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“No, silly. I’m in sixth grade. That’s junior high here.” She chewed her lips some more and shot a sideways glance at a group of giggling girls passing by.

“How’s that going?”

“Terrible. Thanks for asking,” she replied glibly.

“If it makes you feel any better, you’re not the only one who feels that way about junior high. The thing is…you can’t let the assholes get you down.”

Gretchen chuckled and was probably about to reprimand me for swearing, but I was saved as the stands exploded when the Hornets scored on a pick-six.

Wood Hollow, 14, Fallbrook 0.

I stood with the crowd and high-fived Reg and his friends. By the time the excitement had dwindled, Gretchen was engrossed in her book again. Ten minutes later, she was on her feet, waving like one of those blowup figures advertising tire stores.

“Dad, I see Aunt Layla. I think it’s time to go.”

“Yep. I love you, kiddo.” Reg leaned across me to kiss Gretchen’s forehead.

“I love you, too. I’ll text you tomorrow. And the next day, and the day after that.” She gathered her belongings and yelled out good-byes to everyone in the row. “Bye, Uncle Coop, Bye, Uncle Silas, Bye, Dex, Bye, Viggo.”

“Later, Gretchen.” I offered her my hand to shake, thinking she’d appreciate that more than a bro fist bump or a high five.

She slipped her small hand in mine and smiled shyly. “Bye, Waylon.”

“Is she going home with your sister?”

Reg watched Gretchen navigate the stairs. “No, but Layla most likely received a call from Jess asking her to grab Gretchen. Ten minutes from now, Jess will text me to let me know that Gretchen is with her.”

“Sounds like a supersecret spy mission. Why not just text you?”

Reg shrugged. “Because that would be too simple. Jess avoids me in public.”

“I thought you were on good terms?”

“We are, but tonight, Jess is here with her new boyfriend. Gossip isn’t a crime. I can’t arrest anyone for wondering if I’m jealous that my ex is dating a former teammate of mine.”

I slid my gaze his way. “Chad’s a former teammate?”

Reg barked a laugh. “You know about Chad?”

“Only his name, thanks to Gretchen.”

“Ah. Well, I think Jess wanted Layla to meet him ’cause my dear sister can’t keep anything to herself. By tomorrow, everyone will be discussing the new couple.”

“Oh.”

“Oh,” he repeated. “And get this…he made money in tech in the Big Apple, bought a business in Pinecrest, and built a gorgeous house there…on the lake. Rumor has it, he still has all his hair, too.”

“Yeah, but how big is his dick?” I asked in my most serious voice.

Reg threw his head back and laughed. “No idea. Thank God.”

“Are you jealous?”

“Not even a little bit. See, what they don’t know is that you’re coming over tonight. At least I hope so, ’cause I’ve been thinking about fucking you all damn day.”

And now we were staring at each other.

If we hadn’t been in the center row in the middle of the bleachers at a high school game in a small town where no one was supposed to know about us, I’d have stuck my tongue down his throat right then and there.