Cover

SYNOPSIS

Secretly hooking up with the team captain’s sister was a bad idea.

In my defense, the first time I saw her I didn’t know who she was.

Kind, gorgeous, a little naïve. Ginny brightened my world from day one.

I knew I was no good for her. She was just out of a relationship and I had a reputation for having a new girl in my bed every weekend.

I tried to do the right thing. Honest.

I’m the one who insisted we should be just friends.

That lasted about as long as you’d expect.

But Ginny? She’s the best—best friend, best everything.

So yeah, hooking up with the team captain’s sister wasn’t a great idea.

Would I do it again?

In a heartbeat.

1

GINNY

AUGUST

“What are you doing here?” I ask my brother through a small crack in the door.

He leans his large frame against it, widening the gap and keeping me from closing it on him. “I’m checking on my favorite sister.”

“I’m your only sister.”

He pushes a big shoulder against it, and I give up on trying to keep him out. Crossing the small dorm room in three steps, I resume my position on the bed.

“Have you left the dorm at all this weekend?” He follows me and takes a seat at the end of my bed. “Hey, Ava.”

My roommate Ava’s on the phone with her boyfriend Trent, but waves and blushes when Adam acknowledges her.

“I’m enjoying my last days of summer vacation,” I tell him as I pull my hair down from the messy bun and attempt to make it look like I haven’t been rocking this same hairstyle for three days. It’s the day before classes start and the only things going on around campus are parties and new student activities—neither of which have sounded appealing enough to get dressed and leave my room.

He picks up the package of cheese and peanut butter crackers I’d been devouring when he knocked. “This looks like the opposite of fun. And you bailed on my party last night.”

“A party with a bunch of your teammates… yeah, no thanks.”

“You can’t sit in here moping forever. Bryan did you a favor. Long-distance relationships in college suck. Next to no one survives them. Plus, the guy was a tool anyway. Don’t let it ruin college. College is awesome.”

My heart cracks a little more at the reminder that my ex-boyfriend, who should be with me at Valley starting our freshman year together, decided at the last minute to go to Idaho instead.

It wasn’t entirely his fault. He got the offer after they’d lost their second-string quarterback to an injury. Bryan became their new second-string and I was cut from his roster altogether.

Adam nudges my arm with his elbow. “Come on. Let’s grab lunch, or come over and hang at the apartment, meet my roommates. You don’t need no man. There’s plenty of fish in the sea. What kind of pep talk are you feeling?”

I smile. “Of course you think there’s plenty of fish in the sea. You have a new girlfriend every semester.”

“Exactly. I speak from experience.”

I don’t think it’ll be that easy for me. My brother is a hockey player, tall and muscular, and I guess objectively he’s attractive. He certainly has no problem finding girlfriends if that’s any indication. He has perfect hair; I’ll give him that. I’ve had hair envy my whole life. Where my dirty blonde hair is stuck somewhere between straight and curly, his is lighter, thick, and the longish strands hang perfectly at the nape of his neck.

“How about lunch?” he asks.

It’s tempting, really. If anyone can make me feel better, it’s Adam, but I’m not sure I want to feel better yet.

Being single is a wonderful and liberating thing. “Single and ready to mingle.” “I’m every woman.” “Put your hands up.” “Truth hurts”. There are so many songs about it, I can’t even list them all. But the thing about the single girl anthem… it’s usually born out of a lot of tears from the last heartbreak.

The girl power and celebration of singledom only comes after you’ve cried your eyes out and burned every item that belonged to the last man who did you wrong.

I’m still somewhere between the two, but I catch Adam’s drift—it’s probably time to re-enter the land of the living.

I let out a cleansing sigh. “Tomorrow. Breakfast tomorrow, I promise. I need to help Ava get our room organized.” I glance over to the boxes stacked on top of my desk that I still haven’t unpacked.

Adam doesn’t look convinced.

“I said I promise.”

He holds his pinky out and I roll my eyes but link it with mine.

“I’ll swing by on my way to the dining hall. You’ve got an eight o’clock, yeah?”

I nod and groan. I am so not a morning person. “Yeah, but you don’t.”

“Preseason workouts this week and next at six. I’ll be heading over to eat around that time anyway.”

“Six o’clock in the morning?”

“Yeah. In the morning.” The deep chuckle that follows makes me smile. He stands and ruffles my already messy hair.

