False Start (The New York Nighthawks Book 8), page 1
FALSE START
THE NEW YORK NIGHTHAWKS
FIONA DAVENPORT
Copyright © 2023 by Fiona Davenport
Cover designed by Elle Christensen
Edited by Jenny Sims (Editing4Indies)
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
CONTENTS
False Start
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
Epilogue
About the Author
FALSE START
The last thing Ames Yarrow expected when he went to dinner with his best friend was to pretend to be someone else. Then Dakota Sharpe told the hostess that all she knew about her blind date was that he was tall, and he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get to know her.
Dakota’s romance with Ames started with a false play, but that didn’t stop her from falling for the hot offensive lineman.
1
DAKOTA
“I can’t believe I moved back in with my parents.” I dropped my head back with a groan as I set my margarita on the ground next to me.
“Hey, now. I resemble that remark.” Charmaine twisted in her lawn chair and narrowed her eyes. “And I’ve been living with mine for the past two years while you were still away at school.”
“You know I didn’t mean it that way.” I heaved a deep sigh. “It’s just going to be weird having them all up in my business after being on my own for so long.”
My best friend lifted her frosty glass and quirked her brow. “If your mom’s nosiness comes with freshly made cocktails, then I’m all for her meddling as much as she wants.”
“It is a nice change from the wine coolers she used to let us drink when we were in high school,” I conceded, picking up my glass to take another sip.
“We thought we were so sophisticated every time she let us do that back then.” She laughed and shook her head. “But seriously, it’s not as though staying with your mom and dad will cramp your style. You literally never give guys a chance to ask you on a date, let alone go home with them and do the walk of shame the next morning.”
My nose wrinkled—and not because my mom had been heavy-handed with the tequila when she mixed this batch of drinks. I’d adjusted to the taste of my margarita by the third sip, but the same couldn’t be said for how I handled it whenever my loved ones brought up my lack of dating. I’d only been back home for a grand total of three hours, and my mom, dad, aunt, and grandma had already asked if I was sure I hadn’t left someone special behind.
“My welcome-home dinner didn’t feel very welcoming. I was hoping to get away from talking about my dating life when you showed up to rescue me from the family inquisition, but here you are, bringing it up yourself,” I muttered.
“Sorry.” She shot me a grin over the rim of her glass. “But you’re the one who brought it up.”
“Brought what up?” my mom asked from behind us.
Before I could tell her it wasn’t anything, Charmaine explained, “Her lack of a dating life.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” I groaned, turning to glare at her. “Some best friend you are.”
My mom patted me on the shoulder. “Be nice to Charmaine. She’s only got your best interests at heart.”
Twisting my neck, I shifted my glare toward her. “That’s the same excuse you used when Grandma asked me why I wasn’t married yet.”
My mom was unfazed by the reminder. “Because she does, too.”
“And when Aunt Jane said that I should at least be engaged since she thought I went to college to get my Mrs. degree?”
She nodded with a motherly smile, and I rolled my eyes.
“Did she really?” Charmaine sputtered out a laugh. “Dang, I’m mad I missed dinner. It sounds entertaining.”
“Only if you like watching your best friend get grilled more than the overcooked steaks that my dad made.” I gulped down the rest of my margarita and lifted my glass for my mom to refill from the pitcher she’d brought out.
“It wasn’t that bad, dear,” my mom murmured.
“Which one—the steak or the inquisition about her dating life?” Charmaine teased.
My mom laughed as she topped off her glass too. “Both.”
“You can only say that because you’re married and used to eating dad’s meat.”
I realized how that sounded the moment the words left my mouth, but there was no taking them back. All I could do was wait out my best friend and mom until they were done giggling—which took longer than I would’ve liked. Not that I was surprised, considering what I’d just said.
“You knew what I meant, Mom.”
“Sure,” she conceded with a smile. “But that doesn’t make it any less funny.”
Charmaine poked me in the side. “She’s got you there.”
There was no denying that my best friend was right, but I didn’t want to lose track of the point I’d been trying to make before our conversation went off track. “Now that everyone has had a good laugh at my expense, I’d like to request a moratorium on questions about when I’ll find a boyfriend. I have enough on my plate with trying to find my first real job. I don’t need the added stress of everyone pressuring me to go out on dates.”
“Don’t worry about all of this now, dear. Enjoy your first night back. Get silly with your bestie.” She brushed a kiss against my cheek and beamed a smile at Charmaine. “There’s plenty of time to find the man whose meat you’ll happily eat.”
I should’ve been used to the inappropriate stuff that came out of my mom’s mouth since I’d been listening to it for years, but she still made me blush.
“Good one, Mrs. S. You’re seriously the best.”
