the musty smell of an old gym. Pockets of kids occupied the basketball court—an older bunch playing a pickup game at one end, younger ones messing around at the other.
Evan glanced at his cell. “Are they always here this early?”
“On the weekends, they basically live here.” Anna’s smile competed with the overhead industrial lights. “What did I tell ya? Cute, right?”
A kid, probably about nine years old, with one pant leg hiked up and a backward ball cap on, turned when they approached. He jogged to the sidelines and flung a once-over up and down Evan’s profile. “Dang, Miss Madison, you didn’t tell us you was bringing the Hulk with you today.”
Evan barely squelched a laugh. Anna’s pinched lips weren’t helping. One look from her amused eyes to the kid’s expectant ones, and he couldn’t resist. He squared his shoulders and busted out a series of exaggerated pec bounces.
Anna shook her head. “You did not just do that.”
“Couldn’t help it.” His mouth quirked.
The kid jumped up to touch his bicep. “Yo, you think you can arm curl me?”
“Let’s see.”
The kid locked his fingers around Evan’s hand, and Evan curled him in the air.
Anna rolled her eyes. “Show-off.” She reached to tickle the kid’s sides. “Better be careful, Shaun. You’re leaving yourself wide open.”
Shaun’s laughter joined the echoes of conversation bouncing around the high ceiling.
Evan lowered him back to the ground and picked up a basketball. “So, what do you think, big guy? You ready to ball?”
Shaun adjusted his tattered sweatshirt, stole the ball, and dribbled it between his short legs. “All those muscles gotta slow you up.” He pivoted around Evan. Twice. “And since I’m, like, a hundred times faster than you, I’d say you got no game, old man.”
Evan blinked. Who was this boy, Kid President?
“I tried to warn you.” Anna visibly fought a satisfied grin.
Pec bounces weren’t the only thing he couldn’t resist. Eyes on her lips, he sidled closer. “Oh, yeah?”
A middle-aged woman with a headband holding back her puffy hair strolled up to them. “It’s about time you brought a good-looking guy up in here.”
Anna darted her a look of warning. “Evan, this is my outspoken coworker, Robyn Thomas. Robyn, this is Evan O’Riley, a childhood friend .”
Evan tipped his head. “Pleasure, ma’am.”
“Oooh, and he’s got manners, too.” Robyn swatted Anna’s arm. “Girl, you better keep this one.”
Anna’s cheeks flamed. “You’re seriously trying to embarrass me right now, aren’t you?”
“Aw, don’t you worry about that, Miss Thang.” Robyn bobbed her brows toward Evan. “The color on your face is only attracting that boy even more.”
Anna’s jaw dropped.
Shaun folded in half, laughing. “Ms. Robyn just called you out, yo.”
“Miss Madison!” A spindly-legged redhead, who looked slightly younger than Shaun, skipped across the floor wearing a worn tutu over her jeans. She sprang into Anna’s arms. “I’ve been practicing my pirouettes.”
Anna diverted her attention from Robyn to the little girl, clearly thankful for the interruption. “You have? I can’t wait to see them. You think they’ll be as pretty as you are?”
The girl blushed, nestled her face into Anna’s shoulder, and shook her head.
As if seeing Anna’s heart come to life earlier hadn’t already threatened to undo Evan, watching her with the kids did him in.
“Megan, I’d like you to meet my friend.” Anna’s lips curled to the side. “Mr. Hulk.”
Another bashful look colored Megan’s expression as she said hello. Keeping her chin down, she tugged on Anna’s hand. “Can we start class early?”
“Of course. Let me just . . .” Anna looked around. “Shoot. I left my bag in the car. I—”
“I’ve got it.” Evan lifted a hand and backed up. “I need to make a quick phone call, anyway. Give me five minutes. Is there a bathroom I can use
Evan glanced at his cell. “Are they always here this early?”
“On the weekends, they basically live here.” Anna’s smile competed with the overhead industrial lights. “What did I tell ya? Cute, right?”
A kid, probably about nine years old, with one pant leg hiked up and a backward ball cap on, turned when they approached. He jogged to the sidelines and flung a once-over up and down Evan’s profile. “Dang, Miss Madison, you didn’t tell us you was bringing the Hulk with you today.”
Evan barely squelched a laugh. Anna’s pinched lips weren’t helping. One look from her amused eyes to the kid’s expectant ones, and he couldn’t resist. He squared his shoulders and busted out a series of exaggerated pec bounces.
Anna shook her head. “You did not just do that.”
“Couldn’t help it.” His mouth quirked.
The kid jumped up to touch his bicep. “Yo, you think you can arm curl me?”
“Let’s see.”
The kid locked his fingers around Evan’s hand, and Evan curled him in the air.
Anna rolled her eyes. “Show-off.” She reached to tickle the kid’s sides. “Better be careful, Shaun. You’re leaving yourself wide open.”
Shaun’s laughter joined the echoes of conversation bouncing around the high ceiling.
Evan lowered him back to the ground and picked up a basketball. “So, what do you think, big guy? You ready to ball?”
Shaun adjusted his tattered sweatshirt, stole the ball, and dribbled it between his short legs. “All those muscles gotta slow you up.” He pivoted around Evan. Twice. “And since I’m, like, a hundred times faster than you, I’d say you got no game, old man.”
Evan blinked. Who was this boy, Kid President?
“I tried to warn you.” Anna visibly fought a satisfied grin.
Pec bounces weren’t the only thing he couldn’t resist. Eyes on her lips, he sidled closer. “Oh, yeah?”
A middle-aged woman with a headband holding back her puffy hair strolled up to them. “It’s about time you brought a good-looking guy up in here.”
Anna darted her a look of warning. “Evan, this is my outspoken coworker, Robyn Thomas. Robyn, this is Evan O’Riley, a childhood friend .”
Evan tipped his head. “Pleasure, ma’am.”
“Oooh, and he’s got manners, too.” Robyn swatted Anna’s arm. “Girl, you better keep this one.”
Anna’s cheeks flamed. “You’re seriously trying to embarrass me right now, aren’t you?”
“Aw, don’t you worry about that, Miss Thang.” Robyn bobbed her brows toward Evan. “The color on your face is only attracting that boy even more.”
Anna’s jaw dropped.
Shaun folded in half, laughing. “Ms. Robyn just called you out, yo.”
“Miss Madison!” A spindly-legged redhead, who looked slightly younger than Shaun, skipped across the floor wearing a worn tutu over her jeans. She sprang into Anna’s arms. “I’ve been practicing my pirouettes.”
Anna diverted her attention from Robyn to the little girl, clearly thankful for the interruption. “You have? I can’t wait to see them. You think they’ll be as pretty as you are?”
The girl blushed, nestled her face into Anna’s shoulder, and shook her head.
As if seeing Anna’s heart come to life earlier hadn’t already threatened to undo Evan, watching her with the kids did him in.
“Megan, I’d like you to meet my friend.” Anna’s lips curled to the side. “Mr. Hulk.”
Another bashful look colored Megan’s expression as she said hello. Keeping her chin down, she tugged on Anna’s hand. “Can we start class early?”
“Of course. Let me just . . .” Anna looked around. “Shoot. I left my bag in the car. I—”
“I’ve got it.” Evan lifted a hand and backed up. “I need to make a quick phone call, anyway. Give me five minutes. Is there a bathroom I can use
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