Page 100 of The Way We Win

He and Levi are both wearing pirate costumes. Austin has a fake mustache drawn on his upper lip, but Levi is painted up like Jack Sparrow.

“Sorry, Queenie. I slipped.” He holds up both hands, doing a little wobble, a flirty gleam in his eyes.

My brows furrow, but Austin doesn’t seem to be bothered by his friend’s behavior.

“I hope they fortified those hay bales.” Edward looks up at the top of the maze. “Some of them are leaning inward.”

“Hi, guys!” I take a step away from Jack.

“Oh, Ms. Allie… And Coach Jack?” Sadie clasps her hands, gushing. “You two look amazing! You’re like something out of a romance novel.”

“Thanks, Sadie.” I look down at my dress, doing my best to be casual around Coach Jack in front of the kids. “I thought it would be fun for the library. You know.”

“I like your boots.” Austin nods at Jack’s footwear. “They’re better than mine.”

“Are we in the same timeline?” Sadie’s friend pushes past Austin. She’s wearing a sexy pirate-wench costume. “Could we take Coach Jack prisoner and make Ms. Allie walk the plank?”

The way she laughs and leans forward in Jack’s direction gives majorLolitavibes, and I’m ready to jerk her ponytail when Jack puts his hand on her shoulder, all but stiff-arming her away from him.

“No,” he answers flatly.

“Actually, pirates were active during the late seventeenth century,” Edward explains logically, distracting us from the potentially awkward moment. “The Golden Age of Piracy was almost two hundred years before the Regency Era.”

“What’s your costume, Edward?” Levi does another wobble-point. “The Walking Wikipedia?”

My eyes narrow, and I’m not sure I like Levi’s attitude. Then I remember his dad.

Edward is nonplussed. “I’m the Theory of Relativity.”

We all stare at him. He’s wearing jeans and a black T-shirt.

“What does that mean?” Austin finally asks.

“It depends on where you’re standing.”

Again, crickets. Until Jack huffs a laugh. “Good one, Eddie.”

“I’m confused.” Sadie frowns up at Edward. “Why does it matter where I stand?”

“Are y’all coming?” Zane yells to us from the entrance to the maze.

“Don’t ask him to explain his costume.” Rachel cups a hand beside her mouth. “You’ll be there twenty minutes, and you still won’t understand it.”

Edward frowns. “It’s not that difficult. Space-time tells matter how to move. Matter tells space-time how to curve, so it depends on where you stand.”

“Space-time?” Levi walks over to Sadie and Austin, wrapping his arm around Sadie’s shoulders. “You should’ve come as Dr. Spock. You already sound like him.”

“Mr. Spock was not a doctor.” Edward follows after them.

“Allie?” A voice walking up on my left stops me. “Is that you?”

I turn to see Ronnie Freeman dressed as either a hobbit or one ofSnow White’s dwarves.

“Ron, hi! Yep, it’s me.” I smile, hesitating while he catches up to us.

“My goodness, you just get prettier and prettier.” He shakes his head.

I feel Jack step closer, and this time, I’m way less flustered by his possessiveness. I almost giggle. It’s utterly thrilling.

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