Page 35 of The Incredible Ordinary

He laughs and his eyes flick over me quickly as if assessing my attractiveness. I don’t think it’s a conscious action on his part, but I’m still curious about what he thinks. He doesn’t say anything, though, and once he catches himself, he looks away. But nothing about the way he holds himself indicates he’s embarrassed by the blatant perusal, and that’s pretty damn attractive.

The kids get a water break, so Jordan and I get up and hand out drinks for the next five minutes. Rory stays away, so I grab a bottle and take it to him.

He looks at me suspiciously when I hold the bottle out to him, but then he takes it and drinks.

“How’s it going?” I ask.

He snaps his eyes away from where he’s been staring at the field.

“Lame,” he says quickly, putting on a scowl almost as if an afterthought.

I lean against the railing next to him.

“You were right,” I say. “You are fast. Maybe we should have had you join the track team instead.”

He glances at me. His lips part. No words come for long seconds.

I will him to talk. I root for him. For this moment here, I’ve been unexpectedly transformed into Rory’s cheerleader.

The how and the why are a mystery to me that I’m not going to dissect.

Rory sends me a funny look, like he’s not quite sure what’s happening here.

We’re in the same boat there, kid.

I’m absolutely ready to back away by now, which, considering the effort I put into this was minimal and I’m already discouraged, is pathetic.

But then I look at the bench, where Jordan is still standing. He’s not looking at the kids, though. He’s looking at us. Me and Rory. And when my eyes find his, he raises his brows and nods encouragingly.

Oh, good. Now I have people rooting for me, too. I hate it when that happens.

“I was once chased by a cow,” I say.

Rory turns his head to stare at me.

I shrug one shoulder. “Fastest I’ve ever run.”

“Was that what passed for fun when you grew up? Because TV wasn’t invented yet?”

I put on a mock scowl. “How old do you think I am?”

He sends me a calculating look out of the corner of his eye and a barely hidden smirk as he innocently says, “Fifty?”

“The education system is really letting your generation down if you think TV hadn’t been invented fifty years ago.”

“I guess you would know.”

I snort out a laugh despite myself, and the look Rory sends me is less sullen and more dubious about my reaction.

“I’ll have you know I’m thirty-five. In my prime.”

“Sounds like something people say when they’re in denial.”

He finishes his water, and when the whistle sounds, he runs back onto the field. As he does, he takes a quick glance at me over his shoulder.

I make my way back to Jordan and settle in next to him while the boys divide into two teams on the field.

“That looked like a good chat?” Jordan looks genuinely invested, even though he has no stakes in this game.