Page 34 of Under Southern Stars
He grins. “The other one lets me scout her every night.”
Troy deflates slightly. Tiffany fills the silence with something about the crystal healing properties of athletic wear. I’m not really listening—Sophia’s standing close enough that I can smell her shampoo, something citrusy and clean—and she keeps glancing at me with that unreadable expression, like she’s waiting to see what I’ll do.
The ref blows the whistle. Madison looks up from the field and spots me, her brow furrowing. She glances at her mom, who gives her the tiniest nod.
Madison’s eyes widen. She waves, tentative at first, then more confidently when I return it, and shoots Sophia a discreet thumbs-up before jogging back into position.
“So,” Troy says, apparently unable to help himself, “what station do you work out of, Jake?”
“Jack,” I correct. “And Station 2. Downtown.”
“Tough area,” he muses. “But I suppose someone has to do it. The pay must be…adequate.”
“Troy,” Sophia warns.
“What? I’m just making conversation. Tiffany’s brother is a doctor. Now that’s a career with growth potential.”
“Her brother’s a chiropractor,” Sophia mutters. “Who lost his license in two states.”
A burst of movement pulls my attention. Madison jogs over from the sidelines, slightly out of breath and still in her shin guards. “Mom, Coach says I can sub out for five. I saw you talking and I just wanted to say hi.”
She turns to me with a quick, curious smile. “You’re Jack, right?”
I nod. “And you’re Madison. Good to meet you, superstar.”
Her eyes brighten. “You remembered my name.”
“Hard to forget when your mom talks about you like she’s your agent.”
She laughs, then glances at Sophia. “I’ll be back in ten.” She waves to Tiffany and Troy, then darts off again.
I turn to Sophia, about to comment on Madison’s whirlwind energy, when my phone buzzes. Emergency alert from dispatch. Mass casualty incident on I-95. All available units.
Rodriguez’s phone goes off simultaneously. We exchange looks.
“Multi-vehicle accident,” he reads. “Gotta be a pileup. They’re calling everyone in.”
My eyes meet Sophia’s immediately. A silentoh, fuckunderstanding passes between us. An all-units call means casualties. Multiple. Serious. The kind of scene that sticks with you for years.
As if on cue, Sophia’s phone buzzes too. She glances at it with a pained wince.
“Go,” she says immediately to us. “Both of you.” She’s already pulling out her phone, hitting a speed dial. “Hey, it’s Sophia. I saw the alert. Do you need me to…” She pauses, listening. “Okay. Okay, but if that changes…Yeah, I can be there in twenty.”
She hangs up, looks at us. “They’ve got full staffing right now, but I’m on standby. Now go. People need you.”
“You sure?” But I’m already backing toward the parking lot. This is the job. This is why we both do this.
“Of course. Be safe.” She turns to Troy. “Can you take Madison to Chloe’s after the game if I get called in?”
Troy makes a smug noise. “See, this is why stability matters. You can’t just—”
“They’re going to save lives, Troy,” Sophia says calmly. “And I might need to help with the aftermath. So yes or no on Madison?”
“Fine,” he grumbles. “But this is exactly what I mean about—”
“Shut up, Troy,” Sophia says evenly. A surprising thrill runs through me at her directness. No drama, no raising her voice…just calm authority. “Jack, go. Both of you.”
I catch her eye, see something fierce and proud there. It makes my chest tight.
