Kickin' It (Red Card) - Rachel Van Dyken Page 0,62

cost?”

“Her last pair cost more than my first car in high school,” Parker said helpfully, causing Jagger to choke.

“Baby, I came from Russia. Grandma taught me to save, you know she survived the Cold War and all,” Jagger said.

“Cold War?” Parker mouthed while I hit him in the back of the head.

“Hurt her, and I hurt you,” I threatened.

“Then who takes care of Parker if she gets hurt?” Jagger fired back then held out his fist for her to bump. “Tell you what, I’m adopting you, and now if he tries to break your heart, I’ll break his leg, cool?”

Her eyes widened. I could see her swallow her emotions like she wasn’t used to people being on her side, and it killed me all over again that a woman like her had ever felt alone in this world when I was there all along, waiting to stand by her side.

“Cool.” She bumped his fist without even hesitating. “What?” She shrugged at me. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“So this is a fun morning.” I smiled over my cup of coffee, suddenly warm in my chest like my heart was happy, which was ridiculous. I’d always been happy.

Or at least I thought I was. Maybe I had been missing something.

Joy.

Parker grabbed a banana and tossed it to me. “Remind you of something?”

Jagger caught it midair and dropped it immediately.

Parker winked. “I was just trying to lighten the mood. Who wants to go for a run?”

Jagger bit into his apple again. “I’m in, just gotta grab some shoes. Matt, you’re a twelve, right?”

“Unbelievable,” I grumbled. The guy used my stuff like it was his, asshole.

“You have seventeen pairs of running shoes, you’ll survive.” Jagger slapped me on the back. “Oh and bro, do you have a toothbrush?”

I glared. He was like Willow but male. Awesome, this should be great come Christmas, how had I never put two and two together? They were both annoying on purpose and too smart and talented, meaning they got away with everything. And I let them because I loved them both. Huh, maybe they did make sense after all.

“Kidding, I brought my own because I knew it was going to be a slumber party.”

“Pain in my ass.” I leaned against the counter, and just like it was normal, Parker walked over to me and I gathered her in my arms and kissed her cheek. “Run?”

“Yeah, I feel sore.”

Willow snorted.

“In my legs, you dirty whore!” Parker responded without even looking at my sister, then lowered her voice. “And other places.”

I choked on my next sip of coffee as she leaned up on tiptoes and licked the outside of my ear, sending all my blood south, and then whispered, “Tonight I think you should tie me up—with the whistle cord.”

“Fuck.” I locked eyes with her. “You’re going to be a handful, aren’t you? Am I going to need aspirin every night?”

“Weekly massages will help.” She patted my back.

I rolled my eyes. “Dick massages, you mean?”

“Very funny.” She slapped my ass. “Go get dressed, I want you to stretch me later.”

“Funny, I thought I was the coach.”

“And agent.” She winked. “Don’t forget.”

She practically skipped out of the room, leaving me and Willow alone.

“So . . .” Willow licked her lips like she wasn’t sure if she should bring something up.

“Spit it out, Willow.”

“While I’m super excited you guys are together”—she cleared her throat and shifted on her feet a bit—“you do have a clause in your contract about dating clients . . .” She shrugged. “I can look past it, but . . .”

“Shit.” I ran my free hand through my hair, frustrated that I hadn’t thought of it and irritated that it was even an issue. I’d been so worried about how dating her would look to others that I hadn’t even considered the legal ramifications. “I’ll figure something out, maybe I can give her to another one of the—”

Willow shook her head. “But she trusts you. Look, it’s not a big deal now, but once she inks a deal, which we know she will, she’s going to need to separate business and personal. Wow, I just sounded so ridiculously old, like you, that I may need to buy a pair of spectacles, but the cute ones you get at Barney’s that just make you look smarter.”

My smile was strained as all the possibilities weighed my shoulders down. “You are smart.”

“I know that,” she said without sarcasm. “But thank you anyway. Just focus on your run and