Love at the 20-Yard Line (10 page)

Chapter Eight

Despite her demure posture at church during the service, Haven couldn’t keep the smile off her face. Brody sat next to her with his arm draped along the back of the pew. Although he didn’t touch her, the warmth of his presence enveloped her.

She knew he was uncomfortable, out of his element, but those glancing his way wouldn’t notice. All they saw was a tall, good-looking man listening to the pastor’s sermon.

Haven stifled a yawn, weary from a lack of sleep. She went to bed soon after Brody left, but replayed everything that happened from the moment he said he wanted to date her to the hug he gave her before walking out the door.

She reminded herself over and over that he just wanted to hang out and have fun. However, she couldn’t stop her thoughts from lingering on how much she enjoyed his kisses, how right it felt to be in his arms, how the sound of his deep voice saying her name made her feel boneless and witless.

Casual. He wanted to be casual friends who dated. She could handle that. At least she tried to convince herself of it.

Brody was the most handsome man with whom she’d ever been on a first name basis. He was exciting and a little wild, although she knew him to be kind and gentle, too. She sensed a mixture of anger, longing, and regret fueling his drive to move on to bigger and better things.

Although he acted open and friendly, she knew he kept the real Brody Jackson removed and protected from most people. He’d started to let her have glimpses into who that person was and the more that was exposed, the more she liked what she saw.

She’d never have guessed she’d be sitting in church, struggling to pay attention to the sermon, with him at her side.

Just half an hour before church started, she called him, reluctant to wake him up too early. He answered on the second ring and told her he’d be ready when she got there, giving her directions to his place.

True to his word, she didn’t even have to get out of her car. She’d barely pulled into a parking space when she saw him hurrying down the steps toward her. He wore the same sports coat he’d had on the day they ate lunch together, along with dress pants and shoes, and a button down shirt. She could see, from the glint of the sun, his hair was still wet and knew he’d probably raced to get a shower before she arrived.

“Hey, doll. Nice wheels,” he said, dropping a duffle bag behind the passenger seat as he climbed in. “I didn’t picture you as a crossover kind of girl.”

Haven loved her vehicle that was a cross between a car and an SUV. It was perfect for hauling around her stuff, both personal and work-related, and it had four-wheel drive for when the roads were bad. The deep burgundy color made her smile every time she looked at it.

“What kind of girl did you picture me as?” she asked, backing out of the parking space and pulling into Sunday morning traffic.

“I don’t know. I guess I pictured some kind of sensible sedan in a conservative color.” Brody glanced around the interior, appreciating the ample leg and headroom.

“I’m thoroughly insulted. You thought I had a granny car? Like what? A big ol’ boat in a blah shade of tan?” Although she was amused, Haven worked to sound offended.

Brody chuckled and squeezed her hand. “My apologies. I should have known to expect the unexpected with you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Haven turned into the church parking lot and found a space.

“It means there is much more to you than meets the eye,” Brody said, smirking at her as he got out of the car and followed her inside.

As they listened to the end of the pastor’s sermon, Haven had to stifle a laugh when Brody’s stomach grumbled in hunger. He shot her a sheepish look then turned his attention back to the pastor.

After singing the closing hymn, Brody stayed close to Haven as they made their way to the back of the church where she introduced him to the pastor. Together, they walked outside into the bright spring sunshine.

“Would you like to have some lunch before we go out to the farm?” Haven asked, grinning at Brody as he held her door then ran around to the passenger side.

“If you don’t feed me, there’s no telling what might happen.” Brody reached over and tickled her side.

Haven jerked and tried to steer the car while grabbing his hands in her much smaller one.

“You behave, mister, or no lunch for you.”

“I might turn into a crazy vampire or some head-lobbing madman if you don’t.” He pretended to struggle to free his hands from where she held them captive. Entertained she thought her little hand could stop his if he really wanted to move, he stared at her delicate fingers. He liked the feel of them wrapped around his and left things just the way they were.

Haven giggled. “We can’t have a blood sucker on the loose. Where would you like to eat?”

He suggested a restaurant she liked that was generally fast, affordable, and filling. They arrived a few minutes later and hurried inside, hoping to beat the after-church rush.

Seated at a booth, they enjoyed the meal then returned to Haven’s apartment. Brody carried in his bag and Haven looked at it then back at him. “What’s that?”

“You said we were going out to your family’s farm so I figured I’d need to change before we go.” Brody removed his sports jacket and untucked his shirt.

“I’ll just go… um… change.” Haven stared at Brody’s chest when he began unbuttoning his shirt.

“You look really pretty today, Haven.” Brody reached out and ran his hand down the sleeve of the soft black sweater she wore over a black dress with bright pink trim. She looked so girly and cute, Brody almost had to sit on his hands at church to keep from reaching out and touching her during the pastor’s sermon.

“Thank you, Mr. Jackson. You look quite handsome yourself.” Haven stepped away from him and backed toward her bedroom. “You’re welcome to change in the bathroom if you want. I’ll just be a minute.”

