I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped my lips.
“There was that night in Vegas with the strippers halfway through your rookie season.”
I snorted. “Minor misunderstanding.”
“The DUI at the end of your rookie year.”
I held up my finger. “I wasn’t driving, and in my defense, I didn’t know Cindy had been drinking that night.”
“And let’s not forget about the brawl you started your second year between our offensive line and the Lions’ defensive team, on another wild night out.”
I grunted. “They deserved that shit.”
“Tyler.”
I held up my hands. “You won’t have any trouble out of me, Coach. Scout’s honor.” I held a thumbs-up.
“That’s not the fucking ... forget it.” He waved me off again as I laughed. “Anyway, my true concern is you looking out for the other guys. If you want to prove yourself as a future coach and leader of a football team, you’ve got to step up. Not just on the field by running plays, which you do very well, but by showing these guys how great they can be. They respect you as their quarterback. Channel that in other ways. Riggs—”
I grunted at the mention of his name. Leonard Riggs was going into his second year with the team and while he was shaping up to become one of the best cornerbacks in the league, he was an over the top asshole. I mean, a much bigger asshole than I ever was.
“I get it, he’s not your favorite guy on the team, but you two on the field are magic. And since you know more than anyone what it’s like to be the underdog on this team, you could take him under your wing.”
I snorted again. “Don’t count on it.”
“Ty.”
I pushed out a breath. I didn’t like Riggs. His first season it was just a minor irritation but I could handle it. But since that morning the condescending remarks he’d made during Destiny’s lecture pissed me off. Why, I didn’t know. But I didn’t need to fucking know either. Something possessive took ahold of me from the moment I first laid eyes on her, and Riggs had fucked with that.
“Do it for me, for the team, and for your future as a coach. You will encounter more than your fair share of players who you can’t stand. But as their coach you will have to work with them, teach them, and mold them to reach their full potential as athletes.”
I tutted and cut my eyes at my coach. “If you say so. I’ll see what I can do.”
He nodded. “That’s all I ask. Now get the hell out of my office. We’ve got our second practice of the day starting in thirty minutes. Don’t be late!” He pointed in my direction.
I shook my head. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Coach.” I backed up a few steps before turning toward the door to head out.
“And, Ty?”
I stopped, turning back to my coach, raising an eyebrow.
“I mean it. Stay away from Destiny McDonald.”
My lips spread into an instant grin. Just the sound of her name brought back the image of her perfectly shaped oval face, intense brown eyes, and fully-glossed lips. I gave my coach a wink. Stay away from Destiny McDonald.
Not a chance in hell.
Chapter Three
Tyler
“So, Wendy, tell us about the way in which finances played a part in your recovery process. I know with any illness, especially a sudden illness as in your case, money is a huge factor …”
I listened intently, my eyes drifting closed as I paced back and forth in the hotel room where the team was staying during our training camp. I was on my third episode of Destiny’s podcast namedFashion and Finances.Apparently, she hosted the weekly, hour-long podcast with her best friend, Resha, who was a fashion blogger. The women’s keen interest in money and fashion played off one another, and they used their knowledge in their respective fields to provide information to young and middle-aged women on how to get their finances right, and look cute while doing it. At least, that was the tagline they used as an intro on all of the recordings I’d listened to thus far.
This episode they were speaking with a journalist who was a financial correspondent for one of the big cable networks, who’d had a sudden major illness a year and a half prior. The woman was lucky to be a live, let alone doing as well as she was, having recently returned to work full-time. I listened aptly as they discussed the need for long-term care insurance, emergency funds, and the like. The facts and ins and outs of navigating money matters during a medical crisis didn’t interest me much. It was Destiny’s voice that held my rapt attention. I always found it deeply intriguing hearing the passion in someone’s voice as they spoke on matters that lit a fire underneath them. I heard that ardor in Destiny’s voice as she asked questions and relayed sometimes complex information in a way that her listeners would comprehend. The more I listened the harder I fell.
“Man, will you sit your can’t-sit-still ass down somewhere?”
