Bliss by Kaylee Ryan Page 0,36
of you.”
Reese chuckles. “Cooper is a running back for the Indianapolis Defenders,” she explains.
“Oh.” Carla’s eyes widen. “How did you find out about today?” she asks.
“My—” I start, and Reese interrupts me. I smirk.
“Cooper and I grew up together.”
“Well, thank you for being here. The boys are going to be thrilled,” Carla tells me.
“I was thinking we should bring them in now, let the shock and thrill of Coop being here wear off. We still have two hours before the event starts.”
“That’s a great idea. I’ll go round them up.”
“Thanks, Carla,” Reese says and turns to me. “Let’s get this all sorted before they get in here. They’re going to want all of your attention.”
“Jealous?” I tease.
She laughs. I love the sound of it. “No.”
“Ouch,” I say, placing a hand to my chest, pretending to be wounded.
“Not of these kids. They deserve to feel like they are the center of attention today. That’s the point of today, after all.” She starts pulling items from the box. “Cooper, these are amazing. The boys are going to love them.”
“There are some pink too. I wasn’t sure how many boys and girls until this morning. I went ahead and signed them.”
“They’re perfect. Thank you.” She reaches for the jersey that’s in its own bag. “What’s this?”
“Oh, that? Open it.” I’m not sure how she’s going to take this, but here goes nothing. I probably should have it at her place instead of bringing it here, but there is no going back now.
I watch as she pulls the jersey out and holds it up. “Turn it around,” I tell her.” She does, and I hear a small gasp. “You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to, but I wanted you to have it.”
“Reeves’s Girl,” she reads from the back of the jersey.
“Has a nice ring to it, right?” I ask her.
“Cooper.” She lowers the jersey and gives me a look that I can’t quite explain.
“It’s you! It’s really you!” a young boy says, racing into the room.
I lean into Reese and whisper in her ear, “I love you.” That’s the best I’ve got for her. She needs to see it, and she needs to hear it.
“It’s really me,” I say, pulling back from her. “What’s your name?”
One by one, the boys take turns, shaking my hand and telling me their names. Reese stands next to me and passes out all the goodies to each of them. The smiles on their faces, and hers, is a smile I will never forget.
I’ve never really thought of myself as much of a celebrity before, but today, seeing the looks on their faces, and their eyes light up, I vow to use this new-found fame for good. Sure, I was popular in college, but this… it’s an all-new level. I could actually make a difference, and with Reese at my side, together, we could make a huge impact. It’s something I need to think about, but definitely an avenue I want to pursue.
Five hours later, the mini carnival has been cleaned up, and the boys are still bouncing with energy. “Do they ever slow down?” I ask Carla.
“Nope. Many of them have never experienced anything like today, so their high is going to last for a while. And you—” Carla pauses to glance over at me. “You made their year by being here and being so good to them. Thank you for that.”
“Thank Reese. I wouldn’t be here without her.”
She nods. “She’s a huge asset to us.”
“I’m glad that’s not going unnoticed.”
“Cooper!” one of the boys calls out. “Come toss with us.”
“Duty calls,” I say, standing to stretch my legs and join the boys where they’re gathered just a few feet away. “All right, how about some drills. I’m going to toss each of you the ball, and you toss it back then go to the back of the line. That will get us all warmed up,” I say, holding up my hands for the ball. Joey, one of the smaller boys, rears his arm back with all his might and tosses it to me. It doesn’t even make it halfway. I hold in my laugh and move forward to retrieve the ball.
I spend the next twenty minutes or so letting them toss me the ball. “All right. We’re going to mix it up a little. I’m going to yell go, and you take off running, but keep your eyes on me. I’m going to toss you the ball, and you’re going to try and