Page 41 of Fumbled Love

“What do you think, Mav?” Elliott asked. “Think you could handle a little pain and suit up for the game. You’re our best shot at making the playoffs.”

“Yeah,” Rhett added as he walked back over to grab a beer from the cooler. “Maybe if you plead with the coach and offer to suck his dick, he’ll let you on the field.”

My eyes slid over in Maverick’s direction, waiting to see how he would answer. We didn’t talk much about his injury, but I knew that football was his life.

“Never say never.” He shifted in his seat. “But you can bet your ugly asses I’ll be pacing the sidelines, screaming into the headset, and cursing at all your shitty plays.”

They all laughed. “You going to be our coach now?” Morris asked.

Maverick smirked and scratched his chin. “I wouldn’t mind taking over as the offensive coach. God knows we’d have a better chance at winning if I did.”

“Ooh…” Rhett settled back in his seat and smacked Maverick on his injured knee. “I’m tellin’ on you.”

Maverick winced and punched his friend in the shoulder. “You’re such a fucker.”

Rhett chuckled. “Well, I do like to fuck, so I guess it fits.”

They all clinked their drinks and started talking about the upcoming game. I didn’t miss the curious glances from a few of the guys or the scowls from a group of girls that showed up. Maverick kept his attention solely on me instead of engaging in the back-and-forth banter with his friends. He didn’t once pick up his phone or leave my side. Everyone came to him, and he made a point to introduce me to everyone who approached.

“Hey, Maverick.” I looked up at the woman with long auburn hair, a short mini-jean skirt, and a pair of heels more suited for a club than a bonfire.

“Della, I didn’t know you were coming tonight.” He shot up from his chair to greet her.

“I just got back today. My parents said hello.” She went to kiss him on the mouth, but he turned his head to the side, so her lips landed on his cheek instead. When he pulled away, she made a point of brushing her boob against his arm. The woman was desperate to get a reaction out of him, and I wasn’t going to complain one bit that he stepped back and put a little space between them.

Relief washed through me when he came to stand at my side. The new girl blinked slowly, and I watched her face transform into something sour. She looked disappointed, probably because she came here tonight to see him and wasn’t expecting me.

“Who’s your friend?” she asked, stepping closer and throwing me a saccharine smile. I was pretty good at reading people, and I would bet every last cent in my 401K that it was as fake as the eyelashes covering half of her face.

“Della, this is Kinley,” he said as she dragged a chair over to join us. Great!

“Nice to meet you.” I smiled and dug my sneakers into the grass. Why the hell did I dress for comfort? Oh, I knew why, because we were going to a bonfire. But as I looked at what little clothing some women wore, I felt seriously overdressed.

She mumbled something that sounded close to “you too,” but I couldn’t be sure, and she gave a little finger wave to the group. “Hey, guys.”

There were a couple of silent nods and casual greetings, but that was it. I noticed no one else jumped up to hug her. Only Maverick.

“How do you two know each other?” she asked, crossing her legs and leaning sideways.

“I grew up with his sister,” I explained, trying to get my mind to relax. She was coming across as friendly, but I didn’t trust her as far as I could throw her.

“Rylee?” Her eyes squinted in confusion, and she looked around. “Is Rylee here?”

“Nope.” Maverick took a sip of his beer. “It’s just me and Kinley.”

She didn’t look like she liked that answer at all. “I’m sorry. I’m having a hard time following.” She glanced between the two of us. “Is she here with you as a family friend or as your date?”

“That would be your business, why?” He gave her a stern look.

A few chuckles rang out from the guys, and I tried to hide my smile behind my water bottle. Maybe I wasn’t the only one who didn’t care for this woman.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” She attempted to sound sincere, but she sounded anything but sorry. She was clearly digging and failing at hiding her displeasure at what she was finding. She bumped Maverick’s leg with hers. “Are we still on for Tuesday? I need to get my hands on those muscles and work my magic.”

The water I had just swallowed came spraying through my nose. Rhett handed me a napkin and shot me a look of sympathy. I wiped at my burning nostril and coughed to cover up my embarrassment.

“I have the physical therapy session penciled in my calendar,” Maverick replied, and edged his eyes over to mine in apology. He placed his hand on my knee in support, and I felt my shoulders relax slightly.

“Good. I need to loosen you up a bit. You seem like you are wound up tight tonight.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder, doing everything she could to keep his attention. “I thought we could have lunch at Atlas when we’re done. I know how much you love their black truffle fettuccini.”

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