Page 74 of Hometown Touchdown
Cam clinks his glass against mine. “How’s the team? They finally learning how to execute a clean slant?”
I shrug. “Getting there. At least they’re remembering where the end zone is.”
“That’s progress,” Kinsey says. “Someone should get them a cake.”
“Optimism looks good on you,” Brynn says, voice light, teasing.
I glance at her. “Are you offering to bake the cake?”
She snorts. “Only if you want food poisoning.”
“She once microwaved soup with the metal lid still on,” Kate stage whispers.
“Once,” Brynn fires back. “And it sparked exactlyonekitchen fire.”
“I think it’s sweet,” Cam says, grinning. “You’re the reason every mom in high school owned a fire extinguisher.”
I laugh, and for a moment, I let myself just watch her. The way she leans into the banter. The way her fingers toy with herstraw. How her legs cross beneath the table, brushing mine—just slightly.
And how everyone’s watching.
Not obviously. But it’s there. In the side-eyes. The too-long glances. That small-town tension that says,Knox and Brynn are in the same room? Something’s bound to blow.But nothing does and nothing will.
I shift my gaze and catch Cam looking at Kate again.
It’s brief. Just a flicker. But it’s there, his eyes soft, a half-smile he doesn’t mean to wear. She doesn’t seem to notice, or maybe she does and doesn’t know what to do with it. They’re seated side-by-side, their shoulders almost touching.
I look away before I start reading too much into it. Could be a crush. Could be curiosity. Could be nothing.
Ty launches into a story about getting locked in the visitor locker room during last week’s away game, and the group’s attention shifts. I toss in a few sarcastic comments, watch Kinsey fake gag when Cam orders a round of lemon drop shots, and try like hell not to lose focus every time Brynn laughs under her breath.
She’s playing it cool. So am I. But under the table, her foot bumps mine again—and this time, she doesn’t pull back.
Eventually, Ty stretches with a yawn. “Alright, children. I’m out before I end up dancing to Taylor Swift again.”
Kinsey scoffs. “Like you didn’t request it last time.”
Cam and Kate follow him out a few minutes later, chatting quietly as they head toward the parking lot. Kinsey waves to someone across the bar and disappears to say hi, leaving just me and Brynn.
“Ready to go?” I say, hoping she says yes.
She nods, so I flag down our server, settle the tab. We wave goodbye to Kinsey, walking out into the evening air. We come toa stop, standing near the door under the flickering neon of the Gordy’s sign.
She shivers slightly, rubbing her arms.
“Are you cold?” I ask, already pulling off my jacket.
She shakes her head. “Not really.”
But I offer it anyway. She doesn’t take it. Instead, she looks up at me, lips parted like she’s not sure what she’s about to say.
“I don’t want to sleep alone tonight,” she says quietly.
My chest tightens. The words are soft, but they land like a punch.
“Brynn…”
“I mean sleep,” she adds quickly. “I just…I’m not drunk, but I’ve had enough to make me feel floaty. And I don’t want to go back to a silent house and lie there thinking too much.”
