Playing for Kinley (Cruz Brothers Book 1) Read Free Page A

couldn’t see much with it being dark. “No problems yet. I’ll let you know when my flight lands and keep you posted if something changes.”
    She sighed. “I wish you would let your father come pick you up at the airport. There’s no need to pay for a rental car.”
    “With my car being in New York, it would just be a lot more convenient if I had my own, Mom. I might have some things I need to do.”
    I traveled a ton for my job and primarily lived out of hotel rooms or, in this case, bed-and-breakfasts. But I had made a home base for myself in New York City years ago after moving there to establish my photography career. I grew up in D.C., where my parents and brother—who was now the new Mayor of D.C. as of November 4 th —lived, and then I moved to Boston at eighteen where I attended Boston College.
    I’d learned years ago to never get too used to any place or any situation because things could always change at the drop of a hat.
    For better or for worse.
    “Alright,” she said. “Just let me know when you’re on your way over. We can’t wait to see you.”
    Guilt swam over me and I had to clear my throat so I could speak around the lump forming there. “I know. Me too.”
    We said goodbye and hung up. I knew that I had distanced myself a little from my family ever since I left for college years ago. It wasn’t intentional. It just sort of happened without me even realizing it. I wasn’t avoiding them so much as the memories that being in my parents’ house and in D.C. in general brought to my mind. Those painful memories were what I was trying to protect myself from.
    Truth be told, I left a big part of myself in D.C. a long time ago. A part of my soul had just broken off back then and I hadn’t been able to feel whole again since.
    It was all due to one person.
    I had been gone for that man, absolutely lost in my feelings for him. We had talked about the future. I had told him everything that I wanted out of life, thinking that he would be the one that I would eventually share all of that with. He had owned my heart completely.
    And then he’d shattered it.
    He left me high and dry and acted like I’d never meant anything to him.
    The only man I’ve ever loved.
    Parker Cruz.
    And the worst part of it—the reason that I avoided home like the Plague—was because I couldn’t escape him, not entirely. Because he was my brother’s best friend. He and Clay had been inseparable growing up and continued to be in their adult years as much as both of their careers would allow.
    But I had been doing my best to stay far, far away from Parker Cruz.
    And that wasn’t about to change.
     

Chapter Two
    Kinley
     
    I swear, if I spent half my time on location and in hotel rooms, the other half was spent on airplanes. I was one of those people who could never, ever sleep on planes, though. So over the years, I had created a carefully thought-out plane package, if you will, so I wouldn’t die of boredom during my trips.
    A portable DVD player, my laptop, a stack of magazines, my Kindle, word search booklets, and Dramamine—the original formula that made you drowsy—in case none of the above worked and I just needed to knock myself out.
    Yep, learned that lesson after a thirteen-hour flight to Taiwan early in my career, during which I spent most of my time wide awake and freezing cold, listening to the screaming baby in front of me. I had also watched all of their available movies within the first six hours of the flight.
    Never again.
    I pretty much had it down to a science now.
    Thankfully, once my plane touched down in Dulles International, I had no problems obtaining a rental car and was on my way over to my parents’ house before dusk even set on the city. Despite the reservations I always had about coming back to this city for fear of running into a certain someone, I was excited to spend some time with my family in my childhood home. The last time I was here was for Clay’s election back in November,