He watched her close the door then carried his bag into the bathroom to change. He didn’t mind changing in the middle of her living room, but for propriety’s sake, he went into the bathroom and traded his dress clothes for a worn pair of jeans and T-shirt.

He folded his jacket and shirt, stuffed them into the bag with his pants and shoes, then tied on a pair of sneakers.

When he opened the bathroom door and returned to the living room, he could hear Haven in the kitchen. Quietly stepping into the room, he admired the view provided as she bent over a drawer, taking out a roll of plastic wrap.

She wore faded jeans, a pair of scuffed boots, and a T-shirt that clung to every womanly curve.

He swallowed hard, shoved his hands into his pockets, and cleared his throat. “Need any help?”

“No, I’ve got it.” Haven smiled at him over her shoulder. She’d taken her hair down from the bun she’d worn to church and pulled it back in a long braid. Curls already attempted to escape the confines, bouncing around her ears and along her neck.

She placed a piece of the wrap over a bowl then set it in a box followed by a cake pan.

“Can I carry something?” Brody moved closer to her, inhaling her luscious scent.

“Sure.” She handed him the box then dropped the plastic wrap back in the drawer and closed it. “Ready to go?”

“I am if you are.”

“Let’s get to it, then.” She picked up her purse and a denim jacket before opening the door and holding it for Brody to walk through. After locking it behind her, she opened the door to the backseat of her car and Brody set the box down then held Haven’s door for her.

He may have grown up lacking many things, but the one thing his mother made sure he possessed was good manners.

Right now, Brody was glad she’d drilled the lessons into his head, because Haven was a lady who deserved to be treated like one.

“Who’ll be at the farm today? Just your folks?” he asked as they merged onto the freeway and headed out of town.

“No. Hale and Tom might be there. Wes and his family could be. It just depends on what they’ve got going on. Usually they all show up in time for dinner, though.” Haven hoped meeting her parents wouldn’t make Brody nervous. She’d never taken a boy out to the farm for them to meet before and she hoped they didn’t read anything into the fact she had a man in tow today.

At the first available opportunity, she’d take her mother aside and tell her they were just friends. She wanted to make sure her mother understood that Brody would leave in a few months and she’d likely never see him again.

Although he hadn’t said anything, Haven sensed his need for friendship. To find something, or someone, that chased away his loneliness. She recognized it in him because that need was so strong in her own life. Even with her loving family and crazy friends like Allie and Rick, an emptiness lingered in her that Haven realized only someone special could fill.

Since Brody had no plans to stay in the area, he couldn’t be that person. However, for the time being, she decided it wouldn’t hurt to pretend he might be.

“Tell me about your brother’s kids. You said they were a handful.” Brody wondered how much trouble two little boys could make.

“They are more than a handful. Be forewarned, they can plow a wide path of destruction before you even realize they’ve moved,” Haven said, making Brody chuckle.

“They sound like my kind of kids. How old are they?”

“Mason is six and Jed is almost five,” Haven explained, taking an exit and following a road out toward what appeared to be nowhere. “Don’t let their sweet smiles and freckles fool you, though. They should be approached like you would a pack of bloodthirsty hyenas.”

Brody laughed and shook his head. “You’re hilarious, you know that?”

“No, I don’t. I’m just telling you how things are.” Haven slowed the car as they turned onto a gravel road. She cast a glance at Brody and he caught her eye. “I want you to have fun today, so please don’t take anything anyone says to heart and please, please don’t believe the stories my brothers may tell about me. None of them are true and I’m not Dad’s favorite.”

Brody was still laughing when she pulled up in front of a large farmhouse with a landscaped yard and two big dogs lounging on the front porch.

“Wow! You grew up here?” Brody looked around as he got out. He opened the door to the backseat and picked up Haven’s box of food.

“Yeah. Mom and Dad built the house when I was about seven. Our old house is where Wes and Tammy live. It’s down the road that way.” She pointed toward a spot in the distance Brody could barely see.

“You sure they won’t mind me intruding on your family time?”

“Not at all, especially if you talk football with my dad. It’s his favorite sport and he spends as much time during football season as possible watching games.”

“Sounds like a man after my own heart.” Painfully aware of the gaping chasm in their backgrounds, Brody couldn’t help but compare the scroungy little house where he grew up to Haven’s All-American childhood.

Haven sensed his hesitation to go inside the house and meet her family. Not willing to let him escape, she looped her arm around his and tugged him down the front walk. The dogs raised their heads to see who approached, bounding off the steps and barking out a friendly greeting.

“Down boys. Down!” Haven commanded the two chocolate labs that approached and bumped into her, wanting attention.

“Who have we got here?” Brody shifted the box so he had a free hand. He held his fingers down for one of the dogs to sniff, rubbed its head and scratched behind its ears.

“Don’t laugh, but you’re making friends with Minion and the one over here is Gru. You know, from the movie
Despicable Me
?” Haven smiled while Brody reached over to pet the other dog.