A Game Changer by Kaye Nikky

Author:Kaye, Nikky
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
ISBN: 978-1-988673-46-2
Publisher: Nonskid Publishing
Published: 2019-10-08T16:00:00+00:00

Emma

I froze in my seat, my mouth full of muffin.

Zach, being Zach, caught the attention of everyone he passed as he followed Payton to our table—but his gaze was laser sharp on me. When he raised an eyebrow at me, I had to remind myself to swallow. The muffin felt like a block of cement going down. I reached for my coffee, partly just to do something with my hands.

“Didn’t know we were going out for breakfast,” Zach commented as he dropped into a chair. His tone was both casual and accusatory at the same time. Or maybe that’s just how I interpreted it.

Payton wriggled into the seat between us. I was amused to see her pick up her drink and hold it the same way I held mine.

Zach noticed, too.

“Aren’t you a bit young for coffee?” he asked, his lips quirking.

Payton looked into her half-full cup. “It’s hot chocolate.”

He laughed at her. “It’s summer. Who drinks hot chocolate in summer?”

“Payton does,” I said pointedly as I saw her face fall at the implied criticism from Uncle Zach. I glared at him, and thankfully he got the message.

“Actually, that’s really smart,” he added. “It stays hot longer, right?”

Payton nodded, perking up again.

Now he turned to me and I could see the questions in his eyes—questions I didn’t want to answer and didn’t know how to answer. “Em—”

I cut him off. “How did you know we were here?”

“Got a text from Anderson. What are you two doing here?”

“I thought it’d be nice to take a walk to get Payton from Serena’s.”

“Hmmm,” Zach mused as he turned his attention to his niece, asking her how she was and if she had fun at Ethan’s. I listened to them talk but I caught Zach glancing at me from time to time.

“You want something to eat?” I asked, eager for an opportunity to get away for a few minutes. I went to order him a bacon and egg breakfast sandwich and some coffee.

Although I was hoping to get a moment to myself to think, all I could actually think about was the way I felt Zach’s gaze burning on me as I walked away from the table. When I got back, he gave me a grateful smile as he continued to listen intently to his niece.

For only staying one night at a friend’s house Payton had an awful lot of adventures to tell Zach about. It suddenly occurred to me that it was probably the first sleepover she’d had since the accident. My heart lurched a little. Had she woken in the night and wanted her mom? Had she missed me and Zach?

“What, Emma?”

“Huh?” I frowned in confusion, until I looked down and discovered that I’d placed my palm high on Payton’s back. My thumb rubbed back and forth, unconsciously soothing her. I hadn’t even been aware of doing it. I stilled my hand but left it in place.

“Is something wrong?” Zach’s forehead creased with worry.

I gave them both what I hoped was a casual, reassuring smile.

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