Nobody’s Hero by j. leigh bailey

rate, Brad would be his in a matter of days.
    The game started again. After a minute of giggling and squealing, one of the older girls broke out and darted across the makeshift soccer field. From out of nowhere the youngest of his cousins barreled across the lawn and tackled her.
    “Whoa,” Danny cautioned, trying not to laugh as the kids tumbled into the grass. “There’s no tackling in soccer!”
    The girl jumped to her feet and glared at her attacker. Fire blazed in her eyes and she lunged. His cousin scooted away in the nick of time.
    “Penalty kick!” Brad shouted before she could take another swipe. With a jerk of her shoulder and a glare at her cousin, she bent to brush away the grass stains on her knees.
    Veronica’s high-pitched shriek had Danny turning. Brad was walking—sort of—to bring over the abandoned soccer ball. Vero sat on his foot, both arms and both legs wrapped tightly around Brad’s leg. Every step Brad took swung her forward, causing her to screech in delight.
    When Brad’s lumbering stride halted, he held the ball out to Vero.
    “I need you to place this ball right in front of you.”
    Vero was thrilled to be part of the game—something she was usually denied because she was too little—if her grin and practically vibrating body were any indication. She shifted her hands from around Brad’s knee and snatched the ball from his hand. She plopped it exactly where Brad indicated and immediately looked up to him for approval.
    “Excellent,” Brad said, ruffling her dark curls. “All right. Cici, right?” He glanced at the older girl. “Cici, now we’re all going to stand back and you get a free kick at the goal. Only the goalie can try and stop you. Got it?” After giving the instructions, Brad pointed at the goal. “Ready?”
    “Bring it!” The goalie clapped his hands and took up a ready stance.
    Danny choked at that very adult reply coming out of his very young nephew. It looked like Brad was biting back a grin too.
    “Everyone back up,” Brad instructed.
    Everyone took two big steps back, leaving a clear path between Cici and the goal.
    Cici took a step, then two, then she ran full out, kicking the black-and-white ball for all she was worth. It sailed high over the goalie’s head. It had enough momentum that it soared over the fence and into the neighbor’s yard.
    “Whoa.” Juan Carlos gaped as the ball finally came to a stop in the neighbor’s rose bush. “Not it!”
    Suddenly their little patch of lawn echoed with “Not it!”
    Brad cocked his eyebrow at Danny.
    “Last one to say ‘not it’ has to go get the ball.” Danny watched Brad’s mouth open. Before Brad could say anything, though, Danny jumped in. “Not it!”
    “Ah, man,” Brad grumbled good-naturedly, winking at Veronica. “I guess it’s me. If I’m not back in ten minutes, send the rescue squad.”
    Veronica rolled off Brad’s foot. “Okay.”
    “Watch out for the attack dog,” Danny called after Brad’s retreating form. “Mean old pit bull.”
    “I thought it was a poodle,” Juan Carlos said.
    He looked at his nephew and shrugged. “He doesn’t know that.”
    Still chuckling at the kids’ and Danny’s antics, Brad jogged around the side of the house. The only entrance to the backyard was through the gate in the front. A tiny poodle yipped at him from behind the neighbor’s front window. “Pit bull, my left nut.”
    Brad stuck his tongue out at Veronica and Juan Carlos, who stood on the other side of the fence. Their young giggles caused something to loosen, to lighten in his chest. Who knew little kids could be so cool? Or that he’d be more comfortable with them than with people his own age?
    It shouldn’t have surprised him. He didn’t exactly relate well to others. Two years of being a social outcast would do that to a guy. But kids? They didn’t judge. They didn’t have any prejudices or expectations. They accepted. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d played simply