Page 78 of The Americana Playbook

I’m sure she’s smiling for the camera. But I bet the real reason is because she sees Candice’s face clearly behind it, painted with annoyance and disapproval.

“Thanks so much. Our team won’t believe this. They’re on second shift in the cafeteria. Do you guys want some cookies? We’re having a bake sale to raise money for new uniforms for the fall. Darryl”—he taps the guy next to him—“go run and get some for them.”

Parker takes another notebook one of them holds out and passes it to me to sign. “We happen to love cookies. Can we go see your spread?”

“Parker.” Candice’s voice is laced with a bite of tension.

“I’m always down for cookies,” I chime in.

Parker addresses Candice’s aide, who was talking to me earlier. “Fitz and I will hang here until the lunch period is done. Enjoy that walk.”

My eyes ping between Candice, the aides, and the few journalists who all look confused. The tension is so obvious. But what’s more obvious—what I know kills Candice—is how Parker doesn’t care. Not one bit.

“Which way is the cafeteria?” Parker asks.

Before I know it, we’re all following. Only, the formation now is different. These kids lead Parker, Governor Stetson, and me with the media trailing us. Bringing up the rear? Candice and her workhorses.

I’veneverimagined a school cafeteria could go silent. But it does when we walk in.

“This way.” One of the kids directs us outside, where tables line the side of the building. He calls out to one of his teammates for comped cookies, but Parker rejects the offer.

“We want to support your team,” she tells them, and before I know it, she slips her hand into my back pocket for my wallet.

I bite down on my lip before Parker’s hand slips from my ass.

“There’s more money deep in my front pocket.”

“Stop it. There are kids around,” she mumbles. But do you know what I see clearly? Her cheeks pinkening as she empties my wallet and drops the cash into one of the jars.

“Ma’am—”

We both turn, finding an agent with a tight smile. Just behind him is Candice, who mouths,Enough.

Apparently, that’s Parker’s trigger word. She opens her mouth to speak, but I take one for the team. I mean, what can they do? Fire me?

I roll up my sleeves. “You guys got a ball lying around?”

For the next twenty minutes, I run plays with my offense of second-string high school football players. I’m used to playing in front of tens of thousands of people. I’ve never been heckled harder than by these kids. Their laughs are great, sure, but there’s one person’s presence who makes this all worth it. It certainly isn’t Governor Stetson, who surprises me by catching a pass off his fingertips. It definitely isn’t Candice, who seems to be gritting her jaw so tightly she’s already secured tomorrow’s headache.

It’s Parker. Somehow it feels fitting that the first time she cheers me on during my professional career is in a high school on some soggy grass.

We’re forced out not by Secret Service but by the school bell shrilling, telling students it’s time to get to class.

“You know something, Fitzy? You don’t have to impress me,” Parker says as we walk into the parking lot hand in hand. “But you kind of are anyway. It’s a nice surprise.”

I flap open my sunglasses and slide them onto my face. “I’ve always been full of surprises. Maybe you just didn’t notice.”

Parker tugs on my hand, forcing me to a stop.

“What?” I ask, using my free hand to slide the glasses down the bridge of my nose so I can get a clear look at her, but Parker’s face is difficult to read, her light brown eyes clouded over and seemingly distant. “What’s wrong?”

Parker lets out a laugh that’s nothing more than a breathy sound between us. “Maybe you’re right,” she says. “Maybe I just didn’t notice.”

When she shakes her head, I swear it’s not to clear her vision but to shake the thoughts away, because her eyes remain sharp and focused.

Right on me.

And I do something I probably shouldn’t. I cup both her cheeks and dip down for a kiss even though I have no idea what kind of eyes we have on us, if anyone in the media convoy is paying attention. It’s short and to the point, but when I pull back and take in Parker’s face, I find it absent of shock or surprise, which I think might be a good thing.

---