The Name of the Game

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Authors: Jennifer Dawson
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Declan said, his tone taking on a whine, “I don’t like sports. I’m not good at them.”
    â€œHow are you going to get good if you sit on your butt all the time playing video games?” his father asked, exasperated.
    James understood his uncle’s good intentions. Declan was overweight, didn’t get enough exercise, and probably ate nothing but junk food. He also had the pasty look of the die-hard gamer. In Declan’s dad’s mind, playing sports was a way to get his son to exercise. A tactic James had been subjected to a thousand times growing up. What Uncle Peter didn’t understand, considering he’d been captain of the football team in high school, was that those comments only increased the kid’s awkwardness and insecurity. The more he pushed Declan, the less inclined he’d be to play anything. And worse, it plummeted his self-esteem into the toilet.
    Unable to keep his mouth shut, James jostled his younger cousin. “I’d rather be dead than play basketball. Never saw the point of all that running around just to throw a ball into a tiny hoop.”
    Declan’s expression flashed with gratitude and relief, only to cloud a moment later when his dad said, “Yeah, but look at James. He used to be just like you. Take a lesson from him.”
    â€œHe’s fine,” James said, his tone flat. Embarrassing the hell out of the kid wouldn’t help matters. If Peter was smart, he’d do what James did. At least once a month, he took Declan out and made sure he got active in things James knew he enjoyed. He didn’t force him to play the sports he hated, and Declan never once complained about having to use his muscles.
    â€œAll I’m saying is it wouldn’t kill you to play a little basketball,” Peter insisted.
    James’s jaw hardened.
    â€œSorry to interrupt,” Gracie said from behind Peter, the distinct purr in her voice that meant she was about to manipulate someone. “But earlier Declan promised to show me how to play Halo .” She beamed at Peter, her smile so dazzling it was blinding. “You don’t mind, do you?”
    If he didn’t know she’d scratch his eyes out, James would have kissed her on the spot.
    Peter’s attention dropped to Gracie’s chest, stretching the confines of her fitted top, and coughed. “Um . . . no, of course not.”
    Gracie grinned at Declan. “Basketball bores me to tears, too. I mean, I’d much rather kill things with a sniper rifle, wouldn’t you?”
    Declan grinned back, the worship written across his face.
    Bottom lip puffed out in a pout, Gracie fluttered her lashes at Uncle Peter, who looked a little stunned. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been stuck on level thirty, for like, forever. Declan promised he’d help me beat it.”
    Unable to contain his wide smile, James shook his head. Right at this second he would have done anything for Gracie. She’d made a kid who desperately needed a boost of confidence feel like a god.
    â€œSure, go ahead, son.” Peter gave Gracie a long, perplexed look, then walked away.
    Declan jumped up and waved her over. “Come on, Gracie.”
    James pointed toward the back door. “Go set it up; she’ll be there in a minute.”
    Declan ran into the house with surprising speed, probably expending more energy in that brief minute than he had all day. When the door shut, James turned back to Gracie and stood, then walked down the couple steps to stand at her level. “Thank you.”
    She blinked, and a faint pink stained her cheeks. “You seemed on the verge of losing your temper.”
    â€œI was.” James was surprised she’d noticed, until he remembered Declan’s assertion that she watched him.
    The question was, why? Was she plotting his murder?
    She flashed a smile, a real one this time instead of the sex kitten one she’d used to distract

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