Sweet Hill Homecoming (13 page)

She started walking toward the bleachers, trying to physically escape the conversation. They passed Abby on the way and her eyes zeroed in on Mia, then Tate. Mia mustered a tight smile and kept walking. To which Tate kept following.

“You realize you can’t out walk me, right?” Tate said.
 

Mia sighed. “Just trying to get to my seat.”

“And away from me.”
 

She glanced at him. “Maybe.”
 

He pushed his bottom lip out just a touch. “That’s not nice.”
 

She laughed, caught a little off guard by Tate’s playful mood. “Well, maybe I’m not a nice person.”
 

She felt Tate’s palm rest on the small of her back for a moment. Just long enough for him to lean in and whisper, “I don’t believe that for a second.”
 

He pulled away enough to put a few inches between them and continued walking beside her.
 

“But I do really want to talk, Mia.”

“Not much to talk about really,” she tried sounding indifferent, but the way her whole body flushed beneath her coat said a different story. Thank God Tate couldn’t see that. Between him smelling all spicy and manly and that damn smile he was sporting…not good for the “resolve” she built up against him.
 

“When we kissed—”

“It wasn’t a good idea,” she said in a harsh whisper, making her way up the steps to where Jen was waving at her already in seats. Tate just kept following her. “And it won’t happen again so let’s just forget about it,” she turned to say to him behind her loud enough so only his ears could pick it up.
 

“I see,” he said, but didn’t sound the least bit disappointed. Not that she was hoping he would be. Okay, maybe a little. “Have you committed to this notion?”
 

She glanced back at him, only five more steps then she’d reach Jen and sanctuary from this conversation.
 

“What do you mean?”
 

“Well…” He gently cupped her hip when she faltered on the step and his touch, even through thick layers, made her warm. “You said that when you make up your mind, that’s it. You commit. So I have to know how serious you are about this ‘never happening again.’” His hand lingered long after she righted her footing and she stopped on the step to look at him fully.
 

He was so calm. So easy. And that smile gently tugging his lips made her re-think the firm stance she had that being with Tate was a bad idea.
 

She opened her mouth to tell him how serious she was but Jen called her name. Saving her from a small fib.
 

“I saved you a seat!” Jen said.
 

Mia smiled then turned her attention back to Tate. “Well, this has been a fun chat.”
 

“You never answered my question,” he said.
 

“Yes, well, I’m just going to watch the game and know
 
that I mean what I say, Deputy.”

“Oh, I know you do.” Again with that charming smile.
 

“Ok. So…goodbye?” She hadn’t meant that to sound like a question, but he wasn’t leaving.
 

“Goodbye, Mia.”
 

She shimmed her way to Jen and when Tate followed her, she turned back to frown at him. “Seriously? You’re following me even to my seat?”

“Hey, Tate!” Luke called, sitting between Annie and Jen. Mia instantly blushed and Tate just smiled wider. She hadn’t seen them, but apparently she wasn’t the only one they were saving a spot for.
 

She huffed and sat down, Tate sat next to her and with Jen on one side and Tate on the other, she felt like a world class moron. Tate however looked like he just won a prize.
 

“You okay?” Jen said, nudging her shoulder. “You look a little flustered.”
 

Mia nodded. “Yeah,” she glanced at Tate, “I’m fine. Just nervous for Kyle.”
 

“Yeah, they win this game and they’re going to playoffs,” Luke said.
 

For two hours, Mia clapped, yelled and cheered for her brother so much that her hands got sweaty. But she just shoved her gloves into her coat pocket and kept on clapping. When he caught the last pass of the game and ran it in for a forty-two yard touchdown, she screamed.
 

Tate glanced her way several times and if she were honest, she glanced his way too. She tried not to remember how his chin felt against hers as he kissed her. Though always clean shaven, the evening seemed to bring out the shadow on his jaw she liked so much and the subtle scratch made her skin tingle just form the recollection.
 

“Kyle is really good,” Tate said, clapping as the game ended and the players started jogging toward the locker room.
 

She nodded and watched her brother take off his helmet and look back at the stands. She waved like a crazy person. She couldn’t help it. She was just so proud of him. Watching him excel and enjoy himself was heartwarming and made everything worth it.
 

“Yeah, he’s an amazing kid,” she said.
 

She didn’t know if Kyle saw her wave but when he turned back to finish his trip toward the locker room, she saw one of his teammates knock his shoulder as he ran by. A second teammate did it.
 

She instantly frowned. That didn’t look like an accident.
 

But what shocked her was when she turned to Tate to ask if he saw the same thing, he was frowning too. His eyes glued to where she was looking.
 

“Did you just see what I saw?” she asked.
 

Tate slowly nodded. “Tough to say,” he said. “But I’ll keep my eyes open.”
 

She nodded. He actually sounded like he was on her side. On Kyle’s side. Maybe they were making progress, because whatever was going on with Kyle, he wasn’t saying. But something was definitely up.
 

Mia didn’t want to fear the worst—that he was getting flak from kids at school, but he was so tight-lipped about it. At least tonight she’d get to meet some of his friends since they were coming over for a postgame hang out.
 

“Well, I better go meet Kyle by the car,” she looked at Tate and he moved so she could get past.
 

“It was nice seeing you, Mia,” he said.
 

His hand brushed her thigh and she didn’t know if it was because they were in such a tight space or he meant to do that, but either way, it affected her.
 

