The three of them erupted into louder laughter, Mason indignantly shaking his head. “I mean it. I’ll walk if I have to.”
I just shook my head and muttered, “I said I’m driving. End of debate.”
“Hunter!”
I turned sharply and spotted Holly standing by her car, head tipped slightly toward me, as if she’d been waiting the whole time. She gestured for me to come over.
Theo leaned against Tucker’s SUV. “Don’t worry, Holly. We’re staying out of trouble tonight.”
Tucker added, smirking, “The only trouble we’re gonna have is the after-effects of my mom’s extra spicy salsa on her famous nachos.”
“Poker night staple,” Grayson said with mock formality, offering a navy salute toward Tucker.
I looked back at Holly. She caught my eye again and tilted her head, nodding. The guys started yelling at me, “No! Don’t go!” “Just say no!” “Stand your ground, Callahan!”
I waved them off. “I’ll be fine.”
I walked toward her, the guys’ laughter fading behind me, though I could still hear the occasional jab from Mason and Shawn. When I reached her, she smiled slightly, calm and steady, like she always did, even if there was tension behind her eyes.
“You’re leaving early,” I said. “Done here?”
“I have a few things to run past Coach before the post-match presser,” she said. “But I wanted to catch you before you left.”
I hesitated, glancing back at the guys who were still joking around near the SUV. “What for?”
“You’ve been invited to a ribbon-cutting event at Lone Star Auto, the biggest dealership chain in Texas. You need to go.”
I frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea with everything about my dad still out there. Do you?”
She leaned in slightly, gaze firm. “Now’s the perfect time. He’s not a person who’s important to your life. The story is spinning itself to show exactly that, and this is the chance to show it publicly.”
I chewed the inside of my lip, thinking of the headlines and the media vultures circling. “Okay, I’ll do it,” I said slowly. “I trust you on this.”
Her lips quirked into a tiny smirk. “Good. That’s what I’m here for.”
I glanced back at the guys, who were still watching, laughing at some inside joke about Tucker’s mom’s nachos, and I realized Holly had managed to pull my focus away from them entirely.
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “Thanks. For having my back.”
Her expression softened, a brief flicker of amusement in her eyes. “Are you trying to apologize?”
I shook my head, though the corner of my mouth twitched. “What for? Is there something you want to apologize for?”
She shrugged, light but confident. “Nothing to apologize for. I’m just—”
“Doing your job,” I finished for her, and returned the soft smile she gave.
“Exactly.”
The weight I’d been carrying about our argument shifted slightly. It wasn’t gone, but it had been tempered, softened by the clarity and her steadiness.
She turned to leave, giving me a little wave. “I’ll leave you to your extra spicy salsa,” she said.
I stepped closer, impulsively closing the gap. My hand found her wrist, holding her just long enough to feel the tension spike between us. The air seemed to tighten, charged, waiting for something.
“Was there something else?” she asked, her eyes moving from the hand on her wrist to meet my gaze again.
But I chickened out and exhaled, letting go of her.
