I go over the basics, explaining how it will work and we head to the field. The drainage here sucks and the rain from last week left this place just the right amount of nasty. The grass is gone from years of kids playing here and the top inch or so of dirt is wet and soggy. Perfect surface for a game of mud touch football.

We face off on the field and Tommi takes off running around one side of me while Travis backs up to try and throw her the ball. I race toward him, giving his stomach a slap as I pass. “You’re sacked, quarterback,” I tell him.

“This game is stupid. And why the hell are we playing in mud?”

I reach down and grab a fistful of the gunk, smearing it on his face. “Is that answer enough?”

“What the hell did you do that for?” He wipes at his face.

“You’ll see soon enough, grouchy.”

A kid that doesn’t like to get dirty? I didn’t think such a creature existed. What the hell?

They run the exact same play the next two times. Tommi misses the catch both times. “My turn,” I yell.

I take the ball from Travis and walk back to my side, bending down and eyeing my two opponents. “Think either one of you can catch me?” I ask.

Tommi and Travis look at each other and I take off running around Travis, scoring easily.

“No fair!” cries Tommi.

“How was that not fair? It’s two against one.”

“But I didn’t know exactly what I was doing. Give me that ball.”

I toss it to her. “Take it. It’s your turn anyway. Seven-zero.”

Travis takes the ball again and he whispers something to Tommi before they get into position. They’re both grinning, the same devilish look in their identical green eyes. Maybe they’re finally getting into the spirit of the game.

Suddenly, Tommi takes off around me and Travis falls back to throw to her again. But then, before I can turn around, Tommi is jumping on my back, screaming, “Run, Travis! Run!”

Travis takes off flying and I run after him, Tommi clinging to my back like a damn monkey. I could dive after him and take him down by the legs, but I’m afraid I’ll hurt Tommi, so I let him go.

He scores, throwing the ball between his legs like some of the pros do. At least he’s seen a football game before.

“That was dirty,” I tell him as he gloats by me, throwing the ball into my stomach this time.

“I thought that was the point,” Tommi says from my back. I turn my head to look at her, her mouth level with mine. Her lips part, like she knows what I’m thinking, and somehow I resist kissing her. Instead, I sink my teeth into her chin.

“Oh, it’s on, little lady. It. Is. On.”

I reach around and pull her off my back, dumping her gently in the mud. Her mouth makes an O and her eyes get all round, which forces me to bend and get a handful of mud to smear on her leg.

I walk off to take my position on the field again, whistling over the sound of her indignant sputtering. Travis is still smiling as he crouches down in front of me.

When I do my solo version of snapping the ball, I fake left, fake right and then run back left, zipping around Tommi who reaches out for me and misses. Travis isn’t going down so easily, though. He shoots up at me from my right and launches himself at me. I could stay upright, but I don’t. Instead, I go down, both of us skittering through the mud. I come to a stop with Travis pinned beneath my back, wheezing for air.

“Take that, bitch,” he says, pushing at me.

“Who you callin’ bitch, lil man?” I ask, putting more of my weight on Travis and pushing. We both scoot through the mud, most of it getting on Travis.

“Get off me, you goon.”

Tommi walks up, smiling down at us, shaking her head. “You two are gonna be filthy.”

I lean up and glance back at Travis, who gives me a shit-eatin’ grin. We both nod in silent agreement and I stand, offering him a hand to get up.

I get the ball two more times, giving Tommi and her brother every opportunity to jump on, run after, try to trip and fly at me as I half-heartedly make my way toward the makeshift goal line. I score on my last drive, dragging Tommi (holding onto my arm) and Travis (wrapped around my leg) into the endzone with me.

“You can’t stop this,” I tell them when I fling the ball up into the air and catch it again.

“Hey, you haven’t won yet,” Tommi says with determination. She puts her arm around Travis’s shoulder and they walk off, her whispering in his ear all the way back to the line of scrimmage.

They run the same play again–Travis throwing, Tommi receiving. This time when Tommi takes off, I start off slowly after her. Travis gets the ball to her with a fairly decent, not entirely disappointing arm and Tommi clumsily catches it, squealing in glee.

“I caught it! I caught it!”

Travis is yelling from behind as he runs forward to stop me, “Run, dumb ass! Don’t just stand there.”

Shock registers on Tommi’s face and she turns to take off. Catching her easily, I sweep her up into my arms and throw her onto the ground. Nothing that will hurt her, just enough force to make her feel well and truly caught.

I fall down on top of her, my body resting between her legs, and I take the ball from where it’s gripped tight in her arms. I tap her on the end of the nose with the laces. “Still didn’t score, sweetheart.”

Her chest is heaving beneath me and her eyes sparkle like dark emeralds at midnight, glimmering with a passion she’s having trouble containing. I know because I’m struggling, too. I stare down into her face, desire zinging between us like exhilarating bolts of lightning.

I flex my hips ever so slightly and am gratified when I hear her soft gasp. I lick my lips, ready to give in and kiss her, when I feel a heavy thump on my back.

“Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be?” I say, speaking to Travis, but winking at Tommi, who is still staring at me with her lips parted. “Unnecessary roughness!”

I roll onto my back, trapping Travis beneath me until I can wiggle around to get my hands on him. When I do, I flip him onto his stomach, putting his face right in the mud. “You asshole!” His squeal is muffled, but there’s laughter in his voice.

“How do you like that, tough guy?”

He struggles and I let him squirm out of my grasp. I turn to grab Tommi quickly, before she can get away. I take her in my arms and tickle her mercilessly. When her gasps are almost pained they’re so breathless, I finally let her slide off my lap. But I’m not done. I take two handfuls of mud and throw one on her stomach and one at the watchful Travis, who’s standing off to the side watching us. He deflects and bends for his own ammunition as I scrape up more goop.