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“Yeah, okay. I’ll play along.” Lennon flicks his attention to Jo and back to me. “Do you have a specific flower in mind?”
I lean back and spread my thighs, overtaking Jo’s space. “Daffodils.”
“Oh no, you don’t.” She shoves at my side, barely making a dent. “There will be no daffodils.”
“But you love daffodils,” I say sweetly, like I don’t know she’s insanely allergic and will spend the entire soccer game sneezing her face off.
She scrunches her nose, like it’s already irritated. “You’re a pest.”
“Because I want your favorite flower to be our league symbol?”
“Because you have a death wish. If you stick a daffodil near me during soccer, I’ll hide ants in your gym bag.”
My insides shrivel. She knows how much ants bother me. Those tiny insects can disappear into unknown places.
“I wonder if you’re still ticklish under your knee,” I murmur, leaning forward.
“Nope.” She attempts to barricade me from her legs. “Not even a little.”
“Liar.”
All she says is, “Ants.”
That’s it. I dart my hand forward, reaching for her horrendously ticklish knees. She goes into full panic mode and kicks at me, but her chair tips back and teeters.
Laughing, I anchor my hand on her thigh and right the wobbly chair. “Careful there, Daniels.”
“You’re the oneabout to get an ant invasion, Bower.”
“So youdowant me to fill your apartment with daffodils?”
“Try it.” Her grin leans toward ferocious.
Mine is pure enjoyment. “I just might. Also…” I drop my voice, needing to tell her how much this afternoon has meant to me. “I can’t thank you enough for including me today. I had a great time.”
Her face goes soft. “I’m so happy. I knew you’d love it. It’s a fun crew.”
More than fun. This is the calmest I’ve felt since I returned to Windfall. The need to check my schedule and keep busy hasn’t struck. My muscles are well worked but loose. Except my facial muscles, which are sore from grinning.
“I’ve played in this league for a couple years,” she says, matching my quiet tone. “Not religiously, but whenever I can make it.” She fits her hand under mine and links our fingers. “Today’s the most fun I’ve had out there.”
My heart seems to move—heavy thumping as it travels from my chest to my palm, where we’re connected. I swear I feel hers in her hand too. A continuation of mine, like we’re one being fused together as she watches me and I watch her and everything around us fades, and for the life of me, I can’t pull away.
A throat clears.
Delilah, Javier, and Lennon are staring at us with mixed expressions of curiosity. I don’t like it.
I release Jo’s hand and fold mine unassumingly on my lap. “The ant thing and daffodils were inside jokes,” I say, attempting to explain our antics and close proximity.
“Right. Jokes.” Lennon looks smug as his penetrating attention fixes on me. “Callahan has so manysecretinside jokes.”
“Most friends have inside jokes,” I say in my calmest voice.
Friends do nice things for each other too, like invite them to soccer. Trash-talk each other until they crack up. Taunt them with ant torture, but the urge to lean back toward Jo hits. To press my hand to hers again. Eavesdrop on her pulse as our hearts synchronize.
I bite down on my molars.
“Jolene,” someone calls from our right. I don’t recognize the woman, but she smiles at Jo. “I heard you and Jake are back together. So nice to hear.”
