The sincerity in her voice catches me off guard. For a moment, the easy charm I wear like armor falters, and she sees something more genuine underneath.
"Besides," I add, sliding back into familiar territory, "if your parents give you too much grief, I'll distract them with my devastating good looks and witty conversation."
She laughs, shaking her head. "You're impossible."
"I prefer 'irresistible,' but I'll take impossible."
As we head out to the dock, I notice how Gray positions himself on her other side, creating a subtle barrier between her and the rest of the world. Protective behavior that goes beyond simple team solidarity.
Interesting.
The morning practice is crisp and efficient, the boat cutting through water that reflects the overcast sky. Reese's commands are as sharp as ever, her strategic mind focused entirely on the task at hand. Whatever personal turmoil she's dealing with, it doesn't affect her ability to cox.
But I catch the moments when she thinks no one's looking—the slight tremor in her hands as she adjusts the rudder, the way her gaze drifts toward shore like she's expecting someone to be watching.
After practice, as we rack the boat, she pulls out her phone to check messages. I see her face pale slightly before she quickly puts it away.
"Everything okay?" I ask.
"Fine," she says automatically, then catches herself. "Actually, no. My parents just confirmed they'll be here Friday evening. Earlier than expected."
"That's good, right? More time to explain things?"
Her laugh has no humor in it. "More time for things to go wrong, you mean."
Before I can respond, Gray appears at her side. "Problem?"
"My parents moved up their arrival," she tells him. "Friday evening instead of Saturday morning."
Gray's expression darkens. "We'll adjust accordingly."
The casual "we" again. Definitely interesting.
"Look," I interject, "I know I joke around a lot, but if you need anything this weekend—moral support, character witness, someone to create a distraction—just say the word."
She looks surprised by the genuine offer. "Why?"
"Because you're team," I say simply. "And because I know what it's like to disappoint people you care about. Sometimes you need someone in your corner who doesn't have expectations."
"Thank you," she says quietly. "Both of you. For everything."
As we head back to the team house, I find myself thinking about expectations and disappointments, about the masks we wear to protect ourselves from judgment. Reese Callahan might be small in stature, but she's got more courage than most people twice her size.
This weekend's going to test all of us. But something tells me our fierce little coxswain is stronger than she knows.
And if she needs backup… well, that's what teammates are for.
chapter EIGHTEEN
Zane
"Seat assignments arenon-negotiable," Gray announces, clipboard in hand as we stand beside the team bus where Coach Bennett is loading the last of the equipment. "This is a three-hour drive to Riverside. I've arranged the seating to optimize rest, team dynamics, and minimal distraction."
I bite back a laugh. Only Gray Lockwood would treat a road trip like a military operation, especially after the stress of the past two days. Between the break-in at Reese's room and her parents' impending arrival, our captain's control-freak tendencies have shifted into overdrive.
"Just say you're keeping all the troublemakers separated," Beckett calls out, flashing that smile that's gotten him out of trouble since kindergarten.
Gray doesn't smile back. Shocking. "Monroe, you're in the third row with Callahan."
