Page 52 of Home Town Advantage (Fourth Quarter Fever #1)

TWENTY-FOUR

SULLEY

I get into the back seat of the town car waiting in front of my house. “Good morning, Keith.”

My bald, beefy guard nods curtly in his always-present aviator sunglasses. “Morning, Ms. O’Shea.”

I roll my eyes at his refusal to call me Sulley. He says it’s unprofessional and, if there’s one thing Keith is, it’s professional.

It took me a few weeks, but I’ve gotten used to having Keith around.

He’s a prototypical bodyguard with huge muscles and a no-nonsense demeanor.

He doesn’t have much personality, but he’s a nice, unintrusive guy, and I don’t mind having him around as much as I thought I would.

The photos and the flower thing really shook me. Keith gives me peace of mind.

At my urging, Reagan ultimately paid the blackmailer. She said it was a one-time thing. The next time it happens, she’s going to the police. Having this turn into a full-blown public criminal case is the last thing I want.

It’s been quiet in the months since. I don’t know if the blackmailer took his payday and ran or if having Keith around is making a difference.

Either way, Keith does a nice job. After several weeks of arguing, I got him to agree not to wear a suit.

I feel like it’s more obvious when he’s in a suit, but I suppose having a giant of a man follow me everywhere I go makes it obvious anyway.

Vance doesn’t care for Keith. I think he feels like it emasculates him, and he was disappointed I wouldn’t consider moving in with him. Vance and Reagan came to an agreement that when I stay at his house, Keith goes home.

Vance and I have remained status quo throughout my season, and now his season is underway.

I know the pressure he’s feeling in his career.

I’m not looking to add to it. When his season comes to an end, we will have our final come-to-Jesus moment.

He either shares everything, or I’m walking away for good.

I’m in love with him, and I’ll be devastated if he chooses not to share, but I equally know we can’t ever be more if I don’t have all the facts.

Part of me is terrified of the answers, but the other part knows I can’t go on being kept in the dark.

My mother and I had a long talk about forgiveness when she visited.

She said that, for the sake of her decades-long friendship with the McCaffreys and her own sanity, she’s chosen to forgive Vance.

She suggested I do the same. She even went so far as to suggest that Finn would be happy if I were to be friends with Vance.

I told her nothing of our relationship, only that allowing him in my life as a friend is an internal struggle for me.

My eyes meet Keith’s in the rearview mirror. “Can we pick up Kennedy today? She’s having car issues. I told her we’d grab her on the way to the stadium.”

He nods. “Yes, ma’am.”

We make our way to Kennedy’s apartment, and I text her to come down. She opens the car door and slides in. “Where’s Booster?” I ask.

She makes a look of disgust. “Family vacation. I hate when employees ask for vacation time.”

“He’s hardly an employee. You don’t even pay him. ”

She waves her hand dismissively. “Meh. Whatever. I had to do my own laundry this week. It sucked.”

I giggle. “He does your laundry too?”

“Duh. Of course. Why else would I have an intern?”

I shake my head at her ridiculousness.

She sighs. “Too bad the guys have an away game today. I’m sure your boyfriend wanted to be at our championship game tonight.”

The Beavers have been on fire. All our hard work has paid off. We’ve persevered through the playoffs, finding ourselves in the championship series. We’re tied at three games apiece. Tonight will be the decisive game seven.

I cross my arms in defiance. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

She raises an eyebrow. “How long have you been fucking?”

“Ten months.”

“Have either of you fucked anyone else in that time?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“Do you want to fuck anyone else?”

I blow out a defeated breath. “No.”

“He’s your boyfriend.”

My shoulders fall. “Until he stops hiding things from me, I refuse to call him that.”

“Don’t blame a clown for acting like a clown. Blame yourself for going to the circus.”

I hold up my hands in question. “What does that mean?”

“He’s not going to give you what you want unless you stop giving him what he wants.”

I shake my head again. “No. That’s not how it is with us. We’re not kids. We don’t play games. We have a long-shared history, both the good and the bad. He loves me. I know that. He tells me all the time.”

“Do you love him?”

My eyes fill with tears. “I haven’t said those words to him. I won’t let myself go there until he comes clean.”

“When will that be?” she pushes .

