Chapter 13 #2
Callum leans over, peeking in her basket. “I count over three.”
“I’m seven. I know how to count to three.”
Callum chuckles and places a handful of eggs in her basket. “Looks like you have more.”
She smiles. “Thanks, Mr. Callum.”
“You’re welcome, Bianca.”
She runs off with her basket in hand towards the group.
I look up and see Knox at the center of it all, like a grown child.
It’s amazing to me how naturally they fit in and how fantastic they are with the children.
I’d seen it before with Callum when we were ice-skating.
All the kids bustling around like wild animals being let out of their cages, and he never got irritated or impatient.
Always laughing and understanding. He’d even caught a girl who was skating beside us and stopped her from falling.
Watching them all, I can’t help but wonder how they feel about kids. Do they want them? Looking at them here today, they seem to like kids and would be fantastic parents. But again, that begs the question. How? I’d have to get some books on poly relationships with children.
When the egg count ends, the counselors and teachers shuffle the kids up the field, where they have other activities planned for them. Now the adult fun starts, and first up is the egg toss.
I find Beckett talking to a guy by the fire truck and whistle to get his attention.
He sees what’s going on and pats the guy on the arm, then runs over to meet me.
My gaze lingers on the guy by the fire truck, and I can’t help but wonder if there is something between them.
He hasn’t mentioned anything, but there’s a prickle on my skin and a feeling in my gut.
A small crowd has formed and there ends up being twenty groups. They decide to run it in two sets of ten. Beckett and I are in the first round, while my guys are in the second. The best two teams from each round will then go into the final.
I look at Beckett, pointing my fingers between my eyes and his. “You got this?”
“Totally.” He squats like an outfielder and claps his hands.
“Don’t drop the egg,” Jax chides softly.
“Already scared of us?” Beckett snaps back playfully.
“Hardly.” Jax rolls his eyes with a glimmer of humor.
“We’ll see,” Beckett says, walking to the other side of the field.
I give Jax a ‘ha-ha-ha’ glance and take my spot.
My mother takes to the microphone. “You’re starting five feet apart and will move back in five-foot increments until two groups remain. If your egg falls but does not break, you get one more chance. If it falls and breaks, you’re out. You’ll wait for our mark each time before you throw.”
I clap my hands together a few times. “Let’s go!”
When I glance to the side, Jax winks at me, causing my stomach to bubble. I refuse to let him get in my head!!
“Go!” my mother shouts.
Beckett tosses the egg and I catch it, swinging my arms gracefully behind me. It probably isn’t needed at this distance, but it’s a good warmup for when we get further apart.
We go back and forth for several rounds, eliminating all the groups but two.
One is Winston and the girl he was talking to yesterday, and the other is a couple I’ve never met.
We just need to survive one more group to get into the finals.
At the twenty-foot mark, Beckett launches the egg deep.
I back up three steps and catch the egg, quickly cradling it towards the ground.
When I open my hand and see that it’s intact, I let out a sigh of relief.
I thought for sure it was going to crack in my hand.
“Sorry!” he yells across the field.
I look to my right and see the firefighter guy Beckett was talking to earlier is chatting with Emmett, while keeping his eyes glued on Beckett.
My gut churns again, telling me that if they aren’t dating, there is definitely something there.
Maybe they’re interested in one another?
I need to dig around once we’re done with this round.
Suddenly, a loud crack echoes from my left, breaking my trance. The unknown team’s egg breaks all over the woman, causing her to laugh and toss her hands in the air.
“Next teams up,” my mother commands, without waiting.
As Jax and Knox pass, I tease, “Don’t drop the egg.”
“Oh, darling. We’re coming for you.” Jax smiles, high-fiving Knox. Emmett and Callum make some snide comments under their breath, garnering a chuckle from Knox.
My mother goes over the rules again, and the game starts.
The first throw eliminates two groups and the second throw, another three.
I thought this was going to be a quick round, but I was wrong, since the other teams made it back to the twenty-foot line.
The guys are good, but really… should I’ve expected anything different?
