Flying in Shadows (The Black Creek Series, Book 2) (4 page)

He pulled her toward him, effortlessly lifting her off her feet and into a bear hug.

A rush of electricity flowed through her.

"Of course I did. Haven't missed a promotion yet, have I?" he said.

"I... thought college boys went to Florida for spring break."

He slid her down and stepped back. "They do. But this one is watching his best friend
become a bitching black belt. As if you ever needed a belt to make you scary. And
Regionals are this weekend. I'll hit the game and see Candi cheer her last time."

While digging one hand into the pocket of her jeans, she bit the already short nails
on the other. "I may puke."

Andy sighed. "Are you going start on that already?"

"No, of course not." Grow up, Rose, she chided herself. It's none of your business
who he dates.

He had on his time-honored faded blue jeans and scuffed boots with a long sleeved,
classy brown collared shirt. So Andy. Expensive sunglasses rested backward on his
head. She wondered if her heart would ever beat normally when they were together.

She wore sneakers and a sweatshirt.

"I'm just glad you're here," she said to him. "I feel better already. Come around
and say hello to mom. She'll want to see you, too."

As they sauntered toward the back, Andy took her hand and tucked it through his arm.
He set his on top. It felt rough and warm.

She glanced behind them. "New car?" she asked.

A smile as big as Texas spread across his face. "New for me," he all but hummed. "Like
it?"

"Sure." She shrugged. "Your cars all sound the same. I thought college students were
also starving."

"It's used and that's not cheap, either." He nodded over toward her F-150. "You're
not even in college yet. Why don't you come with me to the game?" His eyes narrowed
and he dipped his face closer to her. "Have you been to a single one since I left?"

"I don't have to go. I'm not sleeping with any of the cheerleaders."

Andy stopped walking and blinked rapidly.

"Fast forward past the girl-on-girl fantasy, pal." She smacked his shoulder with the
back of her hand. "And why would I go when you're not playing? I don't even like basketball."

Andy shook his head, then rolled his eyes dramatically before answering. "You're a
senior. It's Regionals."

"She doesn't want me there." Slowly, she lifted her eyes to him.

"She doesn't care," he said. It sounded sort of like a question. "Come on. Be a team
player."

She took a deep breath through her nose and blew it out, letting her cheeks expand.
"What day? What time?"

"You're a senior," he repeated as he shook his head again. "You should to know this."

"Andy," she pointed out playfully, "I thought you would have figured out by now not
to tell me what I'm supposed to know."

She grinned at the thought of the first time he told her what she was
supposed
to know. At five years old, she had been stacking his toy Duplos in a single stick.
He thought it was wrong, of course, and tried to show her what she was supposed to
do with them. Her grin turned into a full smile as she remembered closed-fisting him
in the nose, and the bloody mess that followed.

* * *

Amanda watched as Rose waited in the front room for the sound of Andy's Mustang. "Is
that what you're wearing?" she tried to ask gently.

Rose was biting her nails, then looked at her wristwatch for the third time. "I refuse
to wear that phony girly crap."

She tapped the top of her daughter's head. It was wrapped in a bandana.

Sighing, Rose yanked it off and pulled out the rubber band. Gathering the mass of
dark strawberry blond around the side of her neck, she started braiding. Rose glared
at Amanda like only her Rose could do. "Not a word."

Amanda made the motion of zipping her lips and walked back into their conservative
kitchen. She heard the rumble of the car, the car door and then the bell.

She could hear murmurs, some laughter. Then, they came in to say good-bye. Amanda
turned, trying not to look anxious, and spotted the small bouquet of flowers. White
daisies. "Oh, Andy." She dipped her head. "You're a smooth one."

"Only the best for my favorite detective's wife. I'll have Rose home on time."

Amanda touched his arm before reaching for the cabinet that held the vases.

When she heard the door shut, she paused before clipping the stems of the flowers.
Letting out a contented sigh for her daughter, she decided to choose a cigarette from
her purse instead of the valium she'd been thinking about all afternoon.

* * *

As they drove with the top down and Zeppelin jamming from the speakers, Rose sensed
Andy's gaze turn momentarily.

"This is new," he said as he flicked her braid.

Even though it was a platonic gesture, she was acutely aware where his hand had brushed
her shoulder. Sighing, she warned him. "If you laugh—"

"Yeah, yeah. You'll kick my ass. When the hell did it get so long?"

"It's always been this long. I just don't wear it down. Is it too long?" She couldn't
believe she'd just asked that.

Teeth gleaming, he smiled at her. "No, no. Just saying."

By the time they reached the parking lot, she'd forgotten about any leftover tension.
Andy told her of the apartment he was getting for his sophomore year. She spoke of
her work at the zoo and about the landscaping business their parents co-owned. They
slipped into their easy way, and it felt right as rain.

She convinced herself high school politics were just that, high school politics. She
would much rather spend time with Andy, fishing in the lake that overflowed into Black
Creek, but if he could endure her dozens of martial arts promotions, she would do
this for him.

She thought about how this must be awkward for him, too. The college kid coming to
see his high school cheerleader girlfriend. Then, she thought of how Candi would feel
about it. Ugh. Hot, college boy coming to watch her shake her boobs. Great, she thought
sarcastically, as she recognized that she'd just thought of her best friend as hot.
He was, though. Not that she was supposed to know. He had the strength of a linebacker,
but he was fast and could handle a basketball. That's what everyone said.

The bleachers were just as she remembered—spectators crammed shoulder to shoulder
with the aroma of popcorn wafting around them. She vowed not to use the bathroom since
getting to her seat was a conspicuous venture that involved walking horizontally along
the middle of the aluminum bleachers in order to reach any of the staggered access
stairs. She had to admit the energy and unity stirred by the cheering crowd could
be considered somewhat contagious. Maybe.

