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“Not really. Besides, I had to take care of this one.”
“You coulda left me with Mellie.”
“Nah, I wanted my E fix. Besides”—he leaned over the table—“Mellie smells like…”
“Vegitables.”
“That’s right, buddy.”
We laughed. It felt good to be here with Evan and Eli, doing something so simple. And although I was still pissed at the way he’d ignored me earlier at school, I couldn’t shut off the spark of hope that maybe him being here meant something. That even though he had a strange way of showing it—he did care.
“Can Becca come with us?”
Evan’s mouth bobbed open, and he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck as if he didn’t know what to say. So I saved him the trouble. “I have to work, buddy.”
“Awww.” He pouted. He looked so much like Evan. He was going to be a real heartbreaker when he was older.
“What time do you get off?”
“Seven thirty.” I checked my watch. “Another forty-five minutes.”
“What do you think, E? Should we hang around for Becca to get off work?”
The kid cheered so loud my cheeks flushed, and Cindy chuckled, being real discreet at not watching us like a hawk.
Evan shifted uncomfortably, clearing his throat. “If you want to come with us that is. It’s this stupid tradition we have on game nights. I mean you don’t have to—”
My heart swelled.
“I’d love to.”
* * *
We walked in comfortable silence.Well, it wasn’t really silent since Eli kept us entertained with his toddler ramblings. His excitement grew as we reached a small park down the street from the diner. Evan dropped the backpack he’d been carrying, and Eli rushed to open it, retrieving a football.
“Go long, E.” Evan drew back his arm as Eli raced to the end of the small patch of grass. He pitched it forward, and the ball went flying through the air. Eli’s eyes widened, tracking the ball, and he extended his hands out.
“That’s it, buddy. You’ve got—”
Eli jumped, and for a second, it looked like he’d made the catch. But the ball rebounded off his hands and crashed to the ground beside him. “Awww, that sucks.”
“There’s always next time. Bring it in, team.”
Eli wasted no time picking up the ball and running toward us. “Becca, it’s your turn,” he said, thrusting the ball at me.
“Oh, uh, I don’t think I can—”
“I’ll help you.” Evan’s smooth voice wrapped around me like silk, and I nodded. “Okay.”
“Yay. I’ll catch again.” Eli started running off, and Evan stepped up to me. “You need to make a strong arm and pull back to give you the power for the throw.”
He stepped up behind me and demonstrated, bending my arm into the right position all while I gripped the ball tightly. The memories of his body covering mine, his lips dancing over my skin, made it difficult to concentrate. As if he could hear my thoughts, he dipped his head to the crook of my neck and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
My body melted back into him as he wrapped an arm around my waist, his lips touching my warm skin.
“Becca, I’m waiting,” Eli shouted, waving his hands in the air.
Evan groaned against my neck, muttering something about kids and their perfect timing under his breath. I smiled, laughing quietly. “Okay, buddy, ready?”
