Emma pretended to stretch like an athlete across the table. “Get ready for a master class, boys,” she said when it was her turn, and winked at June. June’s smile was wide as Emma began to pocket striped ball after striped ball. I leaned on my cue and groaned.
Chris was beaming, watching his teammate annihilate me and June. When Emma—thankfully—missed the eight ball, I turned to June. “Junebug,” I said, “not to pressure you or anything, but our victory lies on your shoulders.”
June’s head dropped into her hands, and she groaned. She peeked at me through spread fingers. “Jesse, we’re going to lose. You get that, right?”
“No!” I cried. “Not on my watch.” I moved behind June and placed the cue in her hands. “I might be a good football player, but I’m a pretty epic coach too. We’ve got this, Junebug.”
“Okay,” June said, voice raspy. It took me a minute to realize that maybe it was because I’d moved closer to her.
“This okay?” I asked, just in case she was uncomfortable.
“Yes,” she said, pink bursting on her cheeks.
“Okay,” I said, and demonstrated how to hold the cue and position it on the table. “Just…” I adjusted her arm. “Like that,” I rasped.
June tried to maneuver the cue as I’d shown her but couldn’t quite get it. Before taking her shot, she looked over her shoulder, and said, “Could you help me do it, please?”
Standing at her side, I covered her hands with my own, my mouth close to her ear. My heart slammed in my chest at having her this close. “Draw back,” I said, “and then smoothly hit it.” When we hit the cue ball, it sailed into the striped ball. I smiled when the ball rolled into the pocket.
June turned to face me, eyes bright, a huge smile on her face. “I did it!” That beautiful smile on that stunning face was a sucker punch to my heart.
“You did,” I said, voice hoarse. I couldn’t help but add “Could your buff vampires help you do that?”
June’s threw her head back as she laughed, filling the room with the addictive sound. When she faced me again, she said, “No, Jesse. I’m not sure they could.”
“Then a point to me, I guess,” I said, just as a throat cleared.
“Chris?” Emma said from across the table. “Do you get the feeling these two keep forgetting we’re here with them?”
“Mmm,” Chris said. “Now that I think about it, yes. Happened a few times yesterday too.”
I looked up at Emma and Chris to see shit-eating grins on their faces.
Without June seeing, I flicked them the finger. Emma cackled, and June stood up, clearly embarrassed. Nervously looking back to me, she said, “I think I’ve got it from here. Thanks, Jesse.”
Nodding, I stepped back and watched June sink another ball into a pocket.
“And so the student becomes the teacher,” she said to me, shaking off any discomfort Emma’s and Chris’s comments had brought.
I groaned. “I’ve created a monster,” I announced, but secretly, my pulse was racing.
She was, showing her personality more and more the longer we hung out.
Then June missed and turned to me to say, “Or maybe not.”
I laughed at the apologetic grimace on her face and hung my head in defeat when Chris immediately pocketed the eight ball.
“Victory is ours!” Chris shouted, arms in the air. He and Emma high-fived and hugged in celebration.
I scanned the rest of the room. “Air hockey, Junebug?”
“You’re on,” she said.
I beat her five-to-one.
We had just placed down our paddles when the door to the game barn opened. Bailey, a ranch’s nurse, came in with a tray of pale orange drinks.
“Hey, guys,” he said, and placed the bottles on a table. “I have an immunity drink here for each of you. You have to take it today for the start of treatment tomorrow and the tests that will be performed for the trial.”
