The Row(7)

“You stopped playing football? On purpose?” I feign shock. “I didn’t think that ever happened in Texas.”

Jordan’s face softens. “I know. You should take note. I’m a rare commodity.”

“You’ll cave and go back eventually. They all do.” I ram my car into Matthew’s and he giggles.

“You’re some sort of Texan football expert?” Jordan’s eyes are on me and he seems to have completely forgotten about the toy car in his hand.

I cast him a sideways glance and try for evasive. “Um … don’t you have to be to live here? I thought they took your card away if you weren’t.”

“Your official Texan card?” He starts using a drink menu and the napkin holder to build a ramp for Matthew.

“Yes.” This is good. Keep the chatter light and friendly. No probing questions and we’ll all get through this just fine.

“I think I might just give mine back.” Jordan focuses on fine-tuning his ramp balance by placing salt-and-pepper shakers at the end.

I’m jarred and stop my car in place, suddenly so curious about this guy across from me that I forget about protecting my own secrets. “Really? Why?”

Jordan notices the difference in my tone and looks up at me for a few seconds before saying, “I don’t know. Reasons.”

I blink. Reasons? And I thought I was the one being evasive.

He picks up Matthew’s car and slides it successfully down the ramp. It only stops when it runs into the side of my milkshake and Matthew picks it up immediately for another run.

I take my purple car, place it on the ramp to go next, and smile, feeling myself start to relax. Something tells me that a guy who is trying to keep his own secrets won’t press me too hard if I don’t want to reveal any of mine.

*

Apparently, six-year-olds have very strong opinions about what they want to do and when they want to do it. Matthew is our leader and we spend our time mostly following his commands.

“Let’s go to a movie!” he shouts as we walk out of Galaxy thirty minutes later.

Jordan looks over at me nervously. “Want to go to a movie?”

“Depends…” I look down at Matthew and lift one eyebrow. “Which movie?”

He suddenly frowns. “Ugh, do you like the kissy movies?”

Jordan slaps his hand over his eyes with a groan.

I answer like I’m thinking hard about it. “Hmm … not today, I don’t.”

“Oh, good!” Matthew looks so relieved I actually giggle. “Maybe one with explosions or cartoons?”

“Maybe cartoons?” I assume with Matthew we probably need to pick something in the G to PG rating range. “What do you think, Jordan?”

We both turn to face him and he looks up from checking something on his phone. He seems genuinely surprised that we’re even asking his opinion. Maybe hanging with a kid Matthew’s age all the time has its downside. You never get a say in anything.

“Yes. Cartoons it is,” Jordan says as he leads the way toward the theater.

Matthew sits between us for the movie. I glance over at Jordan during the previews. I’ve had a lot of fun with these brothers already and I’ve only known them a couple of hours. Could Jordan finally be someone who wouldn’t push to know too much about me? Maybe this could actually turn into a real friendship? My cheeks flush as I look away, grateful for the dim theater around us.

I scowl in the darkness. I know better than to get caught up in anyone like this. It never ends well … no matter how it starts.

Still, on a scalding hot Wednesday afternoon with nothing better to do, why can’t a girl dream a little?

When I lift my eyes again, I see Jordan watching me. This time he doesn’t look away or seem shy. He just smiles at me … and I smile back.

*

After the movie, we race cars down the slide at the mall playground and get pretzels. Matthew and Jordan are an infinitely better distraction than the people-watching I’d been hoping for. By the time we’re leaving, I’m starting to wish I had a younger sibling to hang out with.

They walk me to my car because Matthew informs me “that’s what the gentlemens do.” Cuteness is surprisingly difficult to argue with.

Matthew zooms along in front of us as we make our way toward the mall exit. We watch him run his favorite car, the silver monster truck, over every flat surface he can find—the backs of benches, around flower pots, across the bottoms of store windows—I’m surprised he hasn’t started trying to drive it over the people passing by.

“Thanks for hanging out with us today.” Jordan sounds a little uncomfortable. “I hope we didn’t keep you from anything important.”

“I had nothing else to do,” I say. “And even if I had, I would’ve picked doing this. You two are highly entertaining.”

“Well, that’s good to know.” Jordan tousles Matthew’s hair as he zips by. “It seems he’s the secret weapon I never knew I had.”

“Should I expect to see you here with a different girl every week now that you know you’ve struck gold?” I grin.

“Nah, too easy. Then it won’t be a challenge anymore.”

“Yeah, too easy is never fun.” I chuckle, then look down when I realize Jordan is watching me more closely than before.