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She’d just slipped in an earbud and taken the calls, all while chopping food for the food station and sorting boxes that had come off the truck.
I’d known Billie Rose was scarily efficient.
Hell, I’d seen her spreadsheets—yup, that was aplural.
But watching her in action was…impressive. And that was…conflicting.
Because Ishouldn’tnotice that. I’d never bothered to before. She was loud and bossy and opinionated…and now I knew what she sounded like when she came.
She didn’t want that. And neither did I. Our personalities didn’t mesh.
I just…didn’t want her to kill herself rebuilding the town.
“She’ll be more likely to rest if you do it yourself,” Axel said, wrenching my focus from Billie and the exhaustion written into the way she held her body to my former teammate.
Who looked way too fucking smug.
Christ.
I opened my mouth.
His brows came up, stubbornness and smugness in equal measure on that pretty fucking face. “You know it’s true.”
I alsohatedthat it was true.
“No,” I muttered, not willing to admit to Axel that he was right. Not when he wore that fucking cat-ate-the-canary smirk—one I wanted to punch off his pretty face. “She would probably take the opportunity to stay up for another twelve hours,” I said, still muttering.
Axel nodded across the gym, didn’t comment on my muttering, just said, “Bailey’s got her.”
We watched the women continue to talk, and even from the distance, I could see Billie’s eyes drooping.
Baileydidhave her.
She’d be out in no time.
“Right,” I muttered. “So, help me move those boxes.”
Axel didn’t argue, thank fuck, since I had enough bullshit in my head.
He just trailed me across the gym, and we moved boxes.
And did so following Billie Rose’s previous instructions—medical supplies to the first aid station, food to the meal prep area, clothing hung up on the proper racks, and on and on it went, but we got it done so the stubborn fucking mayor wouldn’t have to worry about that when she woke up.
Because shewasasleep. Finally.
Bailey had tucked a blanket around her, and the mayor hadn’t moved.
Fuckingfinally.
“Here.”
I glanced down at the plate Axel shoved in my hand and my stomach rumbled.
“Come on.”
I followed him to the bleachers that were half pulled out and we climbed to the top, and as I sat next to my former teammate, myfriend, it all hit me. I forgot about Billie Rose and my twisted worry. I sure as shit forgot about my plate and hungry stomach. Though, I knew the latter wouldn’t be for long. Mostly because I fuckinglovedCostco muffins. They were huge and calorie-laden and delicious. So, scarfing that down would definitely be on the agenda. But right then, my friend, myfriend—
“Fuck, man,” I said. “You won the Cup.”
