Kickin' It (Red Card #2)(66)

“Johnny called. He said he’s going to have everything set up at the house so you’re more comfortable during the interview, alright?” I knew she hadn’t forgotten about pressing charges, about telling her story. We’d both decided to let her have practice and one good day before all hell broke loose in the soccer world, and I was glad she agreed to talking about it along with Darius.

“I know.” Her smile was strong. “I’m ready, Matt.”

“You’re so brave.” I walked up to her and kissed her forehead. “Now, off you go . . .”

She laughed. “Don’t follow me in the minivan, it’s weird.”

“You little shit.” I shoved her toward the door. “Go be an ass to your new coach.”

She disappeared then poked her head back out the door. “I want you to bring your whistle to bed.”

“Go!” I laughed and shut the door and then made my way to my office, where Willow was currently camped in the corner like a college student surviving off air and caffeine. I had to hand it to her, she was working her ass off for Parker and already had two endorsements plus five sponsorships lined up.

One thing she inherited from me?

My ability to talk my way into and out of everything.

She charmed the shit out of everyone.

Jagger included.

I growled.

“Could you do that elsewhere? I’m busy over here.” She typed away at her computer and then jumped to her feet, nearly knocking her coffee off the chair next to her. “Matt?”

“What?” I opened my laptop and put in my Bluetooth headset. “I have a conference call in ten.”

“Erik stepped down as assistant coach for LA.” She turned her computer to mine. “You think it has anything to do with Parker?”

Uneasiness washed over me. We were a few states away. It could be nothing. Then again, I thought back to the vandalism. But nothing had happened since then, and the police had arrested a few kids two days ago for vandalism. We suspected it was connected to the crime on my car, but we still had suspicions about who vandalized my front door. Who knew? Maybe I was just being stupid paranoid.

“Does it say why?” My eyes greedily searched the small print.

“Nope.” She sighed. “But I can do a little research or even call down to the station.”

“Yeah.” I leaned forward. “Actually, could you give the coach, Billy, a call? At least introduce yourself then charm him to death and ask for more information?”

“On it.” She flashed me a grin. “See? What would you do without me?”

“What, indeed,” I grumbled, and then smiled when she wasn’t looking. My annoying sister has saved me in more ways than one.

Damn it. I was going to have to give her a bonus, wasn’t I?





Chapter Thirty-Three

PARKER

I was suddenly relieved Matt put me through hell because I was officially one of the only girls left standing at the end of day one.

“Good job, Parker.” One of the new girls who’d just made the team, Eileen, gave me a high five and then winced. “My everything hurts.”

“Hah, yeah, well, had I not gotten my ass kicked these last two weeks I’d be in the same boat, but as it is I think I have a tub of ice calling my name.”

“Yeah.” A shadow crossed her face.

“Whoa.” I stopped her. “Are you okay?”

“Hmm?” She forced a smile. “No, yeah, totally, I just, sorry, my mind isn’t really on soccer right now, I actually transferred from another team.”

“How did I not know that?”

“They still made me try out to make sure I meshed well with the team, you know how they are. They want good character, teamwork, it’s not a single-person sport.”

I whistled. “No, it’s not. No room for divas here.”

Her smile was soft, sad but soft. “Yeah, well, you were really great. I’m going to go home.”

I frowned. “You aren’t going to hit the showers?”

Her pale face was back again. “No, I, um, actually have an appointment, so I’ll just try not to scare them away with the sweat.”

“Alright.” I smiled warmly. “See ya!”

I followed the rest of the girls into the locker room, smiled and chatted with a few, and realized that even though they were my teammates, the only person I really wanted to talk to was Matt.

Maybe Eileen had the right idea?

I grabbed my gear, put on my black Nike jacket, and waved good-bye. Cell in hand, key fob zipped in my bag, I sprinted out on sore legs to the Benz.

The fact that I was even driving a car that cost more than my college tuition made my head spin.

But Matt made it feel normal.

Like it was just a car.

It was just life.

And he didn’t live it as if the world owed him anything. He worked his ass off, which just made me love him even more.

I stopped running.

Love.

I’d been saying it in my head for weeks, which sounded stupid, but I just, I didn’t want him to think that I was saying it to him because I was infatuated or I didn’t know my own mind.

As much as we joked about it, I was well aware that I was only twenty-two turning twenty-three in a few short months.