“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She held out her hand to each of the guys. She gave me a look as if to say are these guys real? I smiled and then glanced at Colt. He was fitting in with them more and more. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
Rob walked out while we chatted, and we did another round of introductions before the guys brought in all the girls’ bags.
I walked straight through the entryway into the kitchen. The room looked exactly the way it did a few months before, but it always took me a little while to readjust to being home.
“Is Davie already at the game?” I took a seat at the island, feeling almost giddy about being back. There is just something about your childhood home that makes you feel safe and comfortable. I wondered if I’d always feel that way.
“Yup. We’ll need to head over soon.”
I turned to Colton. “Why don’t we just meet you guys there? We can’t all take one car anyway.”
Colton shook his head. “I’ll borrow my dad’s Suburban. We can all fit that way.”
“You sure?” I’m sure my relief showed. I wasn’t looking forward to having to drive around searching for a spot.
“Absolutely. We’ll just run by my house to drop off our stuff. We’ll be back in thirty?”
“Sounds great.”
He kissed me on the cheek.
I watched as the guys walked out, incredibly grateful to have a boyfriend that was willing to help me out. He pretty much had to say yes to Reed and Aaron, but he wasn’t doing it for anyone but me. I knew that, and I appreciated it more than he realized. I’d have to find a way to thank him later.
“Have you girls eaten?” Mom asked once the door closed behind them.
“We grabbed sandwiches before we left.” Juliet hopped up onto a stool next to me.
“Do you want me to make you anything? Or would you rather grab something at the game?”
“What do you guys think?” I asked my friends.
“We’ll eat at the game.” Juliet kind of wiggled in her seat. “I want the full authentic experience of small town football.”
Rob laughed. “Oh, it’s going to be authentic.” He seemed excited about having out-of-towners around for the event.
“I’m not even going to pretend to know what’s going on, but I’ll try.” Cara smiled nervously. She seemed less comfortable than Juliet.
“Don’t worry, you don’t have to know anything. Just cheer when the crowd cheers. You’ll fit right in.” Rob smiled at her. He was usually pretty good at making people feel welcome. At least when they weren’t guys trying to date me. He’d put Jack through the ringer.
“All right. I’ll try.”
“I have something for you girls.” Mom got an excited look on her face.
“Oh yeah?” I asked.
“They’re on your bed.”
I got down from the stool, and we headed upstairs. The cream carpet was starting to wear out in places, but that’s just part of what made it home. I pushed open the door to my childhood bedroom. The walls were as bare as I’d left them. After Jack dumped me, I’d decided to tear down everything that reminded me of him. In the end, my off-white falls stood empty. My eyes next went to my twin size bed. Laid out on my purple and green striped comforter were three Gasden Warriors long sleeve t-shirts.
“Oh, this is too awesome.” Juliet stripped off her t-shirt and pulled on the new one before I even closed the door.
I laughed. “You are really into this, aren’t you?”
“Yes, of course I am.”
“This was so sweet of your mom.” Cara donned her shirt, seemingly more relaxed.
“That’s just Mom.”
“Is she the perfect hostess?”
“Most of the time.”
“I can see where you get it.” Juliet sat down on my bed.
I sat down next to her. Cara took a seat in my desk chair. “Not exactly. I didn’t inherit it. You know how flustered I get about things.”
“Not about entertaining. You rocked rush.”
“That’s different. We all have a part to play. It’s different in situations like this.”
Juliet shrugged. “If you say so.”
“Do your parents like Colton?” Cara asked.
“I think so. Most people in town like him.”
“Is he friends with your brother?” Cara was full of questions.
“Yeah. It’s actually kinda weird.”
“Is your brother okay with it?” Juliet leaned back on her elbows. She looked pretty natural in her Warriors tee.
“I think so. Davie likes Colton enough. The way he sees it, Colton is a known entity. It’s better than if I were dating someone he didn’t know.”
“My brothers surprised me with Reed.” Juliet sat back up. “I thought they’d be super over protective, but they liked him on the spot.”
“Reed has that effect on people.”
“Yeah, but you don’t know my brothers. I expected them to run him off.”
“Maybe they’re like dogs. You know? They can tell when someone’s good?” Cara laughed.
“Did you just compare my brothers to dogs?” Juliet arched an eyebrow.
“Does that comparison actually bother you?”
“No. It’s kind of accurate.”
I laughed. “Oh, brothers.”
“We probably need to get ready. Didn’t Colton say they’d be back in a half hour?”
“Uh huh. You guys ready for the most exciting football game of your entire life?”
“I was born ready.” Juliet jumped up and pulled me to my feet.
“Please never change, Juliet. Never change.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
***
“Wow, this really is a small town football game.” Cara stated the obvious as we settled into our seats in the bleachers. Colton had easily found a parking spot just a block from the stadium. Only Colton had that kind of luck. If I’d been driving, we would have had to walk a mile or more. Everyone showed up at the game the weekend of Fall Fest. Friday night games were always well attended, but the festival brought everyone back to town.
I glanced at Cara. “Yes, it is. Pretty much the whole town is here.”
She smiled. “Okay, now I get why you’re dating your ex’s brother. There isn’t much of a dating pool, is there?”
Colton laughed. “She’d have picked me even with a million options.”