“Sure,” she announced. She took the ball back, arched her arm over her head, and let the thing loose. It landed right in front of her and rolled to a stop. “See?”
Cameron chuckled and picked the ball back up. He palmed it in his hand, allowing himself to revel in the feel of the soft leather. “Not a bad try, but there’s a secret in throwing one of these things.” He glanced at her. “Want me to tell you what it is?”
Her eyes grew wide. “Yeah,” she whispered.
Cameron squatted in front of her and held the ball out. “See these white laces here?” He ran the tip of his index finger over them.
Piper touched them. “Is that where they sewed the ball to keep it from falling apart?”
Cute, but also an interesting observation. “No, this is to guide you on where to put your hands.” He showed her by demonstrating with his own fingers. “See, you palm the ball like this and line your fingers up with the laces. Then you can throw it.”
Piper watched the ball fly across the yard. She got up and ran for it. “I want to try it now.” She skipped back toward him, holding the ball in both hands. She attempted to palm the ball like he had, but her hand was too little. “Am I doing it right?”
Cameron made an adjustment to her fingers. “Now throw it. But don’t bring your arm back too far. And let the ball go about here,” he instructed as he demonstrated how to move her arm.
She gave it a shot, with a huge grin breaking across her face. Of course, she didn’t execute exactly how he’d shown her, but it was pretty damn close, and the ball flew a lot farther. She jumped up and down and ran to the ball.
“I wanna throw it again,” she announced. “Can I throw it and you catch it?” she asked him.
He stood from his crouch. “Sure.” He made sure not to go too far, knowing she wouldn’t be able to cross the whole yard with one throw.
She jumped up and down again and clapped her hands when he caught her throw. “Now you throw and I’ll catch it.”
Cameron waited for her to stand still before he let the ball fly. He arched it too high and the thing went flying through her hands, even after she jumped to try to catch it.
“You’re supposed to let me catch it,” Piper chastised him. She snagged the ball from the grass and threw it back to him. “Like that.”
Was she instructing him on how to throw the ball, after he just showed her? He grinned and shook his head. “Thanks for the pointer,” he told her. “I’ll see if I can do better.”
This time he underhanded it, and Piper held her arms out, but the ball bounced out of her hands and landed on the ground. “That’s not how you showed me to throw it.”
Damn, kid.
She threw the ball at him, and he caught it. “Okay, let’s try it again,” he said to her. “This time I want you to watch the ball and try to cradle it in your hands when you catch it.”
Piper tilted her head to one side. “You mean like a baby?”
Cameron opened his mouth, then burst out laughing. “Not really. I mean like this.” I tossed the ball in the air and caught it the way he described. “Understand?”
Piper nodded and swiped a strand of hair out of her face. The whole time Pinkie Pie had been running back and forth, as though she were trying to catch the ball too. Cameron had been tempted to drop the thing on her.
Cameron held the ball up with one hand. “Ready?”
The kid nodded again and held out her hands.
This time she caught it and jumped up and down. They played for a few more minutes, when Piper stopped and glanced toward where Audrey had stepped onto the back porch.
“Audrey, come play catch with us. Uncle Cameron taught me how to throw.”
Cameron glanced at her and allowed his gaze to appreciate the way her leggings showed off her slim legs. And damn if he didn’t want them wrapped around his hips.
“Yeah, I don’t really do the football thing,” she told them.
He arched a brow at her and silently winced at the pain it caused in his eye. “You are if you’re going to stay in this house,” he replied. “Get down here.”
She came down the steps. “I don’t suppose I have a choice in this?”
“No.” He snagged her wrist and yanked her in front of him. “It’ll be fun.”
“I doubt that,” she complained. “I don’t like football.”
“Bite your blasphemous tongue,” he warned, then placed the ball in her hands.
She took it, but held it out in front of herself like she didn’t know what to do with the thing. He rolled his eyes and readjusted her grip.
“It’s not going to bite you,” he soothed.
She slanted him a look over her shoulder. “Says you.”
He chuckled and placed her hand on the football and moved her fingers to rest on the laces. Yeah, he may have touched her more than he should have. Brushed the tops of her hands with his fingers longer than necessary. Stood a little too close, maybe made sure his hips nudged hers. Audrey cleared her throat, and Cameron told himself she was trying to cover up a moan. Because he sure as hell was.
“Make sure your fingers align with the laces like this,” he said as he showed her.
Her breath shuddered, and if Piper hadn’t been watching them, he would have spun her around and kissed the hell out of her. Cut and bruises be damned. His face was already throbbing. What was a little more pain?
“And don’t throw it too high,” Piper added as she watched them. He hoped she wasn’t watching the hard-on growing beneath his athletic pants.
“Maybe I should have Piper show me how to do this,” Audrey suggested when his erection
