Megan said. âMy team was state champion last year.â
There you go! Nice one! she thought, smiling triumphantly.
âReally?â Evan asked, looking over his shoulder. âThatâs awesome, Kicks.â
Meganâs smile widened.
âKicks? Whatâs Kicks?â Hailey asked.
âItâs Meganâs nickname,â Evan said. âActually, her nicknameâs Kicker, but I shortened it. I think Kicks is cooler, donât you?â he asked, glancing at Megan in the mirror.
âDefinitely,â Megan said.
Hailey sat back hard and stared out the window, her jaw set. âThatâs so nice that you two already have your own nicknames.â
âDo I sense a little sarcasm, Hails?â Evan asked playfully. He stopped at a red light, picked up her hand, and kissed it.
Hailey rolled her eyes but smiled. âNo,â she said. âNot at all. So, how was lacrosse practice? Are you finally going to make All-State this year?â
âYou know I donât care about that,â Evan said, still holdingHaileyâs hand as he turned the wheel with his left. âLacrosse is for fun. As long as I make first-team hockeyââ
âI know! I know! The schools will be coming after you !â Hailey replied.
As Evan and Hailey chatted on, Megan found herself suffering from major third-wheel discomfort. She sat back in her seat and gazed out the window, wondering how far Haileyâs house was from the school. As much as she didnât want to be left alone in the car to make conversation with Evan, listening to the happy loversâ chatter was much, much worse.
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Megan Meadeâs Guide to the McGowan Boys
Entry Two
Observation #1: When thereâs food in their sights, boys notice little else.
Itâs like lion-and-gazelle time on Animal Planet. Heidi Klum could walk in and no one would notice. Okay, maybe they would. No way to test that theory. But still, itâs like ultimate concentration.
Observation #2: Theyâre easily distracted.
Evan was supposed to show me around school, but he saw some friends and got sidetracked. I chose not to take the slight personally.
Observation #3: They know how to pose.
Evan. His car. Some perfectly placed sunbeams. A casual, unaffected lean. **sigh**
Observation #4: They have bizarro taste in women.
Four
âSo, did you have fun?â Regina asked that night as she opened the front door.
âYeah, thanks again,â Megan said. âBut you really didnât have to get me all this stuff.â Clutched in her hands were four shopping bags full of clothes and makeup Regina had insisted on bringing home for her.
âI didnât have toâI wanted to,â Regina said. âDo you know what a pleasure it is to spend time in the womenâs section at the Gap?â
Megan laughed. âWell, thanks again.â
âAnytime,â Regina said. âIâm going to make some tea. Do you want some?â
âNo thanks. I think Iâll just go put all this away.â
âWell, good night, hon,â Regina said with a smile.
ââNight.â
Megan headed down the hallway for the stairs but paused when she heard voices coming from the basement. Down below, Doug called out the play-by-play for what, from the sound of it, was a digital football showdown.
âAnd Ianâs Patriots take the ball on their own thirty-yard line,â Doug intoned, lowering his voice to a near-perfect impression of Al Michaels. âCan Ian, the upstart sixth grader, who until recently was still sucking his fruit punch from a sippy cup, beat last yearâs champion and complete spazmoâall filler, no killer Miller?â
Megan smirked. Doug was actually kind of funny. Who knew?
âAnd Brady drops back to pass. . . . Heâs lookinâ. . . . Heâs