I hope you enjoyed Nick and Jade’s story. If you did, please consider posting a review on the book’s Amazon page.

Also, you might like to read Mac’s story as the Downey Brothers’ series continues. Before you order, here’s a sneak peek.

Nothing could spoil a day like today. The afternoon sun penetrated the thick blanket of fog that hugged the hills of South San Francisco most summer days, and I tossed my sweaty shirt to the side of the court to soak in some rays.

Manny threw me the ball and I lined up my foul shot. I bounced the ball three times, spun it between my palms, bounced it one final time, then I took my shot. Nothing but net.

Manny and I high-fived as Isaiah and Justin took possession, the latter moving to the top of the key. I guarded Justin, trusting that Manny would cover Isaiah under the net.

“Your shoe’s untied.” I lunged for the ball.

Justin deked to the side. “Nice try, Mac.”

“No, seriously. You’ll trip.”

Justin looked down, I slapped the ball from his hands and went in for the layup.

“Fantasico!” Manny said as he gave me another high five.

Isaiah took the ball, and I stuck with Justin, while Isaiah and Manny jockeyed for position.

Several times, my teammate nearly got the ball from the much bigger Isaiah, before Isaiah faked passing to Justin, then plowed toward the basket himself. Guarding him, Manny tripped and fell on his ass. “Foul!”

Isaiah dunked the ball, then passed it to me. “Tied at fourteen.”

“No fucking way.” Manny charged Isaiah. “I called a foul!”

Isaiah widened his stance. “Nice try, asshole.”

“Chinga tu madre!” Manny got up in the much taller Isaiah’s face.

“What did you say about my mother?” Isaiah glowered, fists at his sides.

My teammate clearly had a death wish. “Hey, guys. Let’s just play, okay?”

“Fine with me.” Manny grabbed the ball from my hands. “My free throw.”

“No way, pussy.” Isaiah stepped toward Manny but I sidled in front of him.

“What did you call me?” Manuel raised his chin.

I shook my head at my teammate. Based on our loose rules, the foul was Manny’s call to make, but Isaiah rarely backed down. Manny knew that. Why not give the other team the point? It’s not like we were playing for money.

I had to take a side, but which one would avoid an all-out brawl? I glanced past the men to the chain link fence and spotted Alessia, Manny’s new girl.

Now it made sense.

“Isaiah. Buddy.” I gestured with my head, and the big man followed me to center court. “Did you see who’s watching us play?”

Sweat glistened on Isaiah’s dark brown skin as he glanced toward the fence. “Who? You mean that hot chick?”

“Manny’s new girlfriend.”

Isaiah nodded in appreciation, then frowned. “You saying I should let him call a fake foul, just because he wants to get laid?”

“Pretty good motivation, no?” I grinned. “Can’t you give him one? Let the dude look good in front of his girl?”

Isaiah’s eyes narrowed. “Why the fuck would I do that?”

“Because you’re a decent guy.”

“Where’d you get that idea?” Isaiah said, but his position was softening. His shoulders relaxed and the vein over his temple stopped pulsing. Using the bottom of his shirt, he wiped sweat from his brow.

“Do this for me?” I asked, then added, “Hey!” as if I’d just thought of something. “You and Angie need a new TV?”

“What?”

“New TV. Top of the line. Latest model straight from Korea. I meant to say something earlier. Me and my brothers, we imported some and the supplier shipped extras. Want one?”

Isaiah frowned, but his eyes showed interest. “How much?”

“It’s a gift.”

“Bullshit.”

“No, really. We’ve got a extras. Consider it a housewarming gift. How’s the new place working out, anyway?” I clapped him on the arm. “You ever going to have me over?”

Isaiah shifted his weight. “New place is great. Angie fixed it up nice. A decent TV would be… Does it connect to Wi-Fi?”

“You bet.”

“Stolen?”

“What?”

He raised his hands. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

“Just tell me when to drop it off.” I glanced around.

Manny was talking to Alessia and Justin was taking shots.

“How about tonight?” Isaiah said. “Angie’s working the late shift at the hospital. I could thaw a couple of steaks.”

“I’ll take the steak.” I smiled. “But the TV’s don’t arrive for a couple of weeks.”

Isaiah shook his head.

“No bullshit,” I assured him. “As soon as I get notice they’ve cleared customs, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Customs. Right. Sure, Mac. Whatever. Again… I do not want to know.” Isaiah’s smart watch lit up with a notification. “Shit. Gotta go.” He strode toward the gate, then turned back toward the other men. “Let’s settle this on Sunday?”

“Sunday works.” Justin took a jump shot, missing the basket by a foot.

