Chapter 51
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
“Ladies first, Lo.” Ryan passes the basketball to me, and I try to dribble it like he’s been teaching me.
Needless to say, I am gifted in some—but not all—areas of my life.
“Okay, explain the rules to me one more time.” I try and focus on the task at hand while also being strategic in my plans … and not laugh at how obnoxiously large The Callahan Cavalry logo is right in the middle of center court.
He puts his hand on his hip and gives me a look that tells me he knows I’m stalling.
“Ah, yes, let me repeat the very complex rules for my genius girlfriend. Sure, I’ll pretend that makes sense.
” I shrug and attempt to look innocent, but I’m trying to calculate if his height would be a disadvantage closer to the hoop or if I’m screwed no matter what.
Probably the latter.
“Name of the game is Horse. You take a shot. If you make it, I have to repeat the exact shot. If I make it, it’s my turn. If I miss, I get a letter. First person to spell H-O-R-S-E loses.”
I take my first shot and hit the rim. Ryan retrieves the ball and starts dribbling it between his legs.
Show off.
Hot, beautiful show off.
He takes a simple shot from the foul line, not even bragging when it swooshes through the net. Ryan passes me the ball and I try … but don’t even hit the rim. He laughs as it sails over the backboard, and he runs over to get it, dribbling the ball as he walks back to me.
“That’s an H for my girl.” He winks at me, and I melt a little inside. Ryan could call me his girl for the next fifty years, and I think it would make me melt every single time.
“And what do I get when I win?” I grin and Ryan barks out a laugh that tells me no one is assuming that will be the outcome.
“What do you want, baby?” He dribbles the ball to the three-point line, and once again, the ball doesn’t even touch the rim.
Swoosh.
I keep thinking about what I want as a prize when I win, despite the unlikely odds. I dribble the ball a few times and send the ball in the right direction, but still nowhere near the hoop.
“That’s an O.”
I give him a sarcastic glare, not needing him to point out I have H-O already. He insisted this game would be easy and fun, and that may not be how I would describe it, but the view is wonderful.
Ryan shoots and the ball bounces off the backboard and gracefully into the net. He passes the ball to me, and I finally make a single shot. I retrieve the ball and am about to pass it to him when a brilliant idea hits me.
“Hmm. Oooo! I know!” I clap my hands, causing the ball to roll away toward him. “Whoops!”
“What is it?” He scoops up the ball and holds it against his hip.
“I want you to help me pull off a prank. Specifically, I want to prank Liam.” Ryan’s eyes widen at that. “Your sisters said he is almost impossible to get one over on, and I want to prove myself to them.”
Ryan chucks the basketball over his head. “You win. Let’s go plan my girl’s first Brigade prank right now!” He runs over and lowers his shoulder into my stomach, standing up with me in a fireman’s carry as I dissolve into giggles.
“I can walk! Put me down!”
“Nope, we have no time to waste, Lo. We have to plan this just right, and also, you never know when my brother is going to pop up out of the bushes or something.”
“But I didn’t even win, Ryan!” I can’t stop laughing as he hauls me back to the house, our game abandoned.
“No, I think we both won, baby.”
I hum at that. “In the game?”
“In life, Lo.” Then he playfully smacks my ass, making me burst into giggles all over again.
But he’s not wrong—I already have the ultimate prize.
We both do.