It was several hours later before Emerson could respond to Riker’s text. Everything’s okay. Again, I’m so sorry about today. I had a family emergency.

This time, he responded back instantly. Is there anything I can do to help?

No, it’s all good. How was church?

Okay. But I missed you.

A relieved grin stretched over her face as she sat down on her bed and kicked off her shoes. She’d been worried all day about how he would react to her standing him up, but he seemed to be okay. I missed you too.

What’re you doing this evening?

A thrill shot through her. What do you have in mind?

How about a walk through the botanical gardens in Ft. Worth?

Sounds great.

You should bring the monkey.

She laughed out loud. Do you really want a monkey between us the whole evening?

Ha ha. Good point. Better leave him at home. Shoot me your address and I’ll pick you up.

Panic raced through her as she scrambled for a response. Thanks, but I’m already out and about. I’ll just meet you at the entrance.

She held her breath, waiting for him to respond. The white lies were stacking up. She’d tell him the truth soon … maybe even tonight.

Okay, thirty minutes?

She glanced at the clock on the wall. How about forty?

See you then.

K.

She got up to find something comfortable to put on. Her phone rang. It was her friend Dede calling. Dede had called twice already today, but she’d let it go to voicemail. She figured she’d better answer this time. “Hello?”

Dede trilled out a string of rich laughter. “Girl, why didn’t you tell me?”

Emerson stood in front of her closet, sifting through her hanging clothes. “Tell you what?”

“About your engagement to Finley. I had to read about it in the society section of The Dallas Advocate.”

Her heart lurched. “What?” she sputtered. “I’m not engaged!” Hot needles prickled over her. Was this her mama’s doing? “Tell me what the article said.”

“I don’t have it in front of me, but it said something to the effect of ‘wedding bells ringing in the near future as you and Finley tie the knot, joining together two prominent Texan families.’ There was a picture of the two of you dressed up at an event.”

She swore under her breath. “Finley and I have attended numerous social events together; the picture could’ve been taken any of those times.”

“Yeah, probably.”

If Riker somehow saw this, it could be bad. Her mind raced. Was it better to tell him right away who she was? Would he believe that there was nothing between her and Finley? A shudder ran through her. He might think she was playing him—having fun with him on the side, while she was engaged to another man.

“Why’re you getting so upset? I thought you and Finley were a thing.”

“No! We’re just friends.” She barked out a brittle laugh. “Why can’t everyone understand that?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to touch a nerve.”

She raked her hair out of her face, sighing. “It’s not your fault. My parents are determined to marry me off to Finley, all for the sake of some stupid business merger.”

Dede’s voice went up an octave. “What? That’s insane.”

“Tell me about it,” she muttered. Dede was also from a wealthy family. She knew how sticky things could get with parents’ expectations.

“If my dad tried to pull something like that I’d strangle him.” Dede paused. “I’m sorry, Emerson. That stinks.”

“Yes, it does.” Anger spiked through her. This had to be her mama’s doing. Or maybe it was Fiona Landers. The two of them were in cahoots. Heck, it could’ve even been Finley. He was determined to manipulate her into marrying him. She scowled thinking about how he’d brought up the rodeo and then said her secret was safe with him. The weasel was giving her a veiled threat.

“Look on the bright side. Finley Landers is quite the catch.”

“If you feel that way, then maybe you should marry him.”

Dede laughed in surprise. “I would if he weren’t so smitten with you. The poor guy’s been in love with you since puberty.”

“No, not me—the idea of me.”

“Yeah, maybe. But either way, you should be pretty happy about the situation.”

She groaned. “You sound like my mama.”

“Well, she does have a point. It’s not every day a girl gets someone like Finley Landers thrown in her lap. He’s gorgeous, smart, a billionaire.”

She rolled her eyes. “Like I said, you should date him.”

“Maybe I will,” Dede quipped.

“You have my blessing.”

Dede laughed. “All right then. This is changing the subject, but how would you like to do some shopping with me tomorrow afternoon? I need a new dress for the Texas Titan Charity Auction next week.”

She jerked slightly at the mention of Titan. “What’s the auction for?”

