Page 1 of Maggie’s Match

Prologue

Maggie sat in the bleachers and cheered along with everyone else as the Fairplay Bulls went on to another victory. Of course, most were cheering for the entire football team. Maggie, however, was cheering for one player in particular.

Her entire life she’d had her eyes on just one boy. One boy who had treated her like a sister her entire life. Richard Johnathan Graham. Rick, as his friends called him. The boy of her dreams in every dream she’d had for her entire life.

He was the only one that would ever hold her heart. Only, he didn’t know it. If he did, he sure didn’t show it.

Currently, he was dating Amber Lester, the head cheerleader. That made total, as Rick was the star quarterback.

Not that Maggie wasn’t popular or into sports herself. She’d tried out for cheerleading, but she wasn’t as coordinated as the other girls. It might have had something to do with her huge mega boobs. Whenever she tried to do anything strenuous, they would hurt or throw her off balance.

That didn’t stop her from enjoying sports though. She’d settled into softball and was by far the best pitcher Fairplay had ever had. She hated running bases, but at least she could throw.

After the game, she remained seated in the stands as everyone else left. She was too busy watching the team celebrate. Watching Ricky.

When Amber rushed up to him and flung herself around him, Rick caught her with ease and spun her around. It was a scene Maggie had dreamed of happening to her so many times.

When she looked around and realized she was the only one still there, she finally left the stands and headed to the front of the school stadium to wait for one of her parents to come get her. She sat on a bench near the concession stand, staring at her phone.

She was a year away from getting her own driver’s license and being able to drive herself to and from sports events. And she loved to watch them all—basketball, football, hockey, even golf.

“Hey.”

She jumped at the voice, only then realizing it had grown quiet around her. Quiet and dark. While she’d been lost in scrolling through a social media app, everyone else had left, leaving her alone in the dark parking lot.

Thankfully, it was Ricky who stood over her. There wasn’t a lot of crime in Fairplay, but she’d watched enough scary movies to jump at shadows.

“Hey,” she said with a sigh, trying to sound bored and get her heart to settle down again.

“Your folks haven’t come yet?” Ricky asked, glancing around.

“Nope.” She frowned down at her phone and opened her chat app. Her face flushed when she realized she had forgotten to hit send on her message telling them she was ready to be picked up. She often forgot things like that when she was deep in dreaming.

“If you want, I can give you a ride,” Ricky offered.

She was about to deny him and send her parents the message, but then she realized it would be ten minutes before they could get there. And, in truth, she wanted Ricky to give her a ride.

“Okay,” she said, standing up and throwing her book bag over her shoulder.

“Cool.” He reached over and took her heavy bag.

It was then that she realized he’d changed into jeans and a T-shirt. His hair was still wet from the after-game shower that he’d probably taken in the locker room.

“Where’s Amber?” she stupidly asked when he opened the passenger door on his truck.

“We broke things off,” he said, then he rolled his eyes. “She went home.”

She climbed in and waited for him to get in behind the wheel.

“Why?” she asked.

Ricky shrugged. “I caught her making out with Joey when I came out of the locker room.”

“Ouch,” she said as her heart leapt. At least he was single again.

Ricky shrugged. “It was past due. We didn’t really have that much in common.”

“Oh? Like?” she asked.