Harley’s mom laughed at me and then gave him another hug. I thought I heard her say something along the lines of “I like this one,” which I took as a good sign. Harley’s smile as she bustled off certainly had me feeling good about life.
Some guys about our age—I had to assume were Harley’s brothers—and some women, were gathering around the badminton net. “Let’s go!” I said pointing. My heart started to patter. I loved games. Harley showed all signs of wanting to hide under the table, but he sighed and let me drag him that direction.
“Suppose I should tell Dylan happy birthday,” he grumped. We moved under the shifting green leaves of an oak tree and the shadows had him blinking rapidly. It was adorable and I wanted to tell him so, and the thought had me holding my breath.
“We can play.” My voice wasn’t right.
He squinted at me. “No, no….”
“Come on, you practiced some kickball with Nicky and me this week. It’s… well, not the same at all, but come on,” I said as we approached the net.
One of Harley’s brothers was taking up a spot on each side of the net, and they must have heard me because they started to laugh in a way I didn’t appreciate.
“Harley played kickball?” the brother closest to me asked.
“He didn’t even do that in gym class,” the other one was quick to banter back.
“He used to get into trouble all the time for skipping and going to the library.” Brother one. Maybe I’d start thinking of them as Asshat One and Asshat Two because Harley’s face was so red, I was worried he was getting ready to have a stroke.
“Mom had to enroll him in a sport to make up the credits so he would graduate on time.” Brother two.
Brother one began, “And the dumbass picked—”
“Stop,” Harley said, dropping my hand to cross his arms.
“Ice skating,” his brothers singsonged at him, and I turned with surprise to stare at him.
“You skate?”
He shrugged and looked away. “They allowed me to use the hours at the rink to make up the credits for ditching gym.” He glowered at his brothers, who were busy laughing and whacking a birdie back and forth over the net.
“Happy birthday.” He flipped off the brother closest to us, who only hooted with more laughter. He waved in thanks, though, so I figured he must be Dylan.
“I’m on an unofficial league team. He’s playing with me tomorrow.” I pointed to my shirt and there was more laughter, but this time the fun kind I could get behind.
“A Sunday game, huh? Why not. This we gotta go see,” Dylan said and turned to smirk at Harley. They looked a good deal alike, but Dylan had some gray at his temples, and his face was very tan and a little weathered, maybe from being outdoors a lot.
“Yeah,” Brian chimed in. “We’ll be there.” Brian also seemed a decent bit older than Harley, so maybe Harley was a whoops baby.
“Bring beer tomorrow! Let’s play!” I dragged Harley toward Brian’s side of the net, since Dylan seemed like he had better form. We played several rounds, and eventually Francisco—Risk, as everyone was indeed calling him, much to Harley’s visible annoyance—joined Dylan’s team, and they trounced us, beating us ten to three.
“Another round?” Brian asked, and as I was getting ready to say yes, Harley looped his arm around mine and tugged me toward the food table.
“Starving. Later.”
They laughed and waved us off, so I passed the racket to one of the little boys who belonged to… I’d forgotten who, but he had a wide smile and was covered in mud as he raced off with the racket held high over his head.
“Cute.”
Harley frowned. “I guess. If you like dirt.”
Laughing, I hauled him close and we walked toward the table. There was a very pretty brunette woman in a low-cut pink polka-dot dress sitting on a blue cooler. She glared around herself as if she was the high queen, and when she leveled a dark glower our way, I thought maybe she felt like she was one, too.
“Good to see you again, Angie,” Harley murmured when we were closer, though he didn’t sound happy. “This is my sister-in-law.”
I smiled at her. One of the little kids ran by her and veered far away when she transferred that look to them.
“Hi, new guy. I guess it’s good,” she murmured back, ice in her tone. “I’ll be here, all day.”