“Stop it.” I swat at his hand. He knows I hate it when he treats me like I’m twelve. In his mind, a three-year age gap makes him so much wiser.

“Be ready at quarter `til,” he says as he moves to the door. “I’d hate to have to bang on the door and wake up the entire hall.”

“God, you’re obnoxious,” I say, but he’s already gone.

I get up and shower, hoping it washes away some of the lingering sadness along with the cracker crumbs. Back in my room, I look around it with fresh eyes and cringe. Ava’s side is organized and decorated with bright colors and then there’s my side. Even I can admit it looks a little depressing. Okay, a lot. White concrete walls, gray bed frame, and desk. The only color is my pale-yellow comforter.

After I’m dressed, I finally unpack. I didn’t bring a lot of personal items because so many of them reminded me of Bryan. I fill the closet with my clothes and shoes, organize all of my school stuff on the desk, and I tape up a few pictures of my family and friends from high school on the wall.

Standing back, I survey the results. It’s a start, and I feel a little more ready to face the world tomorrow. I flip on the small bedside light and crawl under the covers to sleep. I pick up my phone out of habit. Nothing good ever happens from scrolling your phone after midnight.

All of my friends from high school are posting selfies and tours of their new college dorms. There’s Bryan, handsome as ever, in blue and orange. The college campus is in the background and he’s lined up beside a group of big guys I assume are other football players based on their size. They hold beers and smile looking at the camera. He’s obviously having no problem enjoying college without me.

That same handsome face I’ve known my whole life. We were neighbors, childhood friends, and then high school sweethearts. I close my eyes and the last conversation I had with him replays in my mind.

“I don’t understand. What do you mean you’re not going to Valley? We’re supposed to leave in three days.” We lie on my bed and I’m still in that post-sex high, so it takes me a few seconds to realize he’s serious.

His heavy weight on top of me suddenly feels claustrophobic. “I got a call from the coach at Boise State. One of their incoming freshmen got into a car accident. He’s out all year, maybe longer.”

“But we’ve been planning on going to college together for two years, and Idaho is like… a long way from Arizona. How is this going to work?”

He hesitates and runs a hand over his jaw while he studies me with an embarrassed look on his face.

“Oh my god. You’re not just telling me you’re going to Boise; you’re ending this?” I motion between us.

“I don’t think it would be fair to either of us to go to college with unrealistic expectations. You said it yourself, Idaho is a long way from Arizona. When we come back for holidays or summer vacations, we can pick up where we left off. You’ll always be my perfect girl, Ginny.” His gaze drops from my face to my cleavage and continues doing a long sweep of my naked body. The least a guy can do is avoid staring at your boobs while he breaks up with you. Or pull out. “But, I think we should give ourselves the freedom to explore and have fun while we’re apart.”

“Why would you break up with the perfect girl? That doesn’t make any sense,” I mutter quietly to the room, swiping a rogue tear. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry then and I’m not going to let him ruin my first day of college tomorrow.

I force a smile as I reimagine all the amazing things college will bring without Bryan. For starters, I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to. I can be absolutely selfish with my time. Truthfully, I have no idea what that looks like anymore, but I’m ready to find out.

I put in my earbuds, hit play, and fall asleep with Beyoncé on repeat.

The next morning, Ava and I get ready for classes. She’s got the TV hooked up and Vampire Diaries season one, episode one playing. Feels right somehow. The first season of everything starting today.

Our room finally looks like two excited freshmen live here. Ava’s side is a little more personalized, photos of her and Trent, her boyfriend, take up most of the wall above her bed.

My roommate is in a serious relationship with her high school boyfriend, who is going to college upstate. It was something else we’d shared when we first connected over the summer, being in serious relationships. They don’t seem concerned about the distance, although it’s not nearly as far as Idaho.

Ava’s been on the phone or texting him the better part of the last week since we moved in. She’s nice and I think we’ll be great roommates. I guess since she’s in a relationship, at least I won’t have to worry about her bringing random guys back to the dorm. Because I’ll be starting college single and not exactly thrilled about the opposite sex, it’ll be nice not to worry about that.

“Do you want to come to breakfast with us?” I ask as I’m preparing to leave.

“No thanks.” She shakes her head, making her short, black hair toss around her heart-shaped face. “I’m going to video chat with Trent on our way to our first classes.”

