Page 62 of Payback
“Great,” I murmur, rolling my shoulders to loosen the tightness that has formed.
Booker walks forward next. “I may be a keeper but, unlike you, I know how to score properly.”
“Twice!” Poppy peals from behind us, juggling their twins in her arms as proof.
Booker smiles a boyish smile at her that makes me want to punch him.
Hayden claps me on the back. “Cheer up, mate. If I could survive a Harris Shakedown, then so can you.”
Several minutes later, I stride out of the house in borrowed soccer gear and make my way to the centre of the grass where the guys are standing in a circle. I clear my throat, and they make an opening to reveal a small brunette girl who can’t even be twelve years old yet.
“And who are you exactly?” I ask, eyeing her collared referee shirt.
“I’m Sophia,” she says with narrowed eyes as she sticks a silver whistle into her mouth. She points at Gareth and adds around the metal between her teeth, “That’s my dad.”
“How old are you?”
She drops the whistle out of her mouth. “Old enough to red flag you.”
The sidelines erupt with laughter as I frown down at the little girl. “Fair enough.”
“We’re going to play a clean game today, gentlemen,” Sophia states, her eyes serious as she stares up at all of us towering over her. “No cheap shots and no offsides. We may be in the off-season, but your bodies are your temples. Remember that.”
“And take your shirts off!” a voice catcalls from the sidelines. I look over to see Belle laughing hysterically with Indie.
Vi looks over at her, nose wrinkled. “Too far.”
“What?” Belle asks with a shrug of her shoulders. “They’re notmybrothers. And by the way, I’m hormonal!”
“You heard my wife,” Tanner says with a grin. “Let’s give our ladies a show!”
Tanner ditches his shirt and, to my surprise, the rest of the brothers do, too. They all look ridiculous, but evidently being a Harris Brother means they don’t give a shit. So, I follow suit and lose mine. My eyes connect with Allie, who’s doing her best to hide her amusement as her eyes drink in my entire body.
I walk over to take my place on the sidelines near her. I point straight at her and say, “You’re lucky you’re worth it.”
That makes her smile grow, and I can’t help but think I’d do this and a lot more to see that look on her face.
Sophia blows the whistle and we’re off.
Hayden kicks off the ball, directing a pass right away toward Booker like he can’t get the ball away fast enough. Gareth flies in out of nowhere and instantly steals it away from Booker with very little effort. He turns to drive the ball back toward the net and switches tracks to play defence against Tanner, whose moves I am able to anticipate from playing with him on the pitch.
What I don’t anticipate is how easily Camden gives Tanner what he needs. The two of them are always in the right place at the right fucking time. When Cam takes a shot that is blocked by Booker, Tan picks up the rebound and shoots it in the net with great ease.
The twins do a victory dance that involves Tanner busting into a rendition of the robot. He taps Camden on the head and, like an oiled tin man, Cam busts out his best robot moves, too. Their antics even carry over to Mr. Always Serious Gareth, who taps Sophia and she joins in as well.
“All right,” I groan, pointing at Sophia, who’s giggling and roboting. “That’s obvious favouritism.”
She shakes her head. “Score a goal and maybe I’ll victory dance with you, too.” She winks and takes off back to the middle of the grass.
“Hayden!” Vi screams from the sidelines as we get back into position. “You have to do something, love. You can’t just run around out there with no purpose!”
“I’m trying!” he roars back, agitated. “I can’t even keep up with them!”
“Well, run faster!”
“They’re professional fucking footballers!”
Vi’s eyes go wide and she presses her hands over Rocky’s ears. “Language!”