“Nice seeing you too,” she said back and hated that her voice trembled a little.
 

Hustling down the bleachers, she made her way to the parking lot to wait for Kyle by the car. It was still going to be a long night ahead with a house full of boys and the last thing she needed was a mental distraction by the one man that made her feel anything but ordinary.

~

“I’m sure they’re just running late,” Mia said loudly from the kitchen, stirring her dessert concoction together.
 

Kyle mumbled something from the living room but she couldn’t hear him. It was nine-thirty and still none of Kyle’s friends had shown up.
 

“Do you want to have some dessert?” she asked, balancing the bowl between her forearm and stomach while she continued to mix the three ingredients.
 

Kyle sat on the couch, just staring at the TV and Mia’s heart broke a little. Then as if the universe heard her, a knock came at the door and Kyle jolted up a little and smiled.

“Oh thank god,” she muttered and rushed to open the door.
 

“Oh…Hi…”
 

Tatum West stood on her stoop and frowned at her greeting.
 

“Sorry, I’m surprised, I was expecting a pack of seventeen-year-old boys.”
 

“Yeah, I didn’t mean to interrupt, but these fell out of your pocket,” he held up her gloves.
 

“Oh, thanks.”
 

“You’re not interrupting,” Kyle called form the living room and even Mia heard the disappointment in his voice.
 

Tate leaned in and whispered to Mia. “I thought he was having friends over?”
 

“No one has shown up,” she whispered back and glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t know what’s going on with him and his friends.”
 

Tate nodded then looked at the bowl she was holding and raised a brow. “Is that the famous dessert?”
 

She smiled. “Yeah, cut up apples, snickers bars and whip cream.”
 

“Well if you don’t mind, I’d like to try some.” He leaned a little farther in so he could see Kyle sitting on the couch. “You got the new Madden game on X-box?” he called to Kyle.
 

Kyle perked up. “Yeah, just got it.”

Mia’s mouth hung open. How did Tate know that was what they were going to play tonight? All she cared about was that Kyle didn’t look on the brink of depression anymore.
 

“I’ve been dying to play it,” Tate said.
 

“Well, you can come in and play if you want?” Kyle said, then glanced at Mia. “If that’s cool?”

“Of course!” she said and Tate stepped in. He took off his jacket, set it on the back of the chair and Kyle handed him the controller.
 

“I’ll bring you some dessert,” Mia said, super happiness bubbling through her.
 

“Thanks, Mia,” Kyle called and sat next to Tate on the couch.
 

Tate just glanced her way before they started playing and Mia’s chest was about to burst with how much she appreciated the man sitting in her living room right now.
 

“Thank you,” she mouthed to him and Tate just smiled and winked at her. Which did crazy things to her heart rate. She dished up the boys some dessert and set it on the coffee table in the living room.
 

They were both glued to the TV and slightly moving as if their bodies made a difference in how the game console controlled the players.
 

“Ah, you’ve got to be kidding me!” Tate said with a smile, pounding one of the keys on the controller.
 

“Yeah! Interception, baby!” Kyle yelled. When cheering erupted from the TV it looked like Kyle’s guy just got the ball and ran in for a digital touch down.
 

“Man, you’re even good at X-box football,” Tate said. “Alright, no more going easy on you, kid.”
 

Tate sat forward, elbows resting on his knees and controller in hand. He was concentrating and there was something about the way the Deputy looked like a regular guy just hanging out and enjoying the evening. And Kyle looked truly thrilled sitting next to him.
 

This was what guys did? Talk crap about video games, eat and play? Well whatever was the tradition, Kyle looked so happy. They both took millisecond breaks to take bites of their dessert as they flicked the buttons with their thumbs.
 

For the next half hour, Mia busied herself “straightening up” the apartment while stealing glances at the guys on her couch. Kyle needed this. Some guy time and Tate jumped in when he saw the situation.
 

Another knock came at the door and Mia rushed to open it. It was just past ten, but maybe one of Kyle’s friends finally showed up.
 

“Hi,” the kid said. He was a little shorter than Kyle and had a smaller frame and brown hair. “I’m Will Upton.”
 

“Of course, come in,” she said. The kid was nice and chatty.
 

“Sorry I’m late,” he said to Mia and shook her hand like a gentleman.
 

“It’s no problem at all.” She showed him to the living room and Kyle paused the game.
 

“Hey, man,” Will said. “Good evening, Deputy.”

Tate got up and handed Will the controller. “It’s Tatum tonight, kid.” He patted Will’s shoulder. “Good game tonight.”
 

“Thank you, sir.”
 

“Here, take my spot.”
 

Will took the controller. “Oh sure, you’re leaving cuz you’re losing,” Kyle said to Tate.
 

“Damn right I am,” Tate said back and smiled. Will took his spot. Mia went into the kitchen and Tate followed.
 

“You don’t think Will is one of the boys giving Kyle a hard time do you?” she whispered.
 

“No, Will Upton is a good kid. He works over on Luke’s orchard in the summers and one of the most responsible seventeen year olds I know.”
 

Mia nodded.
 

“I think that more than one person is giving Kyle a hard time.”

“I think so too,” she said.
 

Kyle wasn’t a fighter, but his size could be intimidating. It wouldn’t take more than one boy, she thought, to make him uneasy. She looked at kids on the couch having fun and laughing, then turned to find Tate’s dark eyes on her.