“She hopes you won’t change your mind. She’s afraid you will.”
He closed his eyes. “Mel.”
My heart thudded faster in my chest. It was her joy that sped it, not mine. He must have guessed how I loved him. After his questions about Jamie, he must have seen that.
“Tell her… that won’t happen.”
“She hears you.”
“How… straightforward is the connection?”
“She hears what I hear, sees what I see.”
“Feels what you feel?”
“Yes.”
His nose wrinkled. He touched my face again, softly, a caress. “You don’t know how sorry I am.”
My skin felt hotter where he had touched it; it was a good heat, but his words burned hotter than his touch. Of course he was sorrier for hurting her. Of course. That shouldn’t bother me.
“C’mon, Jared! Let’s go!”
We looked up. Kyle was calling to Jared. He seemed utterly at ease, as if he had not been on trial for his life today. Maybe he’d known it would go his way. Maybe he was quick to get over anything. He didn’t seem to notice me there beside Jared.
I realized, for the first time, that others had.
Jamie was watching us with a satisfied smile. This probably looked like a good thing to him. Was it?
What do you mean?
What does he see when he looks at us? His family, put back together?
Isn’t it? Sort of?
With the one unwelcome addition.
But better than it was yesterday.
I guess…
I know, she admitted. I’m glad Jared knows I’m here… but I still don’t like him touching you.
And I like it too much. My face tingled where Jared’s fingers had brushed it. Sorry about that.
I don’t blame you. Or, at least, I know I shouldn’t.
Thanks.
Jamie wasn’t the only one watching.
Jeb was curious, that little smile gathering up the corners of his beard.
Sharon and Maggie watched with fire in their eyes. Their expressions were so much the same that the youthful skin and bright hair did nothing to make Sharon look younger than her grizzled mother.
Ian was worried. His eyes were tight, and he seemed on the verge of coming to protect me again. To make sure Jared wasn’t upsetting me. I smiled, to reassure him. He didn’t smile back, but he took a deep breath.
I don’t think that’s why he’s worried, Mel said.
“Are you listening to her now?” Jared was on his feet but still watching my face.
His question distracted me before I could ask her what she meant. “Yes.”
“What’s she saying?”
“We’re noticing what the others think of your… change of heart.” I nodded toward Melanie’s aunt and cousin. They turned their backs on me in synchronization.
“Tough nuts,” he acknowledged.
“Fine, then,” Kyle boomed, turning his body toward the ball that sat under the brightest spot of light. “We’ll win it without you.”
“I’m coming!” Jared threw one wistful glance at me—at us—and ran to get in on the game.
I wasn’t the best scorekeeper. It was too dark to see the ball from where I sat. It was too dark even to see the players well when they weren’t right under the lights. I began counting from Jamie’s reactions. His shout of victory when his team scored, his groan when the other team did. The groans outnumbered the shouts.
Everyone played. Maggie was the goalie for Andy’s team, and Jeb was the goalie for Lily’s. They were both surprisingly good. I could see their silhouettes in the light from the goalpost lamps, moving as lithely as if they were decades younger. Jeb was not afraid to hit the floor to stop a goal, but Maggie was more effective without resorting to such extremes. She was like a magnet for the invisible ball. Every time Ian or Wes got off a shot… thunk! It landed in her hands.
Trudy and Paige quit after a half hour or so and passed me on their way out, chattering with excitement. It seemed impossible that we’d started the morning with a trial, but I was relieved that things had changed so drastically.
The women weren’t gone long. They came back with arms full of boxes. Granola bars—the kind with fruit filling. The game came to a halt. Jeb called halftime, and everyone hurried over to eat breakfast.
The goods were divvied up at the center line. It was a mob scene at first.
“Here you go, Wanda,” Jamie said, ducking out of the group. He had his hands full of the bars, and water bottles tucked under his arms.
“Thanks. Having fun?”
“Yeah! Wish you could play.”
“Next time,” I said.
“Here you go…” Ian was there, his hands full of granola bars.
“Beat ya,” Jamie told him.
“Oh,” Jared said, appearing on Jamie’s other side. He also had too many bars for one.
Ian and Jared exchanged a long glance.
“Where’s all the food?” Kyle demanded. He stood over an empty box, his head swiveling around the room, looking for the culprit.
“Catch,” Jared said, tossing granola bars one by one, hard, like knives.
Kyle plucked them out of the air with ease, then jogged over to see if Jared was holding out on him.
“Here,” Ian said, shoving half of his haul toward his brother without looking at him. “Now go.”
Kyle ignored him. For the first time today, he looked at me, staring down at me where I sat. His irises were black with the light behind him. I couldn’t read his expression.
I recoiled, and caught my breath when my ribs protested.