite place to go?”
“I don’t get to see many sights, but when I’m not working, I’ve enjoyed going to New York and Boston. All of New England is actually a great place to visit.”
“Those are some great places.” She takes another pull on her beer before she continues, “I’ve always loved going to New York. I’ve gone there a few times but recently have only gone for work and didn’t get to see much either.”
“Another thing we have in common.” I spend a lot of time in airports but don’t get to see much of the cities I travel to. “I see more of the stadiums as well as hotels, than landmarks.”
Dani cocks an eyebrow over her searing-blue eye and prompts, “Stadiums?” as she leans in on an elbow, resting her chin on her palm.
“I… Uh… Work for the Rainier Renegades. Lots of travel with the team,” I finally admit.
Nothing. No recognition whatsoever. Just a deer in the headlights look. Does she live under a rock? Or does she just not follow sports? Maybe I should give her a hint. “Football?”
“I’ve heard of it. You play?” Her eyes go wide with disbelief as she pulls her chin in and looks me up and down with care.
“I used to.” It’s been so long since I’ve had to explain this. “But not anymore.”
“Oh,” Dani whispers as she pulls her brows together, contemplating. “Why not?”
“Blew out my knee,” I admit as I tap on my left knee.
She looks at me in disbelief. “But you were running this morning. You didn’t seem like there was anything wrong with you.”
“I’m about ninety-five percent recovered, but it won’t last on the field.” I plate the vegetables and motion for her to follow me out to the deck again with a plate in each hand. Once outside, I flip the steak once more, realizing they’re not done. “How do you like your steak?”
“Medium, please,” Dani states. “So… Now you work for the Renegades?”
“Yep.” I realize one steak is done and pull it off and place it on her plate. Then I cover the grill to give the other a few more minutes.
“Wow, that has to be exciting. I’ll admit I’m not one to really watch football, but I’ve lived here all my life and know the Renegades are a good team. Didn’t you guys do really well last season?”
I laugh. I can’t help it. “Yeah, we sure did.” We’re the World Champs, but I’m not one to brag. It’s refreshing to meet someone who doesn’t seem to care about the team at all. She’s definitely not a wannabe WAG or jersey chaser. It’s humbling to meet someone who has no idea what I do for a living.
“What?” she asks incredulously, with one hand punched into her hip as if she knows there’s something I’m not telling her. The curly brown knot on the top of her head bobs as her head cocks to the side.
Trying to remain humble, I lose my smile and state, “We actually were league champs last season, so I’d say we did really well.” I scrutinize her reaction. She must be joking. Who didn’t know we won?
She seems genuine when she bites her lower lip. Her features flush the slightest shade of red, but I notice. “I… Uh… Know what it means to be league champs. But I have to admit…” She looks away to avoid my eyes before she whispers, “I never pay attention to who wins.”
“Well, we can’t have everything in common,” I say, trying to make light of the situation, while holding in my laughter. She’s fucking adorable. I’ve never been more interested in a non-fan before. I mean, it’s not really a big deal if she likes football. Well, it’s my life… but not the end of the world. I shake my head in disbelief and pull the last steak off the grill.
“Want to eat inside or here on the deck?” There’s a light breeze coming from the Sound and still an hour or so until sunset.
“Let’s go inside and eat at the table. Easier to cut steak that way. I’ve already been enough of a mess around you today.” She smiles and shakes her head as she walks toward the screen door.
“Inside it is then.” I hold the door open for her, and she makes her way to the dining room table. I can’t remember the last time it was used. I set my plate down and retrieve silverware and our beers.
As she slices off a piece of steak and places it in her mouth, Dani lets out an almost inaudible sigh, which as quiet as it is, still sets something indescribable off inside me. Before I take a bite of my own, I can’t help but ask, “Good?” The savory flavor bursts in my mouth, and I fully comprehend why a moan escaped from her just now. Not bad, if I say so myself.
She finishes chewing, and a beautiful smile flashes across her face. “This is sooo good. I had no idea I was this hungry.” She takes a sip of her beer and reaches for her napkin. “You’d better watch yourself…”
“Why’s that?” I play along.
“When the diner’s closed, I might just show up like a lost stray begging for food.” The saucy look crossing her face has me wishing she’d make good on her threat.
I roll my eyes as I shake my head in embarrassment. “Seriously, don’t be too impressed. This is all I can cook, besides breakfast. You’d tire of it quickly, I’m sure.”
She takes another bite, and her appreciation is evident on her face. “I’m not so sure about that. This is fantastic.”
Not knowing what else to say, I fill my mouth with more food. We eat for a while in comfortable silence. I can’t help but notice as the sun illuminates her beautiful face. She has a light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose, and the dark-auburn streaks shine throughout the messy bun she wears as well. Dani is mesmerizing. I could sit and look at her all evening.
Eventually, I notice she’s lost in thought, completely unaware of her surroundings as she takes in the view from my nearby window. She takes me off guard when she gasps. Her eyebrows knit together, and she cocks her head as if she’s uncertain of something. I try to follow her line of sight, but I have no idea what holds her attention.
Within seconds, she confuses me even more when she suddenly scoots back her chair, abruptly stands, and mumbles something like, “Damn, that might work…”
What the hell is she talking about? I watch with interest as she darts across the room, going directly for her purse. “Dani?” I question, wanting to make sure she’s okay. Did I do something to offend her?
“Just a sec…” she whispers. She digs around in her medium-sized brown leather purse. It isn’t that big. What’s she looking for? She pulls out her phone and immediately types something, but it beeps, showing it’s almost dead. The flash of frustration on her face is evident. I can’t be certain, but I think I hear a curse escape her mouth from across the room as she digs into her purse again. A loud groan can be heard when all she pulls out is a pen.
“Need something?” I offer, trying to be of help.
“Paper,” she pleads, obviously in a rush. “My phone’s dead, and I forgot the notebook I always carry.”
Seeing her desperation, I immediately need to relieve her unneeded stress. I quickly get up and walk to my home office. I return with a brand-new notebook, the kind I always write in while watching film. It’s nothing fancy, but the look of pure relief flowing from every essence of her being says it’ll more than do.
“Thank you,” she whispers as she takes it back to the table to sit next to her now-forgotten food. It’s adorable how she immediately pulls one foot up to the chair, making her knee stand out from the table. She scrunches around the pad of paper with complete concentration, encasing the knee that’s between her and the table as if she’s Gollum seeking his precious ring. Words fly onto the page as she bites on her lower lip in concentration.
Her creative process is phenomenal to watch. She completely tunes out the world around her as she immerses herself into the one she creates in her mind. Not knowing what else to do, I return to my seat and finish the rest of my meal. After filling eight to ten pages, Dani lets out a deep breath and finally makes eye contact with me.
A blush creeps over her as she realizes I’m still in the room with her. I’m not sure what to make of it. But her sudden embarrassment’s amusing. It’s as if she actually forgot I was even here. Talk about humbling. I have lost track of time as I watch her, so I’m not put out by it at all.
“Hey there,” I say as a smile spreads across my face. “Welcome back.”