my life.” Rob's smile intimated something sinful. She needed to set things straight.
“What he means is I was there the day he won the national wrestling championship against my boyfriend.”
Rob turned to Aaron and continued the story. “I met her and her boyfriend, Derek, during the tournament. Derek and I were both shocked when we advanced to the final match against each other.”
“Rob won the match after Derek put him through the ringer.” Emma laughed at the memory of the two teenagers rolling around on the mat.
“Yes, but Derek got the girl.” Rob's smile was genuine and caused a flush to creep up Emma's neck to her cheeks.
“Didn't last much longer,” Harry quipped. “Not after—”
Emma smacked Harry on the shoulder. “I don't think this is the time or place to get into my lackluster love life.”
“Oh, I don't know. I might be interested in hearing what an idiot my old pal Derek is.” Rob walked over next to Harry like they were old friends.
Emma grabbed Harry's arm, pulled it around his back and forced it upward. “Don't you dare.”
“I give! I give!” Emma let go as the crowd around them laughed. “I taught you well, young Padawan.”
They proceeded on the tour with several more people in tow, including Rob and Chance. Before she left for the day, Emma got a moment to herself when Peaches led her into the women's locker room to freshen up.
She used the restroom, reapplied her lip gloss, and deemed herself camera-ready once again.
When she opened the door, Rob’s muscular arm pushed her back inside and closed the door.
“Hey,” Rob whispered.
“Hey,” she whispered back and wondered what was going on.
Rob cleared his throat before he began. “I wanted to get you alone for a minute to tell you how good it is to see you again.”
“I think we did this part back in the ring.”
“Yeah, but I also wanted to see if you might be free for dinner tonight.”
Emma's heart swelled at the thought, but she remembered the job she just finalized. There were several couples working for the company. What would happen if . . . She realized she was getting ahead of herself and needed to respond.
“I would love to catch up, but things are crazy for me right now. Plus with the cameras, any man I’m seen with is painted as my soul mate.” She laughed but was saddened by how true her words were.
The disappointment was clear on his face. The same expression he had when she walked away from him twelve years earlier with Derek's arm draped around her shoulders.
“Maybe . . .”
“Maybe?” His eyes seemed to lighten a shade off their normal blue.
Emma reached into the front pocket of the jeans he had changed into and took his phone. After several taps, her number was programmed in under NERDY GIRL.
“This is my personal cell phone. Only a few people have this number. I'm trusting you not to give this out.”
“No. Never.” His smile widened as she slipped the phone into his hand. “Can I call you tonight?”
She nodded and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. “I'm staying at my dad's until I get back on my feet. The cameras are usually gone by eight.”
“Expect a call at five after.”
“I’ll be waiting.” She wouldn't let herself touch him in case she couldn’t stop, so she ducked out the door and went back out to meet Harry and Aaron.
“Dad, I had fun, but I swear I’m going to tape Harry’s mouth shut one of these days.” Emma recounted her wrestling lesson to her father and the camera while father and daughter shared a double meat lover's pizza in the MacLean kitchen.
“I remember the first day you got on the mat with Harry. He was eight and you were about three?” She nodded in agreement. “You wanted to take him down so bad. He was three times your size, but you were so determined. We couldn't keep you away from his practice. I kind of figured you dated Derek because of the whole wrestling thing.”
“Ah, Derek. Funny you should
“What he means is I was there the day he won the national wrestling championship against my boyfriend.”
Rob turned to Aaron and continued the story. “I met her and her boyfriend, Derek, during the tournament. Derek and I were both shocked when we advanced to the final match against each other.”
“Rob won the match after Derek put him through the ringer.” Emma laughed at the memory of the two teenagers rolling around on the mat.
“Yes, but Derek got the girl.” Rob's smile was genuine and caused a flush to creep up Emma's neck to her cheeks.
“Didn't last much longer,” Harry quipped. “Not after—”
Emma smacked Harry on the shoulder. “I don't think this is the time or place to get into my lackluster love life.”
“Oh, I don't know. I might be interested in hearing what an idiot my old pal Derek is.” Rob walked over next to Harry like they were old friends.
Emma grabbed Harry's arm, pulled it around his back and forced it upward. “Don't you dare.”
“I give! I give!” Emma let go as the crowd around them laughed. “I taught you well, young Padawan.”
They proceeded on the tour with several more people in tow, including Rob and Chance. Before she left for the day, Emma got a moment to herself when Peaches led her into the women's locker room to freshen up.
She used the restroom, reapplied her lip gloss, and deemed herself camera-ready once again.
When she opened the door, Rob’s muscular arm pushed her back inside and closed the door.
“Hey,” Rob whispered.
“Hey,” she whispered back and wondered what was going on.
Rob cleared his throat before he began. “I wanted to get you alone for a minute to tell you how good it is to see you again.”
“I think we did this part back in the ring.”
“Yeah, but I also wanted to see if you might be free for dinner tonight.”
Emma's heart swelled at the thought, but she remembered the job she just finalized. There were several couples working for the company. What would happen if . . . She realized she was getting ahead of herself and needed to respond.
“I would love to catch up, but things are crazy for me right now. Plus with the cameras, any man I’m seen with is painted as my soul mate.” She laughed but was saddened by how true her words were.
The disappointment was clear on his face. The same expression he had when she walked away from him twelve years earlier with Derek's arm draped around her shoulders.
“Maybe . . .”
“Maybe?” His eyes seemed to lighten a shade off their normal blue.
Emma reached into the front pocket of the jeans he had changed into and took his phone. After several taps, her number was programmed in under NERDY GIRL.
“This is my personal cell phone. Only a few people have this number. I'm trusting you not to give this out.”
“No. Never.” His smile widened as she slipped the phone into his hand. “Can I call you tonight?”
She nodded and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. “I'm staying at my dad's until I get back on my feet. The cameras are usually gone by eight.”
“Expect a call at five after.”
“I’ll be waiting.” She wouldn't let herself touch him in case she couldn’t stop, so she ducked out the door and went back out to meet Harry and Aaron.
“Dad, I had fun, but I swear I’m going to tape Harry’s mouth shut one of these days.” Emma recounted her wrestling lesson to her father and the camera while father and daughter shared a double meat lover's pizza in the MacLean kitchen.
“I remember the first day you got on the mat with Harry. He was eight and you were about three?” She nodded in agreement. “You wanted to take him down so bad. He was three times your size, but you were so determined. We couldn't keep you away from his practice. I kind of figured you dated Derek because of the whole wrestling thing.”
“Ah, Derek. Funny you should
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