Indy laughed. “I wouldn’t exactly call them bullies. More like annoying little gnats.”
He chuckled softly. “Glad to hear they didn’t do any lasting damage.”
“Nope, still in one piece,” she said, smiling back at him.
“I don’t think we’ve met before. I’m Jack Harrison.” He held out his hand and she took it immediately, hoping hers wasn’t too sweaty. His fingers wrapped completely around hers. It was like holding on to a mug of hot chocolate after coming in from the cold. Jack Harrison. Penny Harrison’solder brother and agent. She remembered seeing shots of him in the stands during the Madrid tournament, but her phone screen did not do him justice.
“I’m…” She paused, her voice catching in her throat. “I’m Indiana Gaffney. Indy.”
His smile widened. “Indiana. I like that.”
Anyone else in the world and she would have corrected him. No one called her Indiana except her dad, and it grated on her nerves whenever he did, but the way Jack said it, his voice soft and deep, she wanted to hear him say her name all day long. His hand released hers after a gentle squeeze.
“So, how have I not seen you around here before, Indiana?” He didn’t step away, invading her space in the best way possible.
“Today’s my first day.”
“I didn’t think I could miss someone like you.” She blushed, but he nodded in the direction in which the terrible twosome had marched off. “And you’ve already made enemies. Impressive.”
She shrugged, unable to help the grin spreading across her face. “They’re pissed because Dom ranked me ahead of them for the Classic. I mean, I was hoping Dom would think I was good enough, but I was shocked when he ranked me fourth. I’ve only been here a day. It probably wasn’t the best way to make friends, but that’s not really the point of training here, right—”
Then a voice cut her off, thank God, or she would have rambled forever.
“Jack! There you are!” Teddy Harrison strode toward them, hopping the low fence by the gate with such ease Indysupposed he did it all the time. The resemblance between the brothers was astounding, though Jack was far more muscular.
“I’ve been waiting forever. You said you just had to…” He trailed off as his eyes flashed to Indy. “But now it all makes sense. Hi again, New Girl.”
“Teddy,” she said.
“You two know each other?” Jack asked, looking between them.
“Indy was lost this morning and I was gentleman enough to show her the way.”
“Yeah, after he snuck out of some poor girl’s dorm room.”
He went silent, and she wondered if she’d said something wrongagain, but Teddy laughed at her calling him out. “So, what were you working on out here by yourself?” Teddy stepped into the space Jack had just vacated beside her, but his closeness didn’t quite have the same effect.
Indy grimaced in frustration. “My footwork,” she said, nodding at the cones. “I was trying to—”
Teddytskedat her. “You aren’t going to get anywhere with two cones and no one to watch you, right, Jack?”
“What?” Jack asked, and Indy’s eyes shot to the older brother, catching his gaze briefly before he looked away. Had he been looking at her? He’d definitely been looking at her.
“Focus, bro,” Teddy scolded, but his smile was back in full force. “Don’t you know some epic footwork drill we can show Indy?”
Jack’s mouth opened and then closed again, his shoulders stiffening, like he was preparing for battle. “I’m not sure if…”
Teddy shook his head as he picked up the cones she’d set out and tossed them to the side. “Yeah you do. The batshit one that Penny loves, what is it called?”
Indy felt her calf muscles spasm at the thought of another running drill. “Not Einsteins?”
An unexpected guffaw slipped out of Jack’s throat.
“Do you want to show her or should I? I know you’re retired now, old man. You might pop a hammy or something,” Teddy teased from the center of the court, a clear gauntlet laid down for his brother, who couldn’t possibly be more than a few years older than they were.
Jack lifted an eyebrow and then did not disappoint.
“I got this,” he said, his eyes not leaving hers as he swapped places with Teddy. Jack moved to the center of the court, balanced on the balls of his feet for one moment, and then he was off, a few crossover steps to his left and back, then to his right and back. Indy felt a small grin of satisfaction inch over her lips. She’d been on the right track with her own drills. Then her face fell as Jack’s legs started covering more ground, pivoting at the corners of the service lines, sprinting to the net in diagonals and then back again.
