Page 83 of The Wrong Move

I shoot the ball.Swish.

“What are your plans tonight?” I ask him before catching the pass.Swish.

He pauses before throwing the ball. “None. Just hanging at home.”

I clap my hands for the ball, then pause, breathe, and bend deeper at the knees.Swish.

“Frank and Penny have asked me to babysit. They think it’ll be good for me to get to know my niece.”

Brandon’s eyes round. “You? Do you know anything about kids?” He passes the ball like a bullet, and if I hadn’t caught his pass, it would have broken my nose.

“I’ve visited a few times. They said Summer would be down for her sleep and just to stay there. She has a bottle prepared in case Summer wakes before they get home.”

“Where are they going?”

“To his restaurant. A date night.”

Swish.

“Don’t they have a nanny or something?”

“Yeah, but Penny is funny about the family getting to know Summer. I’m stoked they asked me before Lottie.” I grin at Brandon before taking the next shot.Twang.The ball hits the ring and flies back into my hands.

I move under the net, and Brandon finds his spot to shoot.

“Do you want me to come and help out?” He claps his hands for the ball, his knees bent, ready in stance for a quick catch and shoot.

I bounce the ball before passing it to him. “You want to come?”

“Yeah. I could learn a thing or two.”

I stare at him like he’s grown six heads. “What the actual fuck?”

He laughs. “I’m not doing anything else. We could watch a movie or reruns of the finals from last year.”

“The sound would have to be muted unless we watch it in the home theater. That’s soundproof. And Gigi might come if that’sokay. She stayed extra nights in Italy, so I haven’t seen her since Sunday.”

“Listen to you sounding all lovesick.” He holds out his hands for the ball, and I send a hard pass. He catches it, grins, then shoots.Swish.“I’m cool with Gigi coming. She’s gonna have to understand all our plays if she’s going to the games.”

I stare at him. “Yeah.”

Giana is not invested in the game like other players’ girlfriends and wives. I know she’ll support me, but I wonder if she’ll ever love the game like a fan.

Penny handsme a list of what Summer needs, and once I read the first few lines, I stop reading. “I thought you said Summer would sleep the entire time?”

Penny looks at me, then at Brandon, and back to me. “I said I hope she sleeps, but if she doesn’t, it’s often a process of elimination to figure out why she’s crying. It could be hunger pain, so there is breast milk in a bottle in the fridge. Just warm it up. Not too hot… body temperature.”

“Eww.”

Penny rolls her eyes. “Please. I’m not asking you to drink it.”

Brandon chokes out a cough.

“This is good for you boys. It’ll be you one day.”

“I’ll have a nanny,” I add quickly.

Penny receives a notification there is someone at the door. She looks at me and checks the security camera. “Oh, it’s Giana. You two are saved.”

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