Now and Then by Brenda Rothert Read Free Book Online Page A

he said.
    “Or prom night? With the lovely Layla Carson?”
    He shook his head.
    “It was okay, I guess. I think we went to the dance and then a party and we didn’t even stay out that late.”
    Yeah, according to my sister it was a little more than that, Cole. Or have you forgotten?
    “I always wondered what it was like to be one of the chosen ones,” she said. Cole looked at her quizzically.
    “It’s what we art nerds called the kids like you and Layla. The ones who could have anything, do anything you wanted.”
    “I don’t know about that. I worked hard for my grades and I worked hard at football.”
    “I didn’t mean those things,” Emma said. “I meant the social stuff.”
    “Oh. Well, it wasn’t that great, honestl y. A lot of those kids were assholes. I was glad to get away when I went to college.”
    “I never would have guessed that,” she said. Cole leaned his arms on the railing, too, scooting closer so their arms were touching.
    Oh, holy shit. He’s touching me. On purpose. I’m going to die. Right here and now.
    “I like being with you, Em,” he said softly. She wanted to respond, but all she could do was stare into his cloudy sky eyes, wondering if this was the longest, most vivid dream of her life.
    As he leaned down to bring his lips to hers, her inner voice protested. He’s kissed Layla, you know. You’ll be a disappointment compared to her.
    But she had dreamed of this moment through her entire adolescence, and she’d be damned if her inner pessimist was ruining it. She tuned the voice out just as Cole gently pressed his mouth to hers, the breeze blowing her hair as she kissed him back.
    The kiss was warm and sweet, with a lone sweep of his tongue into her mouth that promised something more. She could smell him, feel the heat of his body, and the intimacy of it made her inner fourteen-year-old do a cartwheel.
    He ended the kiss but kept his face near hers as they huddled close. It was a moment she didn’t want to spoil with words, so she silently tried to commit his scent to memory. She was sure she’d never again be able to hear the gentle swirling of waves in the breeze without thinking of him.
    I can’t wait to tell Layla about this .
    Guilt stabbed her in the gut as she realized she couldn’t. She could tell her, she’d just have to pretend it was the imaginary guy from her office who was making her feel a rush of something she’d never experienced from a kiss.
    I’d rather say nothing than lie , she thought sadly. But the sadness dissipated quickly as Cole reached for her hand.
    “It means a lot to me that you were at that game,” he said, his voice almost sad. Emma was sure she’d been less than irrelevant in his high school life, but she squeezed his hand with gratitude just the same.
    “Want to walk out to the end?” he asked.
    “Sure.”
    It was late and she had to get up early for work the next day, but Emma didn’t care. Instead of painting imagined magic, she was experiencing some, and she didn’t want it to end.
     
     
    Then -- Ten years earlier
    The football spiraled toward him, making a perfect arc before falling into Cole’s open arms. He clutched it tightly, unwilling to take any chances in the game that would land his team in the state playoffs.
    H e charged ahead, his feet moving swiftly to avoid the other team’s defenders, his mind blocking out the deafening noise of the screaming crowd. This was a big game; his school hadn’t made it to the state playoffs in more than 20 years.
    His friend Drew smashed into a player from the other team, knocking him into the air for several seconds before he hit the field with a thud Cole felt the vibration of. He’d have to thank Drew later.
    Right now, his mission was his team’s goal post. He ducked his head and ran with everything he had. All the years of training, grueling practices and long weight lifting sessions had prepared him for this moment. He was a senior, so it was now or never.
    He sprinted,