“Military vets, I believe. Something about rehab and counseling.” Her voice went juicy. “The best part is that a few of the Titan’s players are being auctioned off for dates.”

Saliva got clogged in Emerson’s throat as she coughed. Was Riker one of those players? The likelihood was high, considering he was the starting quarterback. “Which players?” she squeaked.

“I can’t remember right off hand.” Dede let out a low chuckle. “But does it really matter? They’re pro players. You should go with me. We could pool our money and win a date.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“So, you wanna do it?”

“I’ll think about it. Hey, Dede, I need to let you go. I’m late for an appointment.” Well, not late yet, but she would be if she didn’t get off the phone and get ready. At any rate, she was tired of this conversation.

Dede sighed dramatically. “Okay, I guess I’ll let you go. Let me know about the auction, k?”

“Will do.”

“Ciao,” Dede chirped, clicking off.

Emerson ran a hand over her forehead. First the engagement thing, then the auction. It was all coming too fast. Right now, however, she couldn’t deal with either thing. She had to get ready to meet Riker. No way could she be late after standing him up this morning.

As Riker leaned against his bike, waiting for Starr to arrive, the pendulum swung between feeling anticipation of seeing her again and fear that she might not come. When she pulled into the parking lot, a feeling of euphoria washed over him. She was here!

He did a double-take when she got out of the car. She was breathtaking, even more so than he remembered. Her hair was curlier than it had been before. He liked it both ways, he decided. His eyes flickered over her pastel blue shirt and white shorts. Then he took in her long, toned legs, sandals, and fire-engine-red toe-nails. A smile curved her lips as she came towards him.

“Hey,” she said as they embraced. He caught the scent of her strawberry shampoo, felt the soft tickle of her hair as it brushed against his face.

“I’m glad you came.”

“Me too. I’m sorry about this morning.”

He gave her a reassuring smile. “No worries.” He meant it. All was well now that she was here with him.

As they walked toward the garden entrance, he took hold of her hand, a zing racing through him when their skin touched. It was thrilling to be with Starr, and yet it felt natural too. He’d wondered if things might be awkward, but it wasn’t in the least. “What happened this morning?”

“I was headed out the door to meet you. Then I realized that my parents had planned for me to have brunch with them.”

“You should’ve told me. I would’ve gone with you instead.”

He caught the slight tightening of her jaw, or had he imagined it? She looked sideways at him. “Thank you, but it was good that you went to church with your family. How did it go?”

“Pretty good, actually.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “No more arguments, I hope.”

“Nope. It was all hunky-dory.”

She laughed. “That good, huh?”

They went in through the entrance and got in line to pay. Emerson looked around. “I haven’t been here in years.”

“Me either,” Riker admitted.

“I’m glad you suggested it.” She looked at him, and he was struck by how green her eyes were—polished jade. He traced the delicate line of her cheek, noting how her creamy complexion complemented her copper hair. She was part fairy, part siren, part strawberry shortcake, and more woman than any man dared hope for.

He realized she was watching him with a quirky grin. “What?” he asked, then realized with a start that the lady in the booth was waiting for him to pay. He reached in his jeans for his wallet and handed her his credit card. He’d been so taken with Starr that he’d lost his train of thought.

They stepped through the double doors into the garden. “Where do you want to go first?”

Emerson opened the map and looked at it. A mischievous grin crossed her lips as she folded it back up and tore it in half. “What do you say we just go where the path takes us?”

A laugh rumbled in his throat. “I’m all for that.”

She went to a nearby trash bin and deposited the map into it, wiping her hands on her shorts. “All right, let’s go.”

Twenty minutes later, as they stood in front of a pond in the Japanese Garden section, Riker turned to her. “Tell me about your family,” he said casually.

Her jaw tightened. “What do you want to know?”

He felt himself tense, bracing for what was to come. “Everything.” He offered an easy smile in the hope of putting her at ease. Something was off about her family. What was she not telling him? Riker didn’t buy Starr’s excuse for not wanting him to pick her up at her house. Did Starr live alone?

“My daddy’s name is Ethan and my mama is Caroline.”

“Ethan and Caroline Andrews,” he mused. “Sounds like a respectable couple.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, one out of two isn’t bad.”

He cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

“I’m just teasing. They’re both very respectable. I just don’t get along with my mama.”

“Oh.” He kept quiet, allowing her space to explain.

She wrinkled her nose. “She tries to control every facet of my life. What I wear, my profession, the people I see.” She let out a hard laugh. “Heck, she’d probably try to control my breathing if I let her.”

This came as a surprise. He’d assumed Starr was around his same age, give or take a couple of years. She was plenty old enough to make her own decisions. It was kind of worrisome, actually, that her mother wielded so much control over her … or tried to anyway. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-five. How about you?”

“Twenty-six.”

“Did you go to college?” He almost hated to ask that because he didn’t want to make her feel bad if she didn’t.

“Yes, at TCU.”

“A great school. I have some buddies who went there.”

She tipped her head. “How about you?”

“Texas A&M.”

A smile spread over her lips. “I guess we’re Texans to the core, huh?”

“You know it. Do you know the old saying? ‘Never ask a man if he’s from Texas …’”

“I don’t believe I’ve heard that.”

“Never ask a man if he’s from Texas. If he is, he’ll tell you. If not, you’ll just embarrass him.”

She laughed. “That’s good. My daddy would love that.”

“Tell me about him.”

She pursed her lips. “Well, he’s the quintessential Texan—would live in a cowboy hat and boots if he could.”

“Sounds like my dad.”

“Yes, I can see that.”

The sun was setting, pushing orange and pink swirls across the hazy sky and bathing everything in a mellow gold. Here, in this perfectly manicured area with the Asian architecture and geometric shapes, it felt like they’d entered the page of a storybook. They walked over the curved bridge and stopped in the middle, looking down at the green circles of lily pads. Riker draped an arm around Starr’s shoulders, enjoying the tranquility of the landscape. “You mentioned that your family owns a ranch.”

“Yes, my daddy raises cattle.”

He was tempted to ask how large the ranch was, but didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. He suspected it must be a big operation, considering her expensive car. “That’s interesting. We have more in common than I realized.”

“What do you mean?”

“My dad sells farm equipment and machinery.” He grinned. “See how well we fit together?” For a split second, he thought he might be going too fast, but she smiled.

“Yes, we do.”

He wanted to kiss her again right now but didn’t want to make a spectacle of the two of them in public. “Where do you live?”

She hesitated. “With my parents. I had my own apartment for a while, but then my daddy was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes a few months ago.” A half-smile flitted over her lips. “For the first time in his life, Daddy felt fragile and wanted me to be there for him.”

“How’s he doing?”

“Much better. In fact, so well that I’m going to start looking for my own place again.”

“I know a great place—a swanky condo near the Texas Titan Complex. You’d have a great neighbor.”

She leaned into him, resting her head on the curve of his shoulder. “Hmm … I’ll have to keep that in mind.” She reached for his hand and linked her fingers through his.

A jolt of awareness buzzed through him. He turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He gazed into her eyes, marveling at how she was consuming his thoughts. “Tell me where you work.”

He saw the hesitation in her eyes. It was both confusing and concerning. “What is it you’re not telling me?”

She jerked. “What do you mean?”

“I dunno.” He surveyed her. “It’s just this gut feeling.” He’d learned to rely on those feelings—lived by them on the field, knowing when to pass the ball and when to keep it close and make a run for it.

She gave him a playful smile. “Why don’t we just enjoy being together? We don’t have to divulge every single dark and sinister secret on our second date.”

A laugh rose in his throat. “No, we’ll save that for the twentieth date.”

“Oh, so you’re that sure there will be a twentieth date.”

He caressed her hair, wrapping his finger around one of her curls. “Absolutely.”

A large smile broke over her lips, sending rays of warmth shooting through him.

He was learning quickly that Starr had a gift for distracting him from things she didn’t want to discuss. Now he was on to her game, however. He picked back up on their conversation. “You’ve gotta at least give me something. Where do you work? That’s a simple enough question.”

She lifted her chin like she might refuse to answer, then her shoulders relaxed. “Yeah, I suppose it is,” she said lightly. “I work at Snow Veterinary Clinic.”

A feeling of triumph wafted through him. He’d get to know her little by little.

