For the Game

by Amber Garza

  “What about this one?” Cooper stopped at a tall tree with branches that were sparse and far apart.

  “No.” I shook my head. “It’s like a Charlie Brown tree.”

  “It is not.” He ran his fingertip over one of the fragrant branches. “This is the kind of tree we get every year.”

  I bit my lip, feeling a little bad. Truth was that I kind of thought he was teasing when he pointed at it. Then again, I’d been so sick last year that I never went to his house during the holidays. I guess I had wrongfully assumed his family got the same kind of tree as us. Now I wished I had kept my mouth shut. “Oh, well…it’s nice. I like it.” I hoped my feeble attempt to fix it had worked, though I suspected the damage was already done.

  Cooper grinned. “I like seeing you squirm. It’s adorable.” He snaked his arm around my waist and tugged me forward. Our chests bumped. “But it’s fine. I know you don’t like the tree.”

  When I blew my breath out, a puff of white air floated between our faces. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was the kind of tree you got.”

  “It’s all right. Today isn’t about me. It’s about picking out the perfect tree for my girl.” He stole a quick kiss on my cheek, his lips hot against my frigid skin, and then released me. “So point me in the right direction.”

  His hand found mine again, his fingers warming my cold ones.

  “I think I found the one,” Dad’s voice boomed from behind a wall of trees.

  “Coming!” I smiled, tugging on Cooper’s arm. We wove through the trees to meet Dad. Prickly branches caught on the fabric of my jacket, some of the needles falling. When we reached Dad, he stood next to a bushy Douglas Fir. It was exactly the kind of tree I loved, a tree so full I couldn’t even see the trunk. Dad spun it around so I could inspect every angle. There was one spot that was a tad out of proportion, but I figured that could go against the wall.

  “I love it,” I said, nodding in approval.

  “I knew you would.” Dad set the tree back down. “Okay. You two wait here, and I’ll go grab someone to help us.”

  “I guess I should’ve left the tree hunting to Dexter from the beginning.” Cooper drew me to him.

  I circled my arms around his neck. “I’m sorry I chose his tree over yours. It’s just that Dad and I have been doing this together for a long time, so he knows the ones I prefer.”

  “I get it.” Leaning in, he nuzzled my face with his nose. It was cold and I shivered. “I love that I’m always learning new things about you.” He ran his hands up and down my arms in an attempt to warm me up while his own teeth chattered. “Damn, it’s cold today.”

  I nodded. “It must be jarring for my So Cal boy, huh?”

  “Oh, it gets cold in So Cal too.” He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close.

  “The only difference is I don’t have my girl there to keep me warm.”

  “Oh, I’ll warm you up all right,” I said coyly, surprised by how seductive my voice came out sounding.

  Cooper cocked an eyebrow. “Don’t tease me, baby.”

  I giggled. “Who said I’m teasing? I fully intend to warm you up.”

  Cooper shrugged. “Okay, I’m game. Show me what you got.”

  The sound of shoes crunching on pine needles caught our attention, and we turned to see Dad returning with a man wearing overalls and a red knit hat. I pointed out the tree we picked, and the man snatched it up carrying it to the front of the lot. Dad trailed behind him, but when I turned to follow them Cooper stopped me. His hand clamped around my wrist.

  “We weren’t done,” he said, yanking me back toward him.

  My lips curled at the edges. “We weren’t?”

  “I believe you promised to warm me up, and you better do it fast because I think I’m pretty close to freezing to death out here.”

  A chuckle escaped through my lips. “Freezing to death? I don’t think so. It may be cold, but I don’t think it’s possible to freeze to death in 40 degree weather. In fact, water doesn’t even freeze unless it’s below 30 degrees.”

  “Okay, Ms. Brainiac.” His face held a teasing gleam. “I’m off school this week. I don’t want a lesson on the weather. I want my girlfriend, so get over here and warm me up.”

