Page 28 of Go Find Less

“You could say that,” Alex answers, her hands falling on her lower back. “We went to school together.”

“How wonderful!” Shelley says with a small clap. Even Hailey winces slightly when she does it, and I silently guess that Alex has told Hailey about me, and my recent intrusion into Piper’s life, based on the way Hailey takes a protective step toward her friends when she hears my name. The walkie talkie on Shelley’s hip beeps, and she pushes the earbud coming out of the back of her jacket further into her ear, leaning away from our group.

I turn to Alex while I have a chance.

“Look, I didn’t know-"

“Are you stalking us now?” Carla comes up behind Hailey and Alex, but her expression is more friendly.

“I was just telling them that I didn’t know you were going to be here,” I try to explain, but my tone is tight and I see Alex furrow her brow.

“So it was just coincidence that you -

“I’m so sorry,” Shelley interrupts, “but I’m getting called away on an emergency.”

“He can stay here with us,” Alex says. All of us look at her, I think equally shocked; there’s a glint in her eye that worries me.

“Are you sure?” Shelley asks, but she’s clearly relieved.

“We’re sure,” Piper answers as she and her sister step up next to Alex, who looks at her friend with a maternal fury I’ve seen Frannie exude around Greta.

“Oh, you’re a Godsend,” Shelley says lightly, and then reaches out, squeezing Hailey’s shoulder. “Quite a gang you’ve got here.” She turns to me. “You’ll let me know if you need anything.”

“Absolutely,” I say quickly, wanting her to get out before Alex has my balls in a vice and I’m left explaining to Fran why the Alamos don’t want us to sponsor them anymore. She scuttles back through the door, and I look at the group of women in front of me, swallowing.

“Alex’s husband, Nolan, is on the team,” Piper explains. Her fingers toy nervously with the hem of her dress, an elongated version of the one Alex is wearing, I realize.

Piper’s best friend purses her lips, clearly unhappy, despite her insistence that I stay.

What do I need to do to get back in her good graces? I make a mental note to ask Piper when an ebony-skinned man walks up next to Penny, looking vaguely familiar.

“Hey babe, who’s this?” he asks. He holds a plate of food out to her, but before she can answer, Vic walks up next to Alex, also holding out a plate, and looks at me, startled.

Jesus. This might as well be our high school reunion, right here.

“Fitz, hey, man,” he says, and surprises me by holding out his hand. I shake it, and then offer it to the other man.

“Fitz Westfall.”

His eyes dart to Penny, but he takes my hand.

“Brett Robinson. I think you know my wife, Penny.” When he smiles, I realize where I know him from.

That day at the dog park, Brett was the one with his arms around Piper. Internally, I feel myself relax a little. So this wasn’t her boyfriend. This was her brother-in-law. If I was a betting man outside of our regular poker games, I’d wager the other man was probably Alex’s husband. Piper mentioned in passing that Alex’s husband and her brother-in-law were close.

“I see daddy!” a voice calls from the corner of the room near the glass doors to the stadium seats, and Hailey turns back. From this far, I can only see a tiny mop of dark hair, like hers.

The announcer welcomes the home team to the dugout, and there’s a smattering of applause from around the suite.

“Coming, Luke,” she says, and then peers at Alex. Noticing her unwavering eye contact with me, Piper reaches out and squeezes Alex’s arm. That seems to knock her friend back to earth, because she looks at Piper, who gives her a reassuring smile, nodding back to me.

Alex sighs, a resigned, frustrated sound, and then shoots me one last glance before turning around to waddle off. The rest of the group follows her, leaving Piper and me alone.

Piper

“Hi.”

That’s the best I can do?Hi?I stare at my feet, clad in hand-painted Alamos Vans from two seasons ago.

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