Author: Patricia B. Tighe
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Description:
High school senior Kenzie Harper-Shea has no time for dating, especially after the arrival of the basketball coach from hell. Now Kenzie has lost her confidence, is in a slump, and in danger of losing out on a scholarship to play college ball. The last thing she needs is her “vacation boyfriend,” Dylan McCoy, distracting her with warm smiles, inside jokes, and swoony kisses.
Dylan, however, is totally ready to date. He finally lives in the same town as Kenzie and is not about to lose the chance to let their relationship grow into something more. But for now, he’ll stay in the friend zone because he’s determined to find out what has her running scared. It can’t be just about basketball.
As Kenzie spends more time around Dylan, her feelings become a jumbled-up mess. It’s obvious they’re into each other. So, why does she panic whenever she thinks about dating him? Is it connected to basketball or to something deeper? She’s not sure. Does she have the courage to examine her heart, even if it means breaking Dylan’s?
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Dylan
Satisfaction settled over me. “That’s not true.” Oh, Kenzie was jealous all right. Now to get her to admit it.
“I don’t believe this. You’re usually so good at reading people and you’ve totally messed up where she’s concerned. That girl likes you. As more than just a friend.”
I shook my head. “We’ve always joked around. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“She kept touching you.”
I gave her my best “you’re being ridiculous” face. “Kenzie—”
“No.” She strode over to me. “She slid her hand down your arm like this.” Kenzie trailed her fingers along my forearm.
I forced myself to ignore the tickling sensation. “So?”
“She played with your hair.”
“What? She did not.”
“She reached up and stuck her hand in your hair.” Kenzie lifted a hand but paused, leaving it waiting in the air.
“You mean when she was pulling that leaf out of my hair?”
“Oh, good grief, Dylan. You did not have a leaf in your hair! She just wanted to touch you. Why can’t you admit it?”
I turned away like I was tired of the conversation. “You’re overreacting.”
She grabbed my shoulder, twisting me back around. “I know what I saw.”
We stood really close now, her hazel eyes glaring. They were tinged with blue, almost a light aquamarine color, and their intensity made me freeze in place. I wanted to pull her against me, to feel her arms tighten around me, but something was about to happen. Good or bad. I knew it. So I waited, not sure if it was right or not, breathing in the clean soapy scent of her T-shirt and wondering why she didn’t stink of sweat after tennis.
Kenzie slid her hand down my forearm. “Lissa did this,” she whispered. She ran the other hand into my hair, holding my head. “And this. And she wanted to kiss you, but I don’t know if she did or not.” Her lips were seriously close. “Did she?”
I swallowed. “No,” I said through a breath.
Satisfaction settled over me. “That’s not true.” Oh, Kenzie was jealous all right. Now to get her to admit it.
“I don’t believe this. You’re usually so good at reading people and you’ve totally messed up where she’s concerned. That girl likes you. As more than just a friend.”
I shook my head. “We’ve always joked around. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“She kept touching you.”
I gave her my best “you’re being ridiculous” face. “Kenzie—”
“No.” She strode over to me. “She slid her hand down your arm like this.” Kenzie trailed her fingers along my forearm.
I forced myself to ignore the tickling sensation. “So?”
“She played with your hair.”
“What? She did not.”
“She reached up and stuck her hand in your hair.” Kenzie lifted a hand but paused, leaving it waiting in the air.
“You mean when she was pulling that leaf out of my hair?”
“Oh, good grief, Dylan. You did not have a leaf in your hair! She just wanted to touch you. Why can’t you admit it?”
I turned away like I was tired of the conversation. “You’re overreacting.”
She grabbed my shoulder, twisting me back around. “I know what I saw.”
We stood really close now, her hazel eyes glaring. They were tinged with blue, almost a light aquamarine color, and their intensity made me freeze in place. I wanted to pull her against me, to feel her arms tighten around me, but something was about to happen. Good or bad. I knew it. So I waited, not sure if it was right or not, breathing in the clean soapy scent of her T-shirt and wondering why she didn’t stink of sweat after tennis.
Kenzie slid her hand down my forearm. “Lissa did this,” she whispered. She ran the other hand into my hair, holding my head. “And this. And she wanted to kiss you, but I don’t know if she did or not.” Her lips were seriously close. “Did she?”
I swallowed. “No,” I said through a breath.
The mother of two grown sons, Patricia B. Tighe lives in West Texas with her husband and dog. She eats way too much pizza, drinks way too much coffee, and
watches way too much NFL football. On the bright side, she also reads and writes teen fiction. She promises to include as much romance, angst, and adventure as possible in her books.
