Out of Her League (35 page)

“
Yeah. This is kind of fun.
”

“
Don
’
t you teach dancing in gym class?
”

“
They do square dancing in junior high.
”

“
A useful skill if ever there was one.
”

She laughed.
“
They learn
rhythm, and coopera
tion, and following directions. But you might be right. At the next curriculum meeting, I think I
’
ll suggest a ballroom-dancing unit.
”

“
Couldn
’
t hurt.
”

“
Tell that to a fourteen-year-old.
”

Joe just smiled, and when the music ended, he dipped her. Evie
’
s sharp gasp of surprise, the startled flare of her eyes and the sudden clench of her hands on his shoulders made him lift her back into the circle of his arms. They stared into each other
’
s eyes—long and de
ep—as the sun slid below the ho
rizon and darkness spread across the land.

“
Don
’
t worry,
”
he said.
“
I won
’
t let you fall.
”

She stepped closer and leaned her head against his chest, slipping her arms about his waist. The warmth of her body along his made Joe
’
s heart stammer.

“
I think it
’
s too late,
”
she whispered.

“
I think you
’
re right.
”

Toni
stood
at
the
edge
of the dance floor with one arm around Benji and one around Danny. Her plan was working, and she hadn
’t even done any
thing yet—except keep the twins away from her dad and their mom. This was going to be so easy, it wasn
’
t even funny.

“
Now?
”
Danny asked.

“
In a minute.
”

“
You said that five minutes ago,
”
Benji pointed out.

She ignored them, which she
’
d discovered worked a whole lot better than arguing. You couldn
’
t win with those two, anyway.

Tightening her hold on the twins so they wouldn
’
t
escape too soon, Toni fixed her eyes on the romantic scene playing out in front of her. Their dance had looked like something from a black-and-white movie. Toni hadn
’
t known her dad could move like that. It made him seem different, somehow. Not like a dad, and definitely not like a rough-and-tough football player. Which was good, because Toni didn
’
t think Mrs. Vaughn liked Joe
’
s old image. But this new one had definite possibilities.

If her dad had been wearing a tux, he could have passed for that suave guy in the movies he liked so much—Bond, James Bond—but the older ones with the Scottish guy who ended up being Indiana Jones
’
s dad. That guy had class and grace.

The band began to play a faster tune, and her dad and Mrs. Vaughn quickly pulled apart. Almost like they felt guilty.
Darn
. Toni had hoped they
’
d kiss right there on the dance floor.

She gave Benji and Danny a shove.
“
Go,
”
she ordered, and they were off.

Her dad saw them coming and stepped in front of Mrs. Vaughn before they could knock her down. It was so sweet the way he protected her. But Mrs. Vaughn didn
’
t seem to see it that way. Instead, she frowned and elbowed her way around Joe.

Toni hurried forward to make sure the twins didn
’
t muck things up.

“
We
’
re tired, Mom. We want to go to bed,
”
said Danny.

Mrs. Vaughn
’
s frown deepened, and she went
down on one knee, pressing her lips first to one sweaty forehead and cheek, then to the other. Toni watched, fascinated.

Benji and Danny were like twin tornadoes out of control, but Mrs. Vaughn loved them. She was al
ways touching them, even if she wasn
’
t looking at them. Kind of like she knew where they were all the time because they were a part of her. She
’
d kiss their brows, the way she was doing now,
and mur
mur
“
I love you
”
against their hair. The two would smile, as if they
’
d heard that a hundred times before, which they probably had; then they
’
d run off to cause more trouble.

Toni gave a sig
h of awe, and Joe flicked a con
sidering glance her way, but she pretended not to see. Sometimes, even though she knew it was wrong, Toni wished that Mrs. Vaughn were her mom.

“
You guys are hot,
”
Mrs. Vaughn said.
“
But you don
’
t have a fever.
”

“
How do y
ou know that without a thermome
ter?
”
Joe asked.

“
I
’
ve done this so many times, I can tell by a lip test if their temperature
’
s over a hundred or under.
”

“
We
’
re not sick. Just tired. Can Toni take us home? Can she, huh?
”

“
No. I
’
ll take you.
”

Oops
. Not part of the plan. Toni intervened.
“
I can take them. I know how much you like fireworks.
”
She nudged the boys.

