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“So, peopledocall you Ruthie?”
“Lear, this is Eric, who is going to regret so many things on Monday.”
He laughed, and I took his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
RJ looked around, pausing on another man with a baby strapped to his chest. “There she is,” RJ said. She waved in my direction before walking toward the guy and the baby. “Entertain each other.”
“Our girl does not want for any social graces,” Eric said with a laugh, motioning to where RJ stood with the guy and the baby. “That’s my husband and our daughter.”
I eyed RJ turning into the gooiest version of herself I’d ever seen, making faces at the baby. I braced myself, but it didn’t hurt, not much. I pushed the thoughts of babies out of my head and turned back to Eric, who introduced me to the other guys. We were almost done picking teams when RJ returned, Eric calling out her name before she even reached the circle of players.
“You ready to lose?” I asked.
She took the ball from Eric and bounced it between her knees. “It’s probably good you’re asking yourself that question. It’s important to be prepared.”
“Big talk,Ruthie,” I said, mimicking the nickname Eric had used. The breeze blew around us, cooling the already hot and humid weather, which made it easier to forget everything I’d told her the night before. “Want to up the stakes here? Loser buys breakfast?”
Her face scrunched, eyes narrowing. “I’d love to have you treat me to breakfast.”
She dropped the ball and dribbled it to the other side of the field and left me standing there, a half smile on my face.Damn, this woman.
•••
“THAT WAS Acheap trick, and you know it.”
RJ smiled, raising her palms in the air. “I didn’t say it wasn’t, but you still fell for it.”
“You feigned injury!” I held the laminated menu in my hands after we settled into the booth at the restaurant. With every option available to her, since she’d won, RJ had chosen a hole-in-the-wall breakfast place on the edge of town.
“I...” She smiled wider, an open smile, and her laugh almost overwhelmed me. “Yeah, I did. But you still fell for it.”
“Remind me to ignore your cries of pain next time the opportunity arises.” I pretended to study the menu but was instead taking in her face while she read the options, a line between her brows deepening.
“I’m just saying, you could have scoredbeforechecking on me, that’s all. Then you wouldn’t have ended up such a sucker.”
As I ran for the goal, RJ had pretended to trip, crying out, and when I’d stopped to help her, she’d popped up, stolen the ball, and earned the winning shot. “I should have scored and then checked on you? Do you know how much of a jerk that would make me?”
RJ shot me a plaintive look over the top of her menu. “Would you rather be a nice guy or a winner?”
I glanced back at the menu, ignoring that question. “So, why this place?”
“They make the best waffles in the state,” she said, setting the menu aside. “And since you’re buying, I thought I’d order extra.”
“I’m sure they’re good, but the best waffles in the area are at Molly’s.”
She shook her head. “Compared to here, those taste like frozen waffles that weren’t heated long enough.”
“Not possible.”
The waitress approached our table to take our order, giving RJ a warm smile. “You’ve been gone too long, girl. Thought we’d never see you again. The regular?”
RJ nodded. “And he’ll have the same.”
The waitress nodded back and walked away.
“What did you order for me?”
“Don’t you trust me?” RJ’s curls fought against the tie she had holding back her hair, a few escaping the tight hold and framing her face.
