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Considering yesterday Pepper had distracted me and today I was playing basketball with my brother, I hadn’t had a lot of time to dwell on the suspension.
“Not bad,” I answered honestly. “Dad let you out of work for a morning?” The bitterness that always laced my voice when I spoke of our father was no less present now. I hated that he elicited any kind of emotion from me, but I couldn’t stop it.
“It’s Sunday.”
“Since when does that matter? The company comes first.” Tension tightened my shoulders. I willed them to relax to no avail.
“You gentlemen going to play or stand around and chitchat all day?” Daniel Elliott strolled in, twirling his key ring around his finger.
“That trash talk isn’t going to help you win.” I slapped hands with him.
“Your jump shot isn’t going to help you either,” he fired back as he playfully punched me in the stomach. I winced. He hadn’t hit me hard, but I was still sore. “I barely touched you.” There was apology and worry on his face.
I lifted my shirt. His eyes bulged at the bruise across my stomach.
“A beam fell on me,” I said proudly.
“Shit, man. That looks vicious.”
My brother circled around to examine me for himself. He scowled. “Have you had someone look at this?”
“Nah. It’ll heal.” I'd avoided having the paramedics on scene look at my injury. That was the one break in protocol Captain didn't seem to mind. I waved my hand toward the court. “Are we going to do this?”
I grabbed a ball from the rack and dribbled toward the basket, executing a perfect layup. It didn’t feel great on my sore stomach, but I could get through it.
Daniel scooped up the basketball and ran toward the opposite basket. Lincoln intercepted and stole the ball from his grasp.
“Not bad for an old guy,” Daniel said, hustling after my brother.
“I’m a year younger than you.” He paused, took a three-point shot, and the ball whooshed through the net.
“And I’m not forty yet,” I taunted, though I was close. That earned a lethal glare from them, who were both over that hump.
Daniel took his own shot and scored. “It’s been a while but looks like none of us are rusty.” He passed the ball to me. “Your brother has his own court to practice so it’s no wonder he drilled that three-pointer.”
Lincoln’s face turned a deeper shade of red that wasn’t from working up a sweat. He was the most confident man I knew, yet flashing his wealth made him uncomfortable, even around people who had money of their own.
“And you’re on that court right now. So keep talking. I’ll keep scoring,” he said as he swiped the ball from me.
“No mercy for your own brother?” I complained as I chased him.
“Nope.” But that was a lie. Maybe not in a fun game of basketball, but in everything else, he was my rock.
“At least I know you two won’t team up against me.”
We’d been friends with Daniel for a few years. He and Lincoln hit it off over a business deal and were close. I was part of that by extension. My brother didn’t let people in easily, and that had only gotten worse the older we became. I didn’t blame him. We’d learned early on that we’d lose the people we loved.
The ball sailed into my chest and bounced back to Lincoln.
“Where are you?” he asked. “I thought you wanted the ball?”
I shook it off. “Are you trying to give me a cracked rib?” I scooped the basketball up.
“You watched me score. I was showing mercy.”
Daniel stepped between us and held up both hands. “Are we going to need to hire a referee next time?”
I took off around him. “Nope. You can referee since you never have the ball.”
