Page 65 of Her Forever SEAL

They were down by one at the half.

Coach Delgado kept it brief, the way he always did when he knew his team already understood the problem. “They're sagging to the middle. Go wide. Make them choose.” He looked at Kayla and Cat. “You two. Set up and do the plays we’ve practiced.”

Cat looked at Kayla.

They both nodded.

It happened eight minutes into the second half.

Cat got the draw, which surprised everyone including Cat, and she had half a step on her defender before the girl could recover. She came down the right side fast, faster than Kayla had seen her move all game, and Kayla was already cutting across the middle reading it, reading Cat, reading the two defenders who were both running flat-out toward Cat because she had the ball and that was the obvious threat.

Then Cat did exactly what the coach had told her to do. A clean diagonal pass that dropped right into Kayla's pocket mid-stride without breaking her momentum. Kayla caught it and turned and the goal was right there and the goalie was two steps out of position and she put it low and left and it went in before the goalie finished moving.

The sideline went sideways.

Lisa would have gone crazy. Her mother would have loved it.

She kept her head in the game, and started walking back to position for the next draw.

Cat caught up with her and grabbed her arm, not caring that the draw was in thirty seconds. “I set that up,” Cat said, slightly breathless.

“You absolutely set that up.”

“I just want that on the record.”

“It's on the record.” Kayla looked at her. “Now get ready.”

It was the fourth quarter. Three minutes left on the clock. Kayla had the ball. She had a shot that was possible. Not probable, but possible. She saw Cat out of the corner of her eye, and passed.

Cat caught the ball with ease. No fumbling.

She shot it. It was perfect.

Kayla was happier than when she had scored her own goal.

After the final whistle and their victory, they walked down the line clicking sticks, then started gathering their things.

Cat fell into step beside her, talking about the goal, talking about the pass, talking about the spring dance which apparently Connor Walsh had been seen discussing with his friends, which was either meaningful or meaningless and Cat had opinions.

Kayla pulled out her phone, and saw a text from Kathleen to meet her at her car. She grinned. Apparently Kathleen had had more important things to do than watch her game.

“Can you introduce me to Trevor?” Cat asked.

“Sure.”

As they took the first step into the parking lot, Kayla noticed it.

White. Panel sides. Parked slightly wrong—angled out, too close to the pedestrian path, the engine running. She could see the exhaust.

She noticed it the way her dad had taught her to notice things. Without staring.

She had just enough time to say “Cat—” before the side door slid open.

Two men came out fast. Not running. Moving with a kind of horrible efficiency, like they had done this before and knew exactly how much time they needed and weren't going to waste any of it.

Kayla swung her stick.

She caught the first one across the forearm. It was a solid hit, the kind that should have done something, but he barely flinched. He grabbed the stick with his other hand and wrenched it sideways. Kayla felt it leave her grip before she could tighten it, and then his hand was on her arm and she was being pulled. She dug her cleats into the asphalt and screamed.