Zane (Halversons #8)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Kelsey followed Zane into the large gym at the high school. Others of the family were also there, many having already secured seats on the bleachers.

The sound of multiple basketballs hitting the floor echoed in the large space, but it couldn’t quite block out the murmur of conversations from the people already gathered there.

It had been a long time since Kelsey had last been in a school gym. Even when she’d been in high school, she’d gone to the gym only under the duress of having to take physical education.

There certainly hadn’t been nights when she’d gone with a group of friends to cheer on other friends as they played sports. If she’d made friends at all in a new school, they were definitely not a part of the cool kids group. More often than not, she hadn’t had a close friend, so her Friday nights were spent working or at home.

There was a buzz in the air as people anticipated the first home game for the local high school basketball team. The Halversons were all there to support Jay as he coached the team and his son Peyton, who played on the team.

Kelsey hadn’t been sure about attending the game, but when Zane had made it clear that he was going, she’d decided to go too. These days she was trying to spend what time she could with Zane, even if that included attending a basketball game for high schoolers.

As they approached the section where members of the family already sat, Zane slowly headed up the metal bleachers to the row in front of his sisters. Once they reached the row, Zane led the way into it, carefully maneuvering his booted leg.

He would be going to see Gareth next week to get an x-ray done to see if he still needed to continue to wear the boot. But things were looking promising, and Kelsey was sure that in a week’s time he’d have it off.

“Hey, you two,” Janessa said as they settled on the bleacher in front of her and Will.

“Where’s the little man?” Zane asked as he turned toward Janessa.

“We left him with my folks,” Will said. “They’re having Grandma and Grandpa time with him.”

Zane turned to Charli. “What about your kids?”

Charli gestured down at the court. “Layla and Amelia are hanging out with their friends, closer to the action. The younger ones are with a babysitter from church, having more fun with her than they’d have here.”

“It’s almost like date night for you,” Zane said.

Blake nodded. “We take date night where we can.”

“Where are Rori and Lee?” Charlie asked. “Are they not coming?”

“They were late getting home from work,” Zane said. “They’ll be here soon.”

“How are you doing, Kelsey?” Janessa asked with a smile.

“I’m doing well. Thank you.” Kelsey returned her smile. “How are you?”

“I’m doing great,” Janessa said. “Glad it’s the weekend.”

“How were the first couple weeks of school, Will? Zane asked.

“It’s going really well,” Will replied. “The first week was a bit of an adjustment for everyone, as usual. But things have settled down this week.”

“Do you miss not going back to school, Charli?” Zane asked his sister.

“Not so much anymore,” she said. “The first year I didn’t go back was the hardest. But now, I’m fine with not having to juggle the kids and daycare and teaching all at the same time.”

“There’s Lee and Rori,” Will said as pointed to the entrance to the gym, then waved at them. Lee lifted a hand in response, before leading Rori through the crowd to reach them.

As the couple reached them, a loud buzzer pierced the air as the clock on the electronic board had hit zero.

Will grinned as he rubbed his hands together. “It’s game time, folks.”

The players on the floor gathered around their coaches and several teenage girls cartwheeled out onto the floor, yelling as they went.

“I would kill myself if I tried to do that,” Rori said

“You and me both,” Kelsey said. “I’ve never been that coordinated.”

“Me either.”

“Kayleigh used to be a cheerleader.” Zane said.

Kelsey had a hard time imagining her polished, always put together, sister-in-law cartwheeling onto the floor and yelling the way these girls were. The picture that came to her mind made her smile a bit.

“So was Skylar,” Janessa said. “And Layla used to love to dress up in her own little uniform and join them as a mini cheerleader when she was younger.”

“Does Amelia not want to join them?” Zane asked

Charlie shook her head. “Nope. Her focus is strictly on ice-skating.”

A whistle sounded then, and several boys from each team filed onto the court to begin their game. Jay stood on the sidelines, calling out encouragement as the ref spoke to the boys from both teams.

The noise factor in the gym rose considerably as the game got underway. Kelsey had a general idea of how the game was played, so she was able to follow the action fairly well.

Everyone around her was very into the game. Many jumped to their feet at different points of the game to yell encouragement at the players.

Lee had mentioned that since this was the first game of the season, the players would probably be a little rough around the edges. But if that was the case, Kelsey couldn’t tell. They played better than she would have.

At half time, the score was close, and low, according to Zane, but the home team had a two-point advantage. As the players disappeared into the locker rooms, people around them stood up.

“We’re going to get some food and drinks,” Rori said. “Want to come with us?”

“Uh. Sure.” Kelsey glanced at a Zane. “Did you want something?”

“I wouldn’t mind a soda and a hotdog.”

“Got it,” Rori said. “We’ll be back in a few.”

Kelsey followed them out of the row, but Lee and Rori got a little ahead of her and a couple of people filed in between them. She kept her head down, making sure that she didn’t trip on the metal steps.

As she neared the bottom with tentative steps, a hand appeared in front of her. She looked up, expecting it to be Lee, but it was another man. She didn’t recognize him, but he was aiming a friendly smile her way.

