Page 14 of The Way We Touch
The burning pain is slowly moving lower, into my abdomen.
“I’m so sorry, Logan.” Dylan holds out the cloth. “Craig told me not to leave those pepper shreds out like that. I never dreamed you would try to eat them.”
Her brow crinkles, and I look down at myself. I’m a fucking mess. I take the cloth, wiping the wetness off my cheeks and my upper lip. My nose is still running, and my overpriced T-shirt and linen blazer are ruined.
“Shew, crisis averted just in time to open the doors.” The other woman, Allie, returns to the kitchen with the skinny guy, Craig, right behind her.
“I’ll see if we have any ice cream.” Garrett follows them, leaving me sitting like a wounded soldier on the battlefield.
“Can I help you up?” Dylan puts her hand on my shoulder, and I look down at myself.
How’s that for putting things into perspective? Big bad Logan Murphy, Lightning Murphy, brought to his knees by a pint-sized woman and a tiny pinch of pepper.
If I weren’t in so much pain, I’d laugh at my dumb ass Instead, I lift my hand, rubbing my palm over my brow. Even with the stop-off in Greensboro, I’m exhausted from the twenty-hour drive, and now I feel like I’ve fought a war.
“Are you okay?” Her eyes are warm caramel, and she blinks those damp, full lashes at me.
She’s acting like she thought I might die, too. I nod, pushing slowly off the floor as she holds my arm.
“I guess I owe you one.” My voice is weak, but I’m trying to break the tension.
“Atta boy. Walk it off.” Garrett hands me a paper cup of vanilla ice cream as I stagger to a chair. “Bro, you scared the shit out of me. I didn’t know what was happening.”
“What did happen?” My lower stomach burns in a weird way, like I literally swallowed a burning coal, and it’s making its way through me.
I’m pretty confident it’s going to burn my ass off later.
“Congratulations, you just won the one-chip challenge.” Craig extends his hand to shake mine. “We shall call you Fire Eater.”
Garrett laughs, slapping him on the back. “Good one, Cray cray.”
Yes. These people are crazy, but to be honest, I think I like it. Not the part where they try to kill me. The part where the tension is broken, and I don’t have to figure out who I am here. It’s pretty hard to be a hotshot football star with snot on my upper lip and milk all over my clothes.
“You ate shredded ghost pepper.” Dylan returns. “I’m so sorry.”
I look down, taking her in properly. It’s what I was trying to do when I nearly died.
I thought Garrett’s kid sister would be just that, a kid. Not a feisty pinup with long, dark hair, sparkling amber eyes, full tits, and an ass just begging for me to squeeze it. The last thing I remember, she was looking at me like she was stripping me naked. Her plump lips parted, and my stomach tightened as all sorts of unholy thoughts flooded my mind.
Nothing like a ghost pepper to torch those fantasies.
Okay, the fantasies are still there, but it’s almost worse. My best friend has a fine-assed little sister, and I’m only here for a month. Raise a glass to what will never be. Damn.
“Aunt Deedee!” A little-girl voice rings through the empty dining area, and a streak of brown curls flies past, jumping onto Dylan’s back.
I guess tackle-hugs are to be expected in a football family.
“Hey, baby!” Dylan laughs, swinging the little girl around to her waist. “Are you here with your dad?”
“Jack?” Garrett turns, a huge smile splitting his lips.
“Gary.” A tall guy pulls him into a hug. “It’s been too long.”
They slap each other’s backs then turn to face me. “Meet my buddy Logan Murphy. Logan, this is my big brother Jack.”
“Jack.” I clear my throat, feeling true embarrassment for the first time in years.
I grew up watching this guy dominate the field while playing for Texas. I even copied a lot of his plays when I thought I’d be a quarterback.