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“Is this seat taken?” Jake asked.
My heart raced as I scrambled to put space between me and Hailey. I hadn’t realized how close we were sitting while we were talking. “I thought you were helping Nana clean out the garage.”
“I got up early to finish it so I could make the game.”
Hailey leaned forward so she could see Jake. “You should have said something. We could have ridden together.”
I held my breath, hoping she wouldn’t admit that she’d come over for lunch. I wanted the truth out in the open, but I wasn’t sure how he’d take the news.
There was no way to sugarcoat what we were doing. He’d hate that I was sleeping with his little sister. He’d be furious.
It wasn’t just our friendship I was worried about but the business partnership, too.
Jake bumped my shoulder. “It would have been nice if this asshole would have helped out. I could have been done earlier.”
“I would have, but I wanted to spend as much time with Corey as I could.” At least that was partly true. I’d wanted to soak up my time with Hailey, too.
Jake nodded toward the field. “So, how’s Corey’s team doing?”
I let out the breath I’d been holding. He didn’t seem to know that anything was going on with me and his sister. I could pass off our riding together as a friendly gesture, like last time.
“They’re three and two. So, not bad, and they’re getting better each week. They tried Corey out at quarterback this week, and he was good.”
“Really?” Jake asked.
“I wonder if they’ll give him a chance this game to try it out. He has a good arm,” I said.
Jake shook his head. “I wonder where he got it because he sure didn’t get it from you.”
“Whatever, asshole.” The constant ribbing and back-and-forth was par for the course with Jake. I was grateful we were good. I didn’t want to fuck up any other part of my life right now by telling him the truth. There’d be plenty of time to come clean when the custody situation was settled.
If I were moving to Texas, there might not be a need to ever tell him. I doubted Hailey would follow me across the country. She’d never leave Nana or Jake. She was loyal. The opposite of her mother.
I swallowed thickly, uncomfortable that I couldn’t be what she needed.
Hailey cupped her mouth with her hands and yelled, “Go Raiders!”
I turned my attention to the field. The teams were lined up for kickoff. The ref blew the whistle, and Corey’s team kicked the ball down the field. It bounced out at the twenty-yard line. Not a bad start.
“I’m glad you could make it,” I said to Jake, my attention still on the field.
“Me too, man. Me too.” His voice was gruff.
That was as deep as things got with Jake. He rarely spoke of his mother unless it was to say how shitty she was to Hailey. He was so closed off that I wondered if he’d ever meet someone who would penetrate his steel walls.
No one deserved to have someone special more than him and Hailey. They’d been through so much. They deserved to have someone squarely on their side, loving and supporting them.
I had an ex hell-bent on stirring up trouble and a son who was trying to clean up his act. I wasn’t the guy she needed.
At halftime, Jake said, “Defense is strong, but the offense is weak today.”
I hummed in agreement. The first half had been a battle of field goals.
Jake had played football in high school. It had been an escape for him, a controlled way to blow off his frustration. It kept him out of trouble and focused. It also made him popular with the girls.
I wondered if Corey would stick with football and play for the high school team. It could be his ticket to fitting in. I hoped so.
At halftime, Jake stood. “I’m going to grab something to drink. Want anything?”