She forced herself to be pleasant and gestured to Andy's folks. It wasn't uncommon
for them to come to the high school games. After so many years of working at the elementary
school, many of the players once had Andy's aunt as their first-grade teacher. They
exchanged polite nods of greeting before they sat to watch.

She had to lean into Andy and yell if she wanted him to hear her over the crowd. He
smelled like a mixture of new car and guy soap. When her head cleared, she asked,
"How come you never went out for college ball?"

"Too short. Quick only goes so far." He shrugged and picked a piece of popcorn from
her hair. "Are you sure about NYU?"

"It has a good school of biology and it's in-state. So, that'll help with tuition.
I've been really lucky with academic scholarships, but they don't all carry over all
four years. I've got it mapped out but I'm trying to have options in case I hit a
road block. If I work as a graduate assistant and do some research, I should be able
to afford it. And... I'm rambling."

"I like it when you ramble. I should do the boyfriend thing, though. Can I get you
something?"

She shook her head.

The game was nearing tip-off. Andy made his way down the side stairs to the edge of
the gym floor. He hadn't anticipated feeling so out of place.

Nothing had changed, really. His old teammates were there, of course, and his coach.
It was good to see them. But high school seemed long ago and, well, forgotten. Forgotten,
at least, until he came within ear shot of Candi.

She was arguing with the girl who cheered next to her.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and walked in front of the bleachers.

"Look, Candi dear." Andy was sure the blonde was speaking up to make sure he heard.
"He brought his
other
girlfriend."

Crushing the handles of her poms, Candi flipped her hair before turning to glare at
her. She stood confidently with her long legs and thick brown hair tied with a large
bow on the top of her head. He could tell she leashed her anger and hoped it wasn't
only for his sake.

"Just kidding, dear," her friend chided. "Can you believe that girl? Her and her Chuck
Taylors? And oh lookie, she gave up the doo-rag for a Little House on the Prairie
braid. I can almost tell she's a girl."

Not-so-subtly, Candi dipped her head, adjusted her cleavage and then turned to him,
acting like he couldn't have possibly heard.

She ran toward him like she hadn't just seen him earlier that afternoon. Didn't even
bother to pull him aside before grabbing the collar of his shirt and pressing her
mouth to his, along with the rest of her curves. Her tongue nearly reached his throat
before he could take her by the shoulders and nudge her away.

"What the fuck?" she said. Candi looked around. "Everyone's watching us."

"Exactly," he answered, more than a little pissed off. Trying not to make any more
of a scene, he patted her on the shoulder as he noticed her gaze slither up in Rose's
direction. He couldn't help but follow her glare and watched as a tall blond dude
slithered into the seat next to Rose. His seat. Andy stood and stared at them, feeling
a sharp pang of something he decided must be overprotectiveness.

First, Rose had her typical look of, "Excuse me?" Then, it changed to recognition.

The whistle blew. He heard Candi's voice. He knew she would have to get back to the
squad, but he couldn't peel his eyes away from Rose long enough to find out what she
was saying.

With the game starting, he walked out of the way of the spectators and toward concessions
just as Rose turned to face the blond straight on. Could she not see what the guy
was up to? How could she fall for the frigging handshake? Andy needed to help her,
warn her. Shaking his head, he looked at the floor as he walked. Lightly stained wooden
slats, he said to himself. Pay attention to the wooden slats on the floor.

She had been talking, he thought as he ordered a popcorn and two bottles of water.
She hardly ever talked to anyone. She had been smiling and talking.

So, what's the big deal? She'll be eighteen soon. She can't talk to a guy? When he
came back out to the gym, the dude was still there. Not for long, though. Andy stopped
on the stairs just as both of them turned to him. Andy sighed heavily as the feelings
he assumed were overprotective anger turned to guilt. Blond boy got up and side-stepped
over the row of knees to the opposite side of bleachers.

Andy returned and sat without speaking. He handed Rose one of the bottles of water.

"Problem?" she asked.

"Huh? Nope." Folding his hands, he rested them on top of his head.

"Candi looks mad. I'm sorry if you're fighting."

He felt her lean on him. She smelled like peaches.

"Beginning of the first quarter. We're winning," she yelled in his ear. Damn it, that
was funny. Sure it was loud, but he wasn't deaf. He couldn't help but smile.

"You're trying to distract me." He lifted an eyebrow as he looked down at her. "It's
working." Taking a deep breath, he confessed, "I'm gonna have to give her a ride home."
He tried his best pleading look.

"Not." Rose lifted her hands in self-defense, palms facing outward. "I'll catch a
ride with your folks."

"You sure?"

"Of course." She patted his thigh three times, then tucked her hands deep underneath
her arms.

The game was a good one. Close. He gave her a play-by-play. They cheered at the great
shots from their team and the air balls from the opposing team. They spoke of summer
plans and fell right back into their groove of give and take. He was glad he brought
her. Rose made everything easier.

Offering her one last shot at a ride home, Rose shook her head. "Two words. No and
way. See you tomorrow." She rose to her toes, kissed him on the cheek and walked away
with those quick, efficient steps she used when trying to look independent. Cute.

There were no signs separating student parking from adults, but there were rules.
Everyone knew the rules. Rose headed toward the lot meant for the adults to hook up
with his folks, and he waited at the exit on the student side, dangling his keys in
his hand.

He felt better and came to grips with his overreaction. That's all it was. Rose would
surely start dating in college. She's smart, and she's a black belt now.