Family Camp (Daddy Dearest, #1)(46)

“You run to the finish line up here.” Cindy waved her arms at the row of orange flags. “Turn around and run back and pass the ball to the next person in line. No using your hands to pass the ball. Got it?” She and Joe demonstrated passing the ball from Joe’s neck to Cindy’s neck, then let the ball drop into her palm. “The only time you can use your hands is if you drop the ball while you’re running. In that case you have to stand still, count to five, and then you can pick up the ball with your hand, put it back under your chin, and keep going. Got it?”

“Yes!” people yelled.

“There’ll be six turns. So if you have less than six people, just keep going until you’ve completed six runs. Okay?”

Travis bent over, hands on his thighs, to whisper to his team. “Okay, guys, listen. It’s easiest to pass the ball when you’re at the same height. It doesn’t work to bend down. So Geo, when it’s our turn to pass to the kids, get on your knees.”

“Knees. Got it,” Geo said with a sparkle in his eyes.

Travis tucked the ball between his jaw and throat. “Lucy, you can do this since you’re five.” He used a forearm to press the ball in place. “Just don’t ever use your hands or we’ll be disqualified. Got it?”

Lucy nodded seriously.

“I’m really good with balls, so….” Geo said.

Travis shot him a warning glare.

“Okay let’s figure out the order. How about me, Lucy, Geo, then Jayden. Then who wants to go a second time?”

“I will!” Jayden said, raising his hand.

“Okay. Jayden will go twice. We need one more. Geo?”

Geo made a psah sound. “With you as a ringer? I don’t think so. You and Jay go twice.”

“Yes, Mr. Anderson.”

They lined up in that order. Travis put the ball under his chin.

“Get ready!” Cindy said and blew the whistle.

Travis ran fast. He had a large jaw so there was no danger of losing the ball. From his peripheral vision, he could tell he was the first one back at the starting line. He dropped to his knees. Geo was there with Lucy.

“Can you tuck the ball under your chin, sweetie?”

She looked unsure, so Geo showed her how to take the ball from Travis using just his neck and chin, then put it back. Travis felt a flush of electricity at Geo’s closeness and ignored it.

“Now you try,” Geo said, his voice encouraging.

Travis leaned into her and Lucy managed to take the ball under her chin. But she was so little, it didn’t look very secure.

“Do this.” Travis put his forearm at his throat.

She did, holding the ball in place.

“That’s it,” said Geo. “Now run down to Cindy!”

Lucy ran. She had her pink backpack on, and she half hopped as she ran, one elbow swinging. But she stayed on course. Cindy waved at her as she hit the finish mark, clapping encouragement, and Lucy turned and headed back. Her face as she approached was pure focused concentration. She was such a serious little thing.

Geo fell to his knees at the finish line.

Nope. Travis refused to think about that.

“Come on, baby girl!” Geo hooted, clapping.

She ran up and Travis held her steady with a hand on her shoulder while Geo took the ball under his chin. He jumped up and ran.

“Come on, Geo!” Jayden yelled, clapping and jumping up and down.

Geo’s heels did a little bit of a twist as he ran, which struck Travis as way cuter than it should have. He wondered if Geo had ever been a runner, if he ever jogged now.

It would be fun to go jogging with Geo in the mornings. Travis liked to do morning runs during his off-season. It was nice to get outside and do something without pressure, be active just because he felt like it.

Stop it. There is no future with Geo.

Geo thudded back to them in a cloud of dirt and fell to his knees. It took Jayden a few tries, and he nearly lost the ball, but he got it secured and ran.

“Go, Jay!” Geo screamed. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

Jayden raced down the field. He stopped once, hesitating as if about to lose the ball, but then he wiggled his neck and seemed to secure it. He raced to the finish line, turned, and headed back.

Travis was waiting on his knees. He took the ball from Jayden and started the fifth turn. As he made the finish line and headed back, he saw Geo and Jayden arguing about something. Jayden was pushing Geo to the start line as if saying he should go.

And then Travis was there. He slammed into Geo, the two of them laughing as Geo tried to get the ball, their hands held out to the side. It was hilarious and sort of tickling and hot too, and God, this was stupid. Finally, Geo managed to get the ball and raced away, leaving Travis flushed and laughing.

“You didn’t want to go again?” he asked Jayden.

Jayden wore a secretive smile. “Nah. It’s cool. Go, Geo! Run!”

Travis focused back on Geo, yelling and urging him to go faster. An athletic mom two lanes over was hard on his heels. As if sensing her, Geo put on a final burst of speed and reached the starting line like a thundering elk.

They’d won.

Travis swung Lucy up into his arms, and Geo raised both arms in victory, and they jumped around and hooted. Lucy didn’t look entirely sure what had happened, but she cheered anyway, clapping her hands. Jayden polished his fingernails on his shirt, taunting the other teams.