I glance over at her between plays.
She catches me looking.
She smiles.
And for a second I completely forget there's a game happening.
"Focus," Dex says, stealing the puck.
"I am focused," I say.
"Liar," he replies.
The kids swarm the puck like it's the Stanley Cup Final. Half of them can barely keep the sticks on the grass. Colby swings and very obviously misses by a mile. Bobby lets one roll right past his stick so a six-year-old can take a shot. Even Dex is pretending to whiff at it while the kids chase the puck in a pack.
"Great defense," Colby says, backing up dramatically as one kid winds up again.
"I'm being generous," Bobby says. "It's called mentorship."
One of the kids finally gets control of the puck and starts dribbling it proudly across the yard.
That's when Daisy appears.
She bolts straight for the puck.
"No," I say.
Too late.
Daisy snatches it in her mouth and tears across the yard.
"The dog has the puck!" Bobby yells.
Everyone chases her.
Kids are screaming and laughing as they run after the dog.
Dex dives dramatically across the grass and misses by three feet.
"Daisy is cheating," he announces.
"She's winning," Natalie says.
Maddie collapses laughing.
Eventually Daisy drops the puck near the grill and trots away proudly.
"Great defense," Colby says.
"Elite athlete," Bobby agrees.
Someone hands Natalie a hockey stick.
"Your turn," Dex says.
Natalie looks around at the guys and smirks. "Against professional athletes?"
Colby snorts. "Yeah, because we're all playing at peak professional level right now."
