Page 67 of Sweet Harmony

“Sorry again,doc.” Daniel jogged back to the pitcher’s mound.

Jack appearedwith ice wrapped in a towel and plopped it down on Connor’s knee.He winced but gave the man a nod of thanks.

“Put your footup on the bench,” Jack said.

Connor swunghis leg up obediently, balancing the ice pack on his knee andsmiled at Kira. “I’m good, but I won’t be playing. You don’t needto stick around and watch the game.”

She frowned butbefore she could reply, Jack touched her arm. “The game’s starting.You need to go back to bleachers.”

She wanted tosit on the bench with Connor and badger him into going to thehospital. Instead, she made herself smile at him and said, “I’msticking around. I’ll see you after the game.”

“Yeah, sure.”Connor’s voice was distracted and the way he grimaced when heshifted the ice pack, suggested he was in more pain than he wouldadmit.

Worry gnawingat her belly, Kira headed back to the bleachers.

* * *

Kira stared atConnor, wondering if the hurt she felt was clearly written acrossher face. “You don’t want me to come back to your place and helpyou?”

She wasstanding next to him in the parking lot of the sports complex. Thegame had ended almost half an hour ago and most of the players werelong gone. After it took nearly twenty minutes for Connor to limphis way to his car, Kira was even more determined that at the veryleast, she should go back to his apartment and help himsomehow.

“No, it’s notthat. Honestly, I don’t need help. My knee is already feelingbetter,” Connor said.

“Is it?” Shestudied the way he stood, barely putting any weight on his rightleg. “Because it doesn’t look like it is.”

“It is,” heinsisted. “But it is sore, and I’m tired, and I won’t be very goodcompany tonight.”

“I don’t mind,”she said. “I can make you something to eat and bring you ice packs.Whatever you need.”

“No, really,it’s good,” he said. “It’s Saturday night. You should go and havefun with Grace and Addison.”

“I don’t wantto,” she said. “I want to go home with you and make sure you’reokay. Just give me your address and I’ll meet you there, allright?”

“I said no,” hesaid.

This time shewas certain he could see the hurt on her face.

He grimaced andsqueezed her hand. “I’m sorry. Look, I’m not the most fun guy to bearound when I’m in pain, all right? I’ll probably just take someTylenol and go to bed early. I appreciate the offer, but I’ve beenthrough this before and it’ll be fine in the morning. I’ll text youtomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.Bye, Connor.” She knew when to admit defeat.

He squeezed herhand again before carefully easing behind the wheel. She watched ashe turned the car on and then waved goodbye. His face was a solidblock of pain as he drove away.

* * *

“I know you’reangry, but I really don’t think my brother did it on purpose.”Addie plopped down on the couch next to Kira and patted her leg.“Daniel’s selfish, but he’s not deliberately malicious orcruel.”

Kira sighed.“Yeah, I know. I was just pissed at him. I’ll text himtomorrow.”

“Maybe hereally is jealous.” Grace was sitting in one of the recliners.“Maybe he didn’t mean to do it on purpose per se but ended uptaking out that jealousy on Connor in some sort of macho bullshitway.”

“That doeskinda sound like Daniel,” Addie said.

“Yeah, maybe.”Kira glanced at her phone again. Maybe she should text Connor, justto make sure he was okay. She’d already texted him once to see ifhe made it home and he had replied, but it’d been half an hour.Maybe he was reconsidering his decision to be alone. She could justconfirm –

“Kira!”

“What?” Shestared at Grace.

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