Page 71 of Stealing for Keeps
“Did you see it too, Claire?” Wyatt’s hair is windblown, and his cheeks are red.
“I did. You’re sure to be the next Sam Kerr.”
“She’s a girl.” He scrunches up his cute face.
“And incredibly talented. You would be lucky to kick like Sam Kerr.”
He smiles at me but he still seems skeptical.
The three of us eventually head to Austin’s Jeep and then they drive me to my house.
“Tomorrow, same time?” Austin asks as I open the passenger door.
“That depends. What are we doing?”
“You’ll see. It’ll be fun,” he says and winks.
Chapter Twenty
Austin
“I think we can cross off soccer,” Claire says, dropping to the ground on her butt.
“Can’t blame me for trying.” I wink and take a seat next to her with the ball in my lap. “You weren’t too bad.”
She shoots me a knowing glance.
“I could coach you.” Again, I have to try. Claire plus soccer is like one of those weird mash-up dreams that combine people and places from different parts of your life and don’t make a lot of sense. Fun, but not realistic.
“I don’t think I could ever get used to people running at me and kicking at my shins.”
“That’s what the shin guards are for.”
“It still hurts.”
It sure does.
“How does your foot feel?” We took it easy since she just got cleared to start exercising.
“Good.” She rubs a spot just above her ankle.
“All right then. Up. On to the next activity.” I stand and take her hands.
She groans as I pull her to her feet. I don’t let go when she’s upright and our joined hands hang between us.
“I can’t run anymore. I’m out of shape.”
“This one doesn’t require any running. I promise.”
“Is it napping? Or eating? Those both sound like good hobbies.”
“You’re already good at both of those.”
“I feel like I should be offended, but it’s true.”
The wind blows, and the end of her ponytail whips into her face, getting stuck on her lips.
Laughing, I drop one hand and bring it up to brush it away. We’ve spent the past hour together in close proximity, but while we were focused on other things, I wasn’t thinking about how badly I want to kiss her. Now it’s all I can think about.
