Page 60 of Off the Post

Because I already feel the same about Soren, straight to my core. My body goes on high alert with a tingling sensation that erupts with every touch, smile, and glance from him. My acting skills were put to the test this morning when he arrived and I had to pretend I’m not into him. I’m sure my attraction could be read all over my face.

Somehow, I managed, although the looks he’d given me proved that he was in the same boat.

I was successfully able to let down my guard once he left the vicinity, but before he teed off at the first hole, he sent me a text that had my heart racing all over again.

Soren: You look beautiful today.

Soren: I really wanted to kiss that blush off your face.

Soren: Or do something else to make you blush.

Soren: Maybe later, eh?

It was short, sweet, and a bit steamy, and filled me to the brim with happiness. Not to mention lust.

Halle returns her gaze to me and hands me the last bag in our pile.

“Dane is the best dad to Lenni, and I can’t imagine our life without him now.”

“Do you think you’ll get married or have more kids?” The question pops out before I can stop it. Sometimes I’m such a nosy Nelly.

I’m filled with concern over my faux pax when Halle looks away, but not before I see her bite her lip and her cheekbones pinken.

“Ohh… understood.” I reach out and place my hand on her forearm, and she turns back with a worried expression on her face. “Your secret’s safe with me, Halle. In fact, I know we don’t know each other very well, but I’ll share one of mine with you.”

Her eyebrows lift. “You mean the secret thing you have for The Wolf?”

I blink and my mouth gapes incredulously. “What? How?”

Halle swirls a finger toward my face. “Girl, it was written all over you like a headline. Don’t ever play poker with the guys.” She chuckles and pats my shoulder. I duck my chin to my chest and raise my hand to cover my eyes in embarrassed disbelief.

When I lift my head, I stare at her imploringly.

“Please don’t tell anyone. Not even Dane,” I plead. “We’re keeping it under wraps, and I do not want my brother to find out.”

Halle gives me a quick salute and then mimes zipping her lips and throwing away the key. “Got it. My lips are sealed, and even Dane’s lips won’t get it out of me.”

“Oh, geez.” I roll my eyes. “The way you two look at each other does not bode well for your secret-keeping ability.”

She laughs, gesturing with her palms up. “Hey, I kept our daughter secret for almost five years! I think I’m pretty good at it.”

Touché.

If I learned one lesson today, it’s that driving a golf cart around a course is a lot of frickin’ fun. It was so exciting to feel the wind whip across my face and blow my hair back, giving me feeling of freedom I’ve never felt before.

When I stop the cart on the path next to the fifteenth hole where Soren, Nicolas, Oliver Thornquist, and his young partner, Alesia Conrad, are set to tee off, a broad smile is already fixed across my face. But to watch Soren as he stands behind Nicolas, his large goalie hands cupping the smaller ones as he helps the boy swing the club is too much for me to hide my joy.

My heart seems to grow three sizes too big for my chest and is about to burst through my ribs.

The scene in front me is one that I’ll forever remember as the sexiest, sweetest thing a man could ever do. My ovaries better not get any ideas.

There should be a verb for Soren, like “I just got Wolfed” or better yet, “My heart got Wolfed apart.”

Nicolas’s giggles ring across the tee box as the ball goes sailing in the air about five feet. He turns around to give his golfing partner a high five and then a fist bump. The rest of the audience gives them a round of applause.

“Nice job, Little Wolf,” Oliver says in recognition of Nicolas’s shot, ruffling up the little boy’s curly mop of hair.

Nicolas walks off the mound and trots to his mother, who welcomes him in a warm embrace.