“Enough about me,” she said impatiently. “I want to know how things went with your family this morning, and don’t just tell me hunky-dory. Give me details.”

“You’re a bossy little thing.”

Her eyes sparked. “Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

He chuckled. “I believe it. Hold your horses, little lady,” he drawled. “I still have a couple more questions.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Fine.” She went cross-eyed for a second, sticking out her tongue.

He shuddered. “Didn’t your mama ever tell you that your eyes could stick like that?”

“Whatever.” Her eyes went back to normal. “Okay, what’s your other question?”

“Questions. Plural.”

She held up a finger. “You get one more question, and then it’s my turn.” She eyed him, squaring her chin like she was ready for a fight.

He laughed, loving her spunk. He pursed his lips. “All right. One question … I’d better make it good.”

“Uh, huh.”

“How many siblings do you have?”

“One, an older brother.”

“What’s his name?”

She tsked her tongue. “Sorry, dude, you’ve reached your limit. It’s my turn.”

“But you already know my family,” he protested. “It’s only fair that I should get to know yours too.”

She put a finger to his lips. “Shh. How did it go with your family at church? Did you cause another scene?”

He gawked. “No, I don’t just go around stirring up trouble for the fun of it.”

The look on her face said she didn’t believe him. “Were you nice to Marley?”

“Yeah, all right, I guess.” His eyebrows drew together, and for a second, he felt like Charlie Brown, a dark cloud gathering over his head. “I just wish everyone would stop hounding me about her every second.”

Her face fell. “Hey.”

“I don’t mean you,” he said quickly. “My dad pulled me aside and asked me if I’d go to her birthday party next Monday. Well, first he asked me to come for Mother’s Day. I told him no way that was happening, so he asked me if I’d go to the birthday party instead.”

She gave him an expectant look. “Well, are you going?”

“No, of course not!”

“I think you should.”

His stomach tightened. Starr meant well, but she couldn’t understand what it was like to have her mother replaced.

“She seems like a nice lady.”

He grunted. “I thought so too at first.” The all-too-familiar bitterness poured over him.

Starr frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Marley was the librarian at my old high school.” His throat tightened as he swallowed to clear it. “I saw her at the grocery store a couple of weeks after my mom died. Marley asked how the family was doing and if there was anything she could do to help. I told her that she could bring over some food, check on my dad and the boys from time to time.” He gulped out a harsh laugh. “I told her how grateful I was for her kindness, thanked her profusely.” His eyes narrowed. “Well, fast forward a few months later, and I figured out her endgame.”

“You can’t blame yourself for that.”

“Oh, I don’t. I blame her!” The words cut through his lips like daggers. “She tricked me, and I’ll never forgive her for it.” He stopped when he saw the shocked expression on Starr’s face. He could only imagine how cold and heartless he must sound right now.

“Maybe they were just friends. The love could’ve taken them by surprise.”

“Yeah right. That’s a nice thought, but I think Marley had her sights set on my dad from the get-go, and I gave her a golden pass.”

“Things aren’t always as black and white as they seem,” she said quietly.

“In this case, they are.” He took in a deep breath, forcing a smile. “You didn’t wanna hear all that.”

“Yes, I did,” she countered, “I want to know everything about you.”

Silence settled between them. Starr’s eyes caught his. “Think about us.” She laughed softly. “I never imagined as I was running to the bathroom last minute that I’d meet you.”

He caught the meaning of her words, a grin spilling over his lips. “What’re you saying about us?”

Her eyes sparkled. “I’ll let you connect the dots.”

She was amazing! This was amazing. Life was full of surprises—some good, some bad. He grew up idolizing the Titans, never imagining that he’d one day play for them. On the downside, he never thought his mom would be taken so suddenly. His capable, practical mom who seemed perfectly healthy. And like Starr said, he never expected to literally run into the girl of his dreams at a rodeo in his hometown, of all places.

“I think you should give Marley a chance,” Starr continued. “Maybe if you try talking to her about it—get the full story.”

It was freaky how quickly the anger resurfaced. “Can we just drop it?” he barked, then instantly regretted the outburst when he saw her downcast expression. This thing with Marley and his dad was eating away at him, but he couldn’t let it affect his relationship with Starr. He exhaled a long breath. “I’m sorry.”

