Page 26 of Take The Risk

​“What do you want?” Phoebe eyed her son suspiciously.

​“Do you remember how much you love me?” Lachlan began, and I snorted a laugh, which earned me a glare.

​Returning to her son, Phoebe gestured with her hand. “Out with it.”

​Scarlette and Lachlan shared a look, which had me doing a double take. They’d known each other what? Two weeks? And already it was like they could read each other’s minds.

​“Well, it goes like this…” Lachlan swiped a muffin off the plate Phoebe had put on the table.

​Finally, I’d gotten my hands on one of her muffins. I’d never tasted anything like it and knew the next time she baked, I’d probably join the hyena pack fighting over them. They were that good.

​“You did say you wanted Lock to participate in his new school,” Scarlette reminded her, and Mom shushed her.

​Lock nodded at Scarlette in agreement.

​“He already said he could take me on as a student.” Lachlan pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.

​“Ugh,” Scarlette sighed. “Boys,” she muttered, giving Lachlan a look. “You have to get her to sign you up for the team first.”

​Phoebe sat up straight. “What team?”

​“I gotta head out,” Wade interrupted. Everyone said goodbye. Wade gave me the hand sign to text him later.

​“What team?” Phoebe picked up the pen from the table, rolling it between her fingers, still looking calm. Well, if suspicious was calm, then that’s what she was. I didn’t see the tension in her face that usually accompanied the movement. Maybe I needed to keep a pack of pens on me…

​“The Maplehurst River Bats!” Lachlan proclaimed.

​“You want to join the baseball team?” I grinned. That was amazing. “I played for them when I was a kid.”

​Phoebe gaped. “You want to play baseball?”

​Lachlan handed Scarlette his muffin when she pouted at him, thinking there were none left.

​“Yeah.” He headed to the counter where a container sat. “I like watching it with Uncle Grayson. I tried out a bit at Scarlette’s practice today, and it was actually pretty fun.”

​“You tried out? Why didn’t you tell me?” Phoebe cried, jerking in her seat to glare at Lachlan, who pulled out a muffin from the container with a shrug.

​While Lachlan and Scarlette gave Phoebe a rundown of everything, Mom and I chatted. Even she was amazed at how quickly Lock (yes, I called him Lock when Phoebe wasn’t within hearing because he preferred it) and Scarlette’s friendship had formed and at the transformation in my little sister. Ever since her dad, the fucker, had left them, she’d been withdrawn. Lock’s appearance seemed to be the thing to pull her out of what we were all worried was the beginning of depression.

In fact, everything was going pretty great despite the day’s events. I’d get the house released back to me the day after tomorrow, which worked. I needed to get some supplies in anyway, and I could work on the back deck in the meantime.

​Then Lock said it. “So Rowdy said he could coach me. Actually…” Lock looked at his watch. “He should be here by now.”

​“Rowdy?” I cut Mom off mid-sentence.

​“Yeah. We ran into him after practice…” Scarlette explained, acting as if it was no big deal. “Anyway, he said he had to come see you, Phoebe. And since Coach Matthews can’t take Lock on as a student till the end of October, Rowdy said he could teach him.”

​Just then, the doorbell rang.

​“I’ll get it!” Mom put a restraining hand on my shoulder.

​Lock started on why Rowdy should coach him, and before I could even think about it, I blurted out, “I’ll teach you.”

​Scarlette jumped up and down with a squeal. “Yes!!!” She rushed to me. “You are the best big brother! If Ty teaches you, we’ll win for sure. He was MVP eight times!”

​“Ty,” Phoebe admonished me, and I tensed. “I can’t ask you to do that. Or Rowdy, really. I’m sure I can find someone else.”

​“So I can do it?” Lachlan’s face lifted, and then he too was shouting in excitement when Phoebe gave him a nod. Without waiting, Scarlette grabbed Lock by the arm, dragging him outside to practice. The door hadn’t fully closed when I heard him say, “Wait! She hasn’t said who’ll coach me yet!”