Chapter One Rowan #3
My attention snaps back to Vaughn, and my expression must give away my thoughts because he nods, smiling bigger. “That’s Silas Lindsey’s sister.”
There’s a chorus of comments and questions from the guys.
“No way.”
“His sister is hot.”
“I hate that guy. I’m so glad he graduated.”
“Who?” This from one of the freshmen.
“He played for Oakley,” Vaughn says.
“Total asshole,” Eddie adds.
“I still think about that time Rowan broke his foot sophomore year.” Hunter’s eyes dance with amusement.
“It was an accident.” I clarify so the new guys don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not a fan of the guy, but that was a freak thing where we collided, and he went down. Not that I hadn’t thought about punching him a dozen times before.
“I always wondered why that guy hated us so much,” Austin says, looking at me like he’s pieced together something he’d been thinking for an entire year.
Finally, Hunter asks the question on the tip of my tongue. “What the hell is Silas Lindsey’s sister doing here?”
By here, he means Frost Lake High instead of Oakley. The purple shorts now make a lot more sense—they’re Oakley’s colors.
Vaughn shakes his head. “I’m not sure. She’s pretty good though.”
Pretty good is an understatement for anyone but Vaughn.
“Well, now I understand why they aren’t passing her the ball,” Austin says with a hint of compassion in his tone. When he first came to the team, some of the guys did the same to him. And he wasn’t from a rival team.
Seriously, what the hell is she doing here? I can’t imagine she came willingly. Her brother must be shitting himself.
As I continue watching her during the break and then back on the field, I see the family resemblance more and more.
The way she moves with a soccer ball, for one.
Part of the reason we all hated Silas so much was because he was quick, racing down the field with the ball and an ease that defied the speed.
He was a damn good soccer player and tough to defend. She is too.
She has a little of his temper, as well. While he was more verbal, talking shit any chance he got and trying to get under our skin, I’ve taken enough elbows from her today to get a feel for her personality on the field.
Outside of their game play, they also have the same big eyes and round face. I don’t remember what color Silas’s eyes were, but hers are hazel. His hair, from what I remember, was a dark brown with maybe a hint of red. I guess I didn’t stare at him as much as I’m staring at her.
I don’t have as much time as I’d like to catalog all their similarities and differences because we—the guys’ team—manage to pull it together and start playing like we all know we can. We score back-to-back early in the second half and then the girls struggle to respond.
We end the game 5–2.
Coach Collins comes over from the bleachers to remind us we start practice next week and suggests maybe we spend the weekend preparing. The smile he flashes before he walks off basically promises a week of conditioning hell.
Eli strips out of his jersey and shirt, laying both over one shoulder. “I’m going to jump in the lake. See you boys later.”
One by one, the guys start to trickle off. I spot Amanda still lingering nearby. Summer too. Austin steps in front of me. “What time are you heading to Eddie and Eli’s house?”
“Not sure. You need a ride?”
“Nah. Claire’s picking me up. I’ll see you there.”
“Later.” I jut my chin at him as he takes off.
I walk toward Amanda without a plan, but it’s Summer I run into first. She turns, duffel bag on one shoulder, and nearly collides into me.
She barely looks up as she mutters, “Sorry.”
“Hey, you’re Silas’s sister, right?” I ask.
Her steps falter and those hazel eyes flick to mine. She doesn’t reply, but I can’t tell if it’s because I’m wrong or for some other reason.
“I’m Rowan.” I hold out a hand. “You were good out there today. What year are you?”
“I know who you are.” She adjusts her bag, wrapping her fingers around the strap tighter before stepping around me.
“Well, that wasn’t very friendly,” I mutter to myself while wondering what the hell that was about.
“Hey.” Amanda appears before me. Her smile is welcome after the chilly reception I got from her teammate. “See you tonight?”
“Yeah.”
“Great. Let’s hang out. I’ve missed you.”
“Yeah. Same.”
She backs away, then turns and jogs back to join Sophie and Penny.
I grab my bag and head for my truck. The night is looking up.
* * *
When I pull up to my house, there’s a brand-new shiny red truck in the driveway.
It’s so new it doesn’t even have a plate yet, just dealer tags.
I bet it has less than a dozen miles on it.
Top of the line too. Best trim line and all the bells and whistles.
It can only mean one thing. My parents are home.
I head inside with a mixture of excitement and anticipation and a hint of unease.
My parents are hard to keep track of. They travel a lot and change plans so frequently I’ve stopped trying to remember where they are and when they’ll be back.
Though the last thing doesn’t matter much because of the frequent-change-of-plans thing.
“There he is!” My dad’s deep, warm voice greets me as I walk into the kitchen. He’s dressed in a crisp, white short-sleeved shirt and tan pants—the picture of resort casual.
“You’re back early,” I say, dropping my bag on the floor.
He opens his arms and I walk into his embrace. He pats me on the back several times, then pulls back and smiles at me.
“Your mother was tired of the beach.” He grins. “Where’ve you been?” He looks me over. “Soccer practice?”
“We had a scrimmage against the girls’ team. Practice starts next week. School the week after that.”
“Right,” he says like he’s kept track.
I love my parents. When they’re around, they’re loving and warm.
My dad started as a car salesman and built an empire.
Four dealerships across the county. He bought the land and built them from the ground up.
He made partnerships with local banks and repair shops.
He’s smart and friendly. People love working for him and with him.
And my mom is impressive too. She was in sales, then eventually joined forces with him.
He always says she’s the real magic behind his success.
From there, they made other investments in real estate and business. I’ve lost track. I have a lot of childhood memories of running around the car lots, sitting in their offices, and watching them work. They sacrificed a lot of time for their success.
Once the businesses were running well, they were able to take a step back, and that’s when they started traveling. They’ve earned it, and I’m happy for them. But the point is they were never the type to volunteer at school or keep the school calendar bookmarked.
“Where’s Mom?” I ask as I open the fridge and grab a handful of strawberries.
“She had a hair appointment.”
I nod. “Did you have a good time in…”
“Miami.”
“Right.” I toss one of the berries into my mouth.
Dad grins. “We’ll tell you all about it tonight at dinner.”
“Dinner?”
“Yes, at the club.”
“I have plans with the guys.”
He gives me a look like he can’t imagine why I’d rather hang with them than go to dinner with my parents. Which I guess is fair since I haven’t seen Mom and Dad in weeks.
“Kristy Leigh is coming, the VP of admissions at FLU.”
Frost Lake University is my parents’ alma mater. It’s a good school to which my family has donated significantly.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” Dad chuckles. “You’re a senior this year and, as far as I know, still haven’t committed to a college.”
This isn’t the first time my parents have said something about me attending FLU. It’s been pretty much assumed for me as long as I can remember.
I swallow down the lump forming in my throat. I know he won’t be happy, but I suppose it’s time to be honest. “I don’t know if I want to go to FLU.”
“Don’t be silly. It’s a fantastic school, and you’ll be close enough to do internships at the dealership over the summers.” He smiles like it’s the greatest idea he’s ever had. Another thing that’s always been assumed: I’d work at the dealership.
I don’t have the heart to tell him that not only am I uncertain about FLU, but I have zero interest in working at the dealership. Instead, I nod. It’s one dinner.