I wondered if the same dirty images flashed in his mind as his teasing grin melted away and he pressed his forehead against mine. Most of our time together had been sweet, but as we’d grown and explored each other, sweet had given way to passion so explosive, neither of us had known what to do with it.
My heels dug into the gravel of the parking lot as I watched Jesse head to his car.
Old memories shouldn’t be sharp enough to hurt.
8
JESSE
“It wassoawesome.You wouldn’t believe it, Caden. I kicked the ball so far, and it made it into the goal twice! There wasn’t anybody in front of the goal?—”
“That’s a goalie,” I said from the recliner next to our new purple couch. When the lights were dim, it could pass for a dark gray, but I honestly didn’t care if it looked neon green. Maddie had loved it from the second it was delivered, and she was telling Caden all about how much she loved soccer while sitting cross-legged on her favorite cushion.
So far, it was the best purchase I’d made since moving in to this condo.
I’d figured running after the ball and kicking it as hard as she could would have tired her out, but it was as if she came to life after we left each practice. For the past couple of weeks since she’d joined soccer, she’d been the chatty niece I’d remembered, before losing her mother had made her retreat into herself.
Hearing her babble to Caden was the best music to my ears. He’d come over this Sunday morning with a bag of steaming bagels and a container of cream cheese, saying he’d wanted to check on us and see how soccer was going. He was as great with Maddie as he had been with my sister when she was that age.
I was grateful, but fully aware the nosy asshole in him was the motivation for his random visit today.
“That is awesome, kiddo,” Caden said. “I’d love to go to a game if that’s okay.”
“Yes, they said everybody could come. Grams and Grandpa said they want to come too.” Maddie’s eyes were still excited and saucer-wide. “Coach Emily is thebest. She had us playing this game at practice yesterday called World Cup, where you kicked the ball and had to say what country you were from, and I did three countries. Two made it into the goal!” She held up two fingers in front of Caden’s face.
“Wow,” Caden said, flicking his eyes to me. “Coach Emily sounds pretty awesome.”
“She is. Did you know she used to be Uncle Jesse’s friend?”
“Yes, I did know that. I knew Coach Emily too, back in the day. We were allfriendsin high school.”
Maddie was too excited to catch Caden’s sneaky emphasis onfriends.
“Did you know Sabrina too? She’s her assistant. She’s pretty nice.”
“Oh really?” Caden’s brows popped up. “Yes, I knew her too. Sabrina isverynice.”
I didn’t know if Sabrina and Caden had officially started something up again or were just seeing each other as friends. He’d hidden how torn up he’d been about his divorce with jokes, but I knew it ate away at him more than he’d admit. Spending time with Sabrina had always been an escape for him, and if it helped now, and they were both on the same page, I’d stay out of it since I was sure I wouldn’t have to get in between him and some angry boyfriend of Sabrina’s after school.
“Uncle Jesse, did you send Coach Emily the video from yesterday?” Maddie asked me and whipped her head back to Caden. “Uncle Jesse took a video of me kicking the ball in ourbackyard. We made a pretend goal, and I got it in like three times.”
“I texted her this morning, Mad. I didn’t want to bother her if she was out.”
And I didn’t want to know if she was. We’d started texting back and forth after that dinner, mostly about Maddie, with a little reminiscing in between. Conversation was becoming easier between us—or at least easier to find an excuse to start one.
“Is that what coaches do now? Make you practice on your own time and send video proof?” Caden laughed as he leaned back.
“No. Since Uncle Jesse talks to her, he offered to send it for her to see.”
I held in a groan when Caden’s brows popped up.
“That was nice of your uncle. I’m sure Coach Emily appreciates that.”
As if on cue, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
Emily:I love it. Tell her she’s doing great, and I’m excited to see her play this week.
Emily:And nice job passing back and forth.
