Campus Player

I press my other hand to my lower abdomen as if that will calm the sickness roiling inside me. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yup.” He lifts our entwined hands to his mouth before brushing a soft kiss against my knuckles. “Pretty sure.”

“I don’t know.” Dad and I have an unspoken arrangement regarding the Wildcat players. It makes it easier for everyone involved. Not once, in all these years, have I been tempted to cross that line.

Rowan has turned out to be the exception.

I’m unsure how Dad will react to this new development.

Will it be with shock?

Anger?

Disappointment?

The last two are what scares me the most. There has never been a time in my life when I didn’t toe the line. Why wouldn’t I? I had a happy home. Even with the divorce, I knew my parents loved me. Some kids want to push the boundaries and flirt with danger. I never felt the need to do that. I was too focused on soccer and school to get into mischief, or date boys who I knew would be trouble.

Even though I have no idea what to expect from him, I can’t see Dad being hunky-dory with his one and only daughter dating his star quarterback. The very same guy he took under his wing, welcomed into our house, and treated as if he was part of the family.

The only good thing that will come out of this evening is that I can finally come clean and get everything out in the open. My father and I have always been close. I don’t like sneaking around and keeping secrets from him. There have been two dinners since we spent the weekend together, and I barely survived either without blurting out the truth. I laughed a little too loudly and kept jumping up, fluttering nervously around the kitchen and living room. Dad jokingly asked if I had ants in my pants.

Little does he know that it’s Rowan who is in my pants.

Well, not literally. We still haven’t slept together, and it’s driving me bonkers.

As Rowan reaches for the door handle, I slip my hand from his to smooth down my outfit. I’m not a girl who usually wears skirts, but I wanted to look nice this evening. All right...so maybe Sydney got her hands on me before I could walk out the door. I was informed that athletic shorts and a T-shirt are not considered dress code appropriate when you’re announcing a new relationship to your father. I’m wearing a pale, blue-colored skirt that hits mid-thigh and a tan, light V-neck sweater that hugs my curves.

As much as I fought Sydney on the outfit change, I’m kind of glad she strongarmed me into it. Rowan’s expression was well worth the hassle. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he caught sight of me.

Who knows...maybe tonight will be the lucky night.

I almost snort.

A girl can dream, right?

He pauses before pushing open the front door. “Did I tell you how amazing you look?”

My lips bow up at the corners. “Only about a dozen times.”

“Just wanted to make sure.” He gives me a wink along with a quick kiss before swinging the door wide. Barely do I have enough time to collect myself before Dad peeks into the entryway from around the kitchen corner.

“Hey, guys!” He holds up an overflowing platter of uncooked hamburgers and hot dogs. “It’s so nice out that I thought we could grill for dinner.”

“Sounds good, Dad,” I respond in an overly enthusiastic voice. Jeez. I really need to settle down and play this cool.

“Hey, Coach.” Rowan lifts a hand to wave. “Need any help?”

“Nope, it’s all good. The corn is ready to boil, and the fries are in the oven.” He glances between the pair of us. “Did you two ride over together?”

Shoot. Maybe we should have taken separate vehicles. Does he already suspect that we’ve been seeing each other? Is he going to stomp into his home office and take out his gun in an attempt to scare Rowan away?

I have to swallow down the nerves attempting to fight their way out.

Before I can wrap my lips around an answer, Rowan says in an offhanded manner, “Yup. There didn’t seem to be any point in wasting gas when we’re both going to the same place.”

Dad nods as if that makes perfect sense, and I release the pent-up air from my lungs in a rush. I’ve only been here for two minutes, and already I know that I won’t make it through an hour without blurting out the truth.

My father’s gaze returns to me. “Wow, hun, you look nice.” His lips sink into a frown. “Is tonight a special occasion? It’s not your birthday, is it?”

“No.”

“Good. I’d feel terrible if I forgot.” He studies me a little more closely. “Well, you certainly look beautiful. Rowan is a lucky guy.”