Page 13 of The Backup Plan

His smile tightens. “We appreciate you signing on to mentor the rookie, to steady the room and set the tone. It’s not easy to find someone who’ll be the voice of experience from behind the line without expecting any of the spotlight.”

There it is. Clean. Efficient. Surgical.

Their expectations.

I knew what they were when I signed, but I was also clinging to the being the “backup quarterback” part of it more than anything.

I’ve never not been the starter.

Don’t bristle. Don’t let a single emotion show on your face.

Christ.

This is going to be harder than I fucking thought.

“Glad to step into the role,” I say.

And I am. I signed the contract, read the subtext, and took the pay cut. Let’s just hope I make the final roster and can fulfill what that contract represents.

Still . . . as he steps away, I clench my jaw to prevent myself from saying something I shouldn’t.

Mentor.

Not starter.

Not savior as I’ve been in the past.

And I’m sure as shit not going to be the guy they’re betting on when seconds are left with the game on the line.

Just the steady old hand meant to keep the wheels from coming off.

Fine. Good. I can be that. And while I repeatedly have told myself that I’ve made my peace with it, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to swallow. Or that I won’t look for those opportunities to prove otherwise.

Besides, stranger things have happened in this league.

“And right here is the locker room,” Tyler says.

Sound explodes the second he pulls the door open. Music’s thumping along with the voices, and laughter’s bouncing off the walls. It’s new and yet similar to every other locker room I’ve walked into during my career. Still, I take it all in.

Young bodies. Fast bodies. Hungry bodies.

The future of the sport.

A few of them glance up when they notice me. Whispers ripple as I follow Tyler.

“That’s him.”

“Lucas Hale?”

“No fucking way.”

“I thought he was done?”

Done.

Gotta love a running back with one year of service under his belt acting like he couldn’t also be done with one wrong twist of his knee.

I straighten my shoulders though and step fully into the room.