“
Yeah, Mom, they
’
re your favorite thing. Like raindrops and rosies and whistles and kittens.
”

“
The Sound of Music
,”
Joe muttered.

Mrs. Vaughn and Toni gaped at him.
“
How did you know that?
”

He shrugged and looked away as if embarrassed.
“
It
’
s a good movie.
”

Mrs. Vaughn met Toni
’
s gaze, and they shared a grin. Dad was doing okay, even without her help. The image of big, t
ough-guy Scalotta merrily watch
ing
The Sound of Music
was adorable. But back to business.

“
Really, Coach,
”
Toni said.
“
I don
’
t mind. I
’
ll take them to your house and put them to bed. If you
’
d drop off Dad afterward, everyone will be happy.
”

“
Everyone except me. I don
’
t want them riding in that red death trap.
”

“
Hey!
”
Joe
’
s protest nearly drowned beneath the pop of the first firework going off. As the shower of color split the night, the crowd let out a cheer.

Mrs. Vaughn sto
od, and Toni started talking be
fore she could say no and ruin everything.
“
I
’
ve got my own car now. A very safe and very boring four-door Chevy.
”
She grabbed the twins and backed away.
“
See you at home! Don
’
t rush. We
’
ll be fine.
”

Toni ran before either parent could say anything else, dragging the twins alongside her. When they
reached the parking lot, she risked a glance back.
“
Look,
”
she whispered, and the boys turned.

Her dad and their mom walked toward the quilt, hand in hand.

“
Jordan fades back,
”
B
e
nji said, as he did just that.

“
He flies. He shoots.
”
Danny made motions with an imaginary basketball.
“
Swish.
”

“
Three points,
”
Toni said.
“
And that, boys, is the game.
”

* * *

“She's a
good
driver
,
”
Joe assured Evie as they settled onto the quilt.

Evie nodded, her unease fading as the fireworks display heated up.
“
It
’
s just not like them to be tired.
“

“
Ever?
”

She rolled her eyes.
“
You do know who I
’m talk
ing about, don
’
t
you? Benji and Danny—the broth
ers of perpetual motion?
”

“
Ah, them. Yes, I
’
m familiar with the order. They
’
ve taken vows of arguing, wrestling and—
”

“
Sleeping only when threatened.
”

“
Then I
’
d grab this break and run with it,
”
Joe said.

So Evie lay back and gave herself over to the wonder and beauty of the light show in the sky. Joe joined her. She tried not to be uncomfortable with him stretched out at
her side, hip close, hand brush
ing hers, then twining fingers with fingers.

“
Oh, my favorite,
”
she said as a gold spider, the ends tipped with blue stars, erupted high above.
“
I like the worms.
”

“
Worms?
”

“
Wait. You
’
ll see.
”

They continued to watch in friendly silence until a particular burst of fireworks lit the darkness and several squiggles
of color twirled down, accompa
nied by a cartoon-like sound that indicated speed.

“
There,
”
he said, with suitable awe in his voice.
“
Isn
’
t that great?
”

“
Silly.
”

“
So?
”

He squeezed her hand and tilted his head toward hers. She could hear the steady, comforting sound of his breath near her ear. The ground at her back was cool, her body warm from the nearness of his. Her kids were safe, and somewhere else for the time being. The fireworks kept up a steady flare of light and sound. Who could ask for anything more?

The finale was loud, long and impressive. As the acrid scent of gunpowder drifted along the night breeze and a final
boom
signified The End, whistles and cheers erupted from the crowd.

“
Wasn
’
t that wonderful?
”
she asked.

“
Only one thing could make it better.
”

She turned her head, and their noses bumped. The tension that had been building between them since he
’
d dragged her off to dance bubbled up again, stronger than before, and Evie held her breath as she waited for his kiss. On a sigh of surrender, her eyes drifted closed.

“
Ice cream.
”
He sat up.

Evie
’
s eyes popped open. Maybe she had imag
ined the heat, and the want, and the need. She sat up, too.