Fourth Down (Portland Pioneers 1)

“What’s in the box?” Julius asks as I sit down.

“I brought us some muffins. One of the coffees is for you,” I tell him before looking at Roxy. “And for you, I brought chocolate milk. I hope you like it.”

Her face scrunches for a second, and then her head nods in quickly. “I lub it.”

Julius takes the cap off and then removes the seal from over the lid. He hands the bottle to Roxy and tells her to be careful and to take small sips.

“Can I has a muppin?” she asks.

“You already had pancakes,” he tells her. I don’t know why, but it feels like I’ve made a mistake in bringing them food. I should’ve known better. I grimace and look toward the field, feeling like a major idiot right now.

A warm hand rests on my back, and his fingers gently push into my skin. I glance over and see him leaning toward me. I do the same. Julius places his hand near my ear and whispers, “Thank you for thinking about the kids and bringing them something to eat. If I give Roxy the muffin now, she will ask for another one when Reggie gets his. As for coming . . .” Julius doesn’t finish his sentence but nips at my earlobe. When he pulls away, he’s flush, and the color of his cheeks likely matches mine.

I glance over my shoulder to see if anyone caught what just happened, and no one is staring, so I think we’re in the clear.

“You are trouble,” I say to him quietly.

Roxy hands her dad the bottle of milk and decides it’s time to sit on my lap. She’s a wiggle worm until she finds what’s comfortable and tells me I should move closer to her father, so she doesn’t have to stretch for her drink.

“Is she always this blunt?”

“Most of the time, it’s worse,” Julius says. He opens the box of muffins and lets out a swear.

“What’s wrong?”

“They’re warm.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

He shakes his head. “Nope, it’s an irresistible thing.”

“I’ll tell you what. Because I’m hungry, I’ll share my muffin with Miss Roxy here, and you can eat yours, and then when the game is over, Roxy and Reggie can have theirs. Does that work?” I look at Roxy when I ask. She nods, and Julius finally relents. He hands me one of the blueberry ones, and Roxy takes it upon herself to spin herself around on my lap until she’s facing me. I pick off a piece of my muffin, and before I can hand it to her, she takes her own piece.

“Dis good,” she says, nodding and taking another piece.

“I’m glad you like it.” She’s right. The muffin is good.

With Julius sitting closer, I can feel his every move. His hand brushes along my arm, and his leg presses against mine. He bumps me to get my attention and nods toward the field where the game begins.

“What number is Reggie?”

“Eleven.”

“Same as you,” I state.

Julius looks at me and smiles. “You know my number?”

I shrug. “I may have done some online searching myself since we had our day together.” This time I wink. Julius blushes and tries to hide his smile. I turn my attention to the field. I don’t know much about football, but I’m a damn good cheerleader and have no qualms about making some noise when it’s warranted.

During the game, I watch Reggie and the other kids on the field. They seem so small out there, playing this adult sport. I know kids start young and play through high school and college, but I have a different perspective after being on the Pioneers sideline.

Julius stands just as I notice that Reggie has broken away from his defender. He’s running toward the end zone, and I don’t know who I should watch, him or his father. I stand and place Roxy on my hip. She starts cheering right off even though I’m not sure she knows what she’s doing. Julius is yelling, telling his son to run, and my arm is pumping in the air. The bleachers shake. They rattle and vibrate from the commotion, not only from us but the other parents. On the other side of us, the opposing team's parents are screaming for their kids to “get him,” which I don’t care much for, but I get it.

Reggie crosses the line, and even I know it’s a good thing. He stands there for a second and sets the ball down—no celebration or anything, much like what his father does on the field. Granted, I haven’t seen Julius score a touchdown yet, but I did find some videos of him online. Reggie then runs to the sideline and salutes. Julius does the same.

“Did you see that?” I ask Roxy. “Your brother scored a touchdown!” She’s bouncing up and down in my arms. She’s heavy, but I find that I like having her there.