Page 34

CHAPTER 34

ZANDER

Seeing my girls waving at me from the stands is the best fucking thing in the world.

I stand on that sideline grinning up at them while the rest of the team piles onto the field.

“Zander.” Carson slaps me on the back. “Focus, dude.” He frowns, glaring over my shoulder. “Who the fuck are you blowing kisses to anyway?”

“Uh… no one.” I shove my helmet on, turning my back on Sienna and Zoey.

Not everyone on the team knows about the fact that I’m a father, and I’d like to keep it that way. Carson knows, but that’s only because Wily’s got a big mouth. He hasn’t met Zoey and Sienna yet, and that’s probably for the best.

Shit, my teammate’s right, though.

I need to focus.

But holy shit, they came to the game! They’re here!

Zoey with her little earmuffs is plain adorable. Damn, I want a pair of binoculars so I can get a closer look, study her cute little curls and those chubby cheeks. Then I want to home in on my Sparky, study every contour of her perfect face and?—

“Let’s go, Donohue.” Coach points to the middle of the field, and I run in for the coin toss.

“Heads,” I call, eyeballing the tight end captain while the coin flips through the air.

“Heads it is.” The referee points at me. “Your call.”

“We’ll receive.” I nod.

“We’ll defend this goal.” The Kings’ captain points over my shoulder before we both run back to our respective teams.

I grin up into the stands because I can’t fucking help myself.

“Donohue!” My eyes snap to our offensive coach, and I force myself to concentrate as Coach Jones gives us a quick pep talk, then sends the receiving team onto the field.

I hold my breath the way I always do, waiting for Mathers to catch the ball and make some ground.

“Yes!” Wily shouts as Mathers snatches the ball and starts running. “Go, go, go!”

Thanks to a key block from Michelson, Mathers makes a good thirty yards before being tackled, positioning us beautifully for the first play.

“Just like we planned.” Coach Jones slaps me on the back, pushing me out for the first offensive play.

I glance over my shoulder, quickly finding Sienna. She’s talking to Teah, smiling and laughing, and fuck… it’s so good to see her here.

Memories from last night flood me as I form a quick huddle with my team and remind them of the first play strategy we’ve been practicing all week.

“Okay, Carson, Flash, we’re doing a hook and ladder. Watch their cornerback, he was fucking fast in his last game.”

“We’re good,” Grady assures me, sharing a quick glance with Carson before we break and get into position.

My heart is thrumming the way it always does when I set up for the first play, but it’s so much louder today because Sienna is crowding out my game space. Her sweet moans are filling my ears, the feel of her body sliding against mine. Her perfect tits. Shit, I love her body. And those eyes.

I force myself not to look into the stands, but it’s taking maximum effort.

Eyeing up the defensive line, I check their set position and am confident we’re in the clear to pull off our play without adjustments. The crowd is roaring for us, eager for points on the board, and I do my best to block them out.

“Hut hut,” I call to Tyrell, who fires the ball back to me.

I catch it and take a few steps, tracking Carson until he’s in the perfect position, then throwing the ball to him.

He snatches it out of the air, then spins and snaps it to Grady, who takes the pass and ducks through the gap we predicted would be there. He gains a sweet twenty yards or so before being taken down, and I start clapping as I move up the field.

“Yes! Good job. Good job!”

I’m so stoked with the execution. I want to play well for my girls. I want to show Sienna how fucking hard I’ve been working. She needs to know that I didn’t just give her up for nothing.

Except you did freshman year.

But I’m making up for it now.

Glancing over my shoulder, I scan the stands for her yet again, spotting her blue sweater and waving at Zoey. Sienna points my way, and Zoey starts waving. I want to blow them another kiss, but someone’s barking at me.

“Zander!” I spin and spot Tyrell beckoning me with his hands. “Let’s go, man.”

He looks mildly annoyed, and I shake my head and give myself a quick reprimand.

Dude! Focus the fuck up!

I wince, slapping my helmet and running over for the next play… which I completely fuck up because just before the ball is snapped to me, I’m flooded with an image of Sienna naked on her bed and covered in Nerds. It was the sexiest fucking thing, and my body ignites in all the wrong places as I nearly drop the fucking ball, then mistime my step back and make the worst fucking throw of my life.

Grady scrambles to rectify my mistake, but he can’t jump high enough to reach the ball, and it ends up landing right in the hands of the Kings’ cornerback.

“Fuck!” I yell as Wily and another guard haul ass to bring him down.

They manage to tackle him, but the ball now belongs to the Kings.

I have not fucked up that badly in a game before, and holy shit!

I can’t even look at the stands as I run to the sidelines and get bawled out by my offensive coach .

“I’m sorry,” I mutter, whipping off my helmet and cringing at Coach Jones.

He just shakes his head, sending out the defensive team, then turning back to me and barking, “Shake it off, Donohue. We’ll need you when we get the ball back.”

I nod and bury my head in my hands as the humiliation rides through me.

What the actual fuck!

Tyrell plunks down beside me. “What the hell was that, man?” He leans his elbows on his knees.

“It was a mistake.” Grady stands up for me. “They happen. Get over it.”

“Zander doesn’t make mistakes like that,” Tyrell argues. “He was distracted.”

“Probably wanting to blow more kisses into the stands,” Carson mutters darkly.

I tense, refusing to admit how fucking right he is.

Shit! I so want my girls here, but it is distracting. Fuck, if I can’t play with Sienna around, then this is never going to work.

Get your head in the game, you asshole. Win it for them.

Clenching my jaw, I bob my leg and give myself one final look. Turning around, I scan the stands and notice Teah sitting by herself.

What?

My eyes dart around the area as I try to spot Sienna and Zoey. I manage to catch a glimpse of them as she heads up the stairs… toward the exit.

With a sinking gut, I turn back to face the field.

Fuck. She’s leaving already? One fumbled play and she can’t watch anymore.

Shit, shit, shit !

We have to win this game. I have to play the best football I ever have and demolish the Kings.

Which is exactly what we do.

Fired up and ready to rectify my dismal start, I pace the sidelines, waiting for our turn on offense, and then I have my best game all season. I’ve never wanted a win more. Every time Sienna tries to sneak into my brain space, I block her out. Zoey’s adorable smiles will have to wait until later.

I zone in on the game and play like the quarterback Coach Jones believes I am.

Perfect passes, a flea-flicker that sends the crowd wild, and three touchdowns that are fucking textbook quality. I manage to call last-minute changes that are spot-on, and all I wish as our team celebrates a dominating win is that Sienna had been here to see it.

I don’t know why she left.

Maybe it was because of me, I’m not sure, but it got me fired up. I wanted to play well for her. I just wish I could have done that when she was actually here to see it.

As soon as we’re back in the locker room and Coach has given us his final words, I pull out my phone and notice a text from Sienna.

Hey. It’s Sienna here. Yay! You won! Sorry I couldn’t see it in person. Two plays in and Zoey was already losing it. I had to get her out of there before she ruined the game for everyone around us. I think the crowd was a little too much for her. Anyway, she’s down for a nap, and I got to watch the last quarter of the game. So proud of you .

My chest fills with something glorious. I have no idea what this feeling is, but I could get high on that shit.

She’s proud of me.

And she was kind enough not to mention my humiliating fuckup just before she left.

Fuck, I love her.

Closing my eyes, I pull in a breath and quickly call her back.

“Hey!” Her bright greeting amplifies that fantastic buzz in my chest, and I grin.