A little pang of jealousy hits me, but I push it aside and head downstairs to meet Adam. Excited energy floats in the air. Blue and yellow banners hang on the front of the dorms welcoming us to the new school year.

Students are already out in droves heading off to classes, backpacks strapped to their shoulders, coffees in hand. They walk mostly in groups to their destinations; those who don’t have earbuds in or stare down at their phones.

The Valley campus is truly beautiful. When we dropped Adam off before his freshman year and I got a look at the campus for the first time, I knew that it’s where I wanted to go to college too. The buildings are mostly old and historic looking, green grass makes it feel a little less like the desert, and there’s a huge fountain in the middle of campus.

“Ginny,” Adam calls out, catching me by surprise while I’m lost people watching.

“Hey.” I turn to see him and his friend and teammate Rhett with him.

“You remember Rauthruss?” Adam asks and runs a hand through his still-damp hair. Even wet it looks better than mine.

Rhett grins and steps forward with his hands shoved in his pockets. “Hey, Ginny. Good to see you again. Welcome to Valley.”

Rhett Rauthruss is a giant man-boy. He’s tall and built. His legs are like tree trunks. Seriously, his thighs could crush my head. But he’s got this baby face and pouty mouth that keeps him from looking too intimidating. He’s also got a really great Minnesota accent that I absolutely love.

He and Adam have been teammates and roommates since their freshmen year, so I’ve met him a few times over the years and he came home with Adam once last semester for a weekend.

“Hey, Rhett, good to see you too.”

He grins a little shyly.

“Are we ready?” Adam asks. “I’m starving.”

My dorm doesn’t have its own dining hall, so we cross the street to Freddy Dorm to eat. I follow Adam and Rhett inside, and we fall into the long line of people entering the dining hall, scanning their student ID cards as they go.

The smell of burned toast hangs in the air as we shuffle inside the busy dining room. Rhett heads off at a near jog for food, but Adam hangs back with me. “Grab food and then meet us at the big table in the right corner. You can’t miss us.”

With that, he rushes off too.

I do a lap while I check out the food options. Five or six different stations are set up with varying breakfast foods ranging from yogurt to omelets and everything in between.

I decide on waffles, get at the end of the line, and pick up a tray. The guy in front of me drums his fingers on the back of his tray impatiently. His fingers are long and strong-looking… somehow just really attractive. I let my gaze move up to his forearms and appreciate them in the same way. Tan and toned. The gray T-shirt he’s wearing hugs his back and the short sleeves are snug against his biceps. Muscular but not too beefy.

When it’s finally his turn, he sets the tray down and grabs a plate. With his profile to me, I take in his straight nose and sharp cheekbones. Dark, messy hair that I have the ridiculous urge to run my fingers through, sticks up on his head.

I think maybe I spent too many days in my dorm room crying over Bryan. I’m flat out gawking at this point, but it’s a little hard not to. This guy is attractive without even getting a front view. He has this whole look about him that feels like he didn’t bother glancing in the mirror this morning. Actually now that I think about it, it’s a little frustrating that I spent twenty minutes taming my hair while he rolled out of bed and managed to look like that.

Damn. Welcome to Valley, Ginny.

He proceeds to fill his plate with four waffles. These aren’t the size of the small, frozen waffles that you pop in the toaster, they are huge, bigger than my head waffles. He grabs a second plate and fills that one with bacon and eggs farther down the line. He glances between his plates and the food still left on the warmers ahead like he might not be finished.

I chuckle and he glances back at me. My breath hitches when his blue eyes meet mine. Not blue, a thousand shades of blue. He gives me a sheepish smile.

“Can you hand me another plate?” His deep voice washes over me, vibrating my insides. He’s a lot to take in, but I do, not able to stop myself. His hair isn’t only dark brown, it has hints of lighter strands too. It’s like no part of him could decide on being one thing and instead he’s made up of varying shades and depths.

He has an athletic build, tall but not towering over me like Bryan did. My ex was six foot four, which made him a great height to see over a mass of bodies on the football field, but not so great for kissing without standing on my tiptoes. I’m standing here wondering if I could kiss this guy flat-footed.

Aaand he asked me a question.

“Are you serious?”

He doesn’t bat an eye, so I grab another plate and hand it to him.

“Thanks.”

