“Vee,” my father said, coming closer with a smile on his face. “Did you watch that amazing pass? Royce was right about Fin and JD. I could watch that replay for hours.”
I obviously had my work cut out for me to convince the men in this suite that Griffin Graham was not a good fit for the Lexington Coopers. “He’s probably icing his arm as we speak.”
Preston’s warm breath tickled my neck as he leaned closer. “You never told me about him.”
I spun out of his grasp and met his stare. “There’s nothing to tell.” My teeth were clenched together. “We went to college together for one year. I honestly haven’t thought about him for a decade.”
Before Preston could respond, I turned away, walking to the bar. It was silly for me to be defensive about Fin. I hadn’t thought about him recently. Ten years would be a stretch. Reading the weekly stats, his name jumped from the page. I didn’t want to follow his career, but I had. After he played his rookie contract for Atlanta, one season for the Buccaneers, and six years at Green Bay, he went to LA and his namedisappeared. I assumed he was in retirement. The last thing I expected was to see him in a Coopers uniform.
Exhaling, I appreciated that no one followed me. The barstools were empty. I scanned the room for Daphne. She and Aunt Rachel were sitting at the counter beyond the glass doors, watching the game live.
“Miss Maeve, another Diet Coke?” Brent asked.
“I’m ready for that cosmo.”
A smile and a nod, and Brent went to prepare my drink.
My gaze went up to the screen. It was near the end of the first quarter. The Coopers were up, seven to three. As I started to think about our defense, I lifted the glass to my lips. Leigh appeared back at my side. Taking the barstool to my side, she lowered her voice. “Did you know about Fin? Is that why you’re having second thoughts about Preston?”
My lips puckered as I swallowed. “I didn’t have any idea about Fin until we arrived.” I remembered what Uncle Darin said. “And according to Royce, he’s been on the roster for an entire week.” An insincere smile curled my lips. “It’s not like the people in football operations make a point in keeping me informed.”
“If you told Uncle Reid that you didn’t think Fin was a good hire, do you think he’d listen?”
“Maybe if I knew before today. After that throw and touchdown…” I shook my head. “Besides, breaking my heart doesn’t dispute the fact that the man has talent.” I took another drink, my mind replaying memories I thought were dead and buried. “I hope he’s icing his arm.”
“How old is he?”
“Thirty-six,” I answered without hesitation.
“Maybe if you tell Uncle Reid what happened between the two of you…” She looked hopeful.
I inhaled. “It was a long time ago. My damaged ego shouldn’t stop his career.” I twisted my shoulders as the cosmo’s vodka surged through my bloodstream. “Besides, Royce said he’s looking at him for third string. Not exactly the illustrious career Fin intended.”
“Lip just said second string.” She looked up and pressed her palms together as if in prayer. “Not that I want anything to happen to Troy Dennison, but second string is only an injury away from first string.”
“Troy Dennison is more than a decade younger than Fin. My money is on Troy.”
CHAPTER 5
Vee
Aview of the amber shade carpet met me as I entered the Maker’s Mark Football Center. This was the official training facility and office complex for the Lexington Coopers, roughly twenty miles west of Crystal Light Stadium. On Monday morning, the practice fields were dark. The players were meeting with their coaches to evaluate film from Sunday’s game.
This state-of-the-art facility contained football operations offices, business offices, meeting rooms, and classrooms. We had an indoor and outdoor practice field. There was a large locker room, a weight roomwith the newest equipment, a training and rehabilitation area, and even a hydrotherapy room. A large kitchen and eating area supported our team’s nutrition program.
At the same time, Crystal Light Stadium was in the process of transforming from a football stadium to the host of a three-day medical sales conference and trade show. The event would bring over fifty thousand people to Lexington, showcasing the versatility of the stadium. This was something Dad and Uncle Darin promised as incentive for our new stadium.
While the locker room, weight room, and practice field were mostly empty this morning, behind the scenes, the Coopers’ personnel were busy. Our trainers were busy helping injured players heal and deciding which players if any would be added to the injury report.
The coaches were already in the viewing room reviewing film from the game against the Dolphins with the players. I’d sat in at many of their meetings. Roy Everington, who coached the Coopers for five years, welcomed me into their tightknit circle. As the only child of the owner, my future would forever include the Coopers. I wanted to know all I could.
While Tilson, the current head coach, wasn’t as accommodating, he didn’t mind when I went to him with questions. Nevertheless, my experience withEverington taught me that Mondays were critical days. The coaches broke down the game, analyzing every play, every failure, and every success. Whether it was offense, defense, or special teams, there were hours of video to analyze. As it turned out, the Coopers lost yesterday’s game thirty-three to thirty-four.
While our offense was strong with Fin and a few appearances from Simpson, our kicker missed two extra points and hit two field goals, one from fifty-seven yards. I didn’t envy the coaches trying to dissect that mess of stats.
“Preseason isn’t about winning and losing,” Grandpa Carroll used to say. “It’s about finding the right combination to do better than before.”
That was his motto—improving. Always improving.
