The trainer has me do a few movements with my leg, telling him when I’m in pain or not.
“I think it’s just pulled, but let’s get some ice on itand go from there.”
Ice in the middle of a game is never a good thing. That means I won’t be going back in.
Billy Thornton knocks both Jackson and Finny to the ground within the next few plays and finally gets called for a checking penalty. It’s about time.
The game is a fierce battle back and forth, but the Rattlers score the last shot, putting us down fourteen to thirteen. The buzzer sounds, and the game is over.
I keep telling myself that winning two out of three isn’t bad, but losing to this team isn’t something I ever wanted to have happen again after last year.
At least I don’t have to go through the line with this injury. But hamstrings are tricky. Am I going to heal by next weekend, when we travel to Colorado?
We get to the training room, and I slide into the cold pool, allowing my muscles to tighten a bit.
By the time I’m out, Laney is the only one waiting in the lobby.
“Hey,” I say, tired and groggy. I lean down and give her a quick kiss on the mouth.
“Hey. How’s the leg?” she asks, pointing to the surrounding bandage.
I shake my head, letting the frustration build a little. “It’s still attached. But I’m not sure how long it will take to heal.”
She nods. “Hamstrings can happen again and quickly. But you don’t want to hear that right now.”
She gives me a small smile, and I nod. “Lots of physical therapy this week and then a lot of ice.”
“Walking is always a good thing,” she says, giving me a small smile. “I’ll be out at the usual time every morning this week if you need a partner.”
I pull her in and kiss the top of her head, grateful for her and her optimism.
“I can get behind something like that,” I say. “Now, I need to head out to the restaurant for my shift. Can I see you after?”
She nods, but she’s got that frowning wrinkle in the middle of her forehead. “You really have to work today? Aren’t you exhausted?”
I wave it off. “With some ice and ibuprofen, I’ll be great. The chances of me running through the place are slim, so I should be okay.”
She laughs, and we walk out to the parking lot together. I open her driver’s side door and wait until she gets in to shut it, waving as she takes off out of the parking lot.
Now, I’ve got to battle with my shift before I can relax for the next couple of days. I know I should’ve called out, but I’d already switched with one of my coworkers for this weekend and don’t want to leave Aliana with no one to help serve.
CHAPTER 28
BURTON
“What can I get you to drink?” I say, leaning over to talk with table four.
They rattle off their list of drinks, and I get them into the system we use for ordering. They put in an appetizer as well, which is always great. I can bring that out right after their drinks and tide them over until the food comes out. It’s a busy night, and while our cook team does a great job of getting the food out quickly, it’s always good to manage expectations.
I walk back to the kitchen to fill drinks. My mind is out in la-la land as I think of my time with Laney this afternoon. I know she won’t be at every game because of her work schedule, but she came to as much of my game yesterday as shecould before driving to the baseball field for her shift. And she was there today for the entire thing.
I love her spunk and the creativity she brings to our conversations. My favorite part was when she started rattling off different names, trying to see if one of them was my first name.
Am I embarrassed that my parents named me Courtney at birth? Obviously.
I know there are Courtneys out there who are men, but it’s hard to have a name like that and play a professional sport, even if it’s one that’s not followed as much.
I overfill a soda and then have to lock back into my serving mentality. It’s the only way I’ll be able to get the tips I need to add to my savings account.
