"Not a foul," Mattie said, eying him with an amused expression as she leaned against the tree, pressing her wet hair against the bark. She took a deep breath, her eyes closing and her face looking peaceful and content despite the thundering storm around them. "You might need a handicap, but I think you should be able to handle it." She eyed him. "Aren't you on the football team or something?" She seemed to remember hearing that.
"You should be able to race me." She knew he had been clowning around at the end of that last length, and she wanted to really test her strength against him.
"To that tree," she said, pointing as the water pelted her body. "See it?"