I liked her already.
“I don’t think we’ve ever played boys vs. girls,” I said, “unless you’ve done it recently.”
“We haven’t,” Riley said. “You’ll be fine, Kami. I’ll guard you.”
The rest of us tried to hide our snickers. He was a notorious cheat.
“Losers have to wash the China,” Teagan added as we took our places on the flat driveway.
“Oh, you’re on,” Cooper laughed.
“Ladies first,” Tom called from his camping chair by the winterized flowerbed. He was the only reason these things didn’t turn into a blood bath. “And no dunking.”
“Awfully sexist of you, Dad,” Alex complained.
Tom grinned. “I was talking to Holly.”
As I was the shortest in the group, that was highly unlikely.
I took my spot at the top of the key, having grown up a point guard. Parker was tall and leggy, posting up under the hoop next to her center husband. Kami moved to the far corner of the driveway where she would be most out of the way—that was going to be a problem. And Teagan moved to my left, per usual.
We were ready to start except for Cooper and Sam, who seemed to be having an argument in the garage.
“Let’s go, boys!” Teagan called.
“You don’t have to play if you’re scared,” I echoed. “Check.” I bounced the ball all the way to Riley, hoping he’d bounce it back so we could start without them. He didn’t.
“You owe me,” Cooper grumbled, moving to guard his sister.
Riley passed the ball to Sam as he took his place in front of me. I hadn’t considered this. I mean, sure, I’d love to score on him, embarrass him, make him rue the day he played Holly Haden. But there was a lot more to it than that. The guarding. The touching. The one-on-one-ing . . .
I would have to make sure I guarded Cooper on defense. Teagan would trade with me. Surely.
Sam dribbled the ball, forcing my attention on him. “Ready for this, Haden?” He was the only boy in our circle who’d nevercalled me Balls, something I used to appreciate about him. Today, I found it irritating, though.
“Are you ready for this, Autry?” I didn’t wait for him to pass me the ball. I lunged forward and stole it from him, dribbling into the lane and shooting a layup before anyone was ready. “Two-zero.”
There were cries of cheating and unfairness, but Tom raised his hand in the air, letting it slide. The only person any of us relented to was Tom. It was a little ridiculous that well into our twenties and early thirties, we still needed a parent to referee our antics. But what could you do? Winning was everything when the dishes were involved.
Sam accepted the ball from Riley and took it to the top of the key. I hovered near Teagan and Cooper until Teagan snarled, “What are you doing, Holly? Go get him.”
Reluctantly, I dragged my feet to where Sam stood dribbling the ball. He grinned at me. It was more than a little disarming. Borderline cheating.
I narrowed my eyes at him.Game face, Holly.
“You have to check,” I told him when he continued fancy dribbling while the rest of us waited. “Them’s the rules.”
“That so?” He stopped dribbling and held out the ball to me.
“You have to bounce it to me.”
“Good thing you’re here, Haden. Who else would explain the rules to me?”
I narrowed my eyes further. He bounced me the ball. I bounced it back. He grinned again.
“You ready?” he asked, his voice low, teasing for some unknown reason.
“I was born ready.”