  “Bossy.” I smiled, stepping toward him. “But you’re right. I promised to warm you up, so I will.” Heart hammering in my chest, I was acutely aware of Dad just feet away paying for the tree. But the knowledge that we were hidden behind a row of trees caused boldness to rise in me. Slipping my hands under Cooper’s shirt, I trailed my palms up his chest.

  “Shit.” He jumped back. “Your hands are like ice.” Smiling, he reached for me. “Clearly you were confused about the challenge. I wanted you to warm me up, not freeze me.” He laughed, and I felt stupid. I didn’t know what I’d been thinking. Mostly I just wanted to touch his chest, and usually he liked it. But obviously I hadn’t taken into account how cold my hands were right now. “Let me show you how it’s done.” Amused, I allowed him to lift my hands up to his mouth. Cupping them around his mouth, he blew hot air onto them and it skated over my skin. Then he gently folded my fingers down, covering them with his warm hands. After pressing a kiss to my forehead, he guided my hands under his jacket, careful to keep them outside of his shirt. He placed my hands on his chest and cinched his jacket around my arms. My hands warmed up as his heart thumped beneath my palms. “That better?”

  “Much.” I smiled up at him.

  “Ready?” Dad asked from over my shoulder, breaking into our intimate moment.

  Cooper released the hold on his jacket, and I extracted my hands. Face flushing I turned around. “He was helping me get warm,” I mumbled.

  Wearing a bemused smile, Dad nodded. “Yeah, I could see that.”

  Tucking my hand in his, Cooper stood beside me and together we followed behind Dad. When we rounded the corner, a flash of pink caught my attention. An overpowering floral scent smacked me in the face.

  “Oh my god, Cooper Montgomery!” A shrill voice rang out.

  I snapped my head up and my stomach tightened. Madison stood in front of us wearing that damn pink jacket she always wore. The fur around the edges framed her pale face. She pursed her pink lips and batted her long lashes as she stared at Cooper as if he had hung the moon. It was like she didn’t even know I was with him. As if she thought he was in this lot specifically for her.

  “I’m sorry. Do I know you?” Cooper said, and I felt my lip twitch. Staring at the ground, I willed my face to stay neutral.

  Madison, on the other hand, had more difficulty with that. Her eyes widened, her jaw slacking. “It’s me.” She pointed at her chest, as if that was clarification enough. “Madison Smith,” she spoke slowly, enunciating every syllable.

  Cooper shook his head. “Sorry. Doesn’t ring a bell.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “We met several times. We even talked for awhile at one of Calista’s parties.”

  “You’ll have to forgive me, but Calista did throw a lot of parties, and I did meet a lot of girls at them.” I stiffened at his words, but he tightened his hold on my hand. “But don’t feel bad. None of the girls were that memorable.” He turned to me, and Madison’s gaze followed. It was the first time she’d looked at me at all. “Not until I met this girl, that is.” Leaning over, he planted a tender kiss on my lips. “She’s the only girl in this whole damn town worth remembering. In fact, I couldn’t forget her even if I tried.” He kissed me again. This time harder and longer. “Not that I’d ever want to.” With an apologetic expression he turned to Madison. “I’m sorry, but I really have to get going. I only have two weeks here, and I want to spend all of that time with my girl.”

  Madison huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She glared at us as we stepped around her.

  “Did you really not remember her?” I whispered as we headed toward Dad’s car.

  “Vaguely.” He shrugged.

  “Did you and she…you know…” I didn’t really want to know, b
ut for some reason I had to ask.

  “No.” He tugged me toward him as we walked forward, our feet crunching on pine needles and bark. “I was never interested in younger girls.” I craned my neck in his direction. “Until you, that is.” He winked, and I smiled. Glancing over his shoulder, his expression sobered. “She’s been harassing you, hasn’t she?”

  I hadn’t told Cooper about the things Madison had said. There was no point. It’s not like he could’ve done anything about it. “How did you know?”

