Page 30 of Tackle

She picked up her dog, “Just checking.” Then she took a bite and concentrated very hard on not moaning.

Or purring.

Even though it was a damn good dog.

They both agreed, Skee-ball was the perfect way to work off the chili dogs.

“It’s been forever since I’ve played this,” Oz said, sticking a token in each of their machines.

Emerson rolled the wooden ball down the lane, banking it off the side so it jumped into the twenty-point ring. “This game is easier than bowling because there’s no chance for gutter balls.” She threw him a grin.

Oz tossed his ball. It sailed up to land in the fifty-point ring.

She looked down to see a slew of tickets pop out of the slot. “Show off.”

He brought his hand up to cover his heart. “That hurts. And here I was, trying to get enough tickets to win you a stuffed animal.”

She crossed her arms over her chest in mock outrage. “I will settle for nothing less than the bejeweled tiara.”

His brows rose. “Then I better get to work. That sucker’s fifteen million tickets.”

Emerson laughed at hisveryslightexaggeration then threw another ball. It landed in the ten-point ring and two tickets popped out. “Well, so far, I’ve got about ten here I can contribute with.”

He threw another ball, that one only landing in the thirty-point ring.

“Slacker.”

He stood to his full height, raising a brow. “You think you can do better? Let’s see you land a hundred.”

Her and her big mouth. There were two one-hundred rings off to each side with tiny holes barely big enough for the ball to fit into. But she wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.

Rubbing her hands on the skirt of her dress, she reached for a ball, holding it up to take aim. “Come on. Baby needs a new pair of shoes.” Her eyes darted to Oz and she smirked. “Or, in this case, a bedazzled tiara.”

Swinging her arm back, she chucked the ball across the lane diagonally, trying for the small ring on the right. She underestimated the strength of her throw. The ball hit the side, popped up, sailed over the divider that separated her and Oz's lanes, and landed smack dab in his hundred-point ring.

Shocked, her mouth fell open as her wide eyes landed on Oz.

He wore the same shocked expression. “I wouldn’t have believed it had I not seen it.”

Emerson didn’t believe it even after seeing it. “Does that count?”

“Not only does that count but I say you get extra marks for difficulty.”

She beamed a smile and decided Skee-ball was her new favorite sport.

Even with Emerson landing one-hundred points, they didn’t win enough tickets for a tiara but what Oz picked out, as far as she was concerned, was far and away better.

“A mini football?” she said with a laugh.

“Play your cards right and I’ll even autograph it for you.”

She hugged him around the waist, her head tipped back to look up at him. “I don’t need an autograph. I’ve got the real thing.”

And she was never letting him go.

Chapter Eleven

“I’m telling you, Oz, the lady actually stood up and started shouting, demanding her money back and making sure everyone in the pub was aware she found a hair in her food. I was so embarrassed, I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me.”

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