Put Me Back Together(105)

“What?” she says. “There’s no harm in looking, is there?” Anita and I exchange a glance as Sally and Mariella giggle together, pointing at a different guy sitting at the front of the crowd. As I watch Sally whisper something in Mariella’s ear, I shake my head and wonder if introducing them was a bad idea. Sally is a handful all by herself. Add in Mariella and we’ve got trouble on our hands.

“Did you finish it?” Anita says in a low voice, and I grin, giving her a little nod. She squeezes my arm.

“I’m going to go say hi,” I say as I get to my feet. “Keep them away from the underage boys.” I jut my chin at the terrible twosome.

“I’m all over it,” Anita says with a wink.

I pick my way through the crowd to the front where there are more campers sitting in rows. The day camp officially ended last week since school is about to start up again, but they’re all wearing their camp t-shirts for the occasion. Since the campers were the ones playing sports all summer while the counsellors coached and taught, the kids made them promise to play one exposition game for them at the end of the summer, which is what today is all about. First up is basketball.

Gazing out at the court, I watch Lucas do a perfect layup, to the delight of the crowd. My stomach hitches just looking at him, not because he’s so fine, as Mariella would say, although he is looking pretty hot in a form-fitting gray t-shirt and black basketball shorts, but because he looks so at ease. This will be his first time playing a real game since last fall, and I was worried about how he would react to being out on the court again, actually playing instead of watching his campers play, but I see now that all my worry was for nothing. He’s in his element with the ball in his hands. As I watch him faking left, then right before shooting for the basket, it’s impossible not to see that he’s having a great time and making it all look so easy, which I’m sure is terrific fun for the other team.


Someone tugs on my dress and I turn around to find Ethan looking up at me, wearing his oversized bright yellow camp shirt. At his sides are two other boys about his age. I think the blond one’s name is Davey.

“Do you think Lucas’s team will win?” Ethan asks, and I see the other two staring up at me eagerly. I spent so much time at the rec centre over the summer that all the campers know I’m Lucas’s girlfriend.

I crouch down beside them. “Well, I don’t know,” I say. “He’s been missing his free throws lately.”

Davey shakes his head scornfully, looking out at the game. Ethan’s eyes are wide with worry. “Oh,” he says, his shoulders slumping.

“But look at those other guys,” I say, nodding at the court. “They’re shrimps! Lucas is at least a head taller than every one of them, and you know he’s got the moves.”

Ethan nods his head enthusiastically at my change of tone.

I put my arm around him. “He’s got it in the bag,” I say and I can’t help but laugh as I watch the three of them shoot back to their spots on the grass, reporting my assessment to the other kids like I’m some kind of oracle.

The game breaks up for what I’ve learned to identify in recent weeks as halftime, and I step through the last of the campers and linger by the edge of the court. Lucas spots me almost right away and flashes those unbelievable dimples. He wipes his face off with a towel then jogs over to me, and my breath catches, just a little, as I watch him. Even now I sometimes can’t believe he’s all mine.

“You’re late,” he says, his warm hands grasping me by the waist, contradicting his scolding tone.

“Nothing important ever happens in the first half anyway,” I say flippantly, and Lucas chuckles. A whole summer of watching sports has taught me a thing or two, though I still usually spend most of the time sketching, except when Lucas has the ball in his hands. Because nothing is more mesmerizing than watching him play.

“Are you working for the other team?” he says. “Because that dress is pretty distracting.” He likes this dress because it’s sleeveless and shorter than any other dress I’ve ever owned. I like it because it makes him look at me the way he is right now.

“What, this old thing?” I say, and then I lean in to whisper in his ear. “If you win the game I’ll let you take it off me.”

I feel him exhale against my cheek, his fingers squeezing my hips, and I know we’re both thinking the same thing. This game cannot end soon enough.

“You know I never would have gotten here without you,” Lucas says, pressing his forehead to mine. “You really are my hero, Katie.” Distantly, I hear his teammates calling him back to the game, but they seem very far away.

“Right back at ya,” I reply as he pulls away, readying to dive back into the action.

“Hold on a sec,” I say, calling him back. “I was told I’d be rewarded if I made it here by halftime.” I hold up the sticky note and Lucas grins as he steps toward me again.

“Found that, did you?” he says, taking me in his arms. My body tingles as his chest presses against mine.

“So where is it?” I demand, looking up at him. “Am I getting the pony I always wanted?”

“Nope, just this,” he says. His lips meet mine, sweeping me up into a kiss that’s so much better than any present he could have bought me. I lean into it, taking his face in my hands.