Page 24 of The Way We Win

“Yep, all good!” My voice sounds just the opposite, so I deflect. “Hey, what do you think about giving some lucky kid a ride in your patrol car?”

His dark brow lowers. “I don’t drive a patrol car—just my truck. Why?”

That’s a fail. “I’m looking for donations, and I thought it would be a fun prize.”

“Prize for what?”

“Reading contests. I have a bunch of different activities going—it’s to get the kids excited about reading. All the local businesses donate stuff.”

“Dang, Allie, I wish you’d been the librarian when I was in school.” He chuckles. “Although, it probably would’ve just made me mad when I never won anything.”

Garrett recently found out he has dyslexia, but instead of being upset, he was relieved. He said it explained why he always struggled in school when it was so easy for his siblings.

“When you learned to read, did they teach you phonics?”

“That’s when they sound out the letters?” I nod, and he shakes his head. “No.”

“Keep that in mind if Gigi has trouble reading. It makes a huge difference.”

The boys break, and we return to watching them practice.

Levi falls back, scanning the players as Austin runs straight down the field. The new boy fires a pass to my son. It’s smooth and low, and Austin catches it easily, running it straight into the end zone.

“Phew.” Garrett shakes his head, clapping. “It’s hard to top that.”

My chest is tight, and I look up at him. “Is Jack making Levi the starting quarterback now?”

Garrett’s jaw flexes as he studies the field. “I don’t know, but whatever he does, he won’t make the decision lightly. It’s a hard time of year.”

A short, sharp whistle tweets, and my eyes go to Jackstanding on the sidelines. The brim of his cap is low, and his expression gives nothing away. He doesn’t smile. He only waits as the two boys jog to where he’s standing.

They have a brief chat, and the boys nod before returning to the field, this time with Austin in the quarterback position.

“What’s he doing?” a male voice in the bleachers retorts loud enough for us to hear down here on the sidelines.

My shoulders tense, and I have a feeling I know whose voice it is. Garrett shifts his stance, crossing his arms, and when I glance up at him, he’s making the same face as his brother—tight-lipped, jaw set, eyes on the boys.

It’s a mask of focus, giving nothing away.

Sadie Duck walks up holding Kimmie’s hand. She’s a senior like Austin, and she’s on the varsity cheerleading squad. Her cousin Salina works with me as a waitress at Cooters & Shooters, so I’ve met her a few times. She’s a pretty girl with a bouncing blonde ponytail and big brown eyes.

“Hi, Ms. Allie.” She smiles politely before turning her attention to the field.

“Go, Aussie, go!” Kimmie bounces on her toes beside us, kicking her leg up like I’ve seen the cheerleaders do.

Then she jumps up and down, pumping her arms over her head and screaming as loud as she can. Only, it’s less like a cheerleader’s yell and more like the kind of noise you’d make when someone is attacking you.

“Dang, Peanut,” Garrett growls at her. “You hollered like you saw a gator.”

Sadie leans forward with a laugh, taking a knee to hug Jack’s daughter. “Good energy, KJ. You’ll make the squad for sure when you get bigger.”

“I’ll be the best cheerleader.” Kimmie nods like she already knows. “I’ve got the legs for it.”

Sadie’s brown eyes cut up to mine, and we both bite our lips to keep from laughing.

“Okay!” is all she says.

The boys break, and Levi rolls away from a lineman, running around the outside of the field and down, following a similar path to the one Austin cut earlier.

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