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“Rachel,” Coop and Archie said at the same time, and the corners of my lips twitched.
A laugh that had nothing to do with humor worked its way up, but I wouldn’t let it out. I plugged in their favorites for pizza and made sure I got Frankie’s too before I paid for it and hit send.
“Fair,” Jake said. “Even if I can’t stand the bitch.”
“Join the club. But she’s good for Frankie,” Coop said. “And you heard her this morning.”
“Yeah, yeah.” In the kitchen, Jake opened the fridge. “Want a soda, Bubba?”
“Thanks.” Then I glanced at the table where Archie worked, and Coop had begun adding the actual mum to the pieces they’d already made. Frankie’s was going to be stunning. “You guys mind if I work on that last one?”
Archie cut a look up at me. “Glue gun’s right there. Jump on in.”
Stripping off my shoes, I shoved them over to the side and then knelt to get to work.
Jake passed me a soda and said, “You still in for tonight?”
“Yeah,” I told him. “For as much or as little as she wants to put up with me, and I got it—" I motioned to all of them. “I have to ask her to dance.”
None of this was how it was supposed to have been. None of it. But Jake was right. This was my fault. So tonight, tonight I started making it up to her.
What did Coach used to say? Being involved with the team didn’t come with an engraved invitation. You involved yourself.
I almost had myself psyched up for it by the time Frankie walked in. Thankfully, we’d gotten the mums done and hidden—even mine. I’d done mine a little less elaborate, but very much with her in mind, right down to the pen trinket I slid on it.
‘Course, once I got a good look at her, I damn near swallowed my tongue because even in a tank top and shorts, she looked stunning. Her hair was smoothed out and hung beautifully, and her eyes were bright.
“Holy crap,” Coop exhaled.
“Wow.” Archie said a beat before he wolf-whistled. “You could start a whole new Homecoming trend in that outfit.”
Jake just grinned. “I think I hate Coop right now.”
“Yep, too bad, so sad.” Coop laughed.
But when Frankie glanced at me, the hesitation in her eyes? That flash of worry? It hit me right in the nuts.
That was what I’d done.
“You look amazing,” I told her, meaning every word. “How do you feel?”
The tremulous smile on her lips inched upward. “A lot fussier than I ever imagined. It was kind of fun and…wow, people do that all the time to get ready for stuff?”
There she was with a teasing roll of her eyes and shake of her head.
“It’s a memory,” I reminded her and held up my phone. “You want a picture?”
She laughed, then spread her arms. I got one snap of her, then Coop slid in miming hugging her, and she mugged for the camera. I snapped the shots as they all got in there for ones with just her and Jake, or her and Archie.
When she curled her fingers and told me I needed to be in the group selfie too, I didn’t argue.
It was a step.
I had to involve myself.
Chapter Twenty-Two
All of Yesterday’s Parties
