Rush: The Season (Austin Arrows Book 1)(80)

Amber approaches the bar slowly. I get the feeling she’s sizing me up and I don’t know why. I wonder if she expects me to say something about how she treated my brother, but that’s really not my thing.

“Hey, Ellie.”

Interesting. She greeted me by name. “Hey, Amber,” I say with a fake smile.

“Could I get an iced tea? With lemon?”

“Of course.”

She surprises me when she takes a seat at the bar. I thought for sure she would join the team across the room. Thankfully, Noelle returns and greets Amber so I’m not left trying to figure out what to say to her.

“Hey, Amber. How’s the new job going?”

I cast a sideways glance at my best friend, but she offers me a shrug. It sounds like she’s become best buds with Amber, but I happen to know she hasn’t. So what’s with the freaky greeting?

“It’s good, thank you.” Amber reaches for the drink I pass her way. “We’re working on more charity drives.”

“Spencer’s helping, I assume?” Noelle smiles.

“He is. He’s great. I think he’s nervous, but people love him.”

Even I have to agree with that.

“What’s coming up next?” I ask, trying to be part of the conversation so I don’t look like an ass.

“We’re doing a food drive on the twenty-third. I’m hoping Spencer can convince the team to band together, put together boxes to be delivered to needy families.”

“I’m sure they’d be happy to help,” Noelle offers.

“Have you asked them about it?” To me, it doesn’t sound like she has.

Amber shakes her head. “Spencer offered, so I was hoping he’d do it before I had to.”

“Hey!” Noelle hollers, directing her voice toward the Arrows players. “Amber and Spencer are working on a food drive. Putting stuff together and delivering to those in need. Day before Thanksgiving. Who’s in?”

I shake my head because that’s Noelle for you. She’s always willing to do the hard things.

She gets several confused smirks, so she follows with, “Free beer for a month for any Austin Arrows player who signs up.”

“I’m in!”

“Hell yeah.”

“Count me in, too!”

Amber’s eyes widen as she stares back at Noelle, then over at me.

“There you go.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Amber says softly.

“Why not? It’s for a good cause, right?”

“It is.”

“Then it all worked out,” Noelle tells her.

I grab a couple more beers and set them on the bar. “And you can count us in, too.”

Noelle elbows me in the back, making me laugh.

“Wow. Okay, then.”

“Now scoot,” I tell her. “Go hang out with the team. They need to get to know you.”

Amber takes her drink and, with a quick smile, disappears to the other side of the room.

“Why in the world would you do that?” I ask Noelle as I stop her from escaping from behind the bar.

“Why not? She looks like she needs a friend. This way, she’s got a whole team of them.”

“I’m talking about the charity thing?” I clarify.

Noelle giggles. “Oh. Well, Spencer’s in charge as the team’s captain, so I figured I’d help him out a little.”

My eyebrow lifts. “Noelle Dexter, do you have a sweet spot for my brother?”

She shakes her head, but I’m pretty sure she’s blushing. “Not a chance. He’s got a lot of work ahead of him. Just thought I’d lend a hand.”

I put two more bottles on a tray and Noelle picks it up. When she turns to squeeze past me, I study her closely. I’m not sure what’s going through that pretty little head of hers, and quite frankly, I’m not sure I want to know.

Whatever it is, I get the feeling it has everything to do with my brother.

Is it wrong of me to hope that’s the case?





Bianca

“Can I stay at Gabby’s tonight? We’re gonna watch a movie?” I ask my mom when she walks in the door at five. I know she snuck away from the bar in an effort to check on me. She went in a little earlier than usual to take care of something important.

“I need to talk to her mom,” she answers.

“Gabby already asked,” I tell her from my spot on the couch. I’m lying down, holding my phone above me so I can text Gabby with Mom’s answer. “Her mom said yes. I’ll tell Gabby you’re gonna call her.”

My mom appears in the living room. “You sure you wanna spend the night? I can always see if Julie’ll fill in for me and hang with you if you don’t wanna be left alone.”

I smile. “I really do want to spend the night with her. We’ve been working on…” Crap. I almost let it slip about the Facebook post. “We’re working on a music video.”

My mom gives me a funny look. “A music video?”

That was the first thing that came to mind. “Yeah. You know. The singing and stuff.”

“Are you the one singing?”

I giggle. Gabby and I have recorded ourselves singing a few times. It’s funny. “Sometimes.”