“Manny?” Isaiah called out.

“Que?” Manny turned from his girl.

“Sunday? Four o’clock?”

“Sure.” Manny nodded. “Sounds good.”

More than a little pleased with myself, I raced toward the net to snag Justin’s next rebound.

Our game of two on two might be over, but I was glad I’d stopped my friends’ fight. Just like I always did with my brothers. Most of the time. Okay, at least when I wasn’t part of the fight.

I went up for a jump shot, but Justin slapped the ball from my hands, and then the two of us continued a loose pick up game until we were both drenched in sweat, and Manny and Alessia had taken off.

“Wanna keep score?” I asked Justin. “A game of horse?”

Shouts rose from the next court where a group of kids were playing. A couple of boys, who looked about ten or eleven, were shouting and shoving each other. Every instinct inside me wanted to prevent this fight, too. But it was none of my business.

The tallest girl, the whitest, white girl I had ever seen, stepped between the fighting boys. Girl was either brave or stupid. She looked older than the boys, maybe sixteen or seventeen, but still… Those kids would crush her. I walked over to the fence dividing the two courts.

The girl’s hair was so blond it was nearly white and her skin wasn’t much darker. It was a wonder she hadn’t turned beet red in the unexpected sunshine. She must be drowning in sunscreen, and I figured her pale complexion also explained her long-sleeve shirt, buttoned all the way to the neck. Didn’t explain her too baggy pants, though, which looked five sizes too big for her small frame.

One of the boys shoved the other, and the girl caught an elbow in the crossfire. She staggered back a few feet.

“What’s going on?” I sped toward the gate between the two courts. “Don’t you know there’s no pushing in basketball?”

“Mac!” A kid who lived in Shady Oaks, my apartment complex, ran toward me. I hadn’t noticed him in the group before.

“Hey, Jeremy.” I draped my arm over his shoulder when he reached me, and we walked toward the top of the key.

The girl turned, her bright blue eyes wide and her mouth open. Her cheeks pinked in a fast, hard blush. For a split second, our eyes almost met, but then she cast her eyes down like she’d been caught watching porn.

“Who’s winning?” I asked when I reached the two boys who were fighting.

“We are!” both kids said at the same time.

“A tie, then.” I planted myself between to them. “You guys need a referee?”

“Thank you very much for the offer.” The girl raised her chin. “But I’ll kindly ask you to return to your own playing field.”

“Playing field?” I chuckled.

Now I was closer and I’d heard her voice, I realized I was wrong about her being a kid. She was young, but not that young, and clearly considered herself in charge of this group.

“It’s called a court, Sister!” Jeremy said.

I leaned down toward the kid. “She’s your sister?”

Jeremy laughed. “No, she’s a sister. You know…” He shook his head.

“Oh!” The realization struck me fast. “Sorry, Sister.” That explained the modest clothes. “I haven’t seen you at St. Iggy’s. You new there?” As if I knew all the nuns. Ha!

She startled at my question, but her expression shifted one notch from hostile toward friendly. Still pretty far on the hostile side, though. At least wary. Maybe fearful? Time to turn on the Downey charm.

I crouched down to Jeremy’s height. “How about you vouch for me with the sister,” I said. “Tell her I’m a stand-up guy?”

“Like a comedian?” Jeremy asked.

“Stand-up guy means that you know me. That there’s no stranger danger, or anything like that.”

“Oh!” Jeremy’s face lit up and he turned toward the nun. “Sister, it’s okay. I know this dude. He’s Mac Downey. He’s not a molester, or nothing.”

“Or anything,” the sister quickly corrected, and Jeremy shrugged.

I straightened to my full height, and she stepped back like the movement had pushed her. Her blush deepened.

“How about it, Sister?” I smiled my warmest smile, but it was wasted—she kept staring at the ground. “How about I go grab my gym bag and shirt, and I’ll be the boys ref for a while. Give you a break.”

“I don’t need a break.” Her chin lifted, and for a split second I wished she wasn’t a nun. She was kind of cute, and there was something appealing about the mix of apprehension and defiance in her eyes—at least for the instant she’d let me look into her eyes.

“Come on, Sister…” one of the boys said. “Let Mac be our ref. You don’t even know the rules.”

“Yeah!” some of the other kids chimed in. “Please, Sister, please?”

“You suck,” a tall Asian kid said from behind her.

She spun but couldn’t spot the culprit, and I was no rat.

As she turned back toward me, I could tell I’d climbed another notch on her hostile-to-friendly meter. Progress.

“I’m sure Mr. Downey is busy,” she said.

“It’s no trouble, Sister. Really.” I grinned. “I’ll go grab my shirt.”