I roll my eyes. Mel, the team’s athletic trainer, is brilliant, but she’s also close with Moxie. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re conspiring together to keep me out of another match, but they know our chances of winning are higher if I’m on the pitch. Moxie needs me.
Logan:
Bruised. Nothing else.
Nothing except a lot more stiffness in my shoulder than I’m comfortable with and an inability to lift my arm without a sharp pain, but I’m not about to tell Moxie or Mel or anyone about that side effect. I’ll get benched again for sure, and at this point the matches are all I have. I’m no closer to a conversation with Lola, and it’s better if I keep my distance from Savannah before I start thinking of reasons to delay my return to Australia.
Aside from the ridiculous no-dating bet with the team, I don’t have enough counter-reasons to help me avoid getting closer to Savannah, so it’s taking everything I’ve got in me to stay away.
I flip to my text chain with her, studying the last few texts she sent me like I’ve been doing all day.
Savannah:
You could have given me your address right from the start, you know.
Am I just supposed to leave it all in the cooler outside your door? Usually I like to put everything in the fridge and freezer so nothing goes bad.
Are you home? I have some extra instructions to give you for the cordon bleu. It’ll be fast.
Guess not. Let me know if you have any questions.
Yes, I was home. Yes, I watched her via the doorbell camera as she frowned at her phone and typed out those texts to me. Yes, I badly wanted to open that door and wrap her up in my arms, which is why I didn’t let myself respond.
It’s better this way. Even if I hate it.
“Logan?”
I curse under my breath when a soft voice behind me, so familiar already, pulls my attention toward the parking lot and the woman standing a few feet from me with a box in her arms.Something softens in my chest at the sight of Savannah, like water pouring over a dry sponge.
I’m beyond glad to see her. And that’s a problem.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, drawing out the first word as she glances at the pitch behind me.
If anyone would understand my thought process, she might. She’s the only person aside from my parents who knows why I came to California in the first place. But the truth sticks to my throat, and the words that come out instead are gruff. “I could ask you the same thing.”
Scoffing, she nods toward the box she’s holding. “I’m working. I doubt you can say the same. I thought you were busy today.”
I ignore that comment, unwilling to lie again. “Food?”
She adjusts her hold on the box. “Post-practice snacks for the team. Kacen—uh, one of the Shafer boys—convinced the school to use some of the team budget to contract with me.” As soon as she stops talking, she drops her gaze to the box and refuses to meet my eyes.
“More clients,” I mutter as my chest grows tight. She might be closer to the Shafers than I originally believed. “That’s good.” And itisgood. Savannah has a solid thing going for her and deserves some stability with her business. But I can’t imagine this addition to her workload is enough to give her peace of mind, and I’m suddenly struck with the realization that aside from hiring her to make my meals, which is temporary, I’ve done nothing to help her business grow.
It would be so easy to bring up the notion of hiring a nutritionist to the Thunder’s owner. That’s literally all I have to do on my end of the bargain.
Guilt builds in my gut, almost as uncomfortable as the pain in my shoulder, and I can’t help thinking about the way Savannah said I’m onlysometimesnice. Before I nearly mucked everything up in her flat last week, I was practicing by texting her compliments because she makes it easy, butsayingnice things isn’t the same asdoingnice things.
Savannah mutters something under her breath, shifting the box in her arms again.
I step forward and take the box from her, shocked by the weight of it. “Where do you need to take it?”
She tries to grab the box, but I twist it away from her reach. “Logan, I can carry it. It’s fine.”
“You can,” I agree without giving her the box. “Where am I taking it?”
“I’m not letting you get anywhere close to those boys.”
Her words feel like a slap, and I stare at her in shock for a long few seconds before glancing at the ongoing practice. She can’t be serious. “Just what do you think I’m here for?” I growl.
