Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
“One, Maia isn’t aloof. Far from it and you’ll find that out. Two, you know I won’t let you near her gorgeous fucking face, even if she hurts me.”
My sister’s expression softened. “She better deserve you, B.”
“I hope we deserve each other.” I shrugged. “She’s … Maia … she’s the one, Ains.”
Ainsley couldn’t wipe the concern off her face as she nodded slowly. And again, I hoped like fuck I would prove myself right.
CHAPTER SEVEN
BAIRD
The last time I’d been this nervous before a game was my first match after recovering from my injury.
I suppose that variety of nervousness had never gone away, but I’d found a way to compartmentalize those feelings.
This was different. These nerves had nothing to do with the game and everything to do with the fact that Maia was coming to see me play for the first time. It was a qualifying home game against Kingston United and would determine if we made it into the final against Dalmarnock. It was a big game.
And yet I was still more nervous about Maia. I’d gotten her VIP access so she could come meet the gaffer and we’d tell him we’re engaged.
First, I had to give Callan and John the skewed version of the truth we’d decided to give everyone other than our parents. The locker room was not the place to do it, so I had them follow me into one of the empty offices.
“What’s going on?” Callan crossed his arms over his chest, frowning. I knew his concern came from love, but man, I was getting sick of seeing that expression on his face.
Just blurt it out. Rip it off like a Band-Aid. “Maia split with her bloke a while back. I took my chance, proposed, and she said yes.”
It was mostly the truth.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell them the whole truth because it would mean asking Callan to keep a secret from Beth, and I didn’t think that was fair.
“Is this a joke?” Callan’s arms dropped to his sides.
“Nah. Never been more serious.” I pulled the ring box out of my back pocket. “Asked my mum for Aunt Sigrid’s ring.” The lads knew all about it and had taken the piss out of me for years because I hadn’t shown any signs of ever getting serious enough with a lassie to use it.
“You’ve never been in a serious relationship,” John said, taking the thought out of my head. “How the hell do you go from screwing around to engaged?”
“Aye? Can you not just date for a bit? Why the need to jump right in?” Callan demanded.
I snorted. “Mate, you proposed to Beth six months after you met. I’ve known Maia for over a year.”
“Technically, Beth and I have known each other since we were sixteen. We were dating for six months before I proposed. Unless Maia’s all right with you showing up in tabloid photos with half-naked women, I’m thinking there’s a plot hole here.”
Bloody Callan. Too smart for my own good. “Fine. She broke up with Will a while back, but I only just got up the courage this past week to propose. She said aye. That tells you everything. That’s all that matters. I’m not going to stand here and explain myself. It’s happening. That’s final.”
Callan stared at me like I’d grown three heads. “You’re serious? Have you been in love with her this whole time?”
I side-eyed John, and Callan followed my gaze. John gave him a tight-lipped nod and then sighed. “Sorry, buddy. But I promised Baird I wouldn’t tell you. He didn’t want you to have to keep a secret from Beth.”
“I’m in love with Maia,” I confessed.
Callan closed his mouth. I waited.
And waited.
Then my best mate nodded slowly as he processed all this new information. “Okay. Well, I … I’m happy for you, man. But I think getting engaged right away is a mistake.”
“Callan—”
“Nah. I’m worried about you. You’re doing a complete one eighty from sleeping with everything that moves to proposing to a lassie. Your behavior is … erratic.”
“So was yours when you were falling in love with Beth and didn’t want to man up and admit it,” I snapped back.
“Okay, okay. None of that.” John stepped between us calmly. “You guys need to chill.”
“He needs his head sorted.” Callan pointed angrily at me.
“Aye. I do.” I nodded, my words taking the wind out of his sails. “But did it ever occur to you that Maia might be the one who can help me do that?”
My best mate’s shoulders slumped.
Then, “Well … fuck.”
I curbed a smug response.
His eyes narrowed. “I’m cautiously offering my congratulations.”
My amusement fled. “You can stick your judgmental cautious congratulations up your arse.”
“For fuck’s sake, Baird. People who care about you are allowed to be concerned for you.”
“Well, I’m sick of it. I’m a grown man. I can handle myself. This is what I want. This is who I want, and that’s that.”