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9

BRODY

Iarrived at the back of the school at six forty-five. The warm, sticky air kissed my skin, and the doors to the gym hung wide open. Thumping music echoed inside, and I stopped to listen for a second, holding my breath. I didn’t want to appear too keen. Tonight wasn’t a date or anything. Still, an air of nonchalance never hurt. The music stopped, and the sound of high-pitched voices and giggles rang out.

I neared the doors, and a familiar voice rose above the others. I could only make out the odd word, but its sing-song tone was unmistakable. The corners of my lips peaked as I walked into the gym, keeping to the shadows.

The sight greeting me was the last thing I expected. Ro stood in the middle of the basketball court with a group of young girls and kids arranged in a pyramid formation around her. She had her back to the door, but all eyes were on her, including mine. The harsh overhead lighting bounced off her glossy hair and lit her tan shoulders, sending a smile to my lips.

Not wanting to interrupt, I headed to the stand at the side of the room. I hadn’t sat on these particular bleachers for nearly ten years. But almost on autopilot, I found my old spot, fourrows up. The smell of floor polish and gym shoes in the room hadn’t changed either.

My sneakers squeaked on the wood, and Ro’s head spun to find the source of the noise. Her eyes widened a little when she saw me, and the glow that hit her cheeks filled my belly with a burn all its own. She gave me a wave, and I grinned back. She looked adorable.

They all did. All ten of them had matching outfits. White tank tops with a picture of a swallow embroidered on the front and the word “Tuftettes” on the back. They each wore a short turquoise and orange skirt, white knee-high socks, and sneakers. Ro was head and shoulders above the little ones, but her pigtails bounced just as free as theirs.

“Okay, we’re gonna take it from the top again. Full-out this time. It’s a new routine, so watch your timing.” Ro’s voice reverberated off the walls. The kids nodded and scattered, picking up turquoise pom-poms from the floor. Ro leaned down to gather her set, and my gaze lingered at the smooth gap between her socks and her little skirt. I chuckled to myself. The last time we’d been in the gym together, she still had braces.

So, this was the cheerleading squad she’d told me about. I’d figured she might’ve been joking, but here I was, in the middle of the Mickey Mouse Club, about to get a sample of their new material. Ro hit a button on the old speaker at the side and raced back to take her position at the point of the pyramid before the music started.

The thumping beat began, but instead of the Dallas Cowboys or the Colts grinding and high-energy cheer routines, the Mighty Swallow’s Tuftettes skipped and hopped around each other as if country dancing at the state fair. I stifled a giggle. The entire squad was so cute, with their sassy smiles and age-appropriate swagger. And Ro was in the thick of it, shaking her hips with the others, looking anything but PG.

Everyone stayed in formation and on the beat, pom-poms rolling like tumbleweeds, until one girl took a wrong turn, bumped into another, and fell to the ground with a thump. I winced, ready to jump up and help, but Ro was already there. She crouched down, taking the little one into her arms. The rest of the kids gathered around, too, and helped get her back to her feet. Ro ran her hand over the girl’s hair. She whispered words to her, soothing the kid’s trembling bottom lip.

The entire team’s attention was on Ro now, and their looks of pure adoration brought a rock-sized lump to my throat. She murmured something to the group, and they nodded before coming together in a team hug. They all dropped their pom-poms into a large pile. I guess practice was over, but honestly, I could’ve sat here all night, just watching my old friend being incredible.

I shook my head slowly. Coop would string me up and run me through if he thought his wingman hadanyideas about his sister. He knew too much about my reputation to risk her heart. But at night, shifting around on Maggie’s couch, I’d wondered what might have happened if he hadn’t interrupted us the night of Ro’s prom.

Louder voices roused me from my thoughts. The parents were arriving to pick up their kids. I recognized a couple of faces, but nobody paid me any attention. I ambled down the steps that ran up the aisle of the stand. Ro was sitting on the speaker, checking her phone. When I reached her, she looked up, giving me a closed-mouthed smile.

“Pigtails? Really?”

I’d hoped she’d see my words as a gentle ribbing, but a tiny frown creased her brow, and she brought a hand up to touch the ties that held her hair in place. My gut pulled. I hadn’t meant to offend her or make her self-conscious. She didn’t know how amazing she looked. How muchIwanted to touch her hair.Tangle my fingers through its dark strands. I opened my mouth to speak and apologize.

“It’s Flock!” a voice rang out before I could say anything, and within seconds, not just one, but about six kids took up a group squeal. They raced to where I stood, swamping me like a tidal wave. Their hands reached up to me, and my brain scrambled to make sense of their questions. They all talked at once, their voices galloping over each other.

“Watch out, kids, you don’t want to break him,” laughed Ro. The glow in her eyes matched theirs.

I laughed, too, giving them all high-fives. “How do they know who I am? Did you prep them? Tell them I was coming?”

She shook her head, those damn pigtails whipping the skin of her neck. “No, Brody. Haven’t you noticed? You’re a hometown hero. Everyone loves you around here.”

Her smile made me bold. “Everyone?”

She narrowed her eyes, but her lips didn’t drop. “Don’t push it.”

The gaggle of kids dissipated when they saw their parents. I hung out by the speaker as Ro chatted to a few of them.

“Brody!”

A voice rang out before a hand clapped me on my shoulder. I turned to face a man with piercing blue eyes and cropped fair hair. “Finn? What the hell are you doing here?”

He grinned and pulled me in for a hug. Finn was the older brother I’d never had. The voice of reason who saved me from going off the rails as a teen. Another one of Tuft Swallow’s escapees. Though he had a few years on me, I’d been proud that we looked kind of similar growing up. He’d introduced me to body conditioning. Helped me build the basics of my hockey physique. I hero-worshiped him then. Hell, I’d wanted tobeLeo Finnegan.

He finally let me go. “It’s awesome to see you, man. I heard you were back. Just passing through?”

“Something like that,” I murmured, running a hand through my hair. “More’s the point. What areyoudoing here?”

“I’ve got a daughter now. Thought Tuft Swallow would be a good place to raise her.”