LITMIR.BIZ

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you want to go way up?”

      At Tucker’s nod, Cash hoisted the boy onto his shoulders. Tucker clapped, then settled in by squealing and gripping Cash’s hair like a handlebar.

      He ignored the blood rushing to his scalp as Janie looked up to greet him. The tiny woman looked like a wind might blow her over, but she handled Jack—and the whole football team—with ease. Jack hadn’t figured out how amazing Janie was until college, but then he’d asked her out and never looked back.

      Cash smiled at the best thing that had ever happened to his best friend. “How’s my favorite girl?” He only said the phrase to annoy Jack, who promptly elbowed him in the gut.

      He grunted and laughed, and Janie shook her head, the sun dancing off her cute little bob of a haircut as she ignored them both.

      “Speaking of favorite girls, is Rachel coming over today, too?”

      Cash shook his head, forgetting Tucker’s grip and quickly regretting it. “Don’t think she’s planning on it.” Annoyance rose up. Rachel had been spending as little time as possible in his presence. He didn’t know if it was typical girl stuff or something more. Not that he knew what typical girl stuff was. He wished she’d go over to the Smiths’ with him today. Janie would be good for the girl.

      They said goodbyes and Cash deposited Tucker in his car seat, leaving the confusion of buckles for Jack to sort through. He headed for his dark blue extended cab truck a few spots away, got in and pressed the horn to make Tucker laugh.

      That boy had stolen his heart from the first time Cash saw him in the hospital. He knew he’d done the same to Jack. Watching his friend be a father was pretty touching, but Jack and Cash didn’t usually get into sappy conversations like that. The two of them didn’t need to say much to know what the other was thinking. For instance, right now, Jack was probably thinking about getting in a quick nap before the Rangers game. Too bad Cash couldn’t do the same.

      Cash drove up to the church entrance and texted his sister. Minutes later, Rachel came out and hopped into the truck. She messed around on her phone during the fifteen-minute drive home, leaving Cash to process his day and week.

      It was his turn to handle the barn today, but that shouldn’t take too long. A few chores and he could grab a sandwich and head over to Jack’s. But of the list of things that came to mind that he needed to accomplish during the rest of the week, only one thing really mattered. And that was keeping his concentration on his sister instead of the completely distracting volleyball coach who happened to be a Christian.

      * * *

      Olivia stood in the middle of the H-E-B grocery store parking lot on Saturday morning, her team spread around her. The girls had really jelled during the second week of preseason practice—a good thing, since school started on Monday and their first game was on Wednesday. But first, they had to deal with the all-important business of raising money for fall sports, starting with today’s car wash.

      “There’s one rule. No dumping water on the coach. If you think I’ve already made cuts, think again.”

      Laughter threaded through the team.

      “Come on, Coach! Mom said she’d get doused if we earn enough.” Valerie Nettles’s silver-braces smile widened when the rest of the team cheered in agreement with her.

      Olivia turned to her assistant coach. Trish Nettles hadn’t been able to take the two preseason practice weeks off from her job, so she planned to start working with the team once they began after-school practice. Bless the woman for being willing to work the Saturday morning fund-raiser, too.

      At first Olivia had been concerned about having a parent as assistant coach, but Trish had assured her she’d be there to help—not control. Including her daughter’s playing time. That had given Olivia peace. Truthfully, she was thankful for the help. Trish had a relationship with the girls from years past and twenty-five years’ playing experience. From the conversations they’d already had about the team—and life—Olivia thought they’d get along well.

      “It’s true.” Trish shrugged, her eyes dancing with mischief. “It’s tradition. But they do need to earn a lot of money.”

      Olivia’s lips curved up. “How much money?”

      “A thousand?” At Trish’s answer, the team screeched and complained, causing Trish and Olivia to share an amused look.

      “A thousand it is.”

      Dispersing in grumbles, the girls started filling buckets with water and soap. With the sun already baking them, Olivia made sure everyone had sunscreen on, then stationed herself with a hose for rinsing. She welcomed the mist that drifted across her sizzling skin as she sprayed each car down.

      Soon a line of cars snaked around the back of the parking lot. The town of Fredericksburg made supporting high school sports an art form.

      Janie and Tucker rolled through, then parked after their wash and walked over. Olivia handed her job off to one of the girls and headed over to meet them near the water bottles.

      “Hey, little man.” Olivia’s heart hiccuped when Tucker barreled into her legs. A hug or a tackle, she wasn’t sure. Either way, she’d take it. She scooped Tucker up and pushed aside all of the remorse that rushed in with his sweet baby smell.

      “Girl, it is hot out here. Are you dying?”

      “A little.” Olivia took a long swig of her water and wiped the back of her hand across her forehead. She must look a mess. “Where’s Jack?”

      Janie motioned to the line. “Right behind me. He drove his own car so he could get it washed too. Oh, there’s Cash in his truck.”

      Olivia shaded her eyes, waving at Cash along with Janie. She imagined her friend’s pulse didn’t race as if she’d just run lines in the gym.

       And you’re planning to spend time with that man? Not your best move, Liv.

      She hadn’t seen Cash since last Sunday at church, when she’d let her initial attraction grow into a moment of jealousy. Thankfully she’d had a week to collect herself since then. Olivia had come to the realization that she couldn’t avoid the man. She not only coached his sister but she also planned to tutor the girl. And Cash was friends with Jack and Janie. So Olivia had decided that she could hang out with Cash in those various settings, but she wouldn’t let her heart get involved. That barely beating organ had been trampled, so keeping it tucked away until it healed only made sense.

      Olivia would think of Cash as Rachel’s older brother or Jack and Janie’s friend and nothing more. How hard could that be?

      When Jack parked and joined them, Tucker squealed. Olivia deposited him on the ground, and he toddled over to his dad. Jack snapped him up, making him giggle.

      “I’ve noticed almost the whole football team seems to be in line.” Olivia nudged Jack. “School spirit?”

      He snorted. “More like girl spirit.”

      At the sound of screams, Olivia glanced over. One of the football players had jumped out of the passenger seat of a car and stolen a bucket of water. Girls and suds went everywhere as he doused the nearest members of her team. Two more football players emerged from their cars and Olivia groaned.

      “Jack.” Janie took Tucker and pushed her husband toward the chaos. “Stop them.”

      Before Jack could take a step, more car doors than Olivia could count opened and shut. One football player climbed out of a sunroof while the rest looked like ants swarming a lemonade spill.

      Olivia ran for the hose, securing that. Jack tried yelling for them to stop, but only got himself doused with a bucketful of suds by his players. White bubbles clung to his eyebrows and nose, his look deadly.

      “That’s it.” Jack growled and sprinted for the hose located across the car from Olivia. He opened fire and the boys ran for cover, trying to find protection from the water

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