Exposed: New Adult Sport Romance (The Boys of Winter Book 5) Read Free Page B

wonder how a three-person relationship would work out, knowing I would always be the odd man out.
    I glance at Neal as he speaks. “If you’d like, I can lay out outlines for you and walk you through how to do this on your own, with me as a partner, and with Christian and Nika as partners.”
    “Oh. I—” I stop to find the right words because this is moving too quickly for me. “I feel a little lost about the business side, but I can’t ask you to do that.” I take a sip of my coffee and hold it on my tongue for a moment, letting the flavor sink in.
    “How about if I want to do it? Even if you decide to go solo I would enjoy helping you start a business.”
    Neal’s voice is sincere, and I’m tempted. I say, “Let me think this over and let you know. I need time to figure out if it’s something I really want to do.”
    He says, “Of course. Take all the time you need, and I’m always available for questions so don’t hesitate to ask.”
    “Thanks. I will.”
    We move on to the scheduled discussion about the new shops. I do my best to pay attention, but my mind is racing with thoughts about having not one but two boutiques dedicated to my lines.
    When it’s time to leave, Neal walks out with me. He stands by my car as a beep sounds when I unlock it with the remote. He says, “I was serious about wanting to help you. Running businesses is my passion, and it would be fun for me.”
    “Thank you. I have no doubt you would do right by me. But are you prepared to teach me everything? Because we flaky artist types aren’t that great with numbers.”
    The low baritone of his laugh wraps around me like a hug. “I think you underestimate yourself. I know there’s a brain in that pretty head of yours.”
    The leftovers container plops on my passenger seat when I toss it. “If I decide to go through with this, I’ll most certainly test your patience.”
    “Test away. I think you should let me be your partner, because I promise you won’t regret it.” Neal pulls out his phone and asks, “What’s your number? I’ll text you, and then you’ll have mine.”
    I give it to him as I climb into my car. The chill of my seat bites into my thighs. “Good night, Neal.”
    “See you soon. You know where to find me.” Neal waves his phone at me and walks in front of my car as my phone bleeps with his text. I smile, thinking about his kindness.
    Backing out of the driveway, Neal’s promise makes me remember Trevor, and I recall his voice in my head. “I promise you won’t regret this.” Funny thing about promises: they’re easy to give. It’s living up to them that’s hard.

Chapter 4

    My apartment isn’t much more than a small renovated barn. This is actually where my mother and I lived the year we came here to have my baby. I was excited to find the landlord was once again looking for a renter, and she was thrilled to have me back.
    The main floor is open, and half the second floor is a loft setup. Fortunately, there’s a staircase instead of a ladder, and my pregnant body appreciated it. My home is spacious for one and allows me a sewing area I have blocked off with partition screens. Since closing down my seamstress business, the odd jobs I pick up at Rhinestone Cowgirl, and from past customers, I do at home now.
    The kettle whistles, and I pad over to the kitchen to make my tea. My drive back from Nika’s was spent dreaming about the layout of a shop dedicated to me; and that led to new design ideas. The first thing I did after walking in the door was grab my sketchpad and pencils to draw.
    When ideas flow, I capture them on paper until they stop. Not the least bit tired, I may be up until the wee hours working tonight as my brain wraps around the exciting prospect of running a real clothing business.
    Dunking my tea bag, I wander over to turn up the thermostat as a small shiver runs through me. When I graduated from college, I decided to move back to Breckenridge. While I spent most of my life on the