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“You dropped your drawers on purpose,” she says with a smirk.
“Drawers? Do you mean pants? Underwear?” She’s so stinking adorable one minute and lighting me on fire with her strong, feminine body the next.
“Pants. My mom always said, ‘Pick your drawers off the floor.’”
I’m seriously trying to dial down my laughter, but she cocks her hip out and does that twist of her lips she always does. I want to sling her over my shoulder and drop both of ourdrawers. “This is going to be a blast,” I beam, gesturing between us. “You and me.”
She raises a manicured brow. Cupid just made the perfect shot to the heart, and at the end of his arrow is Adalee’s smile that turns me inside out.
Her hand is in mine as we descend the steps—carefully so she doesn’t reinjure herself. No one notices us at first. Ginger’s sitting on Joe’s lap, and they’re thumb wrestling. Mac and one of the other freshman baseball players are playing video games.
Adalee lets out a puff of relief, but that’s when we hear footfalls behind us. I turn as Logan says, “Little A, Iheardyou were here.” His tone teasing.
My eyes narrow and he gives me a nod. Good he understands to keep his mouth shut.
To my surprise, Adalee advises, “You’ll be seeing a lot more of me.”
His focus shifts between Adalee and me, nodding his head. “I need to hear the whole story.”
If Logan ruins this for me, I’m going to put Bengay in his jockstrap.
“Joe, did you warm up the chicken fajitas?” Joe shakes his head in the negative. I knock the cabinet door and ask Adalee to get out the plates. When I open the fridge, memories of me backing Adalee up against the stainless steel play on repeat. One of these days, I’m going to have sex in this kitchen with her.
I pull the veggies and chicken out that I already roasted and put them on a pan. Preheat the oven and stick them in.
It doesn’t take long to warm. I yell, “It’s ready!”
No one moves and Adalee clears her throat and says, “Come and get it, last call.” Everyone begins filtering into the room. She presses on her toes and whispers in my ear, “My granddad.”
Adalee-isms. Life will never be dull.
My phone rings as I’m pulling out the heavy wooden chair, gesturing for Adalee to sit. I dig in my front pocket and realize it’s my sister.
“Hey Hap. What’s up?”
She’s giggling and it reminds me of how she laughed when we were kids, before I was at Julia’s side every spare minute. “I’m with Tackett and Talynn. We’re at the playoff game, in the suite.”
“Oh, damn, I forgot all about it.”
Harper shouts, “What? Who is she? Hagan Chatham doesn’t forget about baseball unless it’s a girl.” When I don’t answer, her laughter slowly trails off. “Please tell me you’re not back with Julia.”
“No, of course not.”
I’m not a glutton for punishment.
“Oh, is this the girl that’s been busting your balls that Archer told me about?”
Okay, maybe I am a glutton.
Taking a long breath, I keep my voice low. “Hap, it’s early.”
This time I hear laughter erupt from others in the room with her.Fucking Archer.One thing about Archer and Megan is…they follow through. I asked them to get Tackett and Talynn to hang out with Hap for a week, and they made it happen. He wants to be a Kodiak so bad, but he has two year contract with Atlanta.
Tackett takes the phone from Harper, and we talk baseball. But then I have to ask about my sis. “How is she?”
“She’s good. Upbeat. She had one episode yesterday. Harper and Talynn have been playing Wordle. They’re obsessed.”
“Has she said anything abouthim? Tackett, is she waiting on me to ask her to move here?” I ask as I feel Superman’s lasers beaming on me. I shift in my seat as Adalee’s gaze peers through me.
