Page 52 of Hard Pass

“Wolfe,” Rodney shouts. “You missed the speech.”

“There was a speech?” he asks. My thoughts exactly.

“About brotherhood,” Rodney says.

“Sounds horrific,” Camden deadpans causing laughter to ripple through the yard.

But even while he’s chirping back at everyone, there’s something slightly removed about him. Like he’s here physically but part of him stayed somewhere else entirely.

“Pretty sure Wolfe’s allergic to joy,” someone mutters.

“Not allergic,” Camden says, flashing a fuck-you grin. “Just selective.”

“Translation,” Rodney says. “He’s emotionally unavailable.”

“And yet somehow, I’m still all your favorites,” Camden says and sips his beer.

Annoying thing is, he’s probably right.

“Eat up, motherfuckers,” Rodney shouts.

“So much for brotherhood,” someone says loudly.

“Sorry. I’ll correct,” Rodney grins. “Eat up, my brotherly motherfuckers.”

And we all laugh. And keep laughing well beyond the time the sun sets. The backyard grows louder, my teammates get slightly drunker, and the trash talk gets bolder.

Yet somehow, I feel . . . lighter.

Needed this. Needed them.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Dublin

The equipment room smells faintly of detergent and rubber. Clean but not sterile. Lived in and functional. Every surface has a purpose, every shelf labeled, every bin aligned perfectly.

I appreciate this kind of precision.

“Ms. Locke, right?”

The man across from me wipes his hands on a folded towel before offering me his hand. His grip is firm but brief and I can’t tell if that’s because I make him nervous or because he has a list of things to do that’s a mile long.

Rick Delgado is the equipment manager for the Lone Star Rebels and his pride shows.

“Dublin is fine.” I smile politely. “You’ve been with the team how long?”

“Going on two years now. Before that I was with the Grizzlies for four.”

“So you’ve been here since Austin was awarded the expansion team?”

“Yes, ma’am. From day one.” He beams with pride.

“Perfect. Do you mind?” I ask, motioning to the chairs and we both take a seat. “I’m just trying to understand how information is shared day to day. Specifically pertaining to player performance. Adjustments they’re making. Things that don’t always make it into official reports.”

He squares his shoulders. “We just do our jobs in here. Me and my assistant. Players come in, we get them what they need. Practice gear. Gameday setups. Repair broken pads.”

“And I’m assuming in those day-to-day conversations, things come up in passing or noticed when a player is off their game or injured.”