Page 40 of Edge of Steele
She blinked as she had no idea what they’d been talking about. “What?”
“Would you like to kick the soccer ball with Avery?” Finn asked.
“Oh, soccer. Yeah. Sure.”
“I’ll get the ball.” Avery trudged toward the storage shed as if being forced to participate.
Ryleigh looked at Finn. “No secret that she doesn’t want to do this.”
“No, which is odd because she loves soccer. For some reason, she sees you as competition for my affection.”
Ryleigh needed some clarification. “I’m not putting out that vibe, am I?”
“Quite the opposite.”
“Then why?”
He shrugged. “Who can know the mind of a seven-year-old, especially one who’s living with such a major hurt.”
Avery came running back, black and white ball in hand. “Got it.”
Ryleigh took off her boots and socks. She didn’t like the idea of playing barefoot, but she liked it better than wearing boots.
“You start.” Avery tossed the ball to Ryleigh.
A goal was set up at the far side of the yard so Ryleigh dropped the ball and moved it down the field and into the goal. She turned to look at Avery. “I thought maybe you would try to block me.”
She nibbled on her lip. “Is that what you want me to do?”
“Yeah.” Ryleigh dribbled the ball back to Avery. “It’s more fun to have a challenge.”
“Okay. Go for it.”
Ryleigh considered going easy on the child, but that wasn’t fair to either of them. She positioned the ball, and Avery took a defensive stance in front of her. Since Ryleigh had no one to pass it to, she would use a banana kick to curve the ball around Avery and then take control of it again. A banana kick was usually used to make a goal, but she thought it would work well here too.
She kicked the ball. It did exactly what she hoped, spun, and curved around Avery. The child expected the ball to go straight, so she moved in that direction, but Ryleigh was ready to take control at the true location and drive the ball downfield. As she raced across the yard the blades of grass tickling her bare feet, she heard Avery struggling to catch up. Ryleigh didn’t slack off and fired the ball into the net.
She turned to gauge the child’s reaction. Ryleigh really hoped Avery understood competition and wouldn’t be crying.
She wasn’t. She looked up at Ryleigh in awe. “That was amazing. How did you make the ball go that way?”
“Would you like me to show you how to do a banana kick?”
“Yes, please!”
Ryleigh placed the ball on the grass. “Your plant foot is next to the ball. Kicking foot. Toe up. Ankle locked. Hit the outside of the ball.”
Ryleigh demonstrated slowly without actually kicking the ball hard.
“I want to try.” Avery’s excitement bubbled from inside.
Ryleigh stepped back and enjoyed seeing the child’s enthusiasm as she attacked the ball and gave it a pretty good go for her first attempt.
“That’s a great start,” Ryleigh said. “Just remember to keep your ankle locked.”
She ran after the ball and tried again.
“That one was much better,” Ryleigh called out.
