Read Online In Dreams by J. Sterling - Free Book Online

offense, Taylor.” The crowd of girls started to whisper when he said “my girl” and Katherine knew it was about to start.
    “Oh, please. We all know I’m ridiculously hot and you just don’t like blondes. Your loss,” Taylor remarked in her perfected sarcastic tone.
    The foursome drove away from the crowd of gawking girls. “If I see so much as the hint of a picnic basket, I’m outta here,” Taylor informed the guys. “Like really. I’ll jump out of this Jeep, I swear.”
    “We like you and everything but what kind of guys do you think we are?” Danny quipped in response.
    “The kind that apparently take their girlfriends on picnics.”
    “Well, as sweet and romantic as real picnics are, I’m sure...we have our own style of doing things. We just didn’t know what else to call it,” Cooper interjected.
    Katherine was relieved. “So, where are we going?”
    “Hold your horses, California. We’re almost there,” Cooper glanced at her and gave her a half smile. That simple look made her pulse race. She wondered if he’d ever stop having that effect on her.
    Cooper pulled the Jeep into a parking spot and the group hopped out. Danny and Cooper grabbed bags and a small cooler out of the trunk. “Come on.” Danny threw his free arm around Taylor while Cooper grabbed Katherine’s hand and led her to a small patch of grass on the riverbank.
    Danny started to throw down a blanket. He knew Taylor was going to make some sort of sarcastic comment about how wimpy this made them so he cut her off before she had the chance. “It’s either this, or we sit in the mud.”
    “I’ll help you spread it out,” Taylor jumped up.
    “It’s really pretty here,” Katherine commented as she watched the water rush over the rocks.
    “Ah! You saw Dominic without us?” Taylor whined.
    Katherine turned around and glared at the boys. “No fair!”
    Cooper and Danny started taking out the deli sandwiches they had bought from Dominic’s restaurant. They pulled out a bag of fresh homemade potato chips with parmesan and truffle. Danny opened the cooler and took out some bottled waters, bottled teas, and soda.
    “This is really nice you guys. Thank you,” Katherine said to both Cooper and Danny.
    Cooper smiled, “But you still think we’re manly and tough, right?”
    Katherine eyed Taylor before responding, “That’s a tough one.”
    “Yeah, this isn’t really what tough manly guys do,” Taylor added.
    “It is when they’re not jerks,” Cooper piped back in response.
    “Yeah! Just because we’re manly doesn’t mean we can’t be nice!” Danny protested.
    “You two make valid points,” Katherine noted.
    “Agreed. You’re still tough and manly and this picnic is hot.” Taylor scrunched her face and closed her eyes as Danny kissed her cheek.
    “So, how was practice?” Katherine asked Cooper.
    “It was good,” Cooper scooted his body closer to hers.
    “Coach is tough,” Danny added.
    “Oh, wah,” Taylor pretended to wipe tears from her face.
    “You are such a brat, Miss Taylor!” And with that, Danny jumped toward her, tickled her and pinned her down. “Now what are you going to do, little girl?”
    “Ugh, get off me. I hate you,” she yelled at him playfully and tried to push his manly frame away from her.
    “No, you don’t. You loooove me,” he kissed her nose.
    “Dream on!”
    “He is the toughest, but best, coach I’ve ever had,” Cooper backed up his teammate. “We have a practice game next Tuesday. Will you come?” He looked at her with puppy dog eyes.
    “Only if you stop looking at me like that,” Katherine admitted.
    Cooper leaned in and gently brushed his lips against her cheek. “You’re so beautiful. I want to look up from the ice and see you in the stands.”
    Katherine struggled for a response, but no words came.
    “Of course we’ll come,” Taylor said with excitement.
    Katherine noticed Cooper still staring at her so she whispered, “I can’t wait to watch you play.