Page 13 of The Linebacker

The cashier handed him his change and said, “You like Assyrian wine? I can get you Assyrian wine.”

Amil’s eyebrows shot into his hairline. “Seriously?”

The guy snagged a notepad and began scribbling notes. “Two weeks. Come back and I will have Assyrian wine.”

“Thank you,” Amil said, and his smile could have lit up the entire Portland skyline. It was the first time Diana had seen him with unadulterated joy on his face.

Outside of that hotel room in Santa Clara, anyway.

A few minutes later, she pulled up to the curb in front of Allison and Dante’s home. It didn’t look like much from here; a basic ranch surrounded by maples and evergreens, a handful of flowering trees, and, of course, rose bushes. She waited for Amil to remark on that, but he said nothing as he climbed out of the Equinox and hesitated at the front bumper.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as she stepped up to his side.

“I was going to open your door for you but couldn’t decide if I’m supposed to when you’re the driver.”

She patted his bicep, which was a mistake because now she wanted to squeeze it. To drag her fingernails over all those bulges, see if she could make him shiver.

“This isn’t a date, so no need,” she managed to get out. Mostly to reassure herself.

“Date or no date, it’s the polite thing to do,” he said.

Jeez. Who was this guy? She’d never experienced someone who was so damn…polite. Then again, she rarely spent time with guys outside of the bedroom, unless it was in a strictly platonic way, so she had nothing to base her observations on. Maybe this was perfectly normal behavior.

Was it possible that her mother, her grandmother, her sister were simply attracted to the wrong sort of men?

Yes, that was definitely the case. And if it was the case for them, it was likely for her too. The odds were stacked too high.

“Come on, let me wow you.” She headed for the front door.

“You already do.” The words were so quiet, she wondered if he’d meant for her to hear them.

The distinct smell of the grill heating up hit her before Dante pulled open the door. She’d been to plenty of dinners here, so she knew Dante was a hell of a cook.

“Hey, Diana.” He greeted her with a hug before offering his hand to Amil. “Good practice today.”

The two men shook.

“Thanks,” Amil said.

“Why do you sound so surprised?” Dante asked.

Diana kicked off her shoes, and Amil followed her lead before handing the wine to Dante. “You were working with the receivers. Didn’t figure you’d be paying attention to the defense.”

Dante placed the wine in the fridge. “I always pay attention to the defense. You guys are the ones who are going to keep the other team from scoring, which helps us win games.”

Amil nodded. “Fair point.”

Dante chuckled and patted him on the back. “Do you want a drink first or a tour first?”

Diana raised her hand. “Drink for me.”

“I think there’s still rosé in here from the last time you were over,” Dante said, pulling a bottle with just about a glassful left out of the fridge.

“Excellent,” Diana said, accepting the glass he poured for her.

He glanced at Amil. “How about you?”

“What are you drinking?” Amil responded.