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Chapter 25
Luna was exhausted, but she hadn’t felt this good since her days running track. Her body hurt, she had bruises everywhere, and she felt alive. Seeing Simon dulled the joy some, but she blocked him out. Any photos he took would be of her looking sweaty and real. No one could take offense at that.
She was really glad that they were no longer playing Nash. The man could move and clearly knew his way around a court. But it was more than that. He got to her; it was that simple.
“Time-out!” Maggie shrieked from the sideline as they approached the end of the fourth quarter.
“Don’t you have to be playing to do that?” Rory asked.
“I’m ready for a time-out,” Charlie wheezed.
They were in varying states of disarray. Nash’s team had taken it easy for a while, then when they realized they were getting beaten, they’d become more physical. She’d had his body on her more times than any man she’d ever dated. Not that she dated a lot, but still.
He’d left his sweaty imprint all over her. He’d handled her too, and she knew that was deliberate on his part.
“Luna!” Maggs snapped.
“Sorry.”
“Who made her coach?” Rory wheezed, bent at the waist. “I like it.”
“Did you know that Aunt Jess has made nachos for after and we also get chocolate goodies from Albert because he loves Luna? The Robbins sisters, not to be left out, are bringing homemade onion rings and ribs.”
“No way,” Piper said. “I love those ribs.”
“Hello.” Mandy pushed her way into the circle of sweaty woman. “You all need to win, because I have a bet with Ted. He said no team of women is equal to a team of men.”
“He’s probably right, if we’re going on elevation and strength, but we’re cunning,” Maggs said. “I have the same bet with Fin.”
“So let me get this straight,” Rory said. “You two, who don’t play, are telling us that we need to win because you have bets with your men?”
“Exactly. Now stop messing around,” Maggs said.
Luna subbed and rested on the bench as far away from Simon, who still stood on the side of the court, as she could. She didn’t know why he was still here. It made no sense.
Looking to where Nash was playing the Ryker boys, she refused to sigh as his big body moved around the court. She watched him run to the right. The ball came to Joe, who was behind him. Nash leapt, Joe dodged to avoid being trampled, and Nash landed on Simon.
She got to her feet to look over the play on her court. Simon was down and Nash was on top of him, face in Simon’s. Luna watched his lips move before Joe and Ford hauled him off. They then bent to speak to Simon. Luke, with a Band-Aid on his lip, helped Simon up, then said something.
“Sub!” Rory shrieked.
Luna hurried on and headed over to where Simon now stood, bent at the waist gasping for air. He saw her.
“They’re deliberately intimidating me!”
Luna smiled with total insincerity. “How does it feel?”
She didn’t wait for his answer, just moved to take the next pass, feeling way too good.
Friends.
The game finished with them losing, but it had been a fight.
“Round two next week, same time,” Piper said, wiping her forehead on the sleeve of her T-shirt. “You can play, right?” She looked at Luna.
“I don’t think I’ll be here.” And that thought totally depressed her.
“It’s only a three-hour flight. If you need to go home, come back for the weekend,” Rory said.
