Page 5 of Home Team Advantage
As before, Kate took the lead and leaped off the recliner. “Take the recliner and have a sour gummy.”
“I’ll take the candy, but you can have your seat. I’m not that hard up.”
Matt winced inwardly. A woman giving up her seat for a man was a blow to the male ego, even if it was done with good intentions.
Corey took the candy and pointed to the backpack Kate had put on the love seat. “That’s in my seat, and these are wicked sour.”
Wicked sour? Matt wondered if the guy hailed from Boston.
Kate picked up her backpack, but instead of moving back to the recliner, she took the seat next to Matt. Seemed like she and Corey both had stubborn streaks.
“Where are you from, Corey?”
“Someplace no one has ever heard of in upstate New York.”
Not Boston then.
Oliver, apparently forgetting his hard pass on the candy, leaned over and took one from Kate. “What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?” he asked Corey. Then, he tossed the gummy into his mouth, and his face promptly contorted. “Damn, these are not good.”
Matt’s lips quirked because, yeah, no shit.
Kate smirked and pointed out of the library. “There’s a cooler with drinks over there.”
Oliver sprang up from the couch. “Thanks. Anyone want anything?”
“Water, please,” Corey said and fished around in his bag. He pulled out a brown bottle of medication.
“I’m good. Thanks.” Kate waved off the offer and repeated Oliver’s question, “What happened?”
Corey averted his eyes, fiddled with his med cap for a moment, then said, “My FOB blew up.”
The guy didn’t elaborate, but his dark mood grew even darker. Thankfully, Kate took the hint and didn’t push.
By the time Oliver came back to the small library area, Blessing was shepherding another person in her grip. Big. Blond. Moving slowly and deliberately, as if he, too, was injured. It seemed to Matt that he and Kate were the only two who weren’t. Well, not physically anyway.
“Here you go,” Blessing said to the new guy, then looked at the drink in Oliver’s hand. “Oh, good, Kate must have told you where the refreshments were. I think I forgot to do that. Anyway, this is Kai. Kai, the recliner is open. It’s the best option for your back.”
Kai frowned and looked down at her. “I didn’t say I had a back injury.”
Blessing patted him on the arm. “Just let Kate know if you need anything. She’s been here before, so she knows the lay of the land.”
Here it comes, Matt thought with amusement.
Sure enough, no sooner had the man sat down than Kate was shoving the bag in his direction and offering him a piece of candy. What was it with her and the candy?
“Don’t do it, man. That shit is a silent killer,” Oliver said from his chair.
Kate shot him a look, then turned back to the newcomer. “Where are you headed, Kai?”
“Tennessee. I have some things to do there.” Kai lifted the leg rest of the recliner and sighed in relief.
“Man, I feel that to my bones,” Corey said and tossed back his medicine. “Anti-inflammatories only go so far.”
Kai nodded. “Truth.”
Kate turned her attention back to Matt, inclining her head slightly. “You don’t say much, do you?”
Maybe you say too much. Matt shrugged. “Not when I don’t have something to say.”