“Thanks, sweetie. You’re awesome, too.” My mom stroked her hand through the back of Charmaine’s hair before heading back toward the house.
When the sliding patio door shut behind her, Charmaine turned to me. “You do realize that you’ll either need to get a boyfriend or an apartment if you want to stop conversations like that from happening every day, right?”
“Ugh. I’d hoped the whole ordeal was a one-off since my aunt and grandma were over for dinner.” My shoulders slumped as I realized she was right. “Do you think my job search will distract them at all?”
“For a little while, maybe. But there’s really only one solution if you want to keep them quiet longer.”
Not trusting the gleam in her eyes, I braced myself as I asked, “What’s that?”
“Let me set you up on a blind date.” Setting her glass on the ground, she bounced on her chair and clapped her hands. “This guy comes in every four weeks like clockwork to get his hair cut. His next appointment is tomorrow. He’s single, cute, and I’ve overheard him talking about investments on the phone several times while waiting for his appointment, so I’m pretty sure he does something in finance. I bet the two of you would get along great.”
I rolled my eyes with a huff. “That’s a giant leap in logic. I was in class with a ton of guys who were single, cute, and studying the same thing as me, but I never wanted to date any of them.”
“I’m not saying you have to marry the guy, Dakota. Just go out on one blind date, and then you can use him as a shield whenever someone in your family brings up your lack of a boyfriend.”
I pursed my lips as I considered her suggestion. Going on a blind date sounded awful…but could it be any worse than all the pressure I was bound to get if I didn’t have a quick reply the next time someone in my family asked if I would ever get a boyfriend?
“If I do this”—I held up my hand in a gesture to stop when she practically jumped off her seat to tackle hug me—“and that’s a big if, the guy has to be tall.”
She gave me a squeeze before doing a little celebratory dance. “Of course he’s tall. Like I’d suggest a short guy you’d tower over when I know how self-conscious you are about your height.”
Charmaine and I had met when her family moved in next door during first grade, and we became best friends on the first day of school while we waited for the bus with our moms. She had been right by my side for the awkward middle school years when I shot up past all the boys and started getting picked on, so she definitely understood why I was sensitive about my height, especially when it came to guys. “When I say tall, what I mean is that he needs to be taller than me by enough that I can wear heels and still be shorter than him.”
Charmaine squinted at me. “Are we walking six-inch stilettos or a more reasonable three?”
“When have you ever known me to wear six-inch stilettos?” I lifted my foot to show off my flip-flops. “I’d probably break my neck if I tried…although at least then I would get out of the date. Oh, and I could use the pity card with my family so they’d finally shut up about me not having a boyfriend. So maybe I’ll buy a pair just for this blind date.”
She beamed a huge smile at me. “Does that mean you’ll let me set you up?”
“Yeah, I guess it can’t hurt anything, and it might help.”
2
AMES
I loved my job. Playing for the New York Nighthawks as an offensive lineman was my dream. However, it was grueling, so when the season ended, I enjoyed the break. The timing was great because the weather was usually warming up. Spring was one of the best seasons to be in NYC, before the hot and humid summer hit.
New Yorkers are usually in a hurry to get anywhere they’re going. But on nice evenings like this, there was definitely a collective deceleration. Looking forward to the walk, I left my apartment with plenty of time to make it to the restaurant where I would be meeting my best friend and teammate, Dempsey, and his wife, Skye.
He’d called and asked me to join them for dinner because they wanted to celebrate something. They wouldn’t say what, but I had a feeling they’d finally found out the gender of the baby. However, I’d pretend that I had no idea that was what they planned to tell me. Because that’s what friends did…and Dempsey would kick my ass if I disappointed Skye.
My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, and when I pulled it out, I saw “Mom” flashing on the screen. I sighed and tapped accept. My parents were awesome, but the older I got, the more obsessed my mother became with grandbabies. And since I was the oldest of their four kids…
I knew exactly what had prompted this phone call. My sister, Sadie, was visiting from Baltimore. She was married, but both she and her husband were doctors and finishing up their residencies. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t be taking the pressure off me anytime soon.
Brant and Jessic, my younger twin brothers, were professional soccer players. Neither one was interested in settling down so early in their careers.
“Hey, Mom. What’s up?”
“Oh, not much,”—yeah, right—“Sadie and Tom say hi, by the way.”
“Tell them hello and I’m sorry I couldn’t make it up to see them this time.”
My parents still lived in the same Harlem neighborhood where I’d grown up—one street over from Dempsey’s family. It wasn’t exactly a long commute up there from Midtown, but I’d been slammed with endorsement meetings, a photo shoot, and now dinner with my best friend and his wife. Sadie and Tom had only come into town for forty-eight hours, but I hoped to be able to see them the next time they were in town.
