Songs for Cricket by Laine, E. (ebook reader .TXT) 📕

It was time I started making a nuisance of myself until I broke through August’s defenses. “Thanks for everything by the way,” I said to Finn.

“What?”

“Everything you, Sawyer, and Shelly did to help me. I owe you big.”

My name had been cleared before anyone linked me to my father.

“Go play nice with Hank. Besides that, just keep doing what you’re doing. Take care of Finley’s heart. And be there for August when he’s ready.”

I thanked him and took his advice. I stopped being an ass to my mother’s boyfriend and engaged him in conversation. He was a pharmaceutical salesman. I wasn’t sure what to make of that, but based on his clothes and how Mom went on and on about his car, I guess he made decent money.

When they eventually left, Finley and I headed to bed. I can’t say we went directly to bed, but we did go to sleep at a decent hour. We would need it too.

The game turned out to be another tough one. Our offensive was getting eaten alive by their defense, and we attempted to repay them the favor. So far, no one had scored, and we were in the final quarter.

Our entire sideline winced when the opposing team’s wide receiver caught a big play down the field.

Coach cursed a blue streak that lit a fire in our defense, and we held them to a field goal.

When our offensive took the field, even I sent Billy out there with an encouraging slap on his back. He didn’t notice as I wasn’t the only one who’d done it, and he was in game mode.

The guys stepped it up and led our team into field goal range, but that wasn’t enough.

Fourth down was upon us, and Billy and the offensive left the field. I, along with Cooper, Finley, and the rest of the special teams, went on. As a tight end, I was a jack-of-all-trades including a receiver and also a blocker. In this situation, I was called in for a trick play.

“Don’t do this,” I said in the huddle.

Cooper glared at me. “She’ll be fine. This is the call. We knew this could happen.”

“Protect her,” I snarled.

Everyone nodded, and Cooper shouted out orders to the rest of the group as I stared at my girl. She knew as well as I did that as a kicker, she was pretty much untouchable. However, instead of kicking, Cooper would hike her the ball. I couldn’t block her from the defenders who would come gunning for her because there had been much trash talk about her in the plays I’d been in.

Cooper clapped, and we got in position. Finley went back as if she was going to kick. When the play snapped, she caught the ball. I ran into open field, and from the looks of it, the other team wasn’t expecting me to.

I didn’t turn back until I hit the predetermined spot that had been designed in the play. When I turned the ball landed in my hands like a baby. I cradled it and ran for the end zone with a truckload of guys coming for me. I ran my ass off because I wanted to know if Finley was okay, and I couldn’t check until the play was over.

One guy caught my foot shy of the goal line. I went down but stretched my arms out and broke the plane of the end zone. Two big guys landed on top of me, and they took their time getting off while hitting me with cheap shots until the referee was there. But as I was hauled to my feet, she was there unhurt, winking at me.

“Time for the extra point,” she yelled over the noise of our home crowd.

I was hustled off the field and watched as she eased that one straight down the line, and the crowd exploded to their feet as time ran out. I was the first to reach her from the sideline. As we were swallowed up by our teammates, I removed her chin strap before taking her helmet completely off and tipped mine up and out of the way too.

Then not giving a shit about anything else but her, I kissed her right there in front of everyone, creating our own bubble in time.

“What about Coach?” she murmured against my lips, already a lovely shade of red.

We were so close, she didn’t have to yell.

“I don’t care anymore. Too much time has been wasted. I won’t waste a second more.”

Billy might have been glaring at us, but she didn’t see.

“Tonight you’re going to sing your song at open mic.”

She’d found another place and bet me if we won that I’d do just that.

“I’ll sing whatever you want. Every song I write has been only for you, Cricket.”

Epilogue

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A week before Thanksgiving, we rode to the dive bar where I’d been playing during their weekly open mic.

Finley was too close, and I couldn’t help but steal a kiss.

“If you guys keep doing that, I’m going to pull over and grab an Uber home,” August said.

He wasn’t exactly happy about us being together, but he had thawed some.

“You’re driving,” Finley pointed out.

“Exactly,” he said, “But if I keep watching you two, I’m going to hurl.”

Everyone laughed as August scowled. Cooper turned toward us from his front seat position and gave us a thumbs-up.

“Come on, Auggie,” Cooper said and ruffled August’s hair.

August swiped at his brother and said, “Bro, can you not call me that on my birthday. It’s bad enough you guys talked me into karaoke night instead of the Omega party.”

He’d been summarily overruled.

“You’re just mad your girlfriend isn’t coming,” Finley joked.

“Why would she? This is lame,” he muttered.

“Don’t listen to him,” I whispered in my girl’s ear.

If she’d been sad at all, I might have said something to my best friend no matter how hard I was trying to make peace with him.

Her smile relaxed me.

“It will be fun,” I finally said.