“Sweet,” he whistles. “Right on time.”
Deacon surveys the scene, his eyes quickly cataloging the surrounding faces. “Looking for someone?” I ask.
He nods, but before he can speak, a tiny blond comes barreling toward him. “You’re here!” she screams, throwing herself into his arms. He lifts her up without effort and her legs wrap around his waist before he gently places her back on her feet.
She punches him in the arm, and I wince.
“I missed you, you jerk.”
Finally getting a good look at her, my lips split into a wide grin. “Damn, Kasey. No love for me?”
She rolls her baby-blue eyes but offers me a smirk. “You,” she says, shaking her finger at me, “Are trouble. No hugs for you.”
I chuckle. “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
“Mmm Hmm,” she mutters, folding her arms over her chest. “You mean you never intentionally antagonized Dominique with me just to get a rise out of him?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She quirks one blond brow. “Really? A certain birthday barbeque seems to come to mind.”
I raise both hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. You got me. But in my defense, that asshole had it coming.”
Deacon grumbles beside me. “That asshole is my brother,” he says, and all three of our collective gazes snap to him.
“No shit?” Felix asks.
He nods, expression grim. Poor guy. I’d be a little grim if that broody fucker was related to me too.
“Stop it,” Kasey admonishes. “Dom’s not all bad.”
Deacon quirks a brow. “You two better?”
Her face falls and something that looks a lot like pain flickers across her face. “Of course,” she shrugs, brushing Deacon’s question off. “It’s just a rough patch. We’re fine.”
He scrutinizes her. “If you say so.”
The two share a couple of minutes of small talk, Julio and Felix joining in, but my attention keeps wandering. I can’t help but look around in the hopes of catching a glimpse of my girl before her competition.
Felix told her we’d be here, but still, I want her to see us. To know we showed up for her big day. Every athlete wants to know they have people behind them, cheering them on. And we—me and the guys—we’re her people.
I’ve never been to a swim meet before, and I’m intrigued by the energy in the air. It’s much more charged than I anticipated for this kind of thing. The pool area is bustling with activity, swimmers stretching beside the lanes, coaches giving last-minute pep talks, and spectators slowly filling up the stands.
Cecilia arrived earlier in Sun Valley with her team—catching the team bus—while we left later in the day. I’d have met her sooner, maybe explored the town a bit with her if I’d known about the meet in advance.
An oversight I plan to rectify in the future.
Scanning the crowd, my heart pounds with anticipation. I spot Cecilia near the pool, chatting with her teammates, her eyes focused and determined. I swallow hard, gaze trailing from the top of her swim cap covered head down to the tips of her bare toes.
She looks good. Better than good.
“Come on,” Julio says, drawing my attention. “We should grab our seats.”
Nodding, I keep an eye on Cecilia as I follow J and the others to the bleachers. We find seats to the left in the fourth row, and I brace my hands on my knees, shoulders forward as I give Cecilia my full attention.
She still hasn’t seen us yet, but as the whistle is blown and the swimmers are called to attention, her eyes glance one last time over the crowd.
“Yes!” Felix shouts, “Let’s go!”
