“So, what happened to you in college?” I say, opening my eyes so I can look at him. “I thought for sure you’d make it to the NFL.”
A sad smile spreads across his face. “So, did I. I had a full ride, but after I tore my ACL, I lost all hope.”
“Were you able to finish college?”
His jaw clenches, and he looks down at his hands. “No.”
In that one simple reply, I can feel the heaviness of it. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
“It’s okay,” he answers. “It’s not a secret. Do you remember Tessa from high school?”
How could I forget? “She was your girlfriend.”
His eyes flash with anger. “We were together in college, but then after I tore my ACL, she wound up pregnant.” I was not expecting that, and he can tell by my expression. “Yeah, it shocked me too. I ended up quitting school and getting a job at the bank to support us. It turns out she had cheated on me, and the baby was the other guy’s.”
I slap a hand over my mouth. “Oh my God, that’s horrible. I can’t believe she did that to you.”
He sighs. “Me either. Last I heard, she’s still with him, and they have two other kids together.”
Shaking my head, I lean my back against the swing. “It’s craziness, I tell you. Then again, things happen for a reason.”
“True.” We rock back and forth on the swing a few more times. “What about you and your ex-husband? What happened there?” he asks, his voice curious.
I can see him staring at me through the corner of my eye, but I keep my focus straight ahead. “We grew apart. Ethan’s a pilot and works all the time. Logan and I never saw him. Eventually, it got to the point where I didn’t feel married anymore.”
“I’m sorry,” Kyler murmurs.
This time, I look over at him. “Ethan loved his job more than me. He calls Logan all the time and sends me money to take care of him, but it’s not the same. Logan doesn’t seem to mind, but I know he needs a father figure in his life. That’s why we moved back here.”
Kyler’s eyes slide down to my lips, but then he averts his gaze. “I don’t see how he does it. There’s no way I could leave a wife and child like that. Some idiots just don’t know what they got.”
This makes me smile. “Exactly. Maybe someone should’ve told Ethan and Tessa that.”
Kyler shrugs. “I’m not worried about it. My life is better now.”
“So is mine.”
We rock for a few more minutes, but then he plants his feet to stop the swing. “It’s getting late. I want to make sure you get inside where it’s warm before I leave.” He stands and holds out a hand, so I take it, and he helps me up. The tipsiness I had earlier is gone, and I’m more coherent. I remember everything he said to me. Kyler slowly lets my hand go and slides his hands into his jean pockets. “I’m probably pressing my luck right now, but will you be at the festival tomorrow?”
I nod. “I will be, but I’ll be on the clock.”
“What about afterward? Think you might want to grab dinner with me?”
I look into Kyler’s hypnotic blue eyes, and the word slips out of my mouth. “Yes.”
He smiles and steps back. “Great. Honestly, I thought you’d say no.”
“I still might.” But then I wink. “Just kidding. I had a good time talking to you tonight. There’s no reason why we can’t be friends.”
His grin widens. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Now go inside, so I know you aren’t going to freeze to death out here.”
Chuckling, I unlock the front door and step inside, leaning against the door after I shut it. My heart races, and I blow out a breath. “What the hell am I doing?” Honestly, I don’t know, but it feels right. Talk about a change of heart.6KylerBeing the manager of a multi-chain bank has its rewards. There are downfalls as well, but when your bank is number one in the state, one of the major sponsors of local and statewide events, and you have an excellent staff that doesn’t necessarily need you all day, you’re allowed to take a day off or two. Thankfully, it’s a short work week at the bank, and each of the branch managers and assistants are dutifully working to keep our operation as smooth as possible. Also, lucky for me, my office is right in Plymouth. It was one of the stipulations when I accepted the job—that I stay in my hometown. I wanted to be close to my parents and serve the community I grew up in. The Board of Directors agreed with the understanding that either my assistant or I travel to each event to make our presence known. The thing is, the tellers, managers, and our community rep team love doing these festivals and sign up for as many as they can each year.