Kelsey didn’t want to take his hand, but she wasn’t sure how to refuse him without being rude. As she reached out to take it, Kelsey wished so much that it was Zane’s instead.

As she stepped onto the floor, the man gave her hand a squeeze but didn’t let go right away. Kelsey pulled her hand from his and murmured, “Thank you.”

She realized then that there was a definite benefit to wearing her wedding rings that she hadn’t even considered.

“My name is Eric,” the man said before she could move away from him.

“Hey.” Rori stepped up beside Kelsey and threaded her arm through Kelsey’s. “I thought we’d lost you.”

“How’s it going, Eric?” Lee said as he joined Rori.

“Good. Good. Can’t complain.” Eric’s gaze darted between the three of them. “Is this beautiful lady a friend of yours?”

“A friend, yes,” Lee said. “But also, a sister-in-law. She’s Zane’s wife.”

Eric’s brows drew together as his gaze dropped to Kelsey’s left hand. “My apologies. I didn’t know.”

“No harm done,” Lee told him with a grin. “Zane’s still not out of the boot from his broken leg, so you could probably outrun him.”

Eric chuckled. “Good to know.”

“Well, we’re gonna go get in line for food,” Lee said. “See you around, man.”

Eric nodded and smiled as they turned to leave.

“Well, that was awkward,” Kelsey murmured as she and Rori followed Lee.

His large frame cut through the crowd of people, making it easier for Rori and Kelsey to move. Not far from the gym, they found a line of people at the high school canteen. As they stood in line, Lee checked his phone, confirming orders with the people still in the gym.

Kelsey wondered if Zane had caught the interaction she’d had with Eric. And if so, what he’d thought about it. Probably nothing.

Unfortunately, Zane had yet to seek out any sort of physical interaction with her, let alone offer her any physical affection. It was one of the hardest things for her, since she’d gotten used to being hugged and kissed and physically intimate with Zane. Right then, she’d settle for just holding his hand.

As they stood waiting in line, Lee slipped his arm around Rori’s shoulders, and her friend tipped her head back to smile at her husband. Kelsey turned away, feeling a bit raw, and finding that their interaction only made her feel worse.

It didn’t take long to reach the front of the line, and soon they were replacing orders for the food everyone wanted. The person working behind the counter knew Lee and chatted with him as they prepared the food, loading everything into a couple of boxes to make it easier for them to carry.

Kelsey tried to pay for hers, but Lee just waved her off. Rather than argue about it, Kelsey let him take charge of the payment.

As they made their way back into the gym, she saw that the cheerleaders were once again on the floor, this time performing a choreographed program set to music. She marveled anew at their ability to fling their bodies in all sorts of different directions all while smiling broadly.

As they passed Eric. He nodded at them, but didn’t say anything more to Kelsey. She felt a little guilty because it was her not wearing a ring that had prompted him to approach her. She was sure of that.

But had he not seen her with Zane prior to walking down the steps? Or maybe he’d seen her and assumed she was just a friend of the family. She and Zane certainly didn’t act like a married couple. And then when he’d noticed that she wasn’t wearing any rings, considered her approachable.

Perhaps it was time to put her rings back on. Although it felt like it was for a really lousy reason. She wasn’t at the point with Zane that she had hoped she’d be before putting them back on. And she had really hoped that Zane would be the one to put them back on her finger again as a sign of his love and commitment to her, just like he’d done the first time.

When they were back in their seats, all the attention was on handing out the food and drinks they’d picked up for everyone. Surprisingly, everything was correct.

Kelsey hadn’t been hungry for a hotdog, so she’d settled for a bag of chips and a drink. Meanwhile, Zane tucked into his hot dog, looking like it was his favourite food ever, though she wasn’t sure she’d ever actually seen him eat one before.

“Was that guy bugging you?” he asked.

“Bugging me?” Kelsey said. “Not really. He just gave me a hand down from the bleachers.”

Zane glanced from her to Lee and back to Kelsey again. “As long as he wasn’t bugging you.”

“Lee knows him,” Kelsey told him. “And he introduced me, letting him know that I was his sister-in-law.”

Zane’s gaze drifted down to where Eric still stood with a handful of people. Kelsey wished she could read his mind in that moment to see if he was upset with her because of what had happened.

He hadn’t been pleased when she decided not to wear her rings. She knew that. So maybe he’d blame her for Eric’s approach.

The thought left a pit in Kelsey’s stomach because she’d once had a boyfriend who had blamed her any time a guy showed the slightest bit of interest in her, even if it was just as friends. That relationship hadn’t lasted long because Kelsey didn’t like being held responsible for something over which she had no control.

She had never acted flirtatiously with other men. It just wasn’t who she was. And even if she was inclined to be that way, she certainly wouldn’t flirt with a guy while she was in a relationship with someone else.

Kelsey could only hope that Zane would see that it had been a truly innocent interaction. She wasn’t completely certain how her Zane would’ve acted, because they’d never really run into that situation.

“As long as you didn’t feel harassed.”

“Not harassed, really,” she said as she peered into her chip bag. “Just kind of an awkward situation.”

