heal. I just had to find something to do in the meantime.
Bored was not good for me. I tended to get into trouble when I was bored.
Jack’s wife, Naomi, walked onto the field with her son, Elijah. Naomi was Grace’s mom, which made her my brother’s mother-in-law. I wasn’t sure if that meant we were related now, but it was close enough. I’d grown up next door to her, so she was family either way.
I waved to her and Elijah. He was getting tall—hitting that first pubescent growth spurt. They waved back. Jack called for a water break, then walked over to kiss his wife and give Elijah a big hug.
They were such a cool family.
I moved over to a bench and eased myself down. Logan came over with a water bottle and sat next to me. His flannel shirt and lime green swim trunks were splattered with mud, as were his white tube socks and shoes.
“Hey, brofa.”
“Brofa?”
“Bro on a sofa.” He took a swig of water. “I know it’s a bench, but close enough. Are you pouting already?”
Logan had been out at the wildfire all week. Even once it had started raining, the crews had stayed to do spot checks and cleanup. I hadn’t seen him since the day of the accident.
“I’m not pouting.”
“Could have fooled me. Come on, it’s a broken leg. You’re lucky it wasn’t worse.”
“Lucky would have been not getting hit by a car.”
“Fair point. Guess you used up all your luck out at the burn.”
He was probably right. Maybe I’d given some of my luck to Robby. That was a worthy sacrifice.
“What am I going to do for another five weeks? I can’t just sit around.”
“I thought it was seven more weeks in the cast.”
“Whatever. I’m a quick healer.”
“What’d you do the last time you broke something?”
“Last time they put me in one of those boots so I didn’t have crutches. I was on light duty at work so at least I had something to do.”
“See? Pouting.”
Fine, maybe I was pouting.
“Was that really Chief’s daughter who hit you?” he asked.
A vision ran through my mind. Me, lying on the pavement, looking up at a face. The most beautiful face I’d ever seen. For a second, I’d honestly wondered if I was dead. Light had framed her dark hair like a halo, and when she’d touched me, the pain had disappeared.
“Yeah, it was her.”
“You realize you’re going to have to give him shit about that, right?”
My mouth twitched in a grin. “Oh yeah.”
“Good. I was starting to think you were getting depressed or something.”
“I’m not depressed, I’m bored and my leg itches.” I paused for a moment. “She grew up hot.”
“Who?”
“Chief’s daughter.”
Because fuck, she really had. Unless I’d hit my head and that ethereal memory of her was a pain-induced fabrication. Long dark hair. Big brown eyes. Probably looked bananas in a bikini.
Or naked, but that was taking things a little too far, considering who she was.
He elbowed me. “Dude. Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t start that shit. Not with her.”
“I’m not starting anything.”
“You just said she grew up hot.”
“It’s just an observation. You saw her. She did grow up hot.”
“Yeah, I did, and you’re right, but you know you can’t chase her.”
“Who said I was going to chase her?”
He shook his head. “I know you love danger in all its forms, but use your brain. This one isn’t worth the risk.”
He was right. Even though she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever laid eyes on, Skylar Stanley was completely forbidden—to me and my brothers at least.
Not that Asher and Evan counted anymore. Asher was married, and he and Grace were pregnant with their first baby. Evan had gotten engaged to his girlfriend Fiona a couple of months ago. Baileys were dropping like flies, and I had no intention of being the next one.
And Chief’s daughter? I wasn’t stupid. Even I knew how big of a mistake it would be to go after Skylar Stanley.
Which, okay, made it really tempting.
But I wasn’t going succumb to that. There were plenty of girls in the world. I wouldn’t risk my career, or my relationship with Chief, over one of them.
“I know. Even I’m not that crazy.”
Jack called for the team to huddle up.
Logan got up and cast me a sidelong glance. “We’ll see.”
Before I could argue with him, he ran onto the field.
They executed a few more plays. Asher looked good out there. The team hadn’t been the same without him when he’d been in prison—which had been such bullshit