First Down releases May 30!

Keep reading for a sneak preview of First Down! Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited starting May 30!

 It's been a while since we've chatted so let's catch up! 

     I've been hard at work on First Down, my first LGBTQ Football Romance to get it all ready for you guys! First Down takes place in the small Texas town of Crystal Falls, where Elliot and his friends go to High School! Just in time for Pride, this heartwarming story will make you laugh and tug at your heart as Elliot finds himself and how he fits into the world.
     The first in a series with witty women, swoony soulmates, and a happily ever after guaranteed... What a way to start your summer!

     I'll have more great book recommendations for you this June, as we pick up our regularly scheduled programming! Be sure to check out my new website kwhitfordbooks.com and follow along on social media ( @kaleighwhitfordbooks in all the good places ) so you don't miss a thing!

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All’s fair in love and football…

“Good morning, ladies,” Coach Baxter grins. “I hope you enjoyed your vacation. Let’s get this party started with some laps. Four around the field, let’s go!”

We take off as a pack, running the short hill to the practice field and then starting around the white lines. I feel the tension leave my shoulders as I run, closing my eyes for a moment. The sun is just beginning to rise, casting an orange glow against the hill as we round the goalposts. I find freedom in the motions, a sense of peace and clarity that I struggle to find anywhere else. I exhale hard before rounding the corner, my teammates fading from my periphery as I give myself completely to the running. Some part of me registers that I’m on the fourth lap, slowing my pace to ease myself back to a walk before making my way to the center of the field where the coaches wait.

“Pick it up, boys!” Coach Smith cups his hands around his bearded mouth to carry his voice further. “Graves left you in the dust!”

The stocky coach winks at me, and I flush with a mix of pride and exertion as I begin to stretch. I don’t want to make a scene and stand out from the crowd too much on my first day, but I can’t help but feel the satisfaction of the coaches recognizing my efforts. One by one my teammates join me, some calmly stretching and catching their breath while others bend over or roll to the ground after the run.

I keep myself in that neutral headspace through practice. Trying not to worry about how the boys around me compare to my own performance, I focus on the drills we run. By the time the heat of the day calls an end to practice, I am breathing heavily and leaning against the doorframe for support.

“Good work today, boys,” Mike Samson, senior quarterback and our captain, claps my shoulder as he passes me and crosses to his locker. “Weight room opens back up at 5 pm every day this week. I want to see everyone here this first week. Push through that pain, or your performance will suffer.”

Assorted groans go up throughout the room, but no one argues as we shower and change into fresh clothes. I shade my eyes from the sun with a flat hand as I step outside of the athletic complex. Beside me, Camden chuckles and nudges the back of my knee with his foot.

“Keep moving, cowboy,” he clicks his tongue, grinning when I cast him a look over my shoulder. “I want to get lunch!”

“I feel like I’m going to throw up,” I moan.

“Jenson did,” he gestures to the side of the field.

“Ugh,” I wince. “Dude…”

A sound of protest escapes me as I pull myself into Glory, thanking God that Cam had the foresight to park so close. He watches me from the corner of his eye, a smile tugging at his lips, as he pulls his phone out of his bag. Humming along to the radio and swiping across the screen with his thumb, I would never guess he’d just had the same workout I did.

“How are you not in pain?” I demand, glancing from his chest down to his calves, then back up to his arms and hands where they grip the wheel. Blinking, I clear my throat and shift my bag where it rests at my feet.

“I do hurt, it’s just not that bad.” I can almost hear him roll his eyes. “Casey texted,” he raises an eyebrow. “Said she asked about catching up at lunch days ago but never heard back? She wants to know if we’re done with practice…”

“Oh,” I rub the back of my neck absently. “Shit, I guess time got away from me…”

“So, I should tell her we are out of practice?”

“Yeah,” I glance at him, confusion plain on my face. “Why wouldn’t you tell her that?”

“I don’t know, is everything okay with you guys?”

“Yes!” I blush now, a slight frown on my face. “We can go to lunch, I just forgot.”

“You forgot?”

“Yeah!”

“To text your girlfriend back? About seeing her?”

“What?”

“For multiple days?”

“I’ve been busy,” I mumble.

Camden watches my face in silence, his expression giving nothing away. He finally turns back to his screen, types out a reply, and buckles his seatbelt before taking the wheel. The quiet feels unusually awkward as I wait to see if Cam has anything else to ask and he waits to see if I have anything else to offer up. By the time we reach the street, he seems to let it go.

“I told her we’d see her at Jade Palace,” he names my favorite restaurant.

“You do love me,” I grin winningly, and he shakes his head but smiles. I am forgiven, and let off the hook… For now.

“Yeah,” he agrees dryly. “I do. Did camp start today?”

“Cam,” I raise an eyebrow. “Were you not there with us?”

“Cheer camp,” he frowns slightly and glances at me as he drives. “For Casey? And Beth?”

“Oh… right.” I tug at my ear. “I don’t think so? Casey and I were talking about it, but I don’t think it will start until, like, next week.”

“Cool,” he reaches over to turn up the music as we make our way through town.