Page 34 of (La)Crosse My Heart

“Okay, so I think we've made some progress here. Let me check my plan to see what we need to do next.”

"Please don't tell me we're going skydiving or something," I say, laughing.

Jessa stares at me. “I don’t have that on the list, but I can add it if it will help.”

“Didn’t you say something about skydiving being on your bucket list at one point?”

Her eyes widen and she nods. “Yeah, that was a while ago. I forgot about it. Are you afraid of heights?”

Shaking my head, I say, "No, but I'm saving that for when I'm done with lacrosse."

"I didn't have you pegged for the all-out adrenaline rush kind of guy. Interesting."

"What about you? Would you fall out of a plane with nothing but some rope and a thin parachute to keep you from dying?"

She looks terrified. “I don't think I've thought about it that deeply before. Maybe I should scratch that off the invisible list.”

"There are things I've thought about way too much. Like interviews and cameras."

"We just need you to have an enjoyable experience with them. Oh, I remember what's next. This Saturday, the team is taking part in an event called Play It Forward."

"Okay, what do I need to do?"

She taps her chin and says, "That I have to do some research on. The name of the contact I have is Milo, and I haven't gotten a response just yet."

I nod, knowing I'll need to prepare for a lot of cameras if it's an event where all the team will be.

"You'll be fine, Clark," Jessa says, as if reading my mind. She pats me on the arm, her skin so soft.

"Thanks," I say. I'm not as sure as she is, but I still have a few days before I need to worry about that.

“Should we head out? I need to get a few things ready for social media. And I have my TV again and can watch my show.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Which show is this?”

“It’s a newer series about a detective who finds out she’s a paranormal and has to go on a treasure hunt to figure out her family history.”

I blink a few times and then nod. “Paranormal, huh? Like witches and werewolves?”

She blushes and nods. “I’m a sucker for a good mystery.”

“I’m interested to hear more about it.”

There’s a slight hesitation and she says, “You can come watch it, if you want. I’d even be willing to go back a few episodes so you can catch up.”

I can’t tell if there’s hope in her voice or if she’s just being polite and really wants me to leave her alone.

My phone pings with a reminder.

“Rain check?” I say. “I’m supposed to meet with the coaches in an hour.”

She nods, averting her gaze so I can’t tell if she’s happy or disappointed. “Sounds great. Let me know if you need anything for the meeting.”

16

Jessa

Our adventure in the park was very eye-opening.

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