“What now?” Ryder asks, doing the same thing I am. Only she’s looking for threats, not her best friend.
Before I can answer, I hear my name above the music.
“Matthews,” is bellowed across the room, and I see Ricketts with a group of guys and their dates crowded around a small high-top table.
I turn to Ryder. “We good?”
She inhales a deep breath and then nods.
We squeeze through the crowd, and I make sure to stay close to her.
“It’s the man of the hour!” Ricketts throws his hands in the air as we approach.
I slap hands with him and a few other guys, all of whom I played with or against at some point.
“Where’s Pierce?” Ricketts frowns, expecting Nick to have been with me.
“Uh, he had something come up,” I say, as all eyes zero in on Ryder while hers bounce around the masses encircling us. “Guys, this is. . .Rylee.”
Her head rotates in my direction, and the look on her face says she wants to punch me, but not in the way that would actually knock me out.
“Hey, Rylee,” Ricketts says, his eyes lingering on the strong woman beside me.
I shift closer to her, needing him to knock that shit off.
“What do you do, Rylee?” A petite dark-haired woman asks, leaning against the table and holding a glass of wine.
Ryder doesn’t even hesitate. “I’m in social work.”
“Oh, really. With what organization? We love to support where we can.”
“All of them,” Ryder answers sharply and to the point.
The woman frowns, but Ryder doesn’t notice, still scanning.
Someone bumps into her from behind, and she spins as the man holds out his hand in apology.
My arm instinctively slips around her, pulling her to me. Her body is forcefully rigid, and I release her just as quickly.
It only takes a few minutes for the topic to shift from our current stats to my dad and the desire to relive his greatest moments.
It’s all it takes for me to realize I don’t want to be talking to this group. I’d much rather be sitting on my couch, watching tape with Ryder, while she accuses me of being a lousy teacher.
As I contemplate leaving, knowing full well my promise has gone to shit, I hear it. It’s difficult with the guys carrying on, but I still catch it.
I step away from the small circle. “Sorry, guys, but we’ve got to move on.” My gaze shifts to Ryder. “I have a promise to keep.”
Ryder’s brow creases, but I don’t even try to hide my excitement for what we are about to do. She may hate me. No, she might kick my ass, but my entire career has been built on calling plays and taking chances when the odds are stacked against me.
I hold out my hand, and Ryder only looks at it. The entire group watches us, but I don’t care.
I’ll wait as long as it takes. “I don’t break promises, remember?”
Her eyes move around us and then flick between mine, deciding if she’s willing to trust me. This is big, so I’ll give her all the time she needs.
She exhales as her hand slips into mine, and I know I won something major.
“Come on.” I grip her hand, knowing it’s a huge risk.
