Any thoughts of murder and verdicts and prison are relegated to the very back of my head. No one else seems to be bothered by it, either.
After we clear the field, there’s some discussion with the refs and the coaches, a coin toss, and then the game gets underway. The Riders’ offense is up first, and my eyes follow Wade as he jogs onto the field. He’s a tall guy, but for some reason he looks even bigger in his uniform and with his helmet on.
On the first play, Wade throws a short pass to a receiver with the name Blackwood on his jersey. Blackwood catches the ball, but then there’s a long, boring halt as the refs try to decide if he gained enough yards for a new set of downs—Hailey helped me with some of the lingo on the bus ride up here when she found out how little I knew about the game. A little man darts out and measures the distance from the ball to the line, then holds up his hands and makes a signal I don’t understand. Hailey and I didn’t cover hand signals.
The Astor Park fans cheer in approval. Me, I’m just bored from how long it took to decide if our guys got a few measly yards. I search the sidelines until I spot Reed. At least I think it’s Reed. There are two players with ROYAL stitched on their jerseys and they’re standing side by side, so for all I know, I’m ogling Easton’s butt and not Reed’s. He shifts his head and I see his profile. Yup, it’s Reed.
He’s chewing on his mouth guard, and then, as if he senses me watching him, he sharply turns his head. The mouth guard pops out and he grins at me. It’s a wicked, private smile reserved just for me.
The excitement vibrating in the stadium only gets more intense when Gibson ends up tying the score right before halftime. In retaliation, Reed and Easton tackle the Gibson quarterback the next time he’s on the field, and the guy fumbles the football. Someone else on the Astor defense scoops it up and runs it in for a touchdown.
The Astor Park fans are freaking out. The home fans are booing loud enough to rock the bleachers. Some of the Gibson kids start chanting, “Killer, killer,” but are quickly shut down by some administrators. The verbal attacks only seem to fire up the Astor Park team even more.
In the end, the Riders win the game, which means they’re moving on to the next round of the playoffs. I grin as I watch Coach Lewis slap his players on their asses after the win. Football is so freaking weird.
The teams form two lines and exchange handshakes. A few of the opposing players don’t shake Reed’s hand. For a moment I wonder if there’s going to be a fight, but Reed doesn’t seem to care. The moment they’re done, Easton races toward me. He plucks me right off my feet, then carries me down to the field and whirls me around.
“Did you see that sack in the second?” he exclaims.
I strain my head toward Val, who’s hurrying down the steps toward us.
“Wait for Val!” I grumble at him, but he carts me down the sidelines and doesn’t release me until we reach the entrance of the tunnel that leads to the locker rooms.
Reed is there, helmet in hand, sweaty hair matted to his head. “Enjoy the game?” he asks before bending his head and kissing me.
A laughing Val finally catches up to us, and she and Easton start making gagging noises as Reed’s kiss drags on and on.
“Come on, guys, we’re standing right here,” Val announces. “Royal, stop mouth-mauling my best friend so we can walk back to the hotel already.”
I break away from the kiss. “You didn’t drive?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. “It was a ten-minute walk. I figured there wouldn’t be any closer parking spots, anyway.”
Reed gives me a stern look. “I don’t want you two walking back to the hotel alone. Wait for us outside the stadium and we’ll all walk back together.”
I respond with a brisk salute. “Yes, sir.”
His mouth finds mine again. This time there’s something different about his kiss. It’s rippling with promise. When he pulls back, I see a familiar gleam in his blue eyes. We’re away from the Royal mansion. There’s no risk of Callum or Steve or anyone else interrupting us. Whatever reservations Reed had about saving himself until after the investigation is over were left behind in Bayview. There’s only one reason I’d join Jordan’s dance squad and it’s not to cuddle.
We both know what’s going to happen tonight.
* * *
Reed and I walk back to the hotel with Easton, Valerie…and Wade. Needless to say, Val is not happy about this latest development.
The moment we reach the parking lot, she plants her feet and crosses her arms. “Why is he here?” Her accusatory gaze is laser-pointed at me. “You said it was just Reed and Easton.”
I hold up my hands in defense. “I didn’t know.”
Wade looks uncharacteristically wounded. I always thought nothing fazed this guy, but Val’s obvious unhappiness about his presence brings a sad look to his face.
“Come on, Val,” he says hoarsely. “Don’t be like that.”
She bites her lip.