the room and moved in front of the coffins occupied by the writhing figures. It was about six feet tall, and as it passed behind a lantern, the warm light cut out a silhouette. Slightly turned up nose, broad shoulders and chest, with almost no butt on long legs. Robin’s heart stuttered. It was Kyle Thomas. She hadn’t known he would be here.
“Hey, Robin,” he said, smiling at her. Right at
her.
His velvety brown, sun-bleached hair was longer now that her father couldn’t order him to cut it. His letter jacket, T-shirt, and jeans looked as elegant as the tux he’d worn at this year’s winter formal, to which he’d brought some girl from another school.
“Hmm,” Beth murmured beside her. “Do we have something to share?”
Robin was absolutely certain there was nothing she wanted to share with Beth about her secret crush on Kyle.
Despite all her best intentions, Robin swallowed hard when Kyle smiled quizzically at her. She translated that smile: she was not a rich kid, not a hanger-on, not a partier, so what was she doing there?
Kyle, Kyle, Kyle. He was the big everything at Callabrese High—class president, Ice King at the formal, and lacrosse team captain—a position her dad had given him before his accident. Robin couldn’t get it out of her head that with a couple more team meetings at their house, Kyle would have finally realized there was more to Robin Brissett than the fact that she was his coach’s daughter.
“Will this do for me?” Kyle asked, reaching over to one of the round tables covered with black tablecloths positioned around the room. He picked up an oversized black napkin and waited for Robin.
“Thea, why don’t you go ahead and cover up Larson’s eyes?” August asked.
“How’s your dad?” Kyle asked quietly as he handed the cloth to Robin. He smelled like cinnamon, one of her favorite things. He squatted down, facing her, and as she reached up to position the cloth across his eyes, she realized she would have to put her arms around him to tie the blindfold behind his head. His face would practically be buried in her chest. Her pulse began to race. How many times had she daydreamed about being held by Kyle? Sometimes at practice, when she had waited for her father, she’d stared at him, memorizing the shapes of his muscles, the way he moved. Lacrosse was an aggressive sport—some said brutal—and she figured herself for some kind of cavewoman because it was thrilling to watch Kyle in action, playing with everything he had.
“He’s good,” she said automatically. He looked at her and she shrugged. “Pretty good. It was hard sitting out this season. He was really touched when the team came over after you won the CIF championship.”
“Maybe he could coach from his wheelchair,” Kyle said.
“He’s going to walk again,” Robin said. She sounded terse. She smiled to take away the sting. “And I am going to kick your ass in this scavenger hunt.”
“Are you guys finished with the marriage proposals?” Heather asked, rubbing her arms. “I’m freezing…and tie it tight, Robin,” she added.
Robin wanted to be Kyle’s partner in the hunt. But August had already decreed that she, Beth, and Thea were to be a trio and there was no way she was going to play the hookup game. And besides, what if Kyle didn’t wind up with her? Then she’d have to be with Larson, the man slut.
Her elbows brushed against Kyle’s shoulders as she tried to secure the blindfold without getting too close. She fumbled awkwardly and Kyle reached up to help her, his fingers twining with hers and causing Robin to catch her breath. Behind them, someone whooped and the lead guitarist started playing the melody of “Go Ahead and Show Me,” the love ballad that had put Maximum Volume on the fast track to rock stardom.
“They’re playing our song,” Kyle said, grinning.
If only,
she thought.
NOT ALL CHEATERS CAN WIN
KYLE’S RULE #1: Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
Robin
“Hey, Robin,” he said, smiling at her. Right at
her.
His velvety brown, sun-bleached hair was longer now that her father couldn’t order him to cut it. His letter jacket, T-shirt, and jeans looked as elegant as the tux he’d worn at this year’s winter formal, to which he’d brought some girl from another school.
“Hmm,” Beth murmured beside her. “Do we have something to share?”
Robin was absolutely certain there was nothing she wanted to share with Beth about her secret crush on Kyle.
Despite all her best intentions, Robin swallowed hard when Kyle smiled quizzically at her. She translated that smile: she was not a rich kid, not a hanger-on, not a partier, so what was she doing there?
Kyle, Kyle, Kyle. He was the big everything at Callabrese High—class president, Ice King at the formal, and lacrosse team captain—a position her dad had given him before his accident. Robin couldn’t get it out of her head that with a couple more team meetings at their house, Kyle would have finally realized there was more to Robin Brissett than the fact that she was his coach’s daughter.
“Will this do for me?” Kyle asked, reaching over to one of the round tables covered with black tablecloths positioned around the room. He picked up an oversized black napkin and waited for Robin.
“Thea, why don’t you go ahead and cover up Larson’s eyes?” August asked.
“How’s your dad?” Kyle asked quietly as he handed the cloth to Robin. He smelled like cinnamon, one of her favorite things. He squatted down, facing her, and as she reached up to position the cloth across his eyes, she realized she would have to put her arms around him to tie the blindfold behind his head. His face would practically be buried in her chest. Her pulse began to race. How many times had she daydreamed about being held by Kyle? Sometimes at practice, when she had waited for her father, she’d stared at him, memorizing the shapes of his muscles, the way he moved. Lacrosse was an aggressive sport—some said brutal—and she figured herself for some kind of cavewoman because it was thrilling to watch Kyle in action, playing with everything he had.
“He’s good,” she said automatically. He looked at her and she shrugged. “Pretty good. It was hard sitting out this season. He was really touched when the team came over after you won the CIF championship.”
“Maybe he could coach from his wheelchair,” Kyle said.
“He’s going to walk again,” Robin said. She sounded terse. She smiled to take away the sting. “And I am going to kick your ass in this scavenger hunt.”
“Are you guys finished with the marriage proposals?” Heather asked, rubbing her arms. “I’m freezing…and tie it tight, Robin,” she added.
Robin wanted to be Kyle’s partner in the hunt. But August had already decreed that she, Beth, and Thea were to be a trio and there was no way she was going to play the hookup game. And besides, what if Kyle didn’t wind up with her? Then she’d have to be with Larson, the man slut.
Her elbows brushed against Kyle’s shoulders as she tried to secure the blindfold without getting too close. She fumbled awkwardly and Kyle reached up to help her, his fingers twining with hers and causing Robin to catch her breath. Behind them, someone whooped and the lead guitarist started playing the melody of “Go Ahead and Show Me,” the love ballad that had put Maximum Volume on the fast track to rock stardom.
“They’re playing our song,” Kyle said, grinning.
If only,
she thought.
NOT ALL CHEATERS CAN WIN
KYLE’S RULE #1: Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
Robin
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