Page 15 of Falling Again For My Best Friend's Brother

"Nice catch!" Amelia grinned at me across the field, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "But let's see if you can throw as well as you catch."

Challenge accepted.

I wound up, ready to impress her with my ultimate frisbee skills, when a blur of tan fur streaked past me. With a burst of energy that defied his tiny legs, Hero leaped into the air and intercepted the frisbee meant for Baxter.

Chaos erupted as Hero took off, the frisbee clamped firmly in his mouth. Baxter and Lady Oreo gave chase, their barks mingling with the laughter and shouts of our friends.

"I'll go left, you go right!" Amelia called out, already sprinting to cut off Hero's escape route.

Together, we zigged and zagged across the field, diving and lunging in a valiant effort to corral the mischievous chihuahua. But Hero was a pint-sized menace, dodging our attempts with a speed and agility that left us breathless.

"Trevor, watch out for the—"

Amelia's warning came too late. My foot caught on something, and I stumbled forward, right into a raised sprinkler head. There was a loud click, and suddenly, we were caught in a spray of water. I sputtered, wiping the water from my eyes, just in time to see Amelia slip on the wet grass and land on her backside.

We stared at each other briefly, completely drenched and grass-stained. Then, we burst into laughter, the sound ringing across the park as the sprinkler continued its assault.

"Well," Amelia giggled, pushing her wet hair out of her face, "if being a firefighter doesn't work out, you might have a future in synchronized swimming."

I smirked, shaking my head to spray her with more water. "Only if you're my partner. Your graceful fall was quite the performance."

She opened her mouth to retort, but Hero chose that moment to drop the frisbee at our feet, his tail wagging triumphantly.

"You little troublemaker," I scooped him up and planted a kiss on his head.

I couldn't help but notice the speculative glances. Susan's eyebrows were practically wiggling off her face, and Emily had a smile that could only be described as a "cat that ate the canary."

But Kevin's gaze made my stomach churn. His eyes were dark and serious as they found mine.

"Need a hand there, Amelia?" He wiped his hands on his shorts before helping her up. His gaze flicked to me, almost dismissive.

"Think you can manage Hero on your own, Phillips?"

I grunted, pushing myself upright and dusting off dirt and water from my clothes.

"Aw, come on, Kevin." Emily nudged him with her elbow. "Don't be a Grinch. It's all harmless fun."

"Just making sure Amelia's okay?" He wrapped a protective arm around her waist and whispered something in her ear.

Emily rolled her eyes but didn't say anything more, settling back on the blanket to watch the kids play. Susan nudged me gently, silently encouraging me as Kevin and Amelia walked over to talk.

The conversation was out of earshot, but Kevin's furrowed brow and Amelia's clenched jawline painted a clear enough picture. An unsettling dread boiled in my gut. Was Kevin warning her off me? I couldn't decipher their hushed tones, but the air seemed to spark with tension between them. He shifted uncomfortably, and she threw her hands up in exasperation.

Suddenly, she whirled around and marched towards me, determination setting her features into a fierce grimace. She stopped in front of me, hands on her hips, and huffed out a breath.

"I need to get back to Petals & Blooms, Trevor. I have some arrangements that have to be done for a customer tomorrow." Amelia's voice was steady, but her eyes held a spark of agitation.

She visibly calmed herself and then said a sweet goodbye to Trent and Michael. I grabbed Hero, and we stopped at the playground to say goodbye to Addy.

We walked back home in silence. I started to ask her what Kevin said several times, but I didn't even think I wanted to know.

When we got to the shop, Amelia paused, looking straight up at me, her gaze filled with a curious mix of emotions.

"Trevor." She bit her lower lip in a way that was far too distracting. "Kevin…you know he can be overprotective, right?"

I shrugged, the tense lines of my body betraying my nonchalance. "Yeah, I get it."

"But I need you to know," she continued, her voice stronger now. "What he thinks…what anyone thinks...It doesn't matter to me. It's none of their business."

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