In a Badger Way (Honey Badger Chronicles #2) - Shelly Laurenston Page 0,53
aren’t at any major risk, and the ball is big and soft so your head is safe.”
“Except that a kicked soccer ball can reach eighty miles per hour.”
“Why do you even know that?” Oriana asked.
“That’s true,” Shen said, ignoring Oriana, “but you have a honey badger skull. A .38 wouldn’t even get past the stone-like strength of your bone structure.”
Deciding to ignore what could easily be seen as an insult, Stevie asked, “What made you think of this? For me, I mean.”
“Soccer is a great sport. Takes skill, dexterity, and physics. Not only that . . . pandas love soccer!” he cheered, pointing to a group of sturdy-looking giant panda bears. One had hold of a soccer ball and the others were trying to take it from her.
While she giggled and laughed, the others rolled her around, taking turns trying to get the ball. It seemed like a waste of time and energy, but Stevie couldn’t ignore the fact that they all seemed to be having a great time.
“Do you play soccer?”
“Used to. Played through high school on local shifter teams. Always had fun.”
“Hey,” Oriana cut in, “Kyle . . . is that our brother?”
“No way,” Kyle snorted. “He’d never . . . oh, my God! That is him!”
The siblings looked at each other for a brief moment before they yelled out together, “Coop!”
The world-renowned pianist turned around, which was when he was hit in the back of the head with a soccer ball that had just been kicked at him.
He didn’t move, but he looked annoyed, jaws clenching.
“Sor-ryyy!” someone called out before Coop jogged over to the stands.
“What are you guys doing here?” he asked.
“Shouldn’t we be asking that?” Kyle wanted to know. “What else have you not told us? How much are you hiding from us? Are you even our brother?”
“You act like you found me in a drug den. It’s soccer.”
Kyle’s lip curled in disgust and Oriana scrunched up her nose. She just looked confused. But Stevie didn’t know why. A lot of great artists did things on the side to relax, which was exactly what Stevie was looking for. Something she could enjoy that had no real consequences.
Coop stared at his siblings for a few extra seconds before shaking his head, seemingly dismissing them, and faced Stevie and Shen.
“So why are you here?” he asked again.
“Stevie is looking for a way to work out her stress without using Blayne Thorpe as a cat toy.”
Coop gave a little smile. “That’s probably a good idea.”
“So I was thinking,” Shen went on, “soccer might be a good option for her.”
Coop nodded. “We have a lot of the smaller cats on the team. Some jackals and foxes. Not a lot of tigers but that’s because they like American football better. All that hitting and running bears down from behind.” He gestured to the people still playing. “These guys aren’t pro. Strictly for fun, exercise, and good times. We get to practice here in the afternoons before the pro players come in. Then we play the occasional weekend game every month or so with non-pro shifters from other boroughs, Philly and Jersey. It works out pretty well, even with my hell-on-earth schedule.” He dipped his head down a little so that he could look Stevie in the eyes. “You want to try it? We’re always looking for new players.”
Stevie wasn’t sure she wanted to do this, but she’d already failed at everything else. Might as well make it a clean sweep of failure.
“Okay.”
“Great.” Coop held his hand out so he could help her over the railing. “Let’s get you geared up.”
* * *
“Does it bother you that my very handsome brother is chatting up Stevie?”
Shen heard the question but didn’t realize anyone was talking to him until he raised his head from staring at his phone and saw that Oriana was smiling at him.
“Huh?”
“Do I actually need to repeat the question?”
“I’m just surprised you asked me a question. Didn’t you once call me ‘the help’?”
“I probably did.” She gestured toward the middle of the pitch, where Coop and Stevie continued to talk, “Everyone says how charming Cooper is. How friendly. Not like the rest of us at all.”
“I don’t know why you’re telling me this.”
“And they have a lot in common,” she went on, studying her brother and Stevie for a few seconds. “Music and all that.”
Shen looked over her head at her taller brother. “Why is she telling me this?”