Beauty and the Baller (Strangers in Love)

“Ronan!” Lois calls as she and Skeeter barge in my office. “We’ve got to help—oh dear, sorry, um, I didn’t mean to interrupt your . . .” Her eyes widen at the bra around my chest; then she blinks rapidly and looks away. “Goodness. I didn’t know you had company. We rang the doorbell, and when you didn’t answer, we tried the door. I told you you can leave your door unlocked in Blue Belle, but if you do, people might just walk in, especially in an emergency. Bless.”

“I hadn’t gotten around to it,” I snap as Nova stiffens under me and jerks down her shirt. I pull her up from the floor, then turn down the music, trying to even my breathing.

What the hell are they doing here?

I rake a hand through my hair and put my back to Lois and Skeeter, wincing as I push down on the tent in my pants. I pretend nonchalance and look down at Dog, who wags his tail. “No wonder they dropped you off at my house. You’re pathetic.” I give him a pet, then move to my desk, wadding up the bra, then tossing it in a drawer and slamming it shut.

Nova sits on a barstool, her face pink.

I face Skeeter and Lois, my arms crossed. “What emergency? Start at the beginning.”

Skeeter grimaces, his auburn hair a mess. “The Wayne County sheriff pulled Bruno, Toby, and Milo over on Loch Ness Road out by the lake. He called Lois; then she tried to call you. Then she called me when you didn’t pick up.”

I pick up my phone, seeing twenty missed calls. “It was on silent.”

Lois waves her hands. “We’ve got to get down there and fix things.”

“If they’re arrested, our season is over,” Skeeter mutters, stuffing his hands in his jeans. “We beat Wayne Prep, and they’re out for blood—”

“Jimmy Lockhart is the sheriff of Wayne County,” Lois grouses. “He’s a big Wayne Prep fanatic. We have no friends in that county.”

“What the hell were they doing way out there?” I ask. “It’s eleven at night.”

Skeeter grimaces. “Stealing the Huddersfield goat. You have to drive through Loch Ness Road. It’s a back road, and I’m guessing they were hoping to sneak into Blue Belle.”

“Dammit!” I roar and pace around the room. “They stole the mascot.”

“They say it’s a ram, but the horns aren’t right. It’s a goat,” Skeeter grouses.

Lois whips her hat off and glares at us. “We’re wasting time. My poor Milo. He’s only sixteen! We’ve got to save them.”

“How?” I ask.

“We go down there and beg. And pray the sheriff will listen. Skeeter’s car is at my place, so he’s with me,” Lois says, shoving her hat back on as she flips around. “You follow.”

“Where the hell is this lake?” I ask, grabbing my keys.

“I’ll show you,” Nova says, coming around to stand next to me.

“You want to come?” I ask.

She nods. “If you want. I’ll need to grab Sabine. We may be there awhile.”

“All right.” Relief hits that she’s coming. I’m not ready to let her go yet.

Lois and Skeeter walk out my front door. I lock it; then Nova and I head out to the garage. I open the passenger door to the Suburban for her, make sure she’s buckled, and then get in the driver’s seat and crank it up.

Five minutes later, Sabine comes out of her house, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, and crawls in the back seat, strapping herself in.

We pass through Main Street and go several miles; then Nova gives directions that lead to a deserted, wooded gravel road that’s barely big enough for two cars.

We go around a curve, and blue lights flash in the night sky. Bruno’s white truck is pulled off the side of the road with a police cruiser behind it. Lois and Skeeter are already out and talking to the sheriff. Leaving Sabine and Nova, I jump out of the car, my jaw clenching when I see a goat tied to a tree. Wearing an orange Huddersfield football jersey, he blinks at me, then dips his head to chew on the grass.

The boys sit in the back of the police car. Yeah, this is going to be tricky.

The sheriff is tall with a khaki uniform and a cowboy hat, a holster at his hip. He steps away from Lois, who had her hand on his arm, and meets me. He gives me a firm handshake. “Ronan Smith. Nice to meet you. Jimmy Lockhart.”

I give him as much of a smile as I can muster. “Heard my boys got in a little trouble.”

He jabs his finger at the white truck. “I was out here on a call and thought I’d check out the lake area. I saw Bruno Miller driving with a busted taillight, and I pulled him over for a warning citation, then saw the goat in the back seat. Thought it was a dog, but, well, it’s the Huddersfield mascot. It lives at the stadium. That’s breaking and entering and theft.” He gives me a hard look. “I called Lois out of respect for you. I’m a fan of the Pythons.”

“But not of the Bobcats?”

He scoffs. “I played quarterback for Wayne Prep. Born and raised in Wayne County. I was at the game when you beat us a couple of weeks back.”

Great.

“What happens now?” I ask.

“I’m gonna take them in and book them in juvenile custody. Call their parents. They’ll make bail, then go to juvenile court. Theft is serious business, Coach.” He looks pointedly at the goat. He’s brown with white spots and not very big, about the size of a German shepherd.

My eyes land on the guys in the back of the cop car. Their heads are turned as they look back at me with wide eyes. “They’re my starting lineup,” I say tightly. “The Huddersfield people trashed our field, and they’re reacting. They’re good kids, dedicated on the field, and usually uphold the law.”

“They didn’t tonight.”

“Is there anything we can do to handle this . . . in private?”

There’s a tense silence as frogs croak in the distance. His face flattens. “Are you offering a law enforcement officer a bribe?”

“Of course not, but I love to sign footballs.” Yes, this is a bribe.

Skeeter slides in next to me. “Come on, Lockhart, we used to face off on the field. We know each other. What would it take to forget this ever happened?”

He hooks his thumbs in his belt. “Nothing.”

I scrub my face, searching for words. “Don’t you remember how it was to be a football player and another team pulled a prank? They’re kids. Those hormones can get out of control.”

He nods sagely. “I remember, but they can’t be sneaking into a stadium and taking property—even if Huddersfield does keep it in a cage.”

I pinch my nose, then hear one of the Suburban doors slam. Nova comes up from behind me, and her hand curls around my arm. “What’s going on, darling? Are your guys going to be arrested?”

I look down at her upturned face. Darling? “I think so,” I mutter.

“What the hell? Nova Morgan?” says the voice of the sheriff.

She fluffs her ponytail, her voice easing into her drawl. “Jimmy! I didn’t know that was you!” Her face glows as she sweeps toward him with open arms. He lets out a hearty laugh, picks her up off her feet, swings her around, and then sets her down.

“I thought you were in New York. It’s been forever since I saw you!”

She tells him about her mom passing, and he squeezes her arm, a familiarity there that makes me scowl. “Loved that woman. She made the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.” He guffaws, a grin spreading on his face, his voice lowering. “I’ll always remember her catching me in your closet under all those stuffed animals. She nearly whipped me out the door. Then she told my mama. I couldn’t call you for a week.”

“Longest week of my life,” she teases.

He chuckles. “I was terrified you’d forget about me.”

I think he’s forgotten about us.

And why is she still standing in his arms?

“I heard you got promoted to sheriff. You look so handsome.” She plucks at his badge and smiles. “You were always my favorite ex-boyfriend. And that’s the truth.”

“Fifteen and thought we were in love; then you had to go and dump me for Andrew.” He bends down and gives her another hug, and I freeze, remembering she doesn’t have a bra on. His hand lands on her lower back, easing close to her waistline—

“Anyway . . . back to the boys,” I snap.

He throws me a side-eye, then looks down at her. “I take it you’re seeing Coach?”

Nova turns and smiles brightly at me. “We’re dating, yes. He’s adorable.”

I roll my eyes . . . of all the things . . .

“He’s completely devoted to me. Aren’t you, darling?”

“Completely,” I say with a grim smile.

Lois appears next to me, wiping her eyes. She’s been over at the police cruiser talking to Milo through the glass. “What’s going on?”

“Nova and Jimmy are having a reunion,” I mutter as Nova hooks her arm with the sheriff’s and they walk to the goat. I can’t hear what they’re saying.

Lois exhales as she watches them. “I forgot they had a thing. It was so long ago.” She throws me a look. “So . . . you and Nova? Did I hear her right? Adorable?”

I close my eyes. “Please never walk in my house again unannounced. And I don’t know what Nova is doing.”

Skeeter smirks. “You sure move fast, Coach. You just met her and y’all—”

“Whatever you saw in my house, wipe it from your memory,” I growl.

“I think it’s fine if you wear women’s clothes,” he says. “I ain’t got a problem with it. The guys might be surprised if you wore it out to the field, but they admire you, and I’m sure they’d get used to it. I have a male cousin in Austin who wears heels and dresses. He changed his name from Mark to Mandy. No one turned a hair in my family.”

“Skeeter! I don’t wear lingerie. It was a dart game. She won a round, and I had to . . . ugh. Never mind . . .”

He pats me on the arm. “I’m like Fort Knox. Nothing’s getting out of my mouth.”

“People’s sex lives should stay private. When my Bill was alive, we got up to some fun stuff,” Lois adds.

I exhale. “This is not the place to discuss it.”

Nova pets the goat and laughs up at Jimmy. He takes his hat off and sets it on her head.

“She’s working her magic,” Skeeter says, relish in his voice. “Nothing like stoking an old flame.” He nudges me. “Be good to her, Coach. Just sayin’. She had it rough with Andrew. You feel me?”

“Of course,” I say with a frown. I’d never want to hurt Nova.

She crooks her arm back in the sheriff’s as they head back to where we wait. Her face is uptilted toward him, and he’s patting her hand. It looks very cozy.

Jealousy whips over me, and my hands clench.

Totally irrational behavior.

They stop in front of us, and the sheriff gives me an up and down, sizing me up.

“Since Nova is vouching for you, I’m going to let them go with a warning for the taillight,” the sheriff says. “I want them to check in with me on Saturday for some public service work. They’ll be picking up trash on the side of the road. In Wayne County. Best not wear Bobcat attire.”

Lois sucks down a shot of her inhaler, then murmurs a heartfelt thank-you.

I head to the cruiser with the sheriff. The boys file out as I put my hands on my hips and give them a glare.

They start with a rush of apologies—

“No. This is unacceptable. You promised me,” I say, cutting them off. “Huddersfield almost got what they wanted: you in trouble.”

They bow their heads and nod. “Yes, sir.”

I heave out an exhale. “Every day next week. Five a.m. Be dressed and on the field for running. Do you think I want to get up that early? I don’t. You won’t be playing Friday night against Collinwood. You’re out. You’ll spend the rest of the week working with your backups. And if we lose against them, that might ruin our whole season. I expect commitment. I expect trust. I expect integrity. I expect heart. Are you showing it to me?”

Their faces fall as they shake their heads. “No, sir.”

“Do you want to win it all or not?”

“We do,” they shout.

“Then why did you come tonight?” I call. “It was reckless. You can’t be reckless in football, boys! Every moment counts! Every decision you make can affect your team!”

“It was stupid, sir. We see that now,” Toby murmurs, and I focus on him.

“I left you working on homework, and now this?” It stings. I expected more from him.

“I’m sorry,” Toby says, his head down.

Bruno raises his hand. “It was my idea, Coach. I talked them into it.”

“And you’re all going to pay the price,” I say.

After I’m done, the sheriff stands next to me and goes into a lecture about theft. Once the boys look suitably chastised, he turns to me and points at the goat. “I’m not putting that thing in my cruiser. It’s up to you how you get it back to the stadium without getting caught.”

“I can take him back,” Bruno says.

I glare at him. “Get your butt in your truck.”

Lois grabs Milo by the sleeve and drags him to her Mercedes. “I’ve got this one.” She opens the passenger door and shoves him in the back seat. “Your mama is gonna whop you,” she tells him.

“She doesn’t do that,” Milo calls as Skeeter sits in the front of her car.

“She should!” Lois snaps as she shuts the door. She walks around to her side, gets in, and throws gravel as she pulls away.

Toby and Bruno get back in his truck.

“Straight home,” I tell them. “I’m calling your parents first thing tomorrow morning.”

With grim faces, they drive away.

When I flip around, Sabine and Nova are loading the goat in the back seat of my Suburban.

I close my eyes and lift my hands up to the sky. “Only in Texas.”

I get in the car and sit, stewing for several moments. My hands twist on the steering wheel, and I exhale, letting the anger ebb as I lay my head back on my seat and stare at Nova. “There’s a live goat wearing a jersey in my car.”

Her lips curl, merriment in her eyes. “Things you never thought you’d say.”

“This whole thing might be funny in a few days, but I’d never let them know that. Thank you for saving us from the sheriff.”

“You’re welcome. I did agree to meet him for lunch.”

I twist in my seat. “No way. He asked?”

She pops her lips. “Yep.”

“Do you want to?”

“I like Jimmy. We’ll catch up and have a great time.”

I frown. “You don’t have to go. I mean . . . because you feel like you have to.”

“I want to. He’s a friend.”

I pause. “Am I?” I want us to be.

The goat makes a strange chuffing sound, and she doesn’t reply but turns to look in the back seat.

I look out the windshield, my head racing back to us on the floor in my office. That was a whole lot more than friendship, that delicious tension and chemistry, the taste of her nipples . . .

No.

No.

I need to stop these thoughts.

Sabine giggles as the goat pokes his head up to the front. He licks my hand, and I grimace.

“Do we have to give him back?” she says.

“Yes,” Nova and I say at the same time.

“I love his little horns. And he’s silky. Can we get a goat? Pretty please.”

“Goats are farming animals,” Nova says to her. “I like house animals.”

“This one lives in a cage,” she counters. “We need to save it from a life behind bars.” The goat sits on Sabine’s lap. “Look, he’s trained. I said sit, and he sat. I could train ours to get the mail or get beer out of the fridge.”

“Ten years before you can drink, and you didn’t say sit; he just sat,” Nova grouses.

“Wow. I must be twenty-five for sex and alcohol. Nice joke,” Sabine says.

“Not a joke,” Nova replies tartly.

I laugh as I pull out on the road. “Okay, girls, any ideas on how to sneak this goat back in?”

Nova gives me a squinty look. “Um . . . yesssss.”

It dawns on me. “Fu—I mean, don’t tell me you’ve stolen this goat before?”

“Senior year, me . . . and a few others.” She grimaces.

Andrew.

“I left a note describing where to find him, some field outside of town with some cows. We didn’t hurt Lambert,” she says.

“Lambert?” I ask.

“Maybe Lambert the first. I don’t know how long goats live,” Nova says.

“Between fifteen and eighteen years. I just looked it up,” Sabine says. “We could train him to shake hands and roll over. I could sleep with it.”

Nova shakes her head. “Still not feeling it, Sabine.”

“But they have those pygmy ones!”

“No means no.”

That chuffing sound comes again, and Sabine abruptly puts Lambert on the floorboard.

“Um, Coach?” Sabine asks.

“Yeah?” I look at her in the rearview.

“Lambert puked in your car.”