Page 87 of Just One Season
“Three,” Kellen calls with a stony face from the other side of the circle around the gymnasts. “Lachlan did it better.”
My brother swings his head to the source of the low score, then sprints toward Kellen and takes him down at the waist, rugby style.
“Stop!” Coach Jackson yells. “Your contracts say no extremesports!” The sound of laughter fills the area, but the coach looks dead serious.
Which makes everyone laugh harder.
“What is wrong with my brother?” I say to myself, chuckling at his antics.
Kellen pushes off Atticus and both men hop to their feet.
“Sorry, Coach.” Kellen brushes off his jogging pants.
“Why don’t you show us your cartwheel, Bassey?” Atticus, with red cheeks and our wild hair, faces Kellen. He doesn’t even acknowledge Coach Jackson, the man who at least partially controls his hockey career.
My brother is trashed.
Thinking Kellen will ignore the challenge, I almost turn away.
“I’m mostly sober, don’t worry,” Kellen says to his coach before casually striding into the circle and performing a perfect ten cartwheel, like a wagon wheel turning with exact precision. The group cheers. Coach Jackson covers his eyes.
Kellen bows and retreats to the side of the circle where Savannah is standing with Atticus and Lachlan, then he turns my way and winks. My traitorous body has a visceral reaction to the acknowledgement.
Alcohol is probably not a great idea tonight, but I’m nervous about the plan we have later, so I finish the bottle of beer in my hand.
Any minute now, some of the group will start heading back toward Kellen’s pool.
I’ve got a bikini on underneath my sweatpants, tank top, and zip-up sweatshirt, and I guess it won’t be long before I strip down.
My phone buzzes.
Lachlan
It’s time for action. Places, everyone!
Raleigh
I am so jealous
January
Me too. I’m up for an early run along the Thames, but I’d rather be partying in Wyoming!
Kellen
Meet you guys at mine
I look up and Kellen’s slipping his phone in his pocket. He glances my way and nods to the pathway, waiting for me to fall into step beside him.
“Cartwheels, huh?” I steal a look at him.
“When your brother challenges, I can’t back down.” Kellen throws his hands up. “I’m incapable.”
“He’s feeling cocky after distributing glasses of his $500 bottle of champagne,” I say. Atticus has been hilariously painful to be around this evening. He was so proud to have taken Kellen down in laser tag. It’s good to know my almost thirty-year-old brother is just as goofy as he was in college.
“I was sure I had a better cartwheel than him. I do them with Ava all the time.”
“She is very good at cartwheels.” I smile, delighted at the image of Kellen and his daughter cartwheeling together. I saw plenty of Ava’s gymnastic moves during soccer season. “The Snowballs had a distracting habit of doing them on the field in the middle of games.”