“They understand. All of my kids have such busy lives. No wonder none of you have settled down and started a family.” She sighed, then added, “Of course, I’m incredibly proud of all of you, even if you haven’t given me grandbabies yet.”
“Thanks,” I replied dryly.
“You mentioned you’re having dinner with Dempsey and Skye tonight? He’s such a good boy. He’s made his mother so happy. She’s thrilled with her daughter-in-law, and I doubt she’ll have to wait long before they start a family.”
“You’ve made your point, Mom,” I muttered. “Well, I better hang up. I’m almost there.”
“Did they set you up on a double date?” she asked, hopefully.
“Dempsey knows better than that. Blind dates are always a disaster.”
“Psh,” she scoffed. “I’m sure Skye could set you up with someone wonderful. You should give her a chance.”
“Maybe,” I conceded, crossing my fingers behind my back. I felt guilty for not being one hundred percent honest, but reminding her that I had zero interest in a relationship would only make her double her efforts to change my mind.
“Wonderful! Oh, don’t forget my birthday party next month. You’re welcome to bring a date. That could be your present to me!”
For shit’s sake.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Gotta go. Love you, Mom.”
I hung up and shoved my phone back into my pocket as I arrived at the restaurant. Dempsey and Skye stood waiting for me in the line leading up to the host podium. Even with reservations, there was often a wait to get into popular restaurants in New York City.
Skye waved enthusiastically when she spotted me, and I smiled in return as I approached them. I bent down to give her a hug, careful not to squeeze her too tight because she was so small. Petite women always made me feeI like a lumbering giant who might break the fragile female. I wasn’t sure how Dempsey, who was as big as me, didn’t worry about hurting his tiny wife with his strength. Especially now that she was round with his baby.
When I released Skye, I grinned at Dempsey, who was glaring at me. He didn’t like anyone—even his best friend—touching his wife. Particularly, his unmarried best friend, although he knew I would never go there.
I clapped him on the back, and we shook hands.
“What’s with the sour look on your face?” Skye asked curiously.
“Nothing.” I shook my head. “Just a well-meaning person trying to wind up my biological clock.”
Dempsey snorted a laugh. “Talked to your mom, huh?”
I glared at him. “Thank you, by the way. If you hadn’t run off and gotten married, let alone had a baby on the way. No offense, Skye.”
“None taken,” she giggled.
“My mom wouldn’t be hounding me even more. ‘Dempsey’s such a good boy. He’s made his mother so happy. Why can’t you find a nice girl and settle down like Dempsey did? Give me a grandbaby like he’s doing?’ Suddenly, you’re everyone’s favorite son, even my mom’s,” I grumbled.
My friend laughed and tucked his wife into his side. “You’re welcome.” Then he grinned. “And for the record, I was always the favorite.”
“Alright, you two,” Skye chuckled, then smiled at me. “You just haven’t met the right girl.”
I grunted noncommittally, then changed the subject. “How was your trip?”
The couple had recently returned from a trip to Florida, their last vacation before the baby was born.
I was a little envious. A relaxing vacation sounded amazing, especially if it involved beaches. However, I had no desire to be stuck on a ship where I couldn’t escape all the single women if word got around about who I was.
I wasn’t in the market for a woman. I was focused on my career and didn’t need the distraction. Besides, no one had caught my interest in years.
“It was amazing,” Skye sighed with a dreamy expression.
Dempsey slipped his arm around his wife and kissed the top of her head before looking back at me with a content smile. “We had a lot of fun. But ten days of seeing my wife in a bikini was definitely the highlight of my year.”
I laughed. “I can imagine—not your wife in a bikini,” I hurried to assure him when his expression darkened. “Just, you know…”
The line moved, so I took the opportunity to move away from my friend and take in my surroundings. That was when my eyes landed on the sexiest pair of legs I’d ever seen.
The woman in front of us wore high-heeled black sandals that made her long legs look endless. She had on a soft blue sundress that ended a little higher on her thighs than I liked. To my shock, a surge of jealousy hit me when I thought about all the other men ogling those incredible legs. Her dress wasn’t tight, but it clung to her hourglass figure in all the right places. It accentuated a fantastic ass, slim waist, and slender back. The sleeveless dress showed off her toned arms and gorgeous waves of deep-red hair with dark browns and blacks weaved in that tumbled a little past her shoulders.
She walked up to the host stand, and I frowned at the young pipsqueak whose eyes were clearly undressing her. When he glanced in my direction and clocked my expression, he dropped his eyes to the podium.
“I’m meeting someone,” she informed him. Her voice had a slight raspy quality to it, and the sexy sound sent electric currents through me, straight down to my rapidly swelling cock.
“Name?” the kid asked.
“Dakota Sharpe,” she responded.
Damn, even her name was beautiful.
