Fans around them stared, not used to such loud, vehement cheering. Rachel and Kenzie didn’t bat an eye.
“Oh, I really like her,” Simon told Hector. “Lila, if things don’t work out with Hector, you remember Lafayette and me, okay? Because honey, I play competitive rugby, and I wouldloveto have you cheering for my team.”
Lafayette grinned. “Yep. You really need to come to his next game. They’re brutal. Last week one of the guys broke a collarbone.”
“Oh, a death sport. I’m in.”
Hector sighed. Lila leaned into him.
Will expressed some interest in watching and learning the sport as Evan sat down and asked, “What did I miss?”
Rachel ticked off her fingers. “Lila’s going to watch Simon’s next rugby game, Will is fuming because the coach no longer wants him to teach the boys to tackle each other—”
“That’s not what I said.”
“And Kenzie’s jealous of all the soccer moms staring at your fine ass.”
Evan grinned and said to Lafayette, “Did you know I’m an MMFA? A Moving Man with a Fine Ass. It’s a thing.”
Hector turned to Lila. “What about me?”
“Oh, honey. Your ass is just fine, but there are so many other parts I could worship just as well.”
Kenzie smirked, and Rachel handed over the five bucks they’d bet just yesterday and swore.
“What’s that about?” Evan asked.
“I’ll tell you later.”
The whistle blew, and Daniel’s team got possession of the ball.
Kenzie grabbed Evan’s hand when Daniel nearly scored, but the goalie caught it.
She liked the feel of Evan holding her. She looked down at their interlaced fingers then caught his warm smile.
“I love this.”
She could see he meant it, and that joy in just being a part of her world moved something in her. Another brick guarding her heart crumbled. “Me too.”
Lila screamed. Daniel was open and running down the left side of the field with the ball.
They all cheered, the noise deafening from Kenzie’s section in the bleachers.
Her small family that seemed to get bigger—and better—with each new addition.
And the game was on.
Chapter 22
Evan couldn’t believe Daniel had scored twice in his first game. The celebration they were having back at Kenzie’s house was epic.
Jokes, teasing, laughter, and more competition, where Hector and Lafayette tried to beat each other throwing a stupid beanbag through a hole in a wooden board, took up a good portion of the evening.
He laughed as Will tried to put Rachel in a headlock, only to watch her climb him the way she’d done Lila not too long ago.
“Hey, Evan.” Daniel joined him on the back porch and watched the wackiness in the backyard.
“Mouthbreather.” He’d been dying to use that one since Smith had called him that the other day.
