She remained silent, absorbing my words and deciding if I was being truthful. There was more of the house I wanted to show her, little hidden spots the contractor and I found earlier in the day, but that was going to have to wait until another time. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I explained to Autumn that I needed to head outside.
Barreling down the drive was my old teammate, Lance, who lived in Knoxville where he grew up. Behind his pickup he towed an ancient looking trailer.
“What’s that?” Autumn’s confused voice said from behind me as I stepped onto the porch.
“Where I’ll stay if I’m here while the crews are working.”
“I thought you were staying with the Chisolms.”
“Ah, so you were asking about me,” I said as I smiled down at her. She seemed annoyed as she wrapped her arms around that binder and held it tightly to her chest. I wondered what it would take to have that woman let her guard down. Or smile. I bet she had a killer grin. The kind that knocked you on your ass and took names.
Everything about her held that kind of appeal, but I needed to remind myself that I wasn’t here to be selfish. I needed to keep out of the press and figure out my next step in life. Especially with the letter I received at Brett’s house this morning. I was trying to ignore it, but I knew it was going to fester. It was the second letter I’d received in a month. My mail was being forwarded to my agent and he was sending the important ones my way. He was the only one I trusted with my whereabouts.
“I wasn’t asking about you at all. I haven’t thought about you at all this week. Mother brought it up at dinner.”
She was lying. Her eyes darted everywhere on the porch but me and she absentmindedly twisted the ring on her right hand. If I’d learned anything by being a public figure, it was that I could read people quickly.
Lance brought the old camper around back behind the house as I requested and I followed his truck’s path, Autumn dutifully trailing after.
“Is that even safe?” she whispered and I wasn’t sure if she knew she’d spoken it out loud.
“Haven’t you ever heard not to judge a book by its cover?” I asked as Lance hopped down from his truck and began unhitching the trailer.
“But. . .it’s all dingy.”
“Have a little faith.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled as I introduced her to Lance. The married father of six wrapped Autumn in his arms, surprising us both. The moment he had her tucked against him, I wanted to tug her free and pummel his face.
Fortunately, Lance couldn’t stay long and left just as quickly as he came. His wife was home with their newest addition, born just seven weeks ago, and her mother. I knew from my experience with ex-girlfriends that the mother scenario could go either way.
I opened the door to the camper with the keys Lance had handed me before driving off.
The interior was just as he’d showed in the video chat the day before. I was thankful he was letting me borrow the trailer while I was here.
I was already inside the camper and turned to glance down at Autumn as she stared up at me in confusion.
I waved her in as I stepped farther into the confined space. There was a dinette, a small kitchen and bathroom with a shower, and a queen-sized bed in the front. Lance had upgraded everything last summer. It looked more state of the art than run-down as the outside made it appear.
“Wow.”
Glancing at her from over my shoulder, I cocked my eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate.
“You just. . .keep surprising me.”
“How so?”
“I don’t know. I mean, you’re like a mega sports star, here in Ashfield, living out of a trailer while you renovate a century-old farmhouse. You’re just not what I expected.”
Testing the waters, I took a step closer to her. I half expected Autumn to push me away as I invaded her space, soaked in her warmth, but she only casually ran her finger along the dinette tabletop. I practically covered her body like an umbrella. My frame cast a shadow over her form, but she didn’t move or falter.
“What did you expect me to be?”
She turned back to face me and it was the closest we’d been since that incident at the store a week ago. An incident that I’d been playing on repeat in my head.
“Cocky. Self-absorbed. A player. Take your pick.”
Her assessment didn’t surprise me. It’s what most thought of sports players and most of the time they weren’t far off. I’d been like that when my career started, but I’d learned that it was just as tiring as being myself. Being the man that Ms. Cathy, my first foster mom, wanted me to be.
“Well, I’m not those things.”
Pursing her lips, a sound rumbled out of her as she internally questioned my response.
“We’ll see,” she finally replied. Changing the subject, she sat her trusty binder on the table and said, “Dad mentioned you were interested in learning some of the historical things I’d found.”
The hair on the back of my neck felt like needles prickling my palm as I ran my hand across the skin. I wasn’t sure why, but I was nervous about asking for help. I’d always been that way. My therapist said that it stemmed from childhood trauma.
“Um. . .yeah. Maybe we could go somewhere and you could show me what you’ve found.”
“Why can’t we do it here?”
“I just figured it was dinnertime, and with Brett and Lily gone for the weekend, I kind of need to fend for myself. And cooking is not my expertise unless you want some mac and cheese from a box. And since you grew up here, I bet you know all the best places to eat.”
Her eyes narrowed and I wondered what was going through her mind. I wanted to know everything about her. Autumn intrigued the hell out of me.
“Like a date?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I added on, “It’s just dinner.”
