That I can’t live without her and don’t want to try.
He jolted to a stop, as the thought settled in his mind. Was it true?
Someone bumped against him where he stood like a boulder in the middle of a highway.
“Sorry,” the stranger said, and Cord repeated the word, barely registering the collision.
Was he really in love with Jessica? Should he tell her? An I-love-you would probably send her running for the hills. Yet deep inside, he knew if he didn’t tell her, he’d regret it for the rest of his life.
He started walking again, the end of the grandstands in sight. Then he spotted her, and his heart jumped out of his chest. Her shiny brown hair flowed out of her ponytail like a waterfall. His hands twitched, remembering how silky that hair felt between his fingers.
Her luscious lips moved, as if deliberately enticing him. She was talking to someone. A man. Cord’s chest constricted, forcing all the air from his lungs. It had to be him—Parker Brown—Jessica’s controlling ex-fiancé.
Cord watched in horror as the man wrapped his arms around Jess. She didn’t resist. The two clung to each other in passion, like they weren’t surrounded by dozens of curious onlookers. When the torturous embrace finally ended, Parker held out his hand.
Don’t take it!
After a moment’s indecision, her hand slipped into his, and Cord’s heart splintered. He grasped at a nearby support pole and leaned against it, squeezing his eyes shut, as if he could unsee what had just happened.
A painful grip on his arm jerked him back to reality. “I’ve been looking for you, Dennison.”
Cord lifted lifeless eyes to face a pair of furious ones. “Hi, Nick,” he answered, in a defeated voice.
“Are you crazy?” Nick yelled, attracting the attention of several passersby. “You can’t ride with a separated shoulder.”
“I know,” Cord replied. “I’m not.”
“You better listen to… What? You’re not riding tonight?”
“No.” Cord turned, walking aimlessly the way he’d come.
“Wait. What’s wrong with you?” Nick’s hand grasped his elbow. “Are you this upset because you can’t compete tonight?”
Cord attempted to swallow, with something the size of Africa stuck in his throat. Nick might as well know the truth. “I lost Jess.”
Nick chuckled. “Don’t worry, buddy. You don’t have to keep track of her tonight. I know you’re busy running this whole show. But thanks for keeping her safe from all the other dudes this summer.”
“I lost her to Parker.”
“I know Parker’s here.” Nick’s brows bent together. “But I don’t think she’ll take him back.”
“She already did,” Cord said, his voice hoarse. “She hugged him. They walked away holding hands.”
Nick’s chin protruded. “I won’t let it happen.”
“Don’t you get it? Your sister is smart and independent. She’ll do whatever she wants. You can’t stop her, and neither can anyone else.” Cord tried to take a deep breath, but someone had strapped an iron belt around his chest. “And I didn’t even get a chance to tell her.”
“Tell her what?”
From Nick’s thunderous expression, Cord suspected he already knew the answer. Dating his sister would be a crime worthy of the death penalty in Nick’s eyes, but right now, Cord didn’t care. At least it would put him out of his misery.
“That I’m in love with her.”
13
By some miracle, thirty minutes later, Cord was still alive.
“Some watchdog you are,” Nick complained. “You were supposed to fend the rabid guys off, not become one of them.”