Page 48 of Fairy Godmothers Aren't Cheap

“Oo. Sorry. That’s too close to my bedtime.”

“Liar.”

“I don’t have cleats anymore.”

“Don’t need ‘em. Leisure league.”

“Fine. Maybe.”

“I accept.”

I shook my head, flattered but also feeling shy by his attention. “You just need a girl on your team, don’t you? I know how these co-ed teams work.”

“Maybe I’m the token guy on the team. Ever thought of that?”

“Ha.” That idea made me grumpy. A team of women all fawning over James. Because that would happen. Definitely. I much preferred the idea of being the only woman on the team—mostly ignored and working hard to prove I belonged and wasn’t holding us back from a win. “Then I’d better join in order to keep you in line.”

His grin was wide, his shoulder rotating as he released the ball.

The light was waning, and both of us were tiring. My legs weren’t used to being in the squat position for this long anymore, and I knew I was going to be sore tomorrow. But watching him wind up and let it fly, the happiness in his expression while playing my favourite sport was worth it.

He threw another fast one, and I deflected it from hitting me, my attention flickering away to his quads at the wrong moment in order to make the catch. The ball arced high, veering off to my right. It was followed by the sound of glass cracking.

I popped upright. Oh crap.

James was already at the brick building’s window, gaping at the spiderweb of fractured glass.

A window slid open above the empty store.

“What’s going on down there?”

“Um, we broke your…” I said, gesturing feebly to the front of the store below him. “Sorry.”

The window slammed shut, and a few seconds later, a large man filled the doorway that led onto the street. He turned to look at the crack, then whirled on us, face red.

“Sorry,” I said, creeping backward.

“It was an accident,” James said firmly, “and we’ll?—”

“You’d better.”

“Do you happen to have insurance?” I asked. This was not going to be cheap. It was a big picture window.

“Excuse me? You want me to increase my premiums and pay a deductible because of your carelessness?” The man stepped closer, and James immediately slid into the space between me and the man. I clutched the fabric of James’s sweatshirt where it was loose around his waist. I always forgot how tall he was, how built. He made me feel dainty. And that was one adjective nobody had ever used to describe me.

The man glowered, flames practically shooting from his nostrils. I had a passing thought that if there were fairy godmothers, maybe there were also demons.

“It wasn’t her fault, and you need to back off,” James said, his voice even, a hint of threat in his growly tone. His shoulders, I swear, had gotten huger. As much as I hated the situation, it had been so long since someone got bent out of shape on my behalf. It felt nice. Which was kind of sad, the more I thought about it.

Still. I got tingles at his protectiveness.

“You want me to back off?” The man reached out to push James, but he swiftly blocked the man’s hands, sending him tumbling against James’s chest instead. He took the force like a solid oak.

“It was an accident,” James said, righting the man. “And we said we’d fix it.”

The man backed off, one eye on James, complaining about how the neighbourhood was becoming even worse.

“It just needs spiffying up. A bit of pride, maybe?” I said, squeaking when his dark, unimpressed gaze hit mine. I shut up and stepped back behind James.

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