I must have looked disgruntled because he offered a solution. “Why don’t you come to the stadium today? I’ll take a break for lunch.”
“Really?”
“Are you busy?” After I shook my head to indicate that I wasn’t, he continued. “The Woodsmen will be there to practice this afternoon. I remember what a fan you are.”
He was remembering how I had planned to use him to introduce me to one of those Woodsmen players, in my failed femme fatale scheme. In truth, the only guy I had lured had been Corbin, who was not a football player and was not interested in me at all.
“Why are you hesitating? You don’t want to see them?” Shane asked.
“I’ll come, but it’s because I want to hang out with you,” I said. He smiled and we made a plan. His ride arrived then but before he went outside, he turned around.
“I miss you, too,” he told me. He pulled me in, hugging me quickly, before he was gone. I watched the car pull away and told myself not to read anything into that statement.
I was actually excited to see some of the Woodsmen because, like everyone else in this area, I really was a big fan. But I had a more important motivation for going today. Maybe he would introduce me to his immediate bosses, the position coaches and the offensive coordinator. I could try to discover their real feelings about him working there, if they thought he was getting special treatment and were resentful about it. He hadn’t said anything to indicate that but I remembered the way that I had acted with my sister, when I’d furiously blamed her for increasing my workload at Walter’s because she’d been too depressed to get out of bed. Shane wouldn’t shirk and I hoped they weren’t thinking so.
Just like when I’d gone out to dinner with Roshni, Isaiah, and the other coaches and their partners, I took my time picking something to wear to go to the stadium. And just like that night, the choices were limited. The dress that I’d had on for that occasion seemed too fancy for the middle of the day but the jeans and shorts I usually wore weren’t exactly enough.
Hm.
“Do you want to go shopping this morning?” I texted.
“Yes!” my sister answered. “But you know I’m terrible.”
That was ok, because I had another person in mind, too. Avonlea also agreed to meet us, just for a little while because she explained that she had to stop by Walter’s and then hop on a call.“Does she mean that she’s going talk to someone on the phone? I need to start using more jargon,” Morgan told me as we waited for our future sister-in-law outside of the mall. “I think I have enough bandwidth to do that.”
“Ugh, please don’t,” I admonished. “And don’t be rude to her when she gets here.”
“I won’t. She worked miracles with the restaurant and we owe her.”
That was definitely true, since it was open and running pretty well. It had helped to have my mom there as an employee, since she knew the ropes. And she had recruited someone to work in the kitchen: our dad was back.
That had been a shock for me and something I had resisted a whole lot. “After everything he did?” I had asked, over and over. But no one paid attention, just like when I was in eighth grade and had worn a black turtleneck at all times (even the summer) to seem enigmatic. If anyone had bothered to look at me, I had probably only seemed hot, because I usually was.
Despite my objections and despite the promises I made to Shane that it definitely wasn’t going to work out…it had. Dad was now salaried, just like his formerly estranged wife. Maybe his time out on the road had mellowed him or maybe he just needed the paycheck. Either way, he was showing up to work and, after a stern talking-to from Avonlea, he had toned down the language and the cantankerous behavior. The atmosphere was much improved. And Mom was now “formerly estranged” because they were trying things again. He had moved back intothe house with her and Morgan, forcing my sister to spend most of her time there in her room.
Right now, she was still discussing Avonlea. “She’s capable and cute. She’s financially independent, too. What is she doing with Max?”
“They seem to have a good thing going,” I answered. “I’m not really sure what she sees in him but he clearly loves her, even her toes.”
“What?”
I had been remembering what Avonlea had told me about how Max sent her compliments every day. “He likes all the little things about her. It’s funny what you notice.” For example, I liked how Shane always rinsed and wrung out the sponge after he washed the dishes, so it didn’t leave a big puddle next to the sink. He took a very quick shower on the days when he knew that I was going to wash my hair, since the hot water tended to run out fast. He always said “good morning,” “bless you,” and “thanks.” Those were all small gestures and they might have seemed unimportant, but they added up.
“I know exactly what you mean,” Morgan agreed. “It’s the little stuff that makes you really love someone.”
I didn’t question her about that because Avonlea had just arrived and she was serious about shopping. She said hello, asked about my budget, and then strode inside, with us in her wake. She had a good eye, too, and I ended up with three shirts that I really liked and one pair of pants. My sister found a skirt and when shetried it on (like Corbin, Avonlea also insisted on that), I noticed that Morgan had gotten a lot more toned and muscular.
“You look great,” I told her, surprised. She had put on weight and with her increased bathing, it all made a very pretty package.
“Thank you.” She spun and preened. “I don’t mind this.”
Avonlea had to hop on her call so she left us soon after, and I had to get home to change. “What are you doing now?” I asked my sister.
“I may hop on a call, too,” she said. “To Daniel.”
“Are you actually serious about him? You’ve never met him,” I pointed out.
“Are you offering advice? You’re in love with—”
