Fourth Down (Portland Pioneers 1)

After my shower, I put my hair in a loose braid, slip into a pair of leggings and throw on an oversized sweater. Having a wardrobe at work is a godsend. I absolutely love the lack of stress that comes with this perk.

The café Peyton and I are meeting at is halfway between our respective places. While I’m on the water, she and Noah live about six blocks away from it. Of course, their view of the harbor is something I’d take in a heartbeat over the proximity. Don’t get me wrong, I love my apartment and the location, but the idea of sipping my coffee from my balcony while looking over the city is appealing as well.

Peyton is already at the table when I arrive. She waves and tells me she already ordered us mimosas as I sit down. “How was your run?” I’ve begged her a couple of times to come with me, but she declines. I wonder if it’s because she genuinely doesn’t like to run or if this has something to do with her accident. I did look it up online, and it was horrific. The article I read said she wasn’t expected to survive, and the interview her dad gave was heartbreaking. The way Noah hovers over her, it’s like he’s waiting for something to come out of the sky and take her away from him. It’s endearing and completely makes sense to me now that I know about the trauma she’s been through.

“My run was great. The weather is perfect today.”

Peyton laughs. “Almost as if you predicted it yourself.”

I follow suit and shake my head. “Puns for days,” I say to her. “I keep seeing this older couple. I don’t know, I’d guess they’re in their eighties or something, but each time I see them, they’re holding hands and seem so in love. My grandmother is always talking about how my granddad is driving her crazy and says they’ve been married way too long.”

“My mom’s parents are still alive, as is my father’s dad and my dad’s mom.”

I hold up my hand. “Okay, explain the dad/father thing to me.”

Peyton smiles and readjusts herself in her seat. “My dad is Harrison. He adopted my sister and me, and my mom adopted his son, Quinn. They’re my parents. They have been together since Elle and I were about six. My father is Mason, and he died when I was five.”

“You sometimes talk about your father like he’s still part of your life.”

“That’s because he is, sort of. Football was his thing. He played in high school with my Uncle Liam and played in college. Then he started coaching back at his high school. My sister gravitated toward my mom, and I was my father’s football buddy. My dad has always encouraged us to talk about our father. There are even pictures of him up at my parents’ house.”

“Got it, I think.” Our waitress arrives at our table with our mimosas and takes our order. Once she’s gone, I continue. “And Noah has always been there?”

“Every memory I have, he’s in.”

“That’s so crazy. You’d think you’d be tired of each other. My parents are like that, high school sweethearts. How long have your parents been married?”

Peyton’s eyes widen, and she lets out a chuckle. “They’re not. My mom wasn’t ready to get married, and my dad said a piece of paper isn’t going to change how he feels. They’ve been together for over twenty years, but you’d think they’re still in the early days of dating. My sister, brother, and I have walked in on them way too many times.”

I want a love like that, something that spans years and decades but never fizzles. Something tells me that Peyton and Noah have that one of a kind of love, where absolutely nothing else matters in their world.

“Okay, I have to ask, what is the deal with Julius Cunningham?”

“What do you mean?”

I lean forward to talk quieter. You never know who is eavesdropping. “At the game, daggers. This man loathes me, and I don’t understand why. I know he thinks I’m using you, but his anger toward me has to be something else. Then, I see him after the game. He’s in the parking lot with his wife, and things are not going well. I can tell they're heated, so Lisette and I are trying to keep to the shadows. Some older man comes up to Julius, and he sort of shoves him away. I can hear kids crying. His wife and an older lady are screaming. It was all a mess. Worst part—Julius saw me there.”

Peyton clears her throat. “I don’t want to speak for Julius.”

“I know, but why does he hate me so much?”

She shakes her head slowly. “I don’t know. It’s so unlike him.”

Our server brings our breakfast, and we focus on our food for a bit. Peyton sets her fork down and asks what I’m doing over the weekend.