The words “Blaire’s husband” flashed in my mind, and I pulled my mouth back slowly. Shit. I couldn’t do this. She was a married woman. “I’m sorry, Blaire. That was inappropriate.”

Instead of slapping me or yelling at me, she grinned, flashing her adorable little dimples at me. “I seem to remember a time or two when we got caught being inappropriate in public.”

I laughed for the first time in what seemed like forever. “That kiss on the field after our last home game?”

“God, yes! ESPN must have replayed that kiss at least forty times. My brother called me from California and growled at me for ten solid minutes that night.”

I grasped both of her small hands in mine and looked down at them. It was then that I noticed she was wearing a fucking skating rink on the ring finger of her left hand. I stared at the symbol that she belonged to someone else until she pulled her hand away uncomfortably.

“Blaire, can I ask why you’re back in DFW?”

“I’ve recently started an orthopedic residency with the Lademans.”

“So, you’re a doctor now?” When she nodded, I pushed both hands through my hair and took a step back. “But… but I went to the medical school at Harvard and sat in the parking lot every single evening after practice that fall. I even showed your picture to all the first years I could find, and no one knew you. Hell, I even got security called on me and was asked not to come back on campus.”

Blaire looked at me, seemingly surprised that I had gone to those measures to find her. “You know, there are other medical schools in the world besides Harvard.” Yeah, I had a private investigator check those, too, baby. I didn’t tell her that, though, because even in my mind, it sounded a little stalkerish. She continued, “Since my brother was the only family I had left, I accepted the offer from UC San Diego to be close to him.”

I could have been your family, baby. If only…

“I thought you wanted to go into cardiology.”

She shrugged. “I thought so, too, until I got farther into school. Then I just became fascinated by the symmetry of the musculoskeletal system.”

“You and your symmetry,” I said, and we shared a smile. I took a step closer to her. “I’m so proud of you, Blaire. I always knew you could do it.”

“I’m proud of you, too, Ax. Your career has been amazing so far, though I’m still pissed you didn’t win NFL Rookie of the Year.”

“So, you have been keeping up with my career?” I asked with raised eyebrows and a smug little grin.

“Oh, shut up,” she said, rolling her eyes.