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“No way. We have curfew, and I’m not letting you tank the team and pay the five-thousand-dollar penalty just because you need to see her.” Cal hit a button on the dash and ringing filled the cab.
“Lucas?” It sounded like Penny, and his stomach clenched.
“No. It’s Cal, but I’ve got Lucas next to me and you’re on speaker. Where’s Maggie?”
“She’s with Elspeth. You know how drained she gets after…”
“Is she okay?” Lucas asked.
“She is, and I’ll let her know you called. But right now, you need to focus on your job, Lucas. Maggie will blame herself if you lose the next two games.” Lucas had never hated away games more than he did now. And to compound the insult, they weren’t coming back to Cascade City after Sunday’s game. They were flying to Seattle on Monday and practicing at the university’s facility for the week. The coaches and staff didn’t want them distracted by the holiday festivities, so they thought keeping them away from their loved ones would be a good idea. Idiots.
“No pressure,” he said bitterly, as Cal turned into their driveway.
“I’ve seen you play, and pressure is when you do your best. Goodnight, Lucas.” Penny disconnected the call. She hadn’t sounded like herself. She’d sounded cold and aloof. Disinterested, but Cal looked amused.
“Ask before your head explodes,” Cal said, sliding out of the car and tossing the keys to Lucas.
“Penny sounded weird. Should I be worried?”
“No, she was just doing her thing.”
“Which is?”
“Reading people. Getting a sense of them and what they want.”
“Is that why she always knows the right thing to say at the right time and how to find the perfect books for customers?”
“With non-family members, yes. It takes too much energy and violates too many boundaries to break into the brains and hearts of the people closest to her, which is why she doesn’t interfere with us, but you’re fair game.”
“Lucky me.”
“You are lucky”—Cal poked him in the chest—“and for what it’s worth, she probably won’t do it again.”
“Why not?” Lucas asked. Had he messed up so royally with Maggie that Penny had washed her hands of him?
“I told you. Connect the dots. I gotta finish packing and we’ve got an early flight. And if you have any more questions, you’ll have to ask Maggie. I’ve already said too much.”
If I have questions? I’ve barely scratched the surface, Lucas thought, hanging up his coat and opening his packing app as he walked to his room. If Penny was doing whatever it was she did, he hoped he’d get credit for at least trying to focus on football because there was no way he could shove Maggie to the back of his mind, not when she owned his heart.
“How are you feeling?” Harper asked, making room for Maggie on the couch between her and Penny. Aunt Elspeth followed behind and sat in the recliner.
“Who were you talking to?” Maggie asked, focusing on Penny.
“It was Cal calling to say he had Lucas.”
“You should have gotten me.”
“Maybe.” Penny looked content, like a cat with a bowl of cream, and Maggie wanted to scratch her eyes out. How could her sister enjoy this drama when she was heartbroken?
But Maggie was pragmatic. She’d get over this and it was better that she knew now than later. Maggie could cut her losses and move on, but a small part of her hoped Lucas suffered, too. Not eternally, but at least until she’d found her equilibrium again. If ever. I should have kept my mouth shut. But if given another chance, Maggie doubted she’d do anything differently, other than not wearing her worst bra, the unsexy, dingy gray one relegated to laundry day.
“Did he say anything?”
“He asked if you were okay, and I told him you were.” Penny squeezed her hand. It felt like a sympathy squeeze, not an encouraging squeeze.
“Is there something you’re not telling me?” Maggie asked, afraid of the answer.
“Is there something you’re not telling us?” Penny nudged her shoulder, trying to tease the answer out of her.
