“What you have is a natural gift. I love those two, but sometimes they drive me insane.”
I laugh and look at the back seat, where two child seats are sitting empty. “Where are the little devils, anyway?”
I came to the community center straight from school, and although Sienna and J.D. are starting to give me a little bit more freedom, they don’t like me walking around the city all by myself once night falls.
“They’re with J.D. at home. Anabel and I went out to get mani-pedis, which was actually just an excuse to get away from the boys and chat in peace.”
Anabel is a friend of Sienna’s and the wife of J.D.’s best friend and former teammate, William Price. The two played together for the New York Knights, a football team here in the city, until J.D. decided to retire at the end of last season to be able to spend more time with his family. After winning his second Super Bowl ring, he said it was time for him to hang up his cleats and enjoy the rest of his life while his body is still in one piece.
“On a scale of one to ten, how bad do you think the house will be once we get there?”
“Shelton boys kind of messy,” she says, and we both laugh. They’re hopeless, but we still love them.
The phone buzzes in my hand, drawing my attention. I look at it, frowning at the unknown number that flashes on the screen. Still, I unlock it and open the message.
Unknown: Will I lose my man card if I try to cash in that sometime date you promised me, Legs?
Legs.
My heart starts beating faster, palms growing sweaty as I reread the message on the screen.
Nobody calls me Legs.
Except…
“What has you blushing like that?” Sienna asks, trying to take a peek at my phone, but I pull it to my chest, hiding it from her view.
“Nobody,” I say quickly. Way too quickly, so of course, she notices. “You better keep your eyes on the road, so we don’t get killed.”
“Ha! You didn’t say you weren’t blushing,” she counters, but thankfully returns her attention to driving.
“Am not,” I protest, although I can feel my cheeks heat as I speak the words.
“You totally are! Is there a boy I don’t know about?” More blushing, and of course, Sienna notices. “There totally is a boy! Who is he?”
“Nobody. Let it go, Si.”
“I can’t. I’ve never seen you interested in somebody like that. Hell, I don’t remember hearing you once mention a boy, and now he has you all flushed like that. He has to be somebody special.”
Mason’s dimpled smile and messy hair flash in my mind. There is no stopping a small grin curving my lips.
“He is,” I admit, nibbling at my cheek to prevent it from growing even wider.
Sienna squeals excitedly. “Tell me everything,” she demands.
I could keep pretending it’s nothing, but a part of me doesn’t want to. A part of me wants to share this with her, my best friend, the mother I never had, and have her as excited as I am by all of this.
So I do. I tell her how I saw him the first time, and how I kept coming back in hopes of catching a glimpse of him. How my heart races every time I see him, and how his smile creates a butterfly stamped in my stomach. Then I tell her about what happened today.
“That is so cute! Did you message him back?”
I swallow hard and shake my head no.
“What are you waiting for?”
“What should I say?”
As Sienna so eloquently pointed out, I’ve never done this, never been interested in a guy, never gave him my number in the hope that he’ll text me and ask me out on a date.
“Do you want to go out with him?”
“Yes,” I say, louder than anticipated. I force myself to take a deep breath and then repeat, “Yes, I do. I really, really like him, Si.”
“Then you should text him back.”
I look at the phone, debating what to say so it doesn’t sound like the word-vomit I did earlier in the gym, when something else occurs to me.
“J.D. won’t like it,” I comment, happy to concentrate on something else, even if only for a moment.
She just waves her hand. “Leave J.D. to me.”
Later that evening I open the text Mason sent. I haven’t replied yet, since I couldn’t find the right words, and it’s been driving me crazy.
I add his number to my contacts and stare once again at the message.
Mason: Will I lose my man card if I try to cash in that sometime date you promised me, Legs?
Sucking in my lower lip, I start typing.
No way…
Nope, not that.
I’d love to go...
Too desperate.
I didn’t realize that was a date.
Closing my eyes I press send and throw my phone away from me, burrowing my head into my pillow to let out a silent scream.
Was that the right thing to say? Too cheeky? Too… I don’t even know what…
I should have let Yasmin, hell, even Sienna, text back instead of doing it myself.
What if he doesn’t answer? What if I took too long, and he changed his mind? What if…
I don’t get to spiral further into what-if scenarios because my phone beeps, signaling I got a text message.
Slowly, I lift my head and look at the bottom of my bed. The little light is blinking bright blue.
You can do this, Grace. You’re a Shelton, and Sheltons aren’t cowards.
Not giving myself time to overthink, I reach down and grab the phone.
Mason: So you’d rather I show you how to throw three-pointers?
I nibble at my lower lip as I read the message. There is a slight pang of fear that maybe I offended him, but it’s not like I can go back.
Me: Depends on the other option.
His next response is immediate.
Mason: What if I want to keep it a surprise?
Me: I don’t like surprises.
Mason: Live a little, Legs.
A burst of laughter comes out of me. What’s with that nickname? I start to ask him, but another message pops up.
Mason: Say yes.
Say yes. As if it were that easy.
You know you want to, a little voice reminds me.
I remember Sienna urging me to go for it.
You knew you’d say yes to whatever he asked of you, even before you messaged him back.
Shaking my head, I decide to stop resisting it.
Me: Yes.
Mason: I’ll pick you up this weekend.
God, he’s so full of himself. I knew he was cocky on the court, but apparently that transfers to off the court behavior too.
Me: What if I have plans?
Mason: Do you?
Me: That’s not the point.
Mason: This weekend.
Me: Fine. This weekend.
Mason: *cheeky smile emoji*
I throw myself back on the mattress and stare at the ceiling. My heart is still beating rapidly, like I just ran a marathon, my palms sweaty from nerves.
I’m going on a date.
With Mason LeBlanc.
Once again, I burrow my head into the pillow, letting out a silent squeal of excitement. There is no way I’ll be getting any sleep tonight.
Chapter Two
“Are we done?” I ask, my legs bouncing with nerves. It feels like we’ve been at this forever and I’m still not ready. I just hope Sienna knows what she’s doing so I don’t look hideous. I don’t want to send Mason flying before we even get a chance to go out on a date.