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Rook’s mouth started twitching.

She saw it and became more aggrieved. “You can invite six people to dinner with it. You can threaten three men in a parking lot. It sounds equally natural yelled across a yard or said by somebody’s grandmother while she hands you another plate.”

Micah had started smiling.

Sadie pointed at Rook. “And it sounds trustworthy. Like it has jumper cables. Like it knows where your mother keeps the spare key. If your car breaks down at midnight, y’all is going to come get you and not make you feel bad about it.”

Ruckus looked delighted.

“No,” I told her. “You’re falling in love.”

She ignored me. “I would trust that word with my house keys. I am still not using it.”

Rook waited a beat. “You’ve said it twice.”

“Discussing a problem is not endorsement.”

“Y’all are insane,” Riot called from down the row.

Sadie closed her eyes. “That.”

Rook stood. “So do y’all want anything?”

She looked up at him. “Nachos.”

I laughed. Sadie kicked my sneaker lightly with her boot.

Coach Ben appeared near the bottom of our section sometime before halftime.

I noticed him because he wasn’t watching the game.

His attention was on the gate beside the field house. A man in a school polo came through carrying a box, and Ben tracked him until he disappeared into the crowd.

Then he looked toward the parking lot.

I frowned.

Ben glanced up and found me watching him. Something in his expression reset. He raised two fingers.

I returned it. Then he came toward us.

“He’s coming over,” Sunshine said.

Dad looked down and immediately held out a foil-wrapped hamburger. “Ben.”

“Buck.”

Ben eyed the burger. “What’s that?”

Dad gave him a flat look. “Food.”

“I know what food is.”

“Then take it.”

Ben hesitated.

Dad shoved it closer.