Fair Catch by Cindy Roland Anderson Read Free Book Online Page A

need to get my shoes.”
    After slipping on her flip-flops, she noticed the Legos were still spread out everywhere. She should probably clean this up. Bending down, she scooped up a handful and loaded them into the container.
    “ Mommy ,” Cade whined, having just run out of patience. “I’m hungry!”
    She sighed deeply. There was no getting out of this one. “Okay, let’s go, kiddo.”
    Once out the door, Ellie had hoped for a nice leisurely walk next door. Cade had other ideas and raced to the Stewarts’ house. She bolted after him, relieved when he waited for her on the doorstep.
    Although she knew she could just walk in, she knocked, trying to set an example for her son. Owen opened up the door and Ellie wondered if she needed to confess to her pastor about wearing a towel outside. Had Nick said anything about what had happened an hour ago?
    “Hey, guys. We’re eating out back.”
    Surely if he were going to reprimand her, Owen would do it now. He just laughed when Cade sprinted toward the kitchen, shooting out the back door before Ellie could even take one step. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have that kind of energy?”
    You have no idea , Ellie thought cynically.
    She couldn’t stop herself from scanning the yard for the football player. Her face felt hot and she cursed how easily she blushed when she spotted him next to the grill talking with Betsy. Their eyes met and the corner of his mouth lifted into that maddening crooked smile of his.
    Did her heart just lurch? What was wrong with her anyway? So he was nice looking and had great biceps. That didn’t mean she had to be affected by him. Straightening her shoulders, she decided to play his game and gave him a perfect smile, showing off her straight, white teeth—years of wearing braces hadn’t been for nothing.
    “Ellie, I was just about to send someone over to get you,” Betsy said, mildly scolding her.
    By now Ellie was sure her smile probably looked more like a grimace. “Sorry, I was… um…detained.”
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Five
     
     
    Nick held Ellie’s gaze as she drew closer. At least she was smiling at him. Sort of. She still seemed pretty uptight.
    Cade raced ahead of his mother and wrapped his arms around Nick’s legs. “Hey, can I come over to play in your house again?”
    Ellie gave a nervous laugh and clasped her hands together. It looked like she wanted to pull her son back to her side and possibly clap her hand over the little boy’s mouth. “Cade, Mr. Coulter is too busy to have you playing over at his house.”
    “Who’s Mr. Coulter?” Cade asked innocently. “I just wanna play with Nick.”
    Ellie looked like she wanted to avoid the topic of Cade’s visit. Nick chuckled and crouched down to Cade’s level. “If you ever want to come to my house to play, you need to remember to ask your mom first.” He slanted Ellie an I-won’t-tell-if-you-don’t look. It was clear she hadn’t told Betsy about Cade’s escapade.
    Or hers.
    Betsy grinned, spreading a floral tablecloth over the patio table. “Did you get a surprise visit today?”
    Nick straightened up and couldn’t hide his smile. “Yeah, I was surprised all right.” Ellie’s face paled. Teasing her probably wouldn’t be the best way to let her know he liked her. He hadn’t used that tactic since the fourth grade.
    Needing a diversion, he retrieved the Nerf football from the ground. “Hey, Cade, do you wanna play catch?”
    The kid’s eyes brightened. “Yeah.” Then he turned to his mom. “Can I play with him now?”
    Ellie looked relieved. “Sure, honey.” Her eyes darted up and met his gaze. Her lips curved up ever so slightly. “Thanks.”
    Was she thanking him for playing catch with her son or was it something else? “No problem.”
    Patiently, he taught Cade how to toss and catch the football. He felt passionate about the game—something his dad had passed on to him. It was something he hoped to pass on to a son of his own. If Cade