Made to be His ( The Archer Family 1)

The Phillies were losing. Miserably.

"What'd I tell you? Nobody is closing out the Yankees this year." The deep voice rumbled from behind her, and she turned to find Logan standing there in a Yankees jersey and jeans.

"What happened to the Fabio get up?" she asked, pushing past the sudden dryness in her throat.

He shrugged one shoulder lazily. "I figured you shouldn't mess with perfection."

"You didn't like the blond wig, did you?" She smiled.

He grinned back. "Nope. It was awful."

A beat of silence filled the air between them, and she licked her lips, doing her best to think of something cool and interesting to say. Luckily, he beat her to it.

"I like your outfit, though. I didn't peg you for the type to wear something so risqué."

"Oh, this old thing?" She tried to gesture, but the tight plastic costume cut into her skin. "It was either this or my Linda Ellerby get-up, so..."

"Linda Ellerby?"

"You know, she did the news on Nickelodeon. She was like...talking about community outreach and stuff?" She cleared her throat. Strike one on cool and interesting.

"Oh, right. I don't think I watched that. Must’ve been more for people your age." He shoved a hand in his pocket, and glanced around. "Hey, you want a drink?"

She nodded a little too vigorously, and followed him onto the back porch to the huge keg.

"You like PBR?" He asked.

"Who doesn't?"

He laughed. "Good one. I know. But I got outvoted." He poured her drink into a red plastic cup, then hoisted it her way. She took it quickly, if only to avoid him seeing just how much her hands were shaking.

To her surprise, there was no one outside with them, though she suspected that had a lot to do with the fact that Destiny's Child had taken over the playlist inside.

"Are you bummed to be missing the game?" he asked.

"No." She shrugged. "I'm happy to..."

Be here with you?

That was beyond lame.

"To get out of my dorm room." Oh, good. Lame's evil twin, Pathetic, had shown up

.

Logan smiled as he poured himself a beer. "I feel you. Freshman year is hard. You're getting used to being away from home, finding your boundaries without your mom being up your ass the whole time."

Her smile faltered, and for the first time, Logan seemed to notice.

"Oh shit, I forgot about—"

"No, no, it's no big deal. It's the same thing with being away from my dad as it would be if, you know, I'd had a mom. I'm pretty sure, anyway. It's weird, I'm the last one to go to school, so he's all on his own now. I think I'm more worried for him than he is for me." She laughed, then, realizing exactly how much she'd poured out, and stopped. "Sorry, I don't mean to over share."

He offered her a gentle smile. "No over sharing. I think it's sweet that you worry about him. I think I'll probably do the same for my mom when my little sister goes to school."

"You have a little sister?" she asked.

"Tons of them." He nodded. "We're the good, old-fashioned Catholic sort. I'm the oldest, and the only boy. Five little sisters, all nine months apart."