  “I could tell by the way your body tensed when she showed up. It was the same way you used to react to Calista.”

  It was amazing how well he could read me. “Thanks.” My heart swelled when I thought about the way he put her in her place.

  “You don’t have to thank me. I meant every word I said.”

  The tree was already strapped to the top of Dad’s car when we reached it. We all piled inside, and Dad turned on the engine, his oldies station floating through the speakers. Rubbing my hands together, I anxiously waited for the air that spilled from the vents to get warmer. The tires bumped over rocks and gravel until we pulled out of the lot onto the asphalt of the street. We lived only a few blocks from the lot, so we were home quickly.

  Once we arrived, Dad and Cooper untied the tree from the car and carried it inside. Dad and I had already gotten the tree stand ready. It sat in the only empty corner in our family room, between the couch and the wall. The space wasn’t very large, so we had to cram the tree to fit every year. Still, we made it work.

  It was impressive to see how quickly Cooper and Dad worked to get the tree up. When it was just Dad and me it took quite a bit longer. But the two guys were really efficient, and before I knew it, it was time to put on the lights. Excitedly, I pulled out a few strings of white lights and started wrapping them around the tree. The scent of pine and sap wafted under my nose. Dad clicked on some Christmas music, and it filled the room.

  “Want some hot chocolate, baby?” Cooper came up behind me, speaking so close to my ear that his breath fanned over it.

  Joy welling up inside me, I nodded. Emotion rose in my throat as he left the room, and I swallowed it down. Last year the day we set up the tree had been a tough one. I hadn’t been feeling well, so I wasn’t much help. We did get the tree in and decorated, but it was a long, grueling afternoon, and Dad ended up doing most of it while I rested on the couch watching. And it was so disheartening since this was my favorite part of the holiday. Before Mom died, decorating the tree was a huge event in our home. Mom would make hot chocolate and sing Christmas carols at the top of her lungs while she hung the ornaments. She had the nicest singing voice, and I used to listen with awe.

  Also, she had a story for each ornament, and she enjoyed sharing them with me. I loved hearing the stories, knowing the reason behind the ornament. After the tree was all decorated, I’d stare up at the tree, recalling each tale, the significance of every individual ornament. The tree took on new meaning to me then. It was no longer just a tree. It was more like a novel to me. Like the books I read every day.

  When Cooper returned with hot chocolate, I’d finished the lights and they sparkled, illuminating the tree. I stared at them as they twinkled in the dark green branches. Stepping back from the tree, I took the mug in my hands, wrapping my palms around it. Warmth seeped into my skin.

  Cooper’s arm slid around my shoulders. “Looks beautiful.”

  “Thanks.” I rested my head on his shoulder.

  “Tired?” He asked.

  “Not at all.” I swiveled my head to look at him. “And you better not be either. We’ve only just begun.” With my free hand, I pointed to the two large boxes near the couch. “Those are filled with ornaments, and they all need to get up on that tree.”

  He smiled, holding his own mug of hot chocolate. Steam rose from it, and I inhaled the sweet scent. “I can’t wait to get started.”

  “Me either.” My lips curved at the edges.

  “Damn, happiness looks good on you,” Cooper said, staring into my eyes.

  “Then I must look gorgeous today,” I bantered back.

  “Even more than usual, and that’s saying something.”

  “That’s because I’m so happy.”

  “You love this, huh? Decorating the tree and everything?”

  I nodded. “It’s been my favorite part of the holidays since I was a little girl. But with you being here, it’s even better.”

  Cooper moved his hand forward, clinking our mugs together. “Here’s to many more years of decorating trees together.”

  “Cheers.” I clinked his mug back, a broad smile sweeping my face. It may have just been a silly ritual, but I snatched it in my hand and tucked it in my heart, praying it was true. I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life having days like today. Days full of promise, hope and joy.

