Page 110 of Sneak Attack

I hustled toward the center of the field, waving in the vicinity where Jasper was. I rarely saw him after games until I came out of the locker room. Another reason why Selma’s display during our first preseason game had pissed me off. After telling the coaches and other players I could find a good game and grabbing a quick chat with Allen, we headed back to the locker room, where I stripped out of my gear, showered, and spent a few minutes loosening my muscles on a bike before getting dressed into the suit I’d had to wear to the game.

Now that the game was over, I was only focused on one thing and one thing only.

Family dinner, where Eden would be meeting up with us.

Outside the locker room, Jasper called for me, and I turned, saw him at my dad’s side before he ran to me.

“Good job today!” He flung his arms around me.

“Couldn’t have done it without you cheering for me, kiddo.” I set him on his feet, and he went running straight to our kicker’s kids. Samson had four, the oldest was eight and the youngest was two. Jasper occasionally spent half of the game hanging out with them and the other kids in the family room if he didn’t want to watch the whole game.

“Hey, Marley,” I said.

“Hi.” Her smile was faint, not nearly the boisterous smile or congratulations I was used to. I bent to give her a hug and she stiffened.

“You okay?”

I pulled back and dropped my arms. My mom’s brow furrowed.

“I’d like to leave,” she said and started walking away. I wasn’t even sure if she knew where she was going right then, and I pulled up next to my mom while Dad grabbed Jasper. “She okay?”

“I don’t know. She was fine during the game. I think. Maybe she’s tired?”

“Maybe.” Or she was forgetting what just happened.

“Hey, Marley,” I called out, and she stopped. I jogged up to her and grinned. She still had that fake smile on her face, but it wasn’t one I was used to seeing. “You ready to get back home and grab Eden before dinner?”

“Oh? Is she in town? That girl, so precious. I’ve missed her so much since she left for school.”

She didn’t remember…and as she smiled that fake, barely there smile, reality slammed into my chest with the force of an Atlanta tackle I’d already taken.

I cleared my throat.

“Yeah, Marley. She’s here. Eating dinner with us.”

This was what Eden had meant when she said she was starting to forget things.

And the doctor had told her once that started happening, the rest would follow soon after.

I’d just never thought she’d forget me, or my games. She’d stiffened in my hug because she didn’t know who I was, and she had no idea she’d just watched me lead to a victory.

CHAPTER34

EDEN

“See you later!” Nora called out, her arm lifted in the air.

“Thanks again for coming!” I waved back.

Nora slipped into the passenger seat and Sarah started the car. They’d known Marley was going to today’s game, Cole insisting on it before it was too late. When I mentioned it to Nora earlier in the week, she said she and Sarah would come over, as long a I made my queso dip again.

This time, they also brought tacos and refried beans from one of the food trucks and margarita mix and tequila. Marley’s coffee table looked prepped for the Super Bowl instead of the first home game of the season.

We watched the game, cheered on Cole and the rest of his team to victory and this time when they scanned the crowd and landed on his family, I not only smiled because Marley was there, waving down at the field where Cole had to be, but because the seat on the other side of Jasper was empty.

I hadn’t told Cole I’d been worried Selma would show up and put on a happy face for the game. He didn’t need my worries, my stupid jealousy distracting him from anything else, but itdidmake me smile when she didn’t show. Whatever her parents had said to her must have worked because Cole had said the other night, she’d remained bearable.

I wasn’t so certain she wasn’t gearing up to do something to me, but fortunately, as I’d spent more time venturing into town, going to Frank’s and the brewery one night and to volunteer at BarkTown, I’d never once run into her. I’d even swung by a salon to grab their pricing sheet and schedule an upcoming appointment I’d need soon. I’d walked the streets of downtown and popped into a few antique shops. Still, no sign of Selma.

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