False Start - Jessica Ruddick Page 0,21

here?” I squeezed my brother tightly, still not used to his muscular physique. The navy had made him buff. Roman had always been a bit of a slacker, so it had surprised me when he’d enlisted in the navy. He’d proven me and everyone else who’d doubted him wrong when he’d excelled. My dad had done four years before becoming a cop, but Roman was planning to be a career soldier.

“Surprise,” he said wryly. “I came to watch Carson’s first game of the season.”

“That’s awesome! Does he know?”

“Maybe. I asked him to send me tickets a while ago, but I never confirmed if I was coming. So it might be a surprise.”

I pulled him into my apartment. “I’m so freaking excited you’re here.” Roman and I might not have been actual twins, but sometimes it felt like we were. Our connection ran as deep as if we’d shared a womb. Military life suited him, but I hated that it took him away for such long stretches.

“Lucy, do you remember Roman?” I realized my mistake half a second too late. Of course she remembered him. I was pretty sure they’d hooked up on one of his previous visits. Or if they hadn’t, they’d come close. I didn’t even want to know.

She smiled at him. “Hi, Roman. Becca didn’t tell me you were coming.”

“Hey, Lucy.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “It was a surprise.”

Lucy ran her tongue across her top lip and looked him up and down. “What a nice surprise it is.”

I averted my eyes. I’d long ago accepted the fact that my brother was a player, but that didn’t mean I wanted to witness it, especially with my roommate. Luckily, though, Lucy was drama queen and not in the figurative meaning of the term. She was capable of having a one-night stand and leaving it at that, even if it did look like she wouldn’t mind a second taste.

“You must have hit the road early,” I said. Norfolk was at least a five-hour drive, and it was just after ten.

“Yeah. Speaking of that, can you make me some coffee?” he asked. “I had duty last night, so I’m running on no sleep.”

“Aww, Roman, you shouldn’t drive when you’re tired.”

“I’ll be fine after I get some caffeine. I don’t know if I’ll be able to make another game, so I didn’t want to miss this chance.”

I led him into the kitchen. “I’m glad you’re here. Carson is going to be excited too.” Roman’s ship had been out for the last two football seasons, so he hadn’t been to a game since freshman year. “Do you want something to eat?”

“That would be great.”

Thirty minutes later, we were on our way to campus for some tailgating before the game. Evan’s parents and grandparents were alumni and had a parking space right next to the stadium, so we usually hung out there. Some people may have thought it was lame to tailgate with parents and grandparents, but I didn’t think of it like that. On game days, we were all just VVU fans. Besides that, the spread they put out was ridiculous. One year, they had an actual pig with an apple in its mouth. No joke. Evan’s family took tailgating to a whole new level.

Though Roman had almost nothing in common with our crowd, he managed to integrate himself just fine. He and Carson had that in common—they could both maneuver through any social situation with ease. It didn’t take long for Roman to have charmed Evan’s grandmother into laughing at all his jokes.

Evan nudged me. “Should I be concerned that your brother is hitting on my sixty-five-year-old grandmother?”

“I mean, maybe. I don’t know. How’s her relationship with your grandfather?”

His eyes widened for a split second before he rolled his eyes and laughed. Evan was fun to tease because he was so gullible.

“Seriously, I think she likes your brother better than she likes me. She never laughs at my jokes like that.”

I nudged him with my elbow. “Maybe because you aren’t funny.”

His face fell. “I’m plenty funny.”

“Okay. Tell me a joke.”

“Um…”

“Quick. Don’t overthink it. Quick!” I snapped my fingers.

“Why don’t they play poker in the jungle?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. Why?”

“Too many cheetahs.” He grinned. “Get it?”

I burst out laughing. “Yeah, I get it.”

His smile turned smug. “See? You’re laughing. I’m funny.”

“That was seriously one of the cheesiest jokes I’ve ever heard. It was a total dad joke.” He blanched, which made me laugh harder. “You got it from