“And why in the world would I want your number?”
I could think of about a hundred reasons, none of which I looked forward to, but I’d offered her a goddamn truce. And I wasn’t a monster. “I’ll forward you Lazy Elk Lodge’s contact information when I’m back to my cabin. The one I was given. Ring them and say you’re calling on my behalf if you want them to act faster. Ask them to refurbish the cottage.”
Her lips popped right open, shaping a wide O.
“Say you’re my assistant, if you will,” I continued. “Complain about some crazy neighbor living in a toolshed and wreaking havoc. I’m sure that’ll get their attention.”
Her gaze jumped between my face and extended palm a couple of times.
“I don’t have all day,” I told her. “And I’m helping you.”
“By calling me spoiled and being a smug, self-conceited p—” She stopped herself.
“Prick. You can say it out loud, darling.” I stepped closer. “Now, phone.”
She blew a gulp of air through her lips. “It’s in my car.”
“Christ,” I whispered, producing mine from a pocket, unlocking it and offering it to her. “Save your number in mine then. I’ll text you.”
Her hand hesitated but then she snatched the phone from my grasp, her fingers grazing the back of my hand briefly but managing to make me notice the touch. Her cheeks flushed and she said, gaze cast down, “I still don’t trust you. And if this is some way to play some tricks or pranks on me I…” She trailed off for a second, something crossing her expression. “Save yourself the trouble.”
The blood in my veins froze.
“Look up at me, please,” I told her, and my voice was low and deliberately hard. “Do I look like some dumb college boy to you?”
That blush turned into an intense shade of pink. She frowned but shook her head.
“Do I look like I have nothing better to do than play little pranks on you?” I stepped closer, making sure she met my gaze. She gave me another shake. “That’s right. Because I might not like you, and you might not like me in return, but I promise you, Adalyn, I’m too old to waste my time in pointless things like tricking you for sport.”
Her throat worked, dragging my eyes there for an instant.
I returned my gaze to hers. “I only play when there’s something worth winning. So save your number in my contacts and hand over the phone. The sooner you realize this is all Green Oak has to offer, the sooner you’ll be out of this town.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Adalyn
My Flames credentials had been suspended.
I hit the key again, balancing the laptop on my knees as I sat on the bleachers.
Your username or password do not match any user in our system.
I reentered everything again, refreshed the portal, disconnected and connected the laptop to the hotspot on my phone. Same message.
My stomach twisted.
This couldn’t be happening. Not without a warning of some kind. This…
“Miss Adalyn?”
I looked up from that blue pop-up window that was sending waves of dread up and down my body, finding one of the kids. “María Camila Vasquez, right? You brought me the ice yesterday.” Ice that hadn’t stopped a section of skin from turning dark—just for a few days, Grandpa Moe had said—and had led me to cover my face in makeup this morning. Just like Cameron had predicted. Ugh.
María seemed a little confused for a second, so I pulled the roster out of the stack of files Josie had handed to me yesterday and that I had spent all morning studying. There was information about the Six Hills Little League—named that way because the best teams of six adjacent counties took part—a game schedule, tentative dates for the teams that made it to playoffs, and the pièce de résistance: the reason why the Green Warriors had qualified. They were the only U10 soccer team in this county.
I scanned the printed list. “Yes,” I said, checking the photo of the nine-year-old and glancing up at her. “María Camila Vasquez. You look a little younger in the roster, but it has to be you.”
“Just María is okay,” she declared, her cheeks turning pink. “Nobody calls me María Camila anymore. Except for my dad maybe. And that’s only when he’s really angry at me because I sneaked out to play with Brandy instead of doing my chores. He doesn’t care that Brandy is lonely, and that’s why I sneak out to see her.” I opened my mouth but found I had nothing to say, which María took as an invitation to continue. “She kinda reminds me of Dad sometimes. I think they could be friends, but Dad is always so busy with the farm that he has no time to play with anyone. Not even me.” Something seemed to occur to her. “I could bring her over if you want to meet her.”
I blinked at her for a second. “Oh… Hmm. Is Brandy your friend?” I eyed the roster again. “I guess… I guess she could try out for the team if she wants, but I’d need to check the U10 guidelines to see how many players the team can have on the roster. How old is she?”
“About…” She stuck out her hands and counted on fingers. “Six…?”
“She might be too young to try.” I started shifting through the stack Josie had given me. “I must have the regulation somewhere. Hold on. Chelsea is seven, anyway. So maybe…”
“She’s big for her age, though. When you compare her to any of the other goats.”
My hands came to a halt. “Goats?”
“Brandy’s a goat.” María grinned. “She’s also blind. And suffers from anxiety.” A pause. “Hmm, maybe she’s five months old and not six. I’m not sure now.”
God. It took me a moment to gather myself because, how had I gotten here? To the point where I was telling a kid her anxious six- or five-month-old blind goat couldn’t apply to the soccer team?
I set down the stack of papers. “I think there’s no place for Brandy in the Green Warriors. Unfortunately.”
María nodded, nothing but understanding behind her eyes and that smile pointed at me. In silence. For a very long time.
I cleared my throat. “So… Did you want something?”