“When his season is over. He knows the time is coming when this conversation has to happen, but I’ll wait until his season is over.”

“That could be four months away. How many times have you pushed this off?”

I’m quiet. She doesn’t know about the pressure he’s under, and I would certainly never betray his confidences. I refuse to add to his stress in the middle of such an important season for his career.

She shakes her head in obvious disappointment. “The answer is that you’ve pushed this off too many times. You need to do this once and for all. You’re only falling deeper in love with him.”

She’s not wrong, but the simple fact is that I miss him when we’re not together.

Tears fall from my eyes, and she takes my hand. “What do you want, Sulley?”

“The truth,” I answer without hesitation.

“What are you afraid of?”

I sink back into my seat. “Same answer.”

She reaches for a tissue and tenderly wipes the tears sitting under my eyes. “I guess we’ll deal with that fucked up statement tomorrow. Today we have a championship to win.” She intertwines her fingers with mine. “Are you ready to make history?”

I wipe away my tears and smile. “Sure am.”

She smirks. “Isn’t it fitting that we’re going to do so against Diane Garma?”

I roll my eyes. “Behave. We don’t need you fouling out. We can’t win this without you.”

She looks my gameday outfit up and down, taking in my khaki-colored overcoat on the cold fall day. “Why do you look like Inspector Gadget?”

I let out a laugh. “I guess I’m not as fashionable as you. You look like a pimp-cowgirl.”

She smiles as she takes in her oversized cow-patterned fur coat with a matching cowboy hat, a short denim skirt, and cowboy boots. “Because I’m going to ride that bitch like a rodeo queen. Being from Montana, I thought you’d like this outfit.”

I lean my head back on the seat and smile. “Nothing will ever beat the Black Widow costume you wore on the first game back after your suspension. It was iconic.”

After that, Kennedy’s gameday outfits became a huge social media thing. She’s had several endorsement offers to dress her for games and has been basking in them. I’m happy my friend is getting the much-deserved attention.

With a bemused look on her face, she says, “It was iconic, but not as iconic as what I made Daylen wear for his first game of the season after losing our bet.”

VANCE

Coach’s worried eyes meet mine. “The second half just started. The Beavers are down by nine.”

I nod at him as we quickly board the airplane in Los Angeles.

We just won our fifth game of the season.

We’re undefeated. Unfortunately, the final game in the Beavers’ championship series is tonight.

We were hoping they could close it out a few days ago when we were able to be at their game, but they lost game six and are now in a decisive game seven.

We’re on the other side of the country. Fortunately, Coach arranged for the game to be played on the televisions of our team plane.

I know he’s disappointed he can’t be there.

He and I are sitting in the front row together, watching the second half begin.

I have to double-take the stat line on the screen.

Both Kennedy and Palmer already have over twenty rebounds each.

That’s nearly unheard of. They’re the clear workhorses of this game, no doubt.

Unfortunately, Sulley is having a slightly off night.

She only had seven points in the first half.

It’s not horrible, but she usually has more than that.

Fortunately, Layla and Kennedy are both doing most of the scoring to keep them in the game.

They’ll need Sulley to heat up if they’re going to win this.

To win a big game, your stars need to step up.

I notice Kennedy only has two fouls. That’s good for her, considering she leads the league in games fouled out. She’s otherwise been locked in since her suspension and is having a great season.

Forty-five minutes later, there’s an entire plane of football players and staff on their feet, screaming at the television.

Every single person is into the game. It’s been a seesaw back-and-forth offensive explosion in the second half.

Sulley got hot and has been popping threes nearly every time they go down the court.

But Diane Garma has been matching her shot for shot.

This game will be an instant classic. It’s great for the league.

Coach is going out of his mind in a way I’ve never seen from him, even at our games. It’s fun to see him so animated like this.

We’re now down one with seven seconds left in the game. The team is crowded around Coach Ganjam, and she’s on her knee with a clipboard, drawing up the final play. I notice her look up at Fallon Montgomery and then smile and nod.

I’m sure the play is designed around getting Sulley the ball. She’s the star of the team. You always want the ball in the hands of your biggest star in the biggest moments.

The whistle blows, and Shay inbounds the ball to Sulley at halfcourt. Palmer sets a screen to get her open, but Diane Garma slides away from the screen and stays tight to Sulley.