“I’m tall,” I say, catching her at the top of the stairs.
“Yeah, for an average guy.”
She jogs down a few stairs. I go after her. Scoop her up with my arms around her waist. “We both know there’s nothing average about me.”
“I mean…”
I nip at her ear, and she starts laughing. Shaking her head to avoid my teeth. I push my fingers in her side like I’m playing an instrument. Tickling her without dropping her as we make our way down the stairs.
She’s laughing around her meaninglessstops.
I put her on the ground, move my hands to her shoulders, and help guide her to the kitchen?—
“Whoa, there, Cap.”
The entire room is filled with my team. Twenty-six sets of eyes are on us.
Dawson stands up, hand extended in the direction of one of the senior wingers. “You owe me twenty. Told you he was upstairs with a girl.”
“You owe me ten of that,” our backup goalie pipes in.
“Why?” he scoffs like a girl.
“I bet it was someone we know.”
“You know who Sutton is?”
“Yeah? Who doesn’t?” the goalie questions back.
There’s an exchange of cash among several of my teammates, roommates, and best friends included. Some clap. Some shovel food into their mouths, pretending not to notice us.
We take a seat together in the kitchen.
“What’s going on?” she asks into my shoulder.
“Team breakfast.”
“Since when did you do team breakfast?”
“Since early February.” Jaxon hands us two plates. “Cooper had the idea after some project he’s working on.”
Sutton eyes me knowingly. She steps out of my embrace to take the plate. “What’s for breakfast?”
“Becky made pancakes. But you’ve gotta catch ’em—only way to eat. Whoever catches the most gets to pick the music on the bus for our next away game.”
“What’s the record this morning?”
“Six,” Beckett grunts.
“Alright, hit me, Chef.”
Beckett turns and gets in position. Even he’s enjoying these breakfasts, might not speak much during them, grunt and elbow people out of the way to clean up after, but he cracks a smile here and there.
Sutton catches the first two. “What happens if I miss one?”
“Your turn is over.” I saddle up next to her. Try to step in front of her to block the next pancake.
“Oh no way, Superstar.” It slips from her lips so casually. “Ha.” She catches the next two despite my attempts at distraction. Then catches another two, and the entire room leans in with anticipation.
