Page 61 of Playbook
His brother is there and when he spots us, his smile widens.
“Shouldn’t you be doing something useful?” Brogan asks him as we stop in front of him. They have this teasing banter, but it’s easy to see how much they care about one another just in the easy smiles and goofiness they both slip into.
“And miss this?” Archer shakes his head. “Not a chance.”
Brogan sighs and glances at me. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes. If I don’t see you when I’m done, I’ll shoot you a text.”
My brows tug together.
“In case you want to walk around or whatever.”
“And miss this?” I ask, parroting Archer’s words.
Brogan lets his chin fall to his chest and chuckles. “Perfect. Only our second date and my girl is going to watch me make a fool of myself.”
“She might as well get used to it,” Archer says.
Brogan punches him in the arm as he walks away. Archer moves to stand beside me, still laughing quietly. “Are you having a good time?”
I remember what Brogan said about Archer reading lips so I angle myself so it’s easier for him. “I am actually. It’s obvious a lot of time and consideration went into planning it. Do you do a lot of big community events like this?”
“This is only the second one we’ve had to attend since we joined the team, but I think the Mavericks front office does a lot more.”
“Do you guys hate doing them?”
“It’s not that. I think it’s a great idea. It’s just…being forced to do anything makes it a little less fun.”
Brogan is getting into the tank now and sitting on a ledge with his feet dangling into the water. His grin is so wide you would never know that a minute ago he was worried about making a fool of himself.
“Does he know that?” I ask as I tip my head toward where the first kid is about to toss a mini football toward a target.
“He doesn’t know how to not have fun. In case you haven’t already realized that.” Archer’s smile speaks of a fondness and bond that cements what I already knew—they’re close.
“I think I’m starting to get that,” I say with a small laugh.
Archer’s face goes serious, still smiling but there’s a warning too. “Don’t let him fool you, though. He acts like everything is great even when it’s not.”
“Oh.” I glance back at Brogan. I feel like there’s more he wants to say, but doesn’t. “Is there something I should know?”
“No. You already know he’s struggling with his reputation.”
I nod because I do. Seeing him in action today, I’d forgotten. It’s easy to be with him and lose sight of our reasons for doing this.
“I’m glad you two are helping each other,” Archer says. “But I hope when it’s all over, this fake relationship won’t have caused more damage than it fixed. For both of you.”
“Me too. I promise to keep that in mind.”
He offers me a smile, and I can feel the weight of his relief. He cares about his brother a lot. I guess I’d feel the same if it were Sierra in myshoes.
“Speaking of helping…” I motion toward Brogan. I’ve been hanging back all day, not fully committing to this whole act. But the reminder of what’s at stake for him, has me moving toward the table where they’re selling chances to toss a ball at the target. “Want to help me dunk my boyfriend into a tank of water?”
One side of his mouth lifts. “Definitely.”
SEVENTEEN
On Wednesday I’m drinking my third cup of coffee and trying not to fall asleep at my desk when Alec stops by.
“What are you doing here?” I ask. He’s a long way from the broadcasting floor.
