Page 50 of His Jersey

“Like in the pool, we said we’d be someone else. We’ll go on dates. Do couple stuff.” I tilt my head to the side. “We kind of already have. So it’s not a huge leap,” I add, thinking about the times we’ve kissed.

“But why—?” she starts to repeat.

“You’ll help me look good and I’ll get those bills taken care of. It’s a win-win.”

She tips her head back with laughter. “I’ll help you look good?”

My brow dips. “Yeah.”

She eyes the crowd that’s grown. Carlos and Leah have lost ground with the puck bunnies. They could be a problem. Then again, Ella doesn’t have a phone yet. At the moment, I don’t care what they do since my career is already in shambles. So I’m willing to take the risk.

The siblings bicker as they approach, which isn’t anything unusual. They’ll hate each other for an hour and then be best friends the next.

Hardly moving her lips, Leah says to her brother, “You and I are going to have a conversation later.”

He must’ve mentioned the proposal, well, the idea that Ella and I pretend to be dating. I take it Leah does not approve.

Carlos slings his arm around Ella. “She’s part of the family now, if you mess with her, you mess with me.”

Leah’s nostrils flare and she flicks him on the arm. “I’m not going to mess with her. Just you and your dummy dumb dumb ideas.”

Ella’s eyes grow somehow wider as if she doesn’t want to come between the siblings.

Carlos narrows his eyes and then fires a glare at me. “Anyway, I think it’s brilliant. Solves two problems.”

He’s an affable guy and I’ve never gotten on his bad side, that I know of, but the Smiths are fiery, so I don’t dare cross them.

The next game I face is between Team Retirement and Team Trade. Both affect him and me, although I haven’t officially announced my decision yet, Carlos must know that I’m leaning in a direction. It would make sense to consult him, but it’s like if I just carry on and pretend my life isn’t about tochange, I can cling to the little fantasy that everything is normal.

Ella isn’t smiling and people are not so discretely taking pictures of us with their phones.

Carlos notices, too, and says, “First, maybe the two of you should finish your conversation. Somewhere private.”

As if once more on the same side, Leah claps her brother on the shoulder, then stares down the enemy. Through gritted teeth, she says, “We’ll run interference.”

“We got you,” he adds.

It must be nice to have someone in your corner. My gaze floats to Ella.

Leah hands her the last cookie on her plate. “Take this. You may need protection.”

With a straight face, Ella replies, “Thank you for the cookie armor. But I also have Bark Wahlburger.”

Amusement rises inside because I’ve never met a woman with a sense of humor like Ella’s and who’s so pretty and smart and everything I didn’t realize I wanted.

20

JACK

With a glance over my shoulder,we retreat to a quiet corner of the room.

“So,” I say, not sure what angle to take because it turns out there was fine print, I just didn’t realize it until I blew her the kiss.

“So,” she repeats as if not sure where to start, which surprises me. I thought she was locked and loaded, ready to fire me as her jersey supplier. Her gaze hops over the party scene unfolding behind me and then she lifts it to meet mine.

I sink in, wanting to take root in her warm brown eyes.

“Are you overwhelmed?” I ask softly.

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