“Want me to have a word with him?”

Kelsey quickly shook her head. “It really was nothing. He just offered his help off the bleachers, and Lee stepped in to introduce me as his sister-in-law. It’s all fine.”

She really wanted to get past the interaction. It was a nothing encounter, and she just wanted to put it out of her mind. They’d been enjoying the evening, and she didn’t want this to negatively impact it.

The second half started with the blow of a whistle, and for the remainder of the game, Kelsey tried her best not to dwell on what had happened with Eric.

When the final buzzer sounded, people stood and clapped for the home team's win. Jay gathered his players around him, high fiving each of them.

Charli and Blake left pretty quickly after saying goodbye, no doubt eager to pry the girls from their friends and get home to their other kids. Will and Janessa weren’t far behind.

As she filed out of the row, Zane stayed close behind her as they made their way down. Thankfully, Eric was gone already when they reached the floor, and Kelsey was able to leave to step off the bleachers without any issue, even without a helping hand.

“Who was that guy making the moves on my wife, Lee?” Zane asked as the four of them left the gym.

“He wasn’t necessarily making moves on Kelsey, bro,” Lee replied. “He was offering her a hand.”

“Who is he? I didn’t recognize him.”

“His name is Eric, and I know him because he’s brought his dog into the clinic a couple of times. He’s a nice guy.”

“He needs to direct his niceness in another direction,” Zane said.

Kelsey hadn’t seen a jealous side of Zane before. And she wasn’t entirely sure she was seeing it then, either. But it was odd that he felt the need to warn a guy off of being nice to her.

If only Zane understood that right then, the only man she wanted that type of attention from was him. She wanted him to offer her a hand. She wanted him to tell her she was beautiful.

But that wasn’t what had happened that evening. A stranger had stepped in and done those things, and apparently, it had unsettled both her and Zane. What that meant, she had no idea.

“Are you sure that guy wasn’t bugging you?” Zane asked once it was just the two of them in her car. “Even if Lee likes the guy, you can be honest.”

“I was honest,” she said. “He wasn’t bugging me. He offered me a hand down off the last step, then asked Lee who the… beautiful lady was.”

“He called you beautiful, too?” Zane asked.

Kelsey didn’t want to be defending a stranger, so she just shrugged as she started up the car. It might not be the best thing to have told him that, but at the same time, she didn’t want it to come out at another point and become a big deal because she hadn’t told him.

“I don’t want you to be subjected to unsolicited attention with stuff like that.” Zane paused. “Maybe you should put your rings back on.”

She’d considered that herself, but she had a question first. “Are you going to put yours back on?”

When he hesitated again, Kelsey’s heart sank. Without waiting for his response, she said, “I’d rather wait until we’re both ready to put our rings back on.”

Zane didn’t say anything to that, and silence filled the car. Thankfully, the drive home was short because it was definitely not a comfortable one.

Kelsey was left feeling like they’d just taken a massive step backwards, and she didn’t know what to do about it. She’d been honest, and all it had done was bite her.

They arrived home at the same time as Lee and Rori, so there was no more awkward silence between them. Well, there was still an awkwardness between them, but it wasn’t as obvious with the other two there.

Kelsey was still struggling with what had transpired. She wanted to believe that her Zane would have just laughed it off with her. They had been that secure in their feelings for each other.

Once they’d become serious—which had been rather quickly—she had never once questioned his loyalty to her. But, of course, she had come to find out that he had something in his past that probably would have made her a little less certain about things.

So who knew how they would have handled this situation back then?

“Do you have plans for tomorrow?” Rori asked as she got a couple of cookies out of the jar and handed one to Lee.

“I’m going to be doing some yard work,” Lee said. “With fall arriving, it’s time to start prepping things for winter.”

“I’ll help,” Rori told him with a smile. “I like doing yard work with you.”

“I probably can’t be a lot of help,” Zane said. “But I’m onboard with yard work if you need me.”

Now that Kelsey didn’t have her exam to study for, she didn’t really have much to fill her time with. “I can help too.”

“Perfect,” Rori said. “We can have a late breakfast, then do some work. It’s supposed to be cool and cloudy, but no rain. Perfect for doing sweaty work.”

They chatted for a bit longer, then Kelsey excused herself to go up to her room. She was ready to call it a day.

“See you all in the morning.”

Rori gave her a hug. “Goodnight, Kels. Sleep well.”

“You too.” Kelsey gave the guys a smile that she hoped didn’t look as weak as it felt. “Goodnight.”

She heard the murmur of conversation as she climbed the stairs and briefly wondered what they were talking about. But she wasn’t curious enough to try to listen in.

When she reached her room, she went straight to the bathroom to prepare for bed. If she took a minute to sit down, her thoughts would circle around to her and Zane, and she didn’t want that just yet.

But when she curled up in bed a short time later, there was no stopping the thoughts that swelled to take up all the space in her mind. She wanted to be mad at Eric, but honestly, he’d innocently wandered into a complex situation.

Still, Kelsey couldn’t help but wish that he’d kept his hand and his compliment to himself.