Read Online Fair Catch by Cindy Roland Anderson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cindy Roland Anderson
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increased even more as Nick slid his eyes over her with approval. A thin bead of perspiration formed above her lip and her face felt hot. Where in the heck were the Stewarts?
Cade didn’t seem to care and ran toward Nick with enthusiasm, hugging the man’s legs. “Can you play football with me again?”
Nick didn’t hesitate. “Sure. Let me turn over the chicken first, okay?” His eyes flickered up to meet her gaze again, like he sought permission.
She felt her mouth tilt up at the corners and his mouth did the same. Owen came outside, holding a large salad bowl. “Hey, there you two are.” Ellie noticed a smirk on the pastor’s face as his eyes moved from Nick back to her.
She squeaked again. “Hi, does Betsy need help?” Not waiting for a reply, she sprinted for the sliding doors. Once inside, she closed her eyes and took several slow, cleansing breaths. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes to find Betsy staring at her. “What?”
“Are you okay?” Betsy’s lips twitched at the corners.
Not really—the way Nick had just looked at her, she almost believed the man was attracted to her. “I’m fine. Cade and I raced over here and I just needed to catch my breath.” It was time to move the conversation in a different direction. “Do you want me to put butter on these rolls?”
Again, Betsy’s lips twitched. Then she flat out grinned. “Sure.” She handed Ellie a stick of butter. “I take it you’ve already seen Nick here. You seem nervous.”
Ellie froze. “Do I?” She cleared her throat. “Maybe I am.” Who wouldn’t be? Every time she came within a few feet of the celebrity athlete, she acted like a nitwit. She leaned in and whispered, “I don’t like how edgy he makes me feel and after what happened last time…”
Betsy laughed. “He’s not going to bite, Ellie. Just pretend this is the first time you’re meeting him.”
She gave Betsy an incredulous look. “You do realize that I’ve managed to act like an idiot every time I’ve come anywhere near him?”
“It hasn’t been that bad.”
Ellie narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, right.”
“Just remember he’s just like any other man—”
Ellie snorted, interrupting her. “He is not like any other man!”
“Who’s not?” Nick asked, sticking his head in the kitchen.
Ellie’s hand flew to cover her mouth. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. Between her fingers she asked, “How much of that conversation did you hear?”
Nick’s eyes crinkled and she could see him trying to suppress a laugh. “Probably not enough. Care to share?”
Absolutely not . “No thanks.”
Betsy hooted with laughter and grabbed the rolls off the table. “Come on, kids. Let’s eat.” She disappeared out the door.
How could Betsy leave her here all by herself? Ellie shot a quick glance Nick’s way. A wry grin tipped his mouth, and his blue eyes sparkled with mirth. Honestly, she was so inept when it came to this man. It might be a good idea just to cut the evening short and go home right now. She heard Cade laughing and knew she couldn’t do that to him.
Dropping her hands to her side, Ellie straightened her shoulders and followed Betsy outside. She avoided looking at Nick, but as she walked past him, she caught the yummy scent of his spicy cologne. Just like that her heart was off and running again.
* * *
Piling his plate with delicious food, Nick considered how to get Ellie to loosen up a bit. It proved to be difficult seeing as she seemed to be ignoring him. Since coming back outside, she had yet to even look at him once.
He really hadn’t heard that much of the conversation. Just her last words “he is not like any other man.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out she meant him, and for all he knew, it hadn’t been a compliment. People assumed just because he was a celebrity of sorts, he never felt apprehensive or uncertain. He was still a man who had insecurities just like everyone else.
Nick walked over to
Cade didn’t seem to care and ran toward Nick with enthusiasm, hugging the man’s legs. “Can you play football with me again?”
Nick didn’t hesitate. “Sure. Let me turn over the chicken first, okay?” His eyes flickered up to meet her gaze again, like he sought permission.
She felt her mouth tilt up at the corners and his mouth did the same. Owen came outside, holding a large salad bowl. “Hey, there you two are.” Ellie noticed a smirk on the pastor’s face as his eyes moved from Nick back to her.
She squeaked again. “Hi, does Betsy need help?” Not waiting for a reply, she sprinted for the sliding doors. Once inside, she closed her eyes and took several slow, cleansing breaths. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes to find Betsy staring at her. “What?”
“Are you okay?” Betsy’s lips twitched at the corners.
Not really—the way Nick had just looked at her, she almost believed the man was attracted to her. “I’m fine. Cade and I raced over here and I just needed to catch my breath.” It was time to move the conversation in a different direction. “Do you want me to put butter on these rolls?”
Again, Betsy’s lips twitched. Then she flat out grinned. “Sure.” She handed Ellie a stick of butter. “I take it you’ve already seen Nick here. You seem nervous.”
Ellie froze. “Do I?” She cleared her throat. “Maybe I am.” Who wouldn’t be? Every time she came within a few feet of the celebrity athlete, she acted like a nitwit. She leaned in and whispered, “I don’t like how edgy he makes me feel and after what happened last time…”
Betsy laughed. “He’s not going to bite, Ellie. Just pretend this is the first time you’re meeting him.”
She gave Betsy an incredulous look. “You do realize that I’ve managed to act like an idiot every time I’ve come anywhere near him?”
“It hasn’t been that bad.”
Ellie narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, right.”
“Just remember he’s just like any other man—”
Ellie snorted, interrupting her. “He is not like any other man!”
“Who’s not?” Nick asked, sticking his head in the kitchen.
Ellie’s hand flew to cover her mouth. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. Between her fingers she asked, “How much of that conversation did you hear?”
Nick’s eyes crinkled and she could see him trying to suppress a laugh. “Probably not enough. Care to share?”
Absolutely not . “No thanks.”
Betsy hooted with laughter and grabbed the rolls off the table. “Come on, kids. Let’s eat.” She disappeared out the door.
How could Betsy leave her here all by herself? Ellie shot a quick glance Nick’s way. A wry grin tipped his mouth, and his blue eyes sparkled with mirth. Honestly, she was so inept when it came to this man. It might be a good idea just to cut the evening short and go home right now. She heard Cade laughing and knew she couldn’t do that to him.
Dropping her hands to her side, Ellie straightened her shoulders and followed Betsy outside. She avoided looking at Nick, but as she walked past him, she caught the yummy scent of his spicy cologne. Just like that her heart was off and running again.
* * *
Piling his plate with delicious food, Nick considered how to get Ellie to loosen up a bit. It proved to be difficult seeing as she seemed to be ignoring him. Since coming back outside, she had yet to even look at him once.
He really hadn’t heard that much of the conversation. Just her last words “he is not like any other man.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out she meant him, and for all he knew, it hadn’t been a compliment. People assumed just because he was a celebrity of sorts, he never felt apprehensive or uncertain. He was still a man who had insecurities just like everyone else.
Nick walked over to
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