Page 85 of If It's You

“Oh, uh. No.” Christian grimaced looking up at him. “Hey, I’m sorry about the other night.”

Rob shrugged. “It wasn’t the first time I’ve gotten a bloody nose playing basketball,” he said, but his voice was devoid of emotion. He looked around. “Is Maizie here?”

“I uh, dropped her off at your house to change a while ago,” Christian said rigidly.

“Oh, I must have just missed her then. Come on, let’s go race.”

“No, really, I’m good.”

“Come on, you have to.” Lyla batted her eyes at him.

It did no good to argue with people from small towns.

“Fine.” He followed Rob to the line waiting to race.

“Let’s make this more fun.” Rob turned to him once they were hidden amongst the crowd waiting to race. “If I beat you, I get Maizie.”

Christian jerked back. “What?”

“I’ve watched enough guys fall for Maizie over the years, and you’ve got the same look on your face. You can’t tell me there’s nothing there.” Rob stared into him as if he could read every thought Christian left unspoken.

“That’s none of your business because you don’t own her.” He folded his arms across his chest. He wasn’t going to be bullied by some punk fresh out of high school. And Maizie wasn’t a prize to be won. “I think Maizie is capable of picking a man worthy of her.”

Christian took his place on the starting line next to Rob.

“We’ll see about that,” Rob said. The announcer fired the starting gun, and Christian took off. His shorter legs were no match for Rob’s long ones, but he wasn’t about to be beaten. He had speed on his side. He pushed as hard as he could, gaining ground on him. But the finish line came out of nowhere, and Rob had won.

Rob grinned and slapped him on the back. “Better luck next time.”

Christian stared daggers into his retreating figure. It irked him to lose. But it bothered him more that Rob thought he had won something more than a race. He pushed his way through the crowd and nearly barreled over Maizie.

“Did my eyes deceive me, or did the great Christian just lose?” Maizie’s lips curled up.

Just the person he didn’t want to see.

“I’m not in the mood, Maizie.” He attempted to sidestep her, but she blocked him.

“And you said I’m a bad loser.”

She really needed to stop. If she’d known why he was really mad, she wouldn’t think this was so funny.

“You did good,” Lyla said, coming up beside him.

Maizie’s eyes widened, and she looked back and forth between the two of them like she’d missed something.

“Thanks,” he ground out.

“Did you see me win?” Rob draped an arm around Maizie’s shoulders, a triumphant grin aimed at Christian.

Can I give him another bloody nose?

Maizie squinted up at him. “Yeah, good job.”

“Look what I won.” Rob held out a box of fancy headphones for Maizie to see but looked at Christian with a much more possessive sneer.

Rob hadn’t won Maizie. It had been a stupid race and Christian would never stoop to that level of self-righteousness.

“Don’t you already have some of those?” Maizie asked.