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“Some people too much so.” His eyes fixed on the distance as he spoke; then, with a shake, he swung his gaze back to her. “But in you, it’s...”
Dylan’s shout interrupted him before he could finish speaking.
“Dad, look!” Two booths ahead, Dylan jumped up and down.
Scott’s eyes lit up, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her along beside him.
“It’s what?” she asked, towed along in his wake.
Spinning, he locked eyes with her, then winked. “It’s sexy.”
Speechless, Abby stuttered to a halt beside him as he reached Dylan.
Scott slapped a dollar on the counter and scooped up the football, cradling it in his arms for a moment before fitting his hand around it. The way he held it—firmly, but with care, confidently—pulled at Abby. He didn’t grip it, but he’d only give it up if and when he truly meant to.
The same enthusiasm permeated his expression and his son’s antics. They were an ebullient pair, not afraid to show their excitement. For Abby, whose emotions had been locked down so hard for so long, their zeal for life called to something long dormant in herself. She’d smiled and laughed more today, with them, than she had in months.
“Hey man, you need any help?” The kid behind the counter tucked the dollar into his apron, then plunked two more footballs down where it had lain.
Scott smirked. “I think I’ve got it, thanks.” He hefted the ball a few times, then turned to Abby. “Catch!”
Abby threw both hands up in front of her as the ball sailed toward her face. “I can’t...” It flew right into her outstretched palms and her fingers instinctually spasmed closed around it.
Scott stepped close to her, eyes glowing. “Sure, you can.”
She froze, his words dropping into her heart like a stone in a still pool, radiating ripples of impact which wouldn’t stop until they had reshaped the entire surface. His hands wrapped around hers, warm and firm, as she held the football. His eyes, liquid and swimming and as deep as the ocean, caught her own. Then they sparkled and cracked, and he grinned as he used one hand to pop the ball up out of her grip and effortlessly caught it with the other. She shivered, and Gen pressed herself against Abby’s leg.
“One point to hit the biggest target, three points for the medium, and five points for the little one,” the kid behind the counter droned.
Scott nodded, fitting his hand around the football again. He squinted at the board, planted his feet, and flicked his wrist. Faster than Abby could track it, the football sailed through the largest hole. “One point, right?” The kid nodded, boredom written across his face.
Scott took the second football, eyed the target again, and threw. “Three points!” He said it even before the ball had made it to the target.
“Mmm-hmm.” The kid didn’t even glance up from his phone, thumb scrolling down the screen.
Scott took the last ball, lined up his throw, and let it spiral. As it left his fingers, he held himself completely still, waiting. “And that’s five.”
The kid glanced up, the first glimmer of interest catching in his expression. “Sorry, man. I missed it.”
“Aww, come on.” Dylan’s face fell, the promise of a potential prize wrenched from his grasp.
Scott shrugged. “It’s okay, I can do it again.”
He pulled another dollar from his pocket and set it on the counter. The kid put up three more footballs, but this time he watched as Scott stepped up to the line, drew his arm back, and released.
“Five points!” Dylan grabbed ahold of Abby’s hand and squeezed. “Watch, he’ll hit them all this time.”
The utter confidence in his tone didn’t waver. His dad could do it, end of story.
The kid nodded and put down his phone. A few other people stopped to watch, too.
Scott picked up the next ball and did it again. “Ten, right?”
“Yep, ten points. That’ll get you one of the medium prizes.” The kid pointed to a wall filled with oversized inflatable sledgehammers and stuffed animals much larger than Abby’s indeterminate toy.
“I play to win.” Scott glanced over his shoulder at Abby and grinned. “I think I see one up there that looks a bit like Gen.”
Certainly the size of Gen, the giant black dog had a heart between its front paws.