Elle
Mine and Archer’s parents meet for the first time in the parking lot of The Den at the tailgate area.
Our parents click immediately. My dad and David are the best of friends by the end of the first game of corn hole. Dad grabs David, one of his homebrews, and David immediately reciprocates with his famous jello-shots. They swap stories of youth sports, beer leagues and home improvement projects.
My mom and Trish are essentially peanut butter and jelly, complimenting each other’s personalities. They swap stories of mine and Archer’s childhoods, making sure to bring up the most embarrassing ones first.
My parents brought Erica, who begged them to bring Cece and Bella. Even insisting she would pay for their tickets. How she planned to do that I have no idea. Of course, Archer didn’t let that happen, he is officially hero status to her now, buying her and her best friends brand new gear and paying for their tickets.
You can tell Trish always wanted a little girl with the way she interacts with Erica and her friends. It doesn’t surprise me given how warmly she treats Mari and I. She’sgushing over how Erica is already being recruited by colleges to play for them.
“David and I will be happy to offer advice when it comes to selecting a college to play for. We still have some insider scoop about which schools take the best care of their athletes.” Trish explains to mom.
“Oh, that would be lovely, we haven’t had to deal with the ins and outs of recruitment since Jelly, ran all those years ago.”
“I completely forgot she ran!” Trish exclaims. “Her and Archer’s would have one hell of an athletic baby.” She shoots me a wink, only half joking, I think.
“We haven’t even talked about what we’re having for dinner, much less that other stuff.” I take a drink of my beer. The crisp frozen air doing nothing to help the burn in my cheeks.
Both my mother and Trish laugh at my expense before pulling me into a hug, “We’re only messing with you baby.” They comfort.
“Although I will never say no to more grandbabies.”
I’m saved when Ty’s momma, Dad and sister arrive. David and Trish jump in immediately, introducing everyone. It’s amazing how quickly the parents become a cohesive unit, like they have known each other their whole lives.
David looks at his watch. “Damn, how is it that time already? It’s almostgame time!” Archer and Ty reserved a box for everyone knowing it was going to be a big game. However, Sadie and I politely declined the box. We are very happy with our seats next to Jay and his family.
Sadie and now sit in what are our seats in The Den.
Bundled up against the brutal cold. It’s a cozy 23 degrees, layers upon layers are required for this game. Archer bought me a larger jersey to compensate for my winter coat being worn under it. He dubbed it my playoff jersey.
The cold doesn’t stop football so it’s not stopping us. “Tell me why my hands are sweating?”
“It’s the stress babe.” Sadie replies, as she sips her hot chocolate. I continue to bounce nervously in my seat, “Okay, you’re making me nervous. Everything will be fine. This is what they train for, what they play for. The Vipers are a good team; there is no denying that. But their QB doesn’t have what Archer has.”
“Which is?” I spare a glance at her, not wanting to miss the minute where Archer runs out of the tunnel.
“The team braincell.” Sadie half jokes. A sputtering laugh makes its way out of me. “If the reports from the various fan groups are any indication, the Vipers are struggling off the field. They’re making through the season on pure talent alone, apparently there has been some major team drama in and out of the locker room. If the boys can somehow exploit that…” She muses. “They have this in the bag.”
I pull out of my phone, using my teeth I quickly remove a mitten and look up the Vipers drama. The Vipers Quarterback, an aging veteran named Rex has been a powerhouse for years. The drama surrounding the Vipers doesn’t involve him, but the rumor is that he doesn’t have the charisma to keep the younger players in line anymore.
Suddenly the stadium goes dark. Garcia’s voice echoes through the crowd. “The Den is dark… Time to hunt!” At the exact moment Seven Nation Army rocks the stadium and the Wolves rush onto the field. DJ and Archer leading the team as Captains.
I watch as the four captains meet at the center mark. Archer stands straight, pulling himself up to his full 6’4 height. Rex, the quarterback for the Vipers, offers a polite, but icy, nod. Their Defensive End, a mountain of muscle stares past Archer’s shoulder, radiating pure hostility.
The referee, wearing a microphone, raises his hand for silence, and the crowd noise drops just enough to hear the thwack of the chain crew straightening the yard markers. The Referee’s voice booms over the PA system. “Captains! Good luck to both teams. Gentlemen, this is the Conference Championship. We play hard. We play clean. Shake hands.”
Archer shakes hands with Rex, and DJ shakes hands with the monster of a man. Sadie and I squeeze hands.
“Wolves, you are the home team. You willcall the coin in the air.”
Archer speaks loud and clear, every bit the leader I know he is. “Heads.”
The referee flips the coin, the sliver of it flashing in the bright lights.
Chapter 55
Archer
