At least this time I knew I’d be back.
Chapter Fifteen
Mazzy
Thecommunityeventwasnothing like I’d imagined. I’d pictured players sitting at tables, signing autographs and giving out merch. This was…a lot. Kids and parents were packed onto the practice field between the gym and stadium with rugby players sprinkled around like hulking pieces of confetti.
Katty squeezed my hand, wide-eyed. “That’s Benny’s field?”
“Not the big one,” I said, just as wide-eyed. “This is where they practice.”
She gave a serious nod, filing that away for future reference. This was all new to her. To me too. I’d never been to a pro sports game, much less known a player. And now, here we were, right in the thick of things.
“Are they gonna play?”
“I’m not sure. Ben said there would be food, and kids get to meet the players. That’s all I know.”
“Can I meet the players?”
“Maybe Ben can introduce you.”
I thought it would be easy to spot Ben, but all the players on his team were as massive as he was, heads and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. Katty and I stood on the sidelines, our heads swiveling, taking in the scene. Players were huddled with groups of kids, giving tips and instructions. Some were tossing the ball around; others were chasing kids down the pitch. Grills were going, cooking hot dogs and hamburgers, and tables were filled with snacks and drinks.
I should have asked more questions. Now that we were here, I didn’t know what to do or where to go.
“Where’s Benny?” Katty tugged on my hand.
“I’m not sure. Let’s playWhere’s Waldo?. I bet we’ll find him.”
Another minute of scanning the field, and I finally spotted his curls. He was running with a ball tucked under his arm, a throng of children on his heels as he cackled with glee.
It was…cute. Really, completely adorable. My stomach did an uncomfortable swoop, followed too quickly by a rocket launch into my throat. I swallowed hard, willing my organs back into place. Then Ben replaced the ball with a small boy, carrying him under his arm while the other kids ran after him, and it was absolutely unbearable.
Out of nowhere, a man appeared beside me, standing close enough, his arm brushed against mine. The field might have been packed, but there was plenty of space on the sidelines. No reason for him to be crowding me.
I turned, finding his eyes on us, bouncing between Katty and me.
“Hi,” he greeted.
“Hi…” I replied, wary.
Tall and lean, in a crisp, pale-blue button-down and navy slacks, he didn’t look like a creep, but some men were good athiding it. The way his eyes kept sliding to Katty and pausing put me on alert.
He shook his head, his gaze bouncing back to me. “You’re Mazzy, aren’t you?”
My grip on Katty tightened. “I am…”
He offered his hand. “I’m Nate Wells. Ben’s brother.”
“Oh.” Wow. Now that I was looking for it, their resemblance was obvious. Nate was less rugged, but he had the same square jaw and creamy brown eyes. “It’s nice to meet you.”
He squeezed my hand. “You too. And sorry for sneaking up on you and staring. I saw her and…”
I looked down at Katty, who was watching us with fascination. “She looks a lot like him, huh?”
He breathed a laugh. “That’s an understatement. He showed my brothers and me some pictures, but I wasn’t prepared for a tiny, girly replica.” Crouching down, he stuck out his hand to Katty. “Hi, I’m Uncle Nate.”
She slapped his hand without hesitation. We were going to have to discuss handshakes since it seemed that was what the Wells brothers were about. “High five, Uncle Nate. My name’s Kateryna, but everybody calls me Katty.”