  CHAPTER 12

  Cooper

  After reading the last page, I set the paper next to my thigh and picked up my cell phone. Leaning my head back against the soft leather material of the couch, I dialed quickly. The house was quiet and dimly lit since my grandparents were already asleep. They were definitely morning people, in bed by nine, but up before the sun. Unlike me, who loved to stay up late, and had no interest in waking before the sun was out. Of course my baseball schedule didn’t always allow me the luxury of sleeping in.

  “I loved it,” I said when London answered her phone.

  “Really? It was just my first attempt. More of a practice story then anything. I’m sure my writing will get better.”

  “If it does, you’re going to be a bestselling author in no time.”

  “You really think so?”

  “I know so.” I shuffled the stack of papers, aligning them into a neat row.

  A sigh of relief filled the line. “I was so nervous about giving it to you. You’re the first person who’s read my work. But I figured since you gave me the laptop and you inspired the story, that you deserved the first peek.”

  “First peek. I like the sound of that. What other things are you planning to let me peek at?” I teased.

  “Oh, seriously, get your mind out of the gutter.” She sounded exasperated, but I could hear the amusement in her voice.

  After shaking the image of London allowing me a peek at things, my mind honed in on something she’d just said. “So, I inspired the story, huh? Does this mean that I was the handsome savior?”

  “Of course,” she said, like it should have been obvious. “Who else would it be?”

  When I read the story I hadn’t put myself in it at all. London’s characters seemed real to me. I pictured them as real people, as if they lived outside of London’s imagination. But now that I knew she had actually thought of me when penning the hero, emotion welled in my throat making it difficult to respond. My relationship with London had taken me completely by surprise. She showed up out of nowhere, tearing into my life at a time when I hadn’t even been looking for anyone. At a time when I was actively pushing girls away. And yet, I couldn’t push her away. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t stop myself from feeling things for her. It didn’t make sense to me. She wasn’t the type of girl I usually went for.

  But she was exactly what I needed.

  I was grateful for our relationship every single day, but never as much as I was at this moment. Most people thought London was lucky to have me. When I was still in high school I heard the whispers in the hall. I knew what people thought about us dating. And when I gave her the bone marrow that saved her life, the rumors ramped up even further. I was the only one who knew how wrong they were.

  I was the lucky one.

  My whole life I’d kept people at a distance. And even though I was always surrounded by people, the truth was that I was lonely. There were times when I even worried that I’d be lonely the rest of my life. Like maybe I was destined to have a lifetime of superficial relationships that went nowhere. At times I even worried that the death of my parents had done irrevoca
ble damage. That I was unable to connect to anyone at a deep level.

  London proved me wrong. And she’d saved me. Saved me from a life of loneliness. With her I felt whole and complete, connected. She showed me that I wasn’t unable to connect. I just hadn’t met anyone worth connecting with. But she was worth it. Damn, was she worth it.

  “I love it, baby,” I finally said.

  “I’m glad.” I could practically hear her smiling. “And I love my necklace.”

  “I know jewelry’s not really your thing. But when I saw it I could picture it on your neck, and I had to buy it,” I explained.

  “I know, and I truly love it.”

  I’d bought London a silver necklace with a single charm on it – a baseball. She was such a tomboy that she didn’t own one piece of jewelry. But this necklace wasn’t gaudy or girly looking. And I figured when she wore it it would remind her of me. I liked the thought that when I went back to school there would be a piece of me next to her heart.

  “See you in the morning?” London asked, but there was no need to.

  “Of course,” I responded. I’d only left her house a couple of hours ago, and I planned to show up first thing in the morning. There was only one week left before I had to be back for practices, and I planned to spend every minute I could with London.

  “Are you going to go to Nate’s at some point?”

  “We’ll see.” Nate was here visiting from college too. He’d texted a couple of times, and while I wanted to see him, I hated the idea of it breaking into my time with London.

  “Coop, he’s your oldest friend. You’ve known him longer than me.”