The Other Game (The Perfect Game 4)

Shaking my head to rid myself of any gross thoughts about my grandparents, I swallowed another bite and waved a finger in the air toward Jack. “You know who was there tonight?” I asked, hoping to surprise him.

“I saw,” he said with a smirk.

“You saw?” That shocked me. Jack never saw anyone. He never looked in the stands, never paid attention to anything or anyone when he was pitching.

“I saw,” he repeated matter-of-factly.

“When the hell did you see? You never see,” I whisper-shouted, not wanting to disturb Gran and Gramps, but still not believing what I was hearing.

“At the end of the game. I looked right at her.”

“Shut the hell up.”

“I know.” He shrugged. “I never do that shit. But she makes me crazy.”

I couldn’t stop the smile that crept over my face. “I’m well aware. You turn into a complete idiot around her. But it’s fun to watch.”

Jack forked a pile of lasagna and threatened to toss it at me, but I shook my head in warning. “You wouldn’t do that after all Gran’s hard work, would you?”

He shoved the food into his mouth instead. “She wants me.”

“Who, Gran? Gross, man.”

“Not Gran, asshole. Melissa’s best friend. She wants me.”

“Melissa’s best friend? Don’t you know her name?”

“No. She’s never told me. I keep calling her Kitten and it pisses her off, which I think is funny. I like getting a rise out of her.”

He munched on a crunchy piece of garlic bread, sending crumbs all over the table that I knew I’d have to clean up later.

Frowning at him, I said, “I noticed. I think she secretly likes it. And her name’s Cassie.”

“No!” He threw the rest of his bread at me. “Why’d you tell me that? Now I’m going to have to pretend like I don’t know her name so I can keep calling her Kitten and pissing her off. Damn it, Dean.”

Realizing he’d lost his bread, he groaned. “Give me my bread back.”

I chucked it at him. Jack caught it and shoved it in his mouth.

“Anyway, Kitten came to my game tonight. And she brought her camera. I saw her taking pictures of me.”

My jaw dropped open slightly. “You really were paying attention to her tonight. I’m shocked.”

“You and me both,” he said with a shrug.

“So, what are you going to do about it?”

“Get her to go out with me, of course,” he said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

“And what if she says no? She’s pretty good at blowing you off.”

“I won’t let her.”

“You won’t let her say no? How the hell are you going to manage that?”

Jack pointed his empty fork at me. “Don’t you worry, little brother. I’ve got this.”

I had no idea what he meant, but I couldn’t wait to watch and learn.