Page 5 of Sideline Sweetheart (Greenville Generals #4)
Chapter Five
Bryce
I grin as I pocket my phone; it seems I’ve left the good doctor speechless.
The smile stays on my face on the drive home and thoughts of how I’m going to court Mackenzie Flynn race through my mind.
The first call I make, is to the restaurant where I want to take her for our date.
This being the digital age ensures there will be texting.
Which is tricky, because while I want her to know I am actively pursuing her, I still want there to be some mystery for the actual first date.
Once I’m back at my place, I grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator and make another call. Mom answers on the second ring.
“Hello there, sweet boy.”
Her greeting makes me smile, because no matter how old I am, Mom will undoubtedly call me her sweet boy. Of course, if I’m being honest, I’d be disappointed if she didn’t.
“Hi, Mom. How are you doing?”
I hear the phone shuffle around and realize she’s put me on speaker. “Well, I’m baking your dad’s favorite pie and talking to you, so I’d say I’m doing fine.”
My mouth waters at the mention of one of mom’s pies and I groan in response. “Please don’t tell me it’s a lemon meringue.”
“Your mom is too nice to tell you,” Dad says in my ear. “But I will, because I don’t have to share. It’s lemon meringue.”
I laugh and shake my head, even though I know they can’t see me. “You’re turning into a mean old man, Dad. I can’t believe you’d be so cruel.”
Dad’s laughter fills the air, and I’m reminded of where I get my sense of humor. “Don’t you worry sweetheart,” Mom says. “We’ll make plans soon to visit, and I’ll make enough pies you won’t have to share either.”
“Thanks Mom, it’s nice to know at least one of my parents are generous enough to share.”
“Fine,” Dad says reluctantly. “If you were here, I’d let you have a piece, maybe even two.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “Thanks Dad. I knew Mom would get you back on the right track.”
Dad laughs again, as Mom asks, “So sweetheart, to what do we owe the pleasure of this call?”
“I’m hurt, Mom, can’t a guy call and say hello to his parents?”
“Of course you can, but you usually call on Mondays and this is Wednesday, and I’m your mother so I know something is up.”
“I never could get anything past you.” An image of Mackenzie pops into my head and a smile immediately makes its way onto my face. “I met someone today.” Silence greets me and I pull my phone away from my ear to make sure the call is still connected. “Hello? Are you still there?”
“Yes, we’re still here,” Mom says.
My brows knit together in confusion. “Well, aren’t you going to ask me questions about her?”
“Of course, sweetheart, but we worry, you know, after what happened before…”
Mom doesn’t need to finish her statement, I know exactly what she’s eluding to.
My second year with the Generals, the cheerleader I was dating began openly flirting with one of my teammates.
Our break-up was not pretty and left me with trust issues and the determination to put my career first and love on the back burner.
“I understand your concern, but Mackenzie is different.”
“How can you be sure?” Mom asks.
“When I asked her out, she turned me down.”
Dad questions me this time. “And turning you down is a good thing?”
I chuckle into the phone. “Yeah, Dad. It means she’s not going to fall at my feet because of who I am, she’s going to make me work for it.”
The silence on the other side of the line tells me my parents are communicating amongst themselves.
Finally, after what feels like an hour, Mom speaks. “We’d love to hear all about her.”
My shoulders relax and I fall back into the sofa as I begin to tell my parents about our new team doctor, Mackenzie Flynn.
The first week, I decided to take it easy on Mackenzie. When I saw her at practice, I kept my distance, only tossing her a wink and a smile. I knew it shouldn’t, but each time she blushed and dipped her head to avoid my eyes it felt like a victory.
The next week, I up my game sending a simple text of either good morning or goodnight. She still doesn’t respond, but I gain satisfaction knowing she reads them and thinking maybe she smiles knowing someone is thinking about her.
Thursday, after a particular brutal practice, my text changed.
Thanks for taking care of me today. It’s been a while since I’ve dislocated anything.
You’re welcome. It’s been a while since I had to pop a joint back in place. I’d forgotten how satisfying it could be.
I chuckle as I reply.
I bet it was
So, you enjoy bringing grown men to their knees?
Three dots appear and disappear several times before her response pops up on my screen.
Only when necessary.
Duley noted. Goodnight, Mackenzie.
Goodnight, Bryce.
Call me hopeful, but I feel something shift between us as I read her final text of the night.
Like me, I was willing to bet she had been hurt in the past by someone who claimed to love her.
While she was trying to stay professional, she was also guarded, and I couldn’t fault her for being protective of her heart.
Having your heart broken sucks. Thanks to the media, public perception of professional athletes was skewed to make them believe there were very few of us who wanted anything long term.
And while there were some who jumped from one relationship to another or had a “girl in every port,” so to speak, there were also those of us who wanted the white picket fence, and two-point-five kids and a dog.
With each passing year, I was falling farther into the latter category.
And something deep inside told me Mackenzie Flynn, might be falling into the same category as well.