Page 63 of Courtside

“Me or him?” Chuck asked.

“Both,” she replied, but she smiled at David in a way that made him hope that, just maybe, her words meant something different when it came to him.

Conversation and banter flowed easily as they finished cooking, and soon enough they were sitting down to the best combination of foods David had ever consumed in a single sitting. There were burgers, tater tots loaded with cheese and bacon, a mac and cheese casserole, roasted broccoli, a salad with goat cheese and fruit on it that was surprisingly delicious, and then a huge variety of holiday cookies that his mom had sent. Chuck had brought some dark beers, and Sage had brought a bottle of peach wine.

Afterwards, they sat sprawled around the living room. David had tried to offer Sage the couch, but she’d insisted on sitting on the floor. Of course, Daisy immediately curled up with her head on Sage’s thigh, and David smiled as he watched her scratch absently at Daisy’s ears.

“So what do you guys have planned for the team when they get back?” Chuck asked from the other end of the couch.

David shrugged. “Practices. Maybe some community service.”

“Dude,” Chuck said, giving David a look like he was missing something obvious.

“What?”

“You’ve got to make it fun,” Chuck explained, shifting his beer from one hand to the other. “They’re leaving their families to come back to school early, and you can only practice so much in a day. I always make them do team bonding stuff, like cooking meals at the older swimmers’ houses, or doing silly scavenger hunts around the city. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what they’re doing as long as they’re doing it together and it leaves them too exhausted to get into trouble at the end of the day.”

David glanced over at Sage, who was nodding along with what Chuck was saying. “What do you think?”

“It’s a good idea. The team doesn’t have that tight-knit vibe yet.”

“Will you help me plan some stuff?”

Sage smiled at him. “For sure.”

Chuck pushed up to standing. “Hughes, Sage, refill?”

David shook his head. “Nah, I’m good.”

Sage nodded, handing her glass off to Chuck before turning back to David. “I got you something.”

“Me?”

She exhaled a soft laugh. “Yeah, you.” She got up from the couch, and he couldn’t help but watch her long legs as she went over to her stuff and pulled out a brown paper bag with a piece of red ribbon tied around the handles.

She handed the bag to him before returning to her spot on the floor.

David looked down at the bag and then back up at her, sudden regret curdling his stomach. “I didn’t get you anything,” he admitted.Why the hell hadn’t he gotten her anything?

Sage looked up at him with an indulgent smile. “David. You gave me a book last night and now you’re hosting me for Christmas. That’s more than enough.”

It wasn’t. It wasn’t even close to enough.

“Open it,” Sage prompted.

Still stuck on the fact that he’d failed to get Sage a Christmas present, David tugged the ribbon free and took out the green tissue paper that covered whatever the bag contained. Reaching a hand in, his fingers met a hard, smooth surface.A mug?He pulled it out.

It was a little ceramic pot that was shaped like a dachshund. It was small enough to fit into the palm of his hand, and set into the top was a plant with two glossy, green leaves.

He exhaled a soft, low laugh. “It’s adorable,” he said, looking up and catching Sage’s pleased smile. “I can’t promise I’ll keep it alive, but I’ll sure as hell try.”

“Oh, David’s for sure going to kill that,” Chuck said, walking back in with Sage’s wine and another beer for himself.

Sage crossed her legs under herself. “It’s really not that complicated. You already keep a dog alive!”

Chuck laughed loudly. “You’d be amazed at how tragically inept he is at taking care of green things.”

“Thank you,” David said loudly to Sage, pointedly ignoring Chuck. “I really do love it.”

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