From nowhere, I think of my own mom, how she raised my sister and me alone, working hard to make ends meet. She always put us first, no matter how exhausted she was.
My narrowed eyes fix on Annie and the way hers are processing the digital watch on her wrist.
“Listen, Colton might be a while,” I tell her. “We’re trying to break in Lamar. The kid’s been dropped in at the deep end, with Tommy out for the foreseeable.” Our starting quarterback broke his back last year, so we’ll be starting this season with Lamar Taylor, who’s one year into his rookie contract. “Why don’t you let me drive you home?”
She gawps at me. Mouth and eyes wide as she considers me over the rim of her shades.“It’s at least an hour’s trip each way,” she says, but she doesn’t refuse, which I guess is why I tell her…
“Yeah, well, I don’t have anything better to do.”
She drops a hand to her hip, head to one side. “Don’t you have to break in the reserve quarterback, too? Youarethe offensive captain.”
“I’m also an old man. If they work me too hard, I’ll break. Let me clear it with Coach and the guard dog, then I’ll meet you in the parking lot. I’m in my Lexus.”
“In an ordinary setting, that might make your vehicle stand out but in a parking lot full of professional footballers’ cars…”
She’s funny. I make a mental note to tell Quinn I like his sister better than him. “The yellow one.”
Finally, she nods, and I see the twitch of happiness at the corners of her lips, where half-moons crease her skin. “If you’re sure, I won’t say no. Thank you.”
I pat the guard rail, satisfied that I’m doing a good turn, returning mom to baby. “Settled.”
I’m buzzed as I head back to the field.
“Hey, Tanner,” she calls after me, making me turn and walk backwards. “Who’s the guard dog?”
“Your brother,” I call back, before barking like a rabid dog and drawing the attention of the small crowd, ever the showman.
Her brother is the first player I get to. We’re having a light practice but his hair, like mine, is saturated.
“Is Annie okay?” he gripes.
“She’s good. Great, in fact. Says she wants me to take her for a ride in my car.” I wiggle my brows purely because I know the insinuation will piss him off.
He fronts up to me. “The day you take my sister for a ride in your car will be your last, Pace.”
I pat his chest. “Relax, Quinn-Kong, I fell for her but she didn’t fall back. Did cover me in some sweet milk drink, though.”
“Horchata. It’s her biggest vice.”
I suck remnants from my fingers. “Delicious. Anyway, jokes aside, I offered her a ride back to the ranch, if it’s cool with you.”
“The ranch is over an hour away.”
“Yeah, but I’m done here for today,” I tell him, then I holler over to the offensive coach. “Gotta keep these joints limber for four months, right, Coach?”
Coach waves a hand, dismissing me – my experience gives me some leniency when it comes to the number of hours I have to spend training.
“Plus, you need to work with Lamar,” I say, my focus back on Quinn. “Any quarterback can throw a tight end a bullet pass or hand off to a running back but we need Lamar to replace Tommy in the pocket. That’s on you and Omar, buddy.” Omar, our other starting wide receiver.
Quinn looks up to the giant clock on the wall. “You sure?”
“One hundred.” I start walking to the facility for a quick change and to grab my bag.
“Hey, Pace?”
“Yeah?”
“You know I mean it, right? If you ever so much as flirt with my sister?—”
