“Yay,” he screams, picking out a present and eagerly ripping off the wrapping. “Oh, wow, Mommy! Look, it’s a football and it has signatures on it!”
My dad looks at Sam in surprise. “Let me see that, Sam.”
“Look, Pop it has signatures!” He runs over, his little fingers pointing at the black markings.
It wasn’t a hard guess when Randy gave me the wrapped present shaped like a football, but I didn’t think he would get every Raptor to sign it.
My dad glances at me, brows lifting in quiet surprise. “Where did you get this?” My dad follows football religiously, so I know he understands just how sought-after something like this would be
I lift my shoulders casually, wrapping my lips over the rim of my mug. “Must have been Santa.”
“Yeah, Pop it’s from Santa,” Sam agrees, racing back to the tree to find another present.
“Pass it over,” Brandon says to Dad.
Dad tosses him the ball and Brandon examines the gift.
“That’s so cool, I want one!” he says, looking to me.
I settle onto the carpet with my coffee, smiling over the rim, keeping my secrets close—for now.
14
Rachel
“You're drooling,” Dani teases as she settles beside Shelby, taking a slow sip of water. She smiles from behind her dark sunglasses, her amused gaze drifting toward the quad. I only just met Christian’s absolutely stunning sister, Dani, but so far, we’ve all gotten along effortlessly. All of us laughing, chatting, sprawled across the quad’s lush green grass, soaking up the afternoon sun. The girls have made me and Trixie feel welcome, and we have been chatting non-stop since we set up our little picnic. Our black-and-red-checked flannel blanket is large and comfortable, and in the middle an assortment of fresh blueberries and strawberries sit alongside crisp crackers, creamy dip, and neatly cut carrots, bell peppers, and celery. Simple, colorful, and perfect for sharing. It’s picture perfect, but I don’t know if it’s the campus setting, or the impossibly gorgeous, model-like people bringing it to life.
Shelby does nothing but agree with a raise of her eyebrows over her peach-colored aviators. “Yes. Yes, I am,” she says, not once breaking her gaze from Christian.
It’s been just over two weeks since the shooting, and the boys are finally testing Christian’s shoulder, tossing the ball back and forth. They keep the distance short, the passes soft and easy, just like Coach instructed.
Christian’s tattoos highlightthe muscles in his armas his skin glistens in the sun. Randy’s body is free of ink; heisnot as broad as Christian, but he is more defined, especially his abs and obliques cut sharp beneath the golden light. His legs drive forward, arms twisting as he reaches, catching Christian’s pass with ease. He steadies himself, then sends the ball soaring back, his hand lingering in the air, tracking the perfect spiral. His chest rises and falls, rhythmic and hypnotic. Watching him throw, you’re caught in the effortless mastery of his body, his instincts, his muscle memory, all working in quiet, breathtaking harmony.”
“I’m just so happy he is back throwing the ball around.”
“How are the nightmares?” Dani asks in concern.
“Getting better,” Letti answers for her, words hopeful and proud of the progress made.
Shelby gives her a weak smile. “Still there, but as Letti says, they are getting less and less frequent. Getting to sleep sometimes is the real challenge with the guilt that consumes me. Not to mention the ‘what ifs’ that race through my head constantly. What if the bullet hit twenty centimeters to the left? It’s terrible…”
My heart goes out to Shelby and everything she’s been through. Listening to Randy share what they endured on our date was… a lot. But it meant something—seeing him open up, letting vulnerability and fear slip through. It’s a side of him I suspect he rarely shows to anyone, hidden beneath his boisterous, laid-back, party boy exterior.
Letti rubs at Shelby’s arm. “Don’t do that to yourself; you’re fine, he’s fine. LG.”
“Yeah, LG.” Shelby smiles back to her.
“What?” Dani questions.
“Life’s good,” they both reply.
“Oh, I thought it was some silly Australian lingo,” Dani says, causing Shelby to flick Dani’s arm on a frown.
Dani laughs, shifting positions before resting her head on Shelby’s lap, completely at ease. “Someone else is drooling over there,” she adds, lowering her sunglasses with one finger to look at me.
Flickers of sunlight stream across her face as the sunlight breaks through the canvas of the tree as she smiles at me. All of us carefree, relaxed and soaking up the holiday sun.
I blush, shooting a look back to Shelby, Dani, and Letti. All three of them are showstoppers, drop-dead gorgeous. Shelby, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Australian bombshell; Letti, the flawless brunette, carries an effortless charm. Dani is a real natural beauty with her gorgeous features. Her face is gracefully perfect, tanned skin, gray eyes, and blonde hair. Top it off with cute jeans and a yellow sweater, and she’s just plain hot. Once, before I even knew her, I watched a guy walk straight into a pole completely mesmerized by her. I burst out laughing and had to explain what I saw to Jade. Once I was introduced to her, the memory came rushing back to me and I couldn’t help snorting a laugh and had to explain myself to the girls. Luckily, they thought it was hilarious.
