Page 63 of Try Hard

“Archer,” I murmured, almost saying her first name and giving up all of my efforts to refrain from giving in to her and how wonderful she still was. Although, if she was going to treat me so kindly, what did she think was going to happen? “Thank you. You realise you don’t have to do any of that, right?”

“I want to.” Her voice ached with sincerity. “No place else I’d rather be, remember?”

Chapter Eighteen

Eve

Mum laughed when she found me sitting on the living room floor, sweats on over my kit for the match, and cradling Hercules like he was a giant baby.

“You’re spoiling him again,” she said, maneuvering around us to sit on the sofa with her mug of tea.

“He deserves it, don’t you, Herc?” I asked before grinning up at her. “I’m only here occasionally, so he’ll be fine.”

She studied me. “You’re ready early.”

“It’s a long ride,” I said, teasingly noncommittal.

“I’m sure it will be with you driving about five miles an hour.”

I laughed. “I wouldn’t do that.”

“Because you’d get bored?”

“Well, probably, honestly, but that’s not the reason.”

“Driving so far below the speed limit would put you in danger.” She paused to look at me over her tea. “Which would put Fia in danger.”

“Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner! Come on down and claim your prize.”

“What does she see in you?” she laughed.

“Hell if I know.”

“Hey,” Mum said instantly, frowning deeply. “I was kidding. I can think of a million things she must see in you.”

“Aside from the fact that she’s a million times better than me, I can’t think of one, but I’ll take whatever it is. Of course, I don’tknowthat she’s interested, just that she gives me the time of day.”

Mum scowled at me and even Herc bopped me with his paw, both of them effectively conveying that they didn’t agree with my take on things.

“Okay, okay,” I said, holding my hands in the air and earning another wallop and an attempted lick to the face from Herc that I managed to gracefully avoid. “I know I have my own qualities. I’m just saying I like hers better.”

“Have you told her that this time?”

“Ah. Nope.” I ran my hands through Herc’s soft fur, taking comfort from it.

“Eve,” Mum said, not chastising, not disappointed, just… gutted for me. “From what I know of her, Fia doesn’t give you the time of day if she doesn’t really like you.”

I shrugged one shoulder. “She’s not outgoing, sure, but she cares about things, you know? She cares about people even if she keeps them at a distance.”

“Doesn’t seem like she’s keeping you at a distance. Itseemslike she’s going to watch rugby for you.”

“Yeah, well, she watched planes for her dad, so I don’t know if that means anything.”

Mum shook her head, laughing into her tea as she blew on it to cool it. “I’m pretty sure she likes her dad, Eve. Not the same way she likes you, but still, that’s actually a good sign.”

“Maybe.” I considered her for a moment, thinking over every second with Ophelia and how excited I was to go pick her up—so excited I’d gotten ready a whole hour early. “How did you know, with Terrance? That he liked you, I mean.”

“Oh, that was easy. The man just told me. Walked right over and gave a whole speech about how he’d never forgive himself if we didn’t cross paths again and he hadn’t taken the chance to tell me he thought I had the most beautiful laugh in the world and desperately wanted to get to know me better.”