“Now pass the child.” Ben reached for Hadley Jane. “You haven’t come over to see me yet, little girl. Which means you haven’t discovered the hidden lollipop I brought for you.”
She squealed and scrambled into Ben’s arms.
Sebastian found Leah and lowered onto the bleacher seat next to her.
Leaning back, she introduced him to the older couple sitting on her far side. They were wearing jerseys and Dylan pins that matched Leah’s.
Rudy grinned at him. “Are you two dating?”
“Yes,” Sebastian answered before Leah could say no.
“Rudy,” Tess said to her husband. “That’s not a very polite question.”
“I can’t help myself!” Rudy replied. “I’m just so happy to see Leah with a young man. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
“The pleasure’s mine.”
“Isn’t Leah the best?” Rudy asked.
“The best.”
“She’s the smartest thing.” Rudy’s glasses slipped down his nose. “The sweetest.”
“I don’t consider myself to be sweet,” Leah murmured under her breath to Sebastian.
“But smart you’ll accept?” he murmured back.
“You better believe I will.”
“Push up your glasses, please,” Tess instructed Rudy, who hurried to do as she asked.
A whistle sounded, and the teams jogged onto the field for the second half. The Mountaineers were down, seven to seventeen.
“Where’s Dylan?” Sebastian asked.
“There. On the sidelines. He played a fair amount in the first half, so I have hope that you’ll get to see him in action.” She held the popcorn toward him. He took a handful.
It tasted like average quality movie popcorn. But he was starving, so it might as well have been the most delicious thing he’d ever eaten.
“Did you have dinner?” she asked.
“Not yet.”
“I’ll go down and get you something. Hamburger? Hot dog—”
“You’re here to watch your brother. I’m here to watch your brother. I can wait to eat until after the game.”
“I really don’t mind,” she told him.
His chest ached with tenderness. He was a doctor, used to the role of caretaker, less familiar with being cared for. “Thanks, but I can wait.”
“Then eat the rest of this.” She passed the popcorn over. “I had as much as I wanted when you were talking to the Colemans.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.” Those thick lashes framed eyes that looked candid. But it might be that he was just a sucker where she was concerned. It might be that she could tell him the sun was made of Play-Doh, and he’d believe her.
“And here.” She lifted her cup. “Iced tea. There’s at least half left.”
