Page 21 of Full Court Love

But his eyes dart to me for a second, and he smiles. I see his whole body relax as he starts again.

“Truthfully, I don’t have any real family recipes. I’m sure they exist—it’s just that no one ever cared to share them with me. I spent most Thanksgivings by myself because my mom was working and my dad was… not around on holidays.”

He shakes his head.

“Anyway, boxed mac and cheese was my go-to. Then, if a janitor was around to let me into the YMCA, I would get some Funyuns from the vending machine. Don’t worry—this mac and cheese isn’t from a box, but it does have a Funyun breadcrumb topping.”

All of us girls have tears in our eyes, and he notices.

“Stop looking at me like I’m a wounded animal! I’m fine. It was what it was, and now I’m here…and wearing the sexiest vest ever sewn.”

This comment breaks through the umbrella of sadness and pity that had descended on us, which was evidently his goal. We all laugh as he sits back down. Tyler stands up and clears his throat.

“I feel very unqualified to follow that. I made these brownies because umm…my mom would make brownies for holidays. Sometimes.”

He laughs like he knows how lame this sounds, and Britt starts booing. “Boring. Get a better story. No one would ever buy the movie rights to that.”

And that is our cue to dig in.

As the dishes are passed around, I feel a little bolder. Jordan is quieter than usual, and I want him to feel okay about sharing something so vulnerable. I reach over and put my hand in his. Without looking at me, he intertwines our fingers together. His large hand engulfs mine. Again, I feel safe with him. Even in this little moment.

My hand stays there for the rest of the meal.

I don’t make any effort to pull it away.

CHAPTER 10

JORDAN

You know how inThe Little Mermaid, the girl with the red hair has to give up her voice to win the prince? And Cinderella only has until midnight? And Pocahontas has to stop a war or something? I saw a lot of these movies in the rec room at the YMCA. Needless to say, most of the plots and details didn’t stick with me, but what I did gather is that there’s always some sort of catch. They can’t just be happy. There’s fine print or a magic timer or an evil witch that makes the path a little rocky. So maybe I should be questioning what bomb is about to drop out of the sky on me ’cause right now, I’m just happy.

I’m sitting on a loveseat that is most definitely from Goodwill, with Lucy snuggled into my side. I’m not sure how it happened. There’s a concrete possibility that her friends are masterminding this entire thing. I wouldn’t even be mad if they were. We were the last two people without a spot, and this was the last place left.

So here we are. Who am I to question why? Her head is on my shoulder, knees scrunched up over my lap. We’re watching a movie calledThe Prince and Me—which, I was adamantly told, counts as a Thanksgiving-themed moviebecause the secret prince goes home with the farm girl for Thanksgiving.

Apparently, it’s vitally important to keep the evening on theme.

I couldn't care less.

I might not even notice if they changed the movie halfway through.

My senses are on high alert as I smell Lucy’s lavender perfume. Her blonde hair is flowing down her back, and she’s still wearing her gravy vest. Every time she shifts positions, she nestles closer.

I wish you could bottle up a moment and sip it throughout the rest of your life whenever you have a bad day because this might be that moment for me.

My state of bliss is interrupted when AJ walks out of the kitchen looking disappointed. “We forgot the popcorn. Like a bunch of uncultured morons.”

Kya pauses the movie, and to my great disappointment, Lucy stands up. Dang, I really wish that moment-bottling thing was real. “I’ll walk down the street and grab some.” She checks her watch. “They’re definitely still open. It’ll only take me a few minutes. Don’t stop the movie–I’ve probably seen this at least twenty times.”

Everyone settles back into their respective spots around the TV as Lucy puts on shoes and a jacket. I follow her lead.

“Hey, I’ll come with you.”

I whisper so as not to disturb the movie. Lucy just smiles and nods before wrapping a red-and-white checkered scarf around her neck. Did she just Google “things to do and wear to make you the cutest person alive” and then proceed to complete the list? Between the scarf and the snuggling, I’m a goner.

As I follow her out the door, I briefly catch AJ’s eye. She just smiles and winks at me before turning her attention back to the TV. Dang, these girls are good. I’m starting to wonderif that kitchen really is as popcorn-less as she made it out to be.

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