Page 29 of Well Aware

I’d run into my sister four times this season, and each of them was with my dad in tow at a game.

She’d been rude, argumentative, and vulgar as she acted like she still owned the place. After the first time at a game, I’d told my dad that I was out if he pulled that shit again. The old team was well acquainted with my sister, and they’d played awfully the rest of the game.

After walking Iris and Magnolia to Magnolia’s car, I walked to my truck.

The air tasted like snow, and I had no doubt in my mind that we’d get a light dusting at some point in the near future.

“What are y’all doing here?” I asked the moment I joined them.

And how can I get you to leave?

Dad looked sheepish, but Seraphina looked smug. “We’re here to discuss me taking over the Cowgirls again.”

The smugness in her tone made me want to punch her.

And seeing as my family had raised me to never hurt girls, that was saying something.

She may be my sister, but she was my least favorite person in the world.

“I haven’t lost yet,” I pointed out.

“No, but you will,” she replied smugly, as if she knew something I didn’t.

My eyes narrowed. “Let me guess, you paid off a ref to throw that game.”

Dad shifted on his feet.

He’d never been able to see the worst in his daughter like the rest of us had.

Lysander and me? We could see the evil from the moment she was old enough to take care of herself.

My dad, however, always saw her as his little girl.

My mom was ambivalent to the issue until Sonja died, then she’d become solely on our side.

That was the reason for Mom and Dad’s divorce five years ago. My dad’s inability to see his daughter as anything but perfect, despite having killed his other daughter.

But that was an accident!

I couldn’t tell you how many times that particular phrase had come out of my dad’s mouth.

“Of course I didn’t.” Seraphina placed her hand over her heart, playing the affronted heiress.

I’d had my suspicions, but those suspicions were now confirmed as I looked at the gleam in her eyes.

“We’re here just as a pep talk,” Dad signed. “We’re not here to start anything. We both believe that you can pull this off.”

Yeah fucking right.

Seraphina was here to throw me off my game.

Plus, she felt like she was about to lose, so she had to play her games.

“I don’t need your pep talks,” I said as my eyes narrowed on Seraphina. “I’m having that ref investigated. If you slipped up and paid him a large lump sum to get him to throw that game, then I’m going to find it.”

Something flickered in her eyes, too fast to read.

“Do you hate me that much that you feel like I’d do something as dumb as pay off a ref?” She snorted. “As if, Beaufort.”