I fill my plate with one waffle like a reasonable human and continue to scoot down the line behind him. He’s added four pieces of toast and a handful of grape jelly packets to the third plate, and he’s still eyeing the food ahead of us.

“Are you feeding a family of bears?”

One side of his mouth pulls up. “Just one very hungry dude.”

We reach the end of the line and he slows like he’s waiting for me. He eyes my tray. “Barely four hundred calories on that plate. How are you going to make it to lunch?”

“Somehow I think I’ll manage.”

We start walking, both in the same direction.

“Are you following me?” I ask when we’ve walked shoulder to shoulder for three steps.

“No. I think you’re following me.” We reach the table where Adam and Rhett are seated with a group of guys.

“Yo, Heath!” one of the guys calls to him.

It takes a couple of seconds for my brain to catch up.

“You’re a hockey player?” I frown while I try to place him. I’ve only met a few of Adam’s teammates, but I’ve been to several games, so I’m surprised I don’t recognize him.

His brows pull together studying me, maybe trying to place me as well. “Not a fan of hockey? I think you’re at the wrong table then.”

Adam stands and puts a protective arm around my shoulders. “She’s not a fan of any men at the moment.”

Kill me now.

I stare down at my white tennis shoes as Adam introduces me. “Guys, this is my baby sister, Ginny. It’s her first day.”

The group offers their hellos and grunts of acknowledgment. They’ve all got several plates of food in front of them like Heath and are shoveling it in like they haven’t eaten in days.

I take a seat and so does Heath, across from me.

“Did you come to the games last year?” he asks as he pours syrup over his waffles.

“Yeah, a couple. Why?”

“I don’t recall seeing you.”

This makes me laugh. In a crowd of cheering fans, how could he possibly remember? “I don’t recall seeing you either.”

He leans across the table with a cocky smirk. “I was the one doing all the scoring.”

2

GINNY

I eat my breakfast, staying mostly quiet while the guys talk back and forth. They complain about the workout this morning and talk up the season. I’ve gotten good over the years at tuning out hockey talk.

I catch Heath staring at me an uncomfortable number of times. Uncomfortable because I only know he’s staring at me because I’m staring at him too.

Oh, and he eats every one of the giant waffles, plus the rest of his food.

“Where’s your first class?” Adam asks me as we’re finishing up.

“Umm… the humanities building, I think.”

He nods and sits back in his chair. “You know where it’s at? Want me to walk you?”

I resist rolling my eyes. “Yes. I’ll be fine.”

“Humanities building?” Heath asks. “I’m walking that way.”

Standing, I put on my backpack and then pick up my tray. “I’ve got it, really.” I glance at my brother. “See you later.” And then I give a little wave with my free hand to the rest of the table.

As I’m dropping my empty tray, Heath steps up beside me. “Adam Scott’s sister… I don’t see the resemblance.”

“Thank you… I think?”

He’s still following me when we get to the exit. “There’s really no need. I know where I’m going.”

“Okay.” He shrugs one shoulder. “See you around, Ginny Scott.”

The way he says my name is taunting and playful and has my tummy doing weird, excited things.

“Hopefully not if I want there to be any food left to eat,” I say before he can leave.

I should walk away now, but there’s a bizarre chemistry between us and something about him makes me feel the best I have in days. We stand a foot apart, grinning at one another and forcing people to go around us.

He snaps out of it first. “Better get here early for lunch then. That’s when I get in my big meal for the day.”

“Your big meal?” I can’t help but laugh.

“That was nothing. I burned those calories before you woke up this morning.”

“Presumptuous, much? Maybe I’m a runner or a soccer player.”

His gaze sweeps over me slowly and I hold my breath. “Are you?”

“N-no.”

He laughs and takes a step away. “Noon. That’s what time I eat lunch, in case you want to get here early or join me.”

He gives me his back before I come up with a witty response. I can’t decide if that was flirty banter or him really asking me to have lunch with him, but I figure it’s best not to dissect it too much and not to show up at noon. I might be ready to sing all the single girl anthem songs, but I am not ready to start planning my schedule around cute boys. No matter how very, very cute they are. The only thing I’ve made any sense of from my breakup with Bryan is that I need to figure out who I am and what I want, make my own friends. Over the two years Bryan and I dated I grew farther and farther apart from my other friends. To the point, I really don’t have any good girlfriends to call up and cry on their shoulder.

This is my fresh start.

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