“She’s okay. She’s taking it one day at a time. What about you? McCrae’s out there tonight. Did you guys clear the air?”
I bob my head side to side. “Not exactly.”
“You gonna keep it together?”
Maybe it’s wrong—but seeing Maggie’s rainbow flick, feeling her energy as she beat me out for the ball, listening to the little she said about her nephew, it’s changed how I think of her. I’m not saying I like the woman. I still think her calls are premature and at times out of line, but my level of respect has changed. It’s transformed with this new information. And her cryptic answers only made me more curious about her situation. She quit for her nephew. But it sounds like the boy has a mother to care for him.
Something I didn’t have.
“Lucca?” Zev says. I’m unsure how long I’ve been thinking and quiet.
“Don’t worry about McCrae,” I say. I have no plans to bother her.
“I’m not worried about her. I’m worried about you,” he says.
I force out a laugh and blink out of my trance. “Not necessary.”
I run through our warmup,like every other Red Tail, but I’m blaming Zev for getting into my head. Like a magnetic pull, my eyes keep ending up on the sidelines, where four refs huddle together. Maggie, the only female of the four, stands out. Her legs are long, lean, and muscular. Her ash brown hair is tied up in a ponytail, and I swear she glanced my way once or twice.
Music blares from the stadium speakers as I pass a ball between Tru and Wade.
“Lucca!” I hear my name, and as this warmup is winding down, I search the crowd. Fran waves from her usual spot, Rosalie and Stella next to her.
Tapping the ball back to Tru, I jog a few feet over to the front row seats Callum keeps for his family. “Hey, ladies,” I say.
“Callum said you might need some company this weekend,” Fran says.
“Are you volunteering?”
She smirks. “You’re always welcome at our place.”
Oof. As the third wheel. Sounds like fun.
Rosalie chuckles. “Zev says you need a cat.”
“Wejusthad that conversation. How—” I shake my head. “Forget it.”
“What you need,” Fran says, “is a nice girl. You need to stop it with Candy or Mandy or?—”
“Fran,” Rosalie scolds. “Judging a woman by her name? Not cool.”
“I’m not judging the women. Or their names. I’m judging Lucca for not remembering their names.”
“Oh. Fair.” Rosalie nods—apparently, she’s fine with that.
“The women I datearenice,” I say.
“I’m sure they are,” Fran says. “But never nice enough for you to remember their names or call them for a second date. You need someone you’re actually invested in. And no offense, Lucca, but the women deserve better, too. They deserve to be invested in.”
“Amen.” Rosalie lifts one hand in the air.
“This is extremely entertaining.” Stella wrinkles her nose. “I’m loving it. But I have to pee.Again.” She groans, then makes her way past Rosalie and Fran and into the aisle.
“Wait, I’m coming with,” Rosalie tells her. She and Stella make their way up the stadium stairs.
Fran leans on the half wall between us. “I’m serious, Lucca. You need to stop with all this super suave flirting business and find someone that means something to you.”
“I can’t help it if I’m suave.” I shrug and give her what is sure to be a suave smile. “Charm is like breathing for me. I can’t turn it off.”
