Homecoming

Chapter 19

"Like this," I jumped when Max's piercing voice came from behind me. I didn't hear him coming. "Try kicking the ball like this," he deftly took the ball between my legs, tapped it twice on the knee, and sent it straight from the middle of the field into the goal.

"Wow," I couldn't help it.

"That was the perfect kick," Garrett complimented, looking up admiringly.

"Thank you," Max smiled.

"Dad, are you coming to play football with us?" Jared asked in disbelief.

"Only if it doesn't bother you," he replied, tucking his hands in the pockets of his white shorts.

"That's great," the two boys ran to him and hugged him around the waist, and the bastard had no idea how happy he was.

"And you won't mind?" he turned to me.

"Um, no," I threw up my hands helplessly. What else was I supposed to tell him? It was his playground after all, and I didn't want to spoil the boys' joy. I haven't seen them so happy in a long time.

"Are we going to play two for two?" Jared asked.

"I'm marrying Kirsten," Garrett said at the same time.

"No, you will marry your father and Kirsten will play with me," Jared countered.

"I disagree," I ended their quarrel. "It would be best if the three of us," I hugged the boys around the shoulders and cast a mischievous look at Max, "we'll play against him," I smiled at the good division, but the boys obviously disagreed with me as they turned to me indignantly.

"It won't be fair," Jared protested.

I hated it when a sense of justice and responsibility kept constantly awakening in his child's head. For God's sake, he was only eight years old, so he should enjoy his satiety as a child, bring out beef, and not constantly bother with responsibility. Anger rose in me because I knew who was responsible for all this. Of course, Maximilian, who coughed at them and left everything to Jared.

Although I'd rather say something tingling to Max now, I kept my tongue behind my teeth. The last thing I would like now was to spoil the children 's joy and turn them into a unique opportunity to play with their father, who had been exceptionally sober for a few days. But I didn't want to make this game easier for him.

"But it will," I didn't let them mumble, muttering defiantly at Max. He had a good time with it. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest and smiled suspiciously, which ultimately did not bode well. But it was too late for me to back out of the game now.

"It won't," Jared didn't let himself be convinced. "Then we'll be three on one."

"You mean?" I smiled kindly at him. "I'm just here for decoration anyway, and you two are only half the guys, so it'll be fair. Believe me, honey, "I stroked his cheek gently and looked at Max, hoping that he wouldn't protest me for a change now, but he was visibly more in trouble than taking over the strategy of the game. He had to do something to keep from laughing heartily. Although he still stood like a statue of liberty, those fleeing corners revealed that he had a good time with us, or at least with me.

"But we also know how to play football well," they defended themselves.

"It's good, though,"I ruffled their hair. "You want to win, don't you?"

"Of course we do," they immediately shouted in unison.

"Then I don't want to hear another word. Of course, your father will cope and a little running will only benefit him. "