I didn’t know what to expect when we entered the boardroom, but I hadn’t anticipating seeing Evan and Derek in there. Our instructor was getting a video ready on the projector while Derek pretended to hump the mannequin behind his back. The look on his face was priceless. I did all I could to keep from laughing. Evan sighed and lowered his head, his shoulders shaking with laughter. Kate bumped me with her elbow and leaned over toward my ear. “I promise the guys aren’t all like Derek. He’s a little out there.”
As soon as Gary turned around, Derek sat in a chair with an amused smile on his face, looking completely innocent. “I can see that. It must be entertaining to have him around.”
“It is, actually. He’s always keeping the guys’ spirits up, especially if we lose a game. I can always count on him and Evan to motivate the team.” It was good to have that kind of teamwork. Lara and Grayson were my team.
“So what are they doing in here right now?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” I followed her to the front of the boardroom and tried my best not to look at Evan when she approached him. “What the hell are you doing in here? This class is for Summer and me.”
“Not anymore,” he replied. “Dumbass, here,” he said, pointing to Derek, “thought it would be a good idea for you girls to practice on a real person our size. Coach agreed, but I wasn’t about to let him come in here and molest our friend.”
Kate smacked Derek on the head and snapped, “Yeah, considering Brianna will beat your ass if you do that. I swear, I don’t know how she puts up with you.”
Derek snickered and rubbed the spot she hit. “She knows I’m not going to do anything stupid, which is why I’m partnering up with you, pretty mama. Your brother will be with Little Miss Sunshine over there.”
Kate glanced back at me and then at her brother. I was too nervous to even look at him, much less practice CPR on him. Were they really going to make me practice on him? “Gary,” Kate called. He looked over his shoulder, trying hard not to laugh. “If Derek winds up dead, don’t fail me, okay? Because if I have to put my mouth on him, Cooper will be sure to kill him.”
He laughed. “You have my word.”
While they joked around, Evan came up behind me and bumped my shoulder. “You don’t have to practice on me, Summer. I saw the look on your face. I actually thought it would be a good idea to learn CPR myself. You never know when you’ll need to use it.”
“It’s a good skill to have,” I said, peering up into his gray eyes. For a second, I just stared into them, lost in the moment. When his lips tilted up in a teasing smile, I averted my gaze. “And I don’t mind practicing on you. However, I will admit it makes me nervous.”
“Being around me makes you nervous?” he asked. That smirk of his was going to drive me insane.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I retorted. “It’s only because I haven’t done this in a while. I’d hate to hurt you.”
“Burn,” Derek hollered. “I guess she put you in your place.”
Evan grinned and looked down at my lips. “That she has.”
Clapping his hands to get our attention, Gary pointed down at the floor. “All right, boys, it’s showtime.”
I couldn’t hide my smile even if I’d wanted to as Evan lay down on the floor. “Don’t break my ribs. I have a game this weekend.”
“I’m sure you’ll live if I do. You’re a big boy.”
He chuckled. “All right, smart-ass. Let’s see how you react when it’s my turn to practice on you.”
Eyes wide, I tried to comment but only managed to look like a fish while he laughed at me. What the hell have I gotten myself into?
—
Once CPR training was over, Evan and Derek joined the other players on the field and I strolled with Kate to her car. The training had been a little hard with her big belly in the way, but she got through it with grace. “You did good with my brother. It’s nice to see others pick on him like I do.”
Smiling, I opened her car door for her. “Your brother’s a nice guy.”
“Until you piss him off,” she added.
“Well, I’ll make sure I don’t do that. I’ve watched some of the games, so I know how vicious they can be. I’m used to contact sports.”
She got in her car and shifted her attention to the guys on the field. Blowing out a tired breath, she rubbed her belly. “It’s scary sometimes knowing they can get hurt at any moment. I like being able to help them, though. They’re my family.”
The guys dispersed and Cooper started toward us, all sweaty and covered in dirt. The way he looked at Kate reminded me so much of the way Austin would look at me. I missed how that felt, to know that someone could love you so deeply. “So how did it go?” he asked, coming to stand by the car door. “I heard Derek wanted to get his ass beat.”
Kate and I both laughed. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I don’t think he’ll want to practice with me anymore.”