“No pressure.”
I huffed. “Yeah, well…lower your expectations. I haven’t played in years.”
“You’re going to be great!” And with that, she skipped away.
I followed at a mindful distance, said hello to Nora’s mom, and noted that her kid was wearing a lot more blush than Ivy. I seemed to recall that Nora was a year older, which hadn’t made much of a difference…till maybe now. I filed that info under “Things to worry about later,” along with a reminder not to drop the ball this time, then greeted a few more friends and acquaintances on my way to the portable tent Dex had rented for the event.
Dex and his committee had gone all out. A balloon arch in Wood Hollow High’s colors—gold and black—was set up next to the deejay playing dance music from the early 2000s. A row of tables situated against the fence were laden with complimentary water bottles and samples from participating eating establishments in town. There was a hot chocolate and mini maple cookies station from Rise and Grind, donut holes from Dexter’s Donuts, and garlic balls from Mike and Sam’s Pizza, just to name a few.
The mood was celebratory and a touch chaotic. Like any small-town gathering should be.
I paused to greet a couple of guys from the mill, laughing at an old joke before turning to see Silas standing on the sideline, surveying the grassy expanse with his hands on his hips looking like warrior…or a model.
God, he was beautiful. A professional athlete, ripped and toned, and confident in his physical prowess amongst a gaggle of kids, parents, armchair sports enthusiasts, and high school has-beens.
The contrast should have been laughable, but Silas emanated a warmth and realness that made me think he’d fit in anywhere. Even Wood Hollow.
“Hey, I know you.” Silas held a hand up for a high five, bro shake combo. “Are you playing?”
“Dex needed numbers, and I’m on the reserve list, so…yeah.”
His sunny grin widened from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat. “Cool. Think we’ll be teammates?”
“Nope, sorry!” Dex popped up between us, clipboard tucked under his arm. “Fallbrook is down a player, and they need Coop. We’ll get started in five minutes. I’ll welcome everyone, introduce our coaches this season, and hand the mic to Silas. Short and sweet is fine. I know I put you on the spot, but I can’t tell you how much we appreciate this.”
“It’s my pleasure,” Silas assured him.
“Let’s hope you still feel that way after you’ve taken a hundred selfies,” Dex called as he strode away.
I stretched my arms above my head and twisted my torso to loosen up a bit. “Go easy on me out there.”
“No fucking way. It’s a fight to the finish out there. I’m gonna spin you like spaghetti on a wonky fork.” He danced around me in a prize-fighter stance, fists cocked. “I’m gonna throw the ball so far over your head, you’ll be swingin’ for it like a bear swatting at a honey pot. I’m gonna run so fast, you’ll see a cloud of dust and it’ll be too late to catch up, but you’ll try. You’ll be huffin’ and puffin’ and beggin’ for mercy. Sadly, mercy ain’t coming, Coop.”
“Are you finished?” I deadpanned, my lips twitching with humor.
Silas knitted his brow as if giving the matter some serious thought. “I think so. Polarize the opponent and win, win, win. Yep…that’s the gist.”
“Very funny.” I nudged his elbow, feigning interest in something in the distance. “Hey, this is really very nice of you.”
“I’m a nice guy.”
“I’m serious. This is a larger turnout than usual, and no doubt that’s because of you,” I said.
“Who knows?” Silas snorted derisively. “I’m happy to do it. And…tonight?”
I didn’t pretend not to know what he meant. I nodded briskly and smiled. “Tonight.”
Two minutes later, Dex grabbed Silas and motioned for the coaches to join him at center field. The deejay cut Black Eyed Peas off in the middle of “I Got a Feeling,” and a minute or so later, it was mostly quiet.
Dex thanked everyone for coming, gave his usual speech about the four towns of the forest uniting for a great cause as a portion of the registration fees went toward college scholarships and our local food bank. He thanked the biggest donors, who also happened to be hockey players from Elmwood, and jokingly wondered if any of them knew how to play football.
“Yeah…I didn’t think so. Wood Hollow’s got this one in the bag!” That earned him a laugh and provided the perfect segue to introduce Silas. “You won’t believe this, but we have a real live NFL star with us today. Help me welcome our special guest, Silas Anderson!”
Everyone went wild.
Dex had a gift for gab and he was good at pumping up a crowd, but it also helped that Silas was a natural-born ham.
Silas pretended to throw a football before he took the mic and raised his arms, encouraging a little extra adulation. The kids and their friends cheered and applauded. Hell, so did my friends, who were also busy snapping pics or recording him. I would’ve thought Silas would be leery of ending up plastered on social media at a community event in a tiny forest town given his recent exposure, but he seemed to relish the spotlight here.