The eggs are released. Jax catches his, followed by Emmett rolling on the ground to catch his. The other three teams either drop their eggs or don’t swing back enough, and the egg explodes on them.
“Looks like we have our four teams,” my mother announces, and I shake my head in disbelief.
I look down the row. It’s my guys, Beckett and me, and Winston and his date.
Beckett says something to Knox, causing Knox to throw his head back in laughter.
“Trying to sabotage us?” Jax asks me.
“Would never dream of it,” I retort.
“Watch your back, Squirt.”
A flush colors my cheeks, and I narrow my gaze at him, looking around quickly. “I’d rather you watch my back while I’m fucking you.”
His head snaps in my direction, his eyes on fire.
“Jax. Get your head in the game!” Knox calls out, casting daggers at me.
“Yes Jax. Get your head in the game,” I tease.
“Oh, I’m going to get my head in something. You’re going to pay for this later.”
“I hope so.”
He’s shaking his head when I step back to my spot.
Beckett is watching me with an intense gaze, so I just shrug my shoulders and smile at him.
The egg toss starts on the ten-foot line, and we get back to the twenty-foot line before Winston and his partner miss.
How did we end up here? I’m at a family event with my guys.
Sure, my parents don’t know them or even know that I know them, but if I daydream long enough, I imagine this is what it could feel like.
Like the gods are trying to show me I can have it all.
We’re thirty feet apart, which is the furthest Beckett and I have ever been.
The underhand toss is probably not going to work this time, so he baseball throws it.
A risky move, but it’s our only option. The guys try the underhand approach, but I don’t have enough time to see if it works because an egg is being hurled at me.
Beckett releases a little too fast and crooked.
Not paying attention, I run into Jax, tripping over his foot.
He wraps his arm around me so I don’t fall and catches the egg with his other hand out of reflex.
Unfortunately, because he’s focused on me, the egg cracks in his hand and drips onto my chest. Our eyes lock for a moment until we realize where we are, and he stands me back up and uses his finger to scoop a large piece of yolk off my chest.
Beckett is over a moment later with a towel. “Thank God the fire department is here,” he huffs, tossing the towel in my face. A very brotherly thing to do.
“Why?” I ask, a little dazed.
“That stare between you two. Fire,” he sings. “Even made my pants wet.”
I whip the towel at him, ignoring his other comments. “What kind of throw was that?”
“Admittedly, not my best.”
“Ya think?”
When the guys walk over to us, Beckett swings his arm around Emmett’s neck. “Congrats.” He gives a slight nod to Callum before he drags his arm off Emmett.
“I thought you were going to take him out sooner,” Emmett says to Beckett, pointing at Jax.
“I had to make it look accidental,” he replies, laughing.
“You didn’t,” I growl.
“Only teasing,” Emmett winks. “But that was a pretty epic finish.”
“We didn’t win,” I pout.
“It’s okay. We can let someone else win every once in a while. This just means y’all have to come back next year.” Beckett shimmies his shoulders.
I look from him to the guys, but before they can answer, my mother walks over with the microphone.
“A little post egg toss bantering,” she jokes awkwardly. “Congrats to our new winners…” She looks at them, waiting for their names.
“Callum and Emmett.” Callum smiles.
“Callum and Emmett,” she echoes, handing them the coveted golden egg. They grab it and thrust it into the air.
“Can’t wait to see you here next year to defend your title.
” She smiles and looks at me. I can’t decipher what her look means.
Was she happy because someone finally defeated Beckett and me, or had she seen the way we looked at one another?
Perhaps she saw Emmett today with the children and the big man with a beard melted her little heart?
“We have lunch now, then the competitive Easter egg hunt, followed by boat races. Teams of three.”
I walk over to the food table, and Beckett rushes up behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder as we walk. “Ooh. Who are you going to choose for your team? So many good options.”
“Are you picking the handsome little firefighter you were talking to earlier?”
“Stop. We’re talking about you right now, not me.”
“I’m totally fine switching.” I smile.
“Sharing?” he pries playfully.
“Firefighter?”