On the Shore (Cottonwood Cove, #3)(29)

“Is that an apology?” she asked, tucking her dark hair behind her ear.

She was so fucking pretty.

“Do you want an apology?”

“I do, actually,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.

“Good. Ask for it tomorrow as one of your questions.” I started walking and chuckled when I heard her grunt from behind me.

“You’re such a stubborn ass.”

“Been called worse, sweetheart. Usually by you, if I’m being honest.”

“If the shoe fits,” she hissed as she jogged to catch up to me as I strode toward the field.

“Oh, the shoe fits, but it has to be specially made because it’s so big.” I winked as we came to a stop at the chain-link fence.

Lionel was sitting on a blanket with Brandy, who looked up and squealed that deafening sound again.

“You came!” she shouted.

The girl had texted me five thousand times. Did I have a choice?

“Let’s go.” Brinkley elbowed me in the side and reached for the gate before pushing it open. She marched in front of me, her tanned legs striding in her boots toward Brandy and Lionel. I couldn’t take my eyes off her ass.

Her hair moved from side to side across her back.

“Mr. Hendrix. Is that you?” Lionel said, pushing to his feet as he hugged Brinkley quickly.

“I told you, you can call me Lincoln.” I extended a hand, and he shook it with a bit more strength than I’d expected, and then I handed him the poster that Brinkley made. She’d gone all out, and there was most likely glitter all over my car now. “Happy Birthday, buddy.”

“How is this happening?” he said, letting my hand go as he bent over his knees like he’d done the first time I’d met him as he tried to catch his breath.

“I arranged for Jimi Hendrix to meet us out here,” Brandy said, and Brinkley’s head fell back in a fit of laughter.

“Baby, his name is Lincoln Hendrix. He’s the GOAT of the NFL.” Lionel looked at me and shrugged like he was trying to apologize.

Hell, I didn’t mind. I liked feeling like a normal dude.

“Yikes. The GOAT. Is that like the booby prize?” Brandy asked.

Brinkley’s gaze locked with mine, and she smiled. The sun was just getting ready to tuck behind the clouds, and those last bits of sunshine made her golden skin shimmer.

Lionel groaned. “He’s the best of the best. The GOAT means that he’s the greatest of all time.”

“Go, Jimmy,” Brandy said as she clapped her hands together.

Now it was my turn to laugh. “How about you show me how you kick the ball? I heard you’re not too bad yourself.”

“From my girlfriend?” Lionel quipped, and his face turned bright red.

“From your stats. I looked you up. You’ve got an impressive record. How about you show me what you can do?”

The next hour was spent watching this kid kick the hell out of the ball. He made every single field goal he attempted. The field lights had come on once it got dark outside, and he went out for a few passes, and I tossed him the ball.

“I suck as a receiver,” he said.

“Hey, I’d suck as a receiver, too. You find your place on the field, and then you work your ass off to be the best at it. You’re a kicker, Lionel. And a damn good one.”

“You’re kidding me right now,” he said as I tossed him the ball, and we walked back toward Brinkley and Brandy.

“You really want to play college ball? It’s not an easy path, brother.”

“I want it more than anything.”

“All right. I’m going to make a few calls. Put your number in my phone,” I said, handing him my cell as he gaped at me. “I’ll see what I can do to help.”

I startled when I saw his eyes water in the light from above us. I knew what it was like to feel as if your dream was impossible to reach. I’d been there once or twice myself.

“I, er, thank you, Lincoln. Even if nothing comes out of it, thank you for tonight. This goes down as the best night of my life.”

I extended my arm to him again, but he lunged toward me and hugged me.

I patted his back because I wasn’t really sure what to do, but the kid didn’t move, so I put my other arm around him and let him just sit there for a minute.

Brinkley was smiling bigger than she ever had before. Normally, it was a wicked smile. Or an evil smile. Or a sarcastic smile.

But this one was a genuine smile.

Not an ounce of hate or irritation there.

He finally pulled back, and he swiped at his face, keeping his head down, and I knew in that moment that I’d do whatever I could to help this kid.

We said our goodbyes, and Brandy was still squealing behind us as Brinkley and I made our way to the car. She hadn’t said anything yet, and once we were both inside and buckled up, she turned to me.

“That was really nice, Lincoln,” she whispered.

“I can’t promise anything, but I can get some eyes on him. He’s a decent player. He hasn’t been coached much, so there’s a lot of potential there.”

She nodded. “Yeah. All he needs is a chance, right? Then it’s in his hands.”

“Yep. Are you hungry?” I asked. Hell, I’d dragged her there. The least I could do was feed her.