Page 102 of Sporty Girls Don't Fall For Loners

“Hi, Rylee. Is your mom home? I want to say hi.”

“She’s in the kitchen. She’s baking my grandma’s yummy chocolate chip cookies.”

Aunt Kara’s mom died when she was thirteen, and Aunt Kara tries to keep her memory alive by baking her cookies. Rylee also keeps her memory alive by being a cheerleader, since her grandma was a cheerleader for the Edenbury Lions when she was our age.

The three of us enter the kitchen, where Aunt Kara is pulling a batch of cookies out of the oven. Oh my gosh, it smells delicious in here.

“Hey, stranger,” Aunt Ally says.

Aunt Kara spins around so fast the cookies almost slide off the cookie sheet. “Ally!” She abandons the cookies on the counter and bolts over to her, throwing her arms around her and hugging her tight. “I’ve missed you!”

“We just saw each other at the game last night.” Aunt Ally chuckles as she hugs her back.

“I know, but it feels like forever since the gang got together.” She steps out of the hug and smiles at her. “We need to schedule another book club. It’s been too long.”

“I agree one thousand percent. You know what my vote is.”

Aunt Kara laughs. “Regency romance?”

“Duh,” they both say.

Aunt Kara turns to me. “Hey, Zoey. Awesome game yesterday. The crowd was so wild.”

“Thanks. I’m always reading your articles in the Edenbury Press. They’re all amazing.”

“Thanks so much, sweetie.” She hugs me. “Please, have a cookie, Zoey and Ally. It’s my mom’s recipe.”

Both of us take a cookie and bite into it. Mmm. These are some of the best ones I’ve ever eaten in my life. After we give our compliments to Aunt Kara, she and Ally sit at the table to chat while Rylee and I head upstairs to her room. We pass Uncle Brayden on the way, who sits in the living room with a game playing on the TV.

“Hey, kids,” he says. “Want to join me? This is last week’s game. Pretty epic.”

“Tempting,” I say. “But tonight is about the Musketeer Trio.”

He nods. “You kids have fun. And let Kara and me know if you need anything.”

We thank him and go upstairs to Rylee’s room. Mia is lying on her stomach on the second bed, talking to herself. She’s not really, though—she’s practicing for the play. I walk to the third bed and drop my backpack on it. When we were little, Aunt Kara and Uncle Brayden added the two beds to Rylee’s room because we were always having sleepovers.

“Hey, Mia,” I say.

She holds up her finger and continues saying her lines, deep in concentration. From what I can tell, she’s totally nailing the scene.

Since she and Rylee are already dressed in pajamas, I change into mine and fall down on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Rylee leaps onto her bed, too. As we wait for Mia to finish her lines, my mind once again gets stuffed with memories of today—specifically, the afternoon I spent with Kade. It was so perfect. I wish we could have many more days like that.

“And scene.” Mia rolls over and sits up. “I think I got it.” She reaches for the potato chips Rylee set up on a nearby table and munches on a few. “The play is in a few weeks, and I think we’re ready. The costume department already picked out my outfits and most of the scenery is done. I hope the audience connects with the story, though. I hope they connect with my character.”

“Why wouldn’t they?” I ask. “From what I saw just now, you’re doing an amazing job.”

“Thanks. She’s just very complicated, you know? Some of the choices she makes are very questionable, and she has a pretty brash personality. I hope I have the right balance.”

“Of course you do!” Rylee says. “You’re going to be amazing.”

“Thanks.” She passes the bowl to me. “So anything to report, Zoey?”

“What?” I ask as I gather a few chips in my hand.

“You spent the entire day with Kade,” Mia says before passing the bowl to Rylee.

“Not the entire day…”

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