“I’m twenty-five and very single. No kids, no girlfriend. One day, maybe, but right now I just want to have fun and watch football and teach these little goofballs fun things,” Ruby said.

There was so much in that delivery. If we were at a bar and my girlfriend hadn’t just moved out forty-eight hours ago, I would’ve asked her out. But we were both at work and the weight of my dreams was on my shoulders. I didn’t have time for her. Right then, Champ waved me over. I excused myself but turned to Ruby. “I’ll see you at the games.”

“I’ll look for you,” she said.

We took photos with the students, and I wrapped up our visit by passing out coloring books about Champ’s journey from tiny cheetah cub to NFL mascot. We waved to the children and followed the principal back to the front of the school. Champ excused himself to slip out of the costume. I sat in a conference room by the principal’s office and smiled, remembering how many times I sat outside my dad’s office waiting for him when practice was over and I needed a ride home.

“Thanks for coming out to the school.”

I stood, knowing that voice. “Parker. How are you?” Right in the middle of Wellington Academy, Parker gave me a slow up and down and was obvious about it. I took a step back at her forwardness and stumbled over the chair I just vacated.

“I’m doing well. I was surprised to find out that you were going to be here,” she said. She looked sexy as hell in a cream-colored accordion skirt that grazed her knees and a black, thin sweater. Her hair was pulled back in a low, messy bun and she was wearing glasses. If I could have dreamed up the perfect sexy librarian, today’s Parker would have been it. She made my mouth water.

“I completely forgot about it until yesterday. Hopefully we kept the kids entertained,” I said.

She touched my arm and gave me a sweet smile. “You did a great job. The kids loved you.”

I looked at her hand on my forearm. “I get to do this three more times at other schools. Any suggestions for improvement?”

“I think you’re perfect just the way you are,” she said.

She squeezed my arm twice which was probably innocuous, but I tensed as I waited for that third squeeze. It never came. She dropped her hand but didn’t move out of my space. I looked around to see if anyone else witnessed her flirting through the glass wall. We were still alone. My shoulders dropped in relief. “It’s been fun, but I need to get back. We have our first away game and we have so much to cover.”

“I know. Grayson’s pretty excited about it.”