Anti-Stepbrother(42)

My feeling was right. Rainbow worked for me. “Get your own ball, woman.” I hugged it to my chest.

She laughed. “Are you being a ball hog?”

“When I’ve found my bowling ball soulmate, hell yes.” I turned a nose up at the others. “I had to try many balls before the perfect one came.”

She reached for a white ball with a single pink streak, and my heart did little somersaults. I had a feeling I’d be a ball-cheater. The single pink streak was speaking to me. She fitted her fingers in it and lifted it up. “It’s perfect.” She sighed.

We turned as one, Rainbow and Pink Streak held against our chests, and started back to the guys. They were already warming up.

“Caden’s kinda…” She hesitated. “Overwhelming, isn’t he?”

“What do you mean?” He was a big teddy bear to me now. Well, a hot and delicious teddy bear that wasn’t a teddy bear. He was more of a grizzly bear. No, not even that. What was I thinking? He was a damned panther, but I could hope one day he’d turn into a teddy bear. Much safer.

We stopped a few lanes down from them and watched. Neither seemed to notice us, but I knew that wasn’t true. Caden knew we were staring; he just didn’t care. He did what he wanted, no matter the audience. He didn’t give a damn.

He was raw power, the kind that was primal, rippling over everyone in a room, overtaking them. Avery loved Marcus, I could tell, but she wasn’t immune to the effect Caden had on people. It just seeped into your pores, lining your lungs as you breathed. It wasn’t a conscious manipulation. He wasn’t purposely affecting everyone with his presence, he just did.

“Picture him wearing only underwear,” I suggested. “It offsets him a little bit.”

Her eyes widened.

“Grandpa underwear,” I added.

Her eyes went back to normal, and she shook her head. “It doesn’t work. He’s Marcus’ brother too. That adds to the intimidation factor.”

I tried to look at him from her perspective—someone getting back together with his brother—and she was right. Caden was downright scary.

I flashed her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry.”

“It’ll be fine.” She switched Pink Streak to her side. “Besides, it might not work out with Marcus. It didn’t before.”

“Because of him.” I’m not even sure he’s good enough for you, Av. I didn’t say those words. She already loved him.

There was no reaction on her face, but she aged in front of me, looking tired and worn for a moment. I noticed a glimmer of sadness in her eyes.

She was scared. He could hurt her again.

I nudged her shoulder with mine, gently. “Let’s not think of the hurts right now.” I patted Rainbow in front of me. “It’s only about Rainbow and Pink Streak tonight. Mano a mano.”

“Our bowling balls are male?”

“Chica a chica.”

Avery laughed.

Marcus called, “Is the girl talk portion of this evening done with? Avery, we got a game to win.”

“My rainbow ball laughs in the face of your arrogance,” I told him.

“There’s nothing wrong with feeling sure of yourself,” Marcus countered.

“Said the lone camper when he didn’t realize a hungry lion was behind him.”

“What?”

I placed my ball with theirs. Avery did the same, snickering under her breath.

Marcus looked at his brother. ‘What the hell?”

Caden shrugged, sitting down behind the score sheet. “Just nod and smile. That’s what I do.”

I plopped down into the seat beside Caden. “And let the games begin!”





Caden won. Marcus was second, but I got the best prize: Most Gutter Balls. Apparently Rainbow and Pink Streak both liked to curve to the left—all the way left. Avery tried to take my win from me, but alas, I had three more gutter balls than her. I was a little miffed there were no trophies. Marcus informed me that I had to join a league for those, but the type of trophy I wanted wasn’t handed out.

I sniffed as we headed for the doors. “It’s their loss really.”

Marcus glanced back with a question in his eyes, but he didn’t say anything.

I didn’t expect him to. He’d been giving me those looks all evening. Since settling in at college and becoming friends with Caden, I’d embraced my tendency toward random statements. Even I didn’t know when they were coming, but they always meant something.

Caden and Avery were used to me. Marcus wasn’t. His loss too.

“Dude.” Caden placed his hand on his brother’s back and urged him forward. “Just keep going. Her comments will hit you as being funny a couple hours later.”