Soft feelings gone. “You know, my mom eats girls like you for a snack.”
A loud laugh bursts from her lips, and she grabs my arm. “Don’t worry, Mav. I know my place.”
“Uh-huh.” I’m not buying it. “Either way, thanks for lunch. I look forward to seeing your article.”
“I’ll send you a copy.” She grabs my arm, pulling me back. “Final quote, what happens if you win the Cup?”
“You meanwhenwe win the Cup?” I do a finger-gun, and she holds up both hands, smiling and nodding.
“Yes,whenyou win the Cup.”
“We’re going to Disneyland, of course.”
Everybody’son the back patio when I get home. I drop my duffel inside my bedroom and grab a beer from the fridge before walking out to join them.
The string lights are on, casting a soft yellow glow, and music drifts from the Bluetooth speakers on the corners of the house. Gavin sits in a chair with Lucy asleep on his chest, and Owen is across from him with Maddie on his lap playing with Zander.
Dove stands with Gina and Haddy at the top of the steps watching Kelani and Haddy’s toy poodle Peepee playing in the yard. It’s so familiar and homey, and thinking it’s going to end aches in my chest.
“Maverick!” Haddy spots me standing in the doorway watching them. “When did you get back? Get over here and tell us how it went.”
Dove shifts her stance, and her blue-green eyes blink up to mine. I think about holding her in my arms all night. I think about how bad I hated leaving her this morning to go to practice. Most of all, I think about how much it’s going to hurt next week when she’s no longer here.
“How’s the small-town boy turned superstar?” Gavin teases, and I flip him the bird.
“Did she ask you anything interesting?” Haddy walks over to stand beside me, and the girls follow.
I want to pull Dove into my arms and hold her, but we’ve seriously toned down the PDAs in front of the cousins. It’s just easier, especially with the future being so uncertain.
I’ve got to make a plan for the future, but for theimmediate present, the plan is to put my head down and keep my eyes on the goal.
“She asked a lot of questions I didn’t want to answer. Either she was guessing, hoping I’d slip up, or somebody’s been talking out of school.”
“I don’t like that.” Haddy’s brow furrows.
I glance over at the guys. “Was there talk about trading me?”
“What?” Owen’s voice rises, and he sits straighter.
Maddie hops off his lap, to go where Kelani is hopping around the yard chasing Haddy’s little dog.
“Bruh.” Even Gavin is angered by this suggestion. “Nobody’s trading you. We just got back together.”
“I haven’t heard any such thing.” Haddy crosses her arms. “She had to have been fishing. There’s no way.”
Gavin puts his hand on her hip. “If they tried to trade you, the team would revolt.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” I drop my chin, scrubbing my hand over my face. “I think she was trying to rattle me. She actually said as much at the end. It was like her technique to get me to say things I’ve never said before.”
“I don’t think I like Susan Jackson.” Haddy leans against her husband’s chair. “I’m putting her on the no list for PR.”
I think about everything we said, and I shake my head. “I don’t know. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.”
“It sounds to me like she was making you uncomfortable, and I don’t like that.” Haddy walks over to me, pulling me in for a hug. “I’m sorry.”
Reaching up, I give her a pat. “It’s okay, Hads. You didn’t know.”
“It’s my job to know. I’ll ask more questions next time.”
