LITMIR.BIZ

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      “It should hurt.” Emily pointed at the offender from the opposite team. “She jabbed her with an elbow. Deliberately. I saw it. Then she laughed when Madison fell down.”

      Brendan glanced up at the referee, raised one eyebrow.

      “I didn’t see it. Can’t call what I didn’t see.”

      “Come on, sweetie. Sit up and take deep breaths. You’re okay. You just got the wind knocked out of you.” After a moment Chloe gently eased her daughter to her feet, eyes alert for any sign of difficulty. “Is that better?”

      “Yes.” Madison was standing now. “Is the game over?”

      “Five seconds left,” Buddy told them.

      “Then let’s finish it,” Madison said to the other players. She turned to take her place on the field but Brendan laid a hand on her arm to stop her.

      “The others can finish wiping them up, Madison. You’ve done your part. You sit down and rest.”

      “Yes, sir.” She high-fived the rest of the group then moved to the sidelines. Chloe turned toward the bleachers.

      “Aren’t you going to stay with her?” Brendan asked.

      She gave him a look that would have curdled milk.

      “Have her mother sit beside her, in front of everyone, embarrassing her? Are you kidding, Mr. Montgomery?” And with a toss of that lustrous hair she was gone, jogging across the field, her trim figure perfectly displayed in shabby blue jeans and a pale blue boiled wool jacket.

      “You sick, Bren?” Buddy nudged him with his elbow.

      “No. Why?”

      “You sure got a funny look on your face.”

      Brendan returned to his place on the sidelines, sent out another player and waited for the whistle to blow. They’d won the game. He couldn’t suppress a grin as his team cheered and congratulated each other, then lined up to shake hands with the opposing team. But he kept his eye on Madison, especially when her attacker came toward her.

      He needn’t have worried. Madison thrust out her hand as she looked the other girl straight in the eye. “I forgive you,” she said clearly.

      Brendan could have cheered. Of all the lessons he’d hoped to impart to this team, this was by far the most important. Last in line, the coach of the opposing team grabbed his hand and congratulated him.

      “Just want you to know that I’ll be doing some discipline,” he told them. “We play hard but we don’t play dirty.”

      “Thanks.” Brendan watched them leave, saw his own team laughing and giggling as they and Buddy gathered up their equipment. Across the field Chloe waited beside a tall, lanky boy who stood about an inch taller than her.

      “Come on, Madison, let’s go see your mom. I’ll bet you’re beginning to feel a little sore, aren’t you?”

      “A little,” she admitted, wincing as she moved one shoulder, her blond ponytail slapping against her cheek as she wiggled into her jacket.

      “You were a good sport in your behavior toward them. That took a lot of courage.”

      “Thanks.” She grinned at him then hugged her mother. “We won!”

      “You sure did, honey. Congratulations.” Chloe glanced up at Brendan, her face giving nothing away. “You’re a good coach.”

      “You have a daughter who excels at soccer. Besides, I came into this late. Coach Jeffers is the one who deserves the credit.” He glanced at the lean boy who hadn’t yet offered his congratulations. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Brendan Montgomery.” He thrust out a hand.

      “Kyle Tanner.”

      “Ah, Madison’s brother, I presume.” He squinted. “Not a soccer fan?”

      “I don’t mind watching Madison, but it’s not my game.” Kyle looked him up and down. “I suppose you were a jock when you were in school?”

      Brendan caught the look of irritation that fluttered across Chloe’s face but he simply laughed at the boy’s sour comment.

      “Hardly a jock. But I played soccer a lot. It kept me off the baseball and football teams.”

      “You didn’t like those sports?” Kyle seemed puzzled.

      “I didn’t like having to live up to my big brother’s image.” Brendan made a face as he ticked the praises off on one hand. “Best quarterback, best pitcher, best hockey forward, best everything.”

      “You won a soccer trophy, though,” Madison put in, grinning at him. “Coach Jeffers told us about it.”

      “Yeah, my one claim to fame.” Brendan glanced at the backpack Kyle carried. “What are your preferences?”

      “I like reading and I have a pet snake named Ziggy.”

      Snake? “Oh.” Brendan looked at the ground hoping the kid couldn’t see his shudder of revulsion.

      “Sometimes he writes poems,” Madison blurted out. “They’re way cool.”

      “I bet they are. I have a favorite book of poems at home that my dad gave me last Christmas. They say things better than I can.” Brendan found Chloe eyeing him with a stern glare, as if she thought he was lying. “Well, I guess I’d better get going. And you get a shower, young lady. A hot one. Might help ease the pain.” He watched as Kyle, looking bored, wandered ahead.

      “Yeah. Hot sounds good.” Madison moved her shoulder and winced. Suddenly her face brightened. “Hey, Mom, can Coach Montgomery have dinner with us tonight?”

      “I have to work tonight, Maddy. Anyway, it’s just a casserole. I’m sure Mr. Montgomery isn’t all that fond of turkey noodle melt.”

      “Are you kidding? I love turkey any way I can get it.” Brendan licked his lips. “I’m not very good at cooking turkey though my mother tried her best to teach me the basics.”

      “Oh.” Chloe blinked. “Okay. Well, we’d better get going before it burns.”

      The beautiful Mrs. Tanner was an expert at hiding her emotions, which made Brendan wonder about Mr. Tanner. At the moment her face was impassive, which made him question whether Chloe was mad he’d invited himself, or resigned to hosting Madison’s last-minute guests. One thing she wasn’t was overly thrilled. Well, why would she be?

      “I’ll follow you there, shall I? Hey, Kyle!” He waited until the boy meandered back. “Want to ride with me?”

      “Sure. Whatever.” Kyle shrugged.

      Arrangements made, Brendan walked back across the field with the quiet young man at his side trying to think of something to say. Usually he was good with kids, but there was something angry hiding just under the surface with this one and he didn’t want to set him off, even though he wanted to help him.

      “This is yours?” Kyle gaped as he took in the black SUV. “I’ve never ridden in one like it before.” He began listing the vehicle specs. “It must handle pretty well. What made you choose it?”

      “My mom.” Brendan chuckled at the kid’s open-mouthed stare. “She knows everything there is to know about automobiles. I just took her advice.”

      “She must give better advice than mine, then,” Kyle muttered as he climbed inside and fastened his seat belt. “All she ever says is ‘someday’.”

      “I’m sure your mother does the very best she can for you, Kyle. I don’t imagine it’s easy for her to do her job, take care of you and fit all the other things she has to into her life. Sometimes we forget that moms are people, too.” He didn’t want to alienate the kid, but he wasn’t going to sit there and let him disrespect his beautiful mother.

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