She flashed a tight smile. “It’s okay.”

He searched her eyes. “I mean it.”

She softened. “I know. I’m sorry for pushing you.”

A thought occurred to him. “Why do you care so much about my relationship with my family?”

“Because I care about you,” she responded tartly.

“You care?” A smile eased over his lips. “That’s good to know.”

She winked. “Don’t tell anyone though. I wouldn’t want you to get a big head.”

He felt light enough to fly. She was admitting out loud that she cared about him. Touchdown!

The moment slowed as his pulse shot up. “For the record, I care about you too … a lot.” Her cheeks flushed, making her look adorable. “I’d like to kiss you right now,” he murmured into her ear.

She lifted her eyes to his. “Why don’t you?”

It was oh, so tempting. He glanced around at the families nearby. “Speaking of scenes. I don’t wanna cause one, that’s why.”

“Chicken,” she taunted, an impish grin tugging at her lips.

“Not chicken, just cognizant of my surroundings.”

Amusement sparkled like sunshine in her eyes. “Oh, is that what you call it?”

He laughed, loving that she was teasing him. “Yeah.” His eyes roved over her face. “You know, when we met the other night, I could’ve sworn you were a siren. Now I know it’s true. You’re calling me into a stretch of dark, patchy water where I’ll get dashed to pieces on the rocks.”

Her jaw dropped in mock astonishment. “Now don’t you go accusing me of things,” she retorted, with an exaggerated twang. “I’m a good girl.”

“That you are. Good in every way.” He leaned in and nipped her earlobe.

She placed the flats of her hands on his chest. “Now who’s tempting who? You’re just afraid someone will video us kissing and post it all over YouTube,” she taunted.

“That thought has crossed my mind,” he admitted. He pulled back, flashing a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I know it’s a pain to have to worry about crap like that.”

She sighed. “It’s the price of fame, I suppose.”

“Yeah, more like the downside of fame,” he scowled.

“It’s all right Mr. Diehard QB, I won’t hold it against you.” She winked, her hand cupping his cheek. “You can make it up to me later.” She leaned close and gave him a peck on the lips.

Desire swirled through his veins. He couldn’t believe this beautiful, fantastic woman was actually here with him. “That, my dear lady, is certainly something I can do.” A smile tugged at his lips. “So, I’m diehard, huh?”

“Yep, determined to catch the ball at all costs.”

He made a face. “Even if I spilled food all over a redheaded siren in the process … and got slugged in the gut.”

She laughed. “You deserved it.”

He still got a kick out of the fact that she punched him. “What’re you doing tomorrow?” He didn’t want to spend a single minute away from her.

“Working during the day.”

He frowned. “That’s too bad.”

She tilted her head. “I figured you’d have practice or some other sort of Titan business to take care of.” She pumped her eyebrows. “Or maybe you’re just a natural superstar—the ball soars like a rocket out of your hands, straight to the goal line.”

He chuckled. “I wish.” The truth was, keeping in topnotch condition was a daily task, even during off season. Scores of people were gunning for his spot. He couldn’t let his guard down for one second. “I’ll get my usual workout in the morning.”

She clucked her tongue in disappointment. “And here I thought all those magnificent muscles came naturally.”

He put on a good-ole boy drawl, his voice going deep. “Aw, shucks, darling, I ain’t much. I just woke up one morning looking like this.” He flexed his arm, causing his bicep to bulge.

She laughed. “Ah-ha! I knew it. Some people have all the luck. What happens after your workout?”

“At nine, I’m scheduled to meet with my trainer at the Titan Complex for a couple of hours. After that, I’m free.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Too bad I have to work.”

“Can you take off?”

She bit her lower lip, looking thoughtful. “Not last minute. It wouldn’t be fair to leave them in the lurch. But I get off at five.”

He sighed in disappointment. “All right. Have dinner with me. No better yet, I’ll make you dinner at my place. Say yes, or I’ll keep pestering you until you give in,” he added when she hesitated.

Her eyes lit with laughter. “You don’t give up, do you?”

“Never,” he said fiercely.

A dazzling smile broke over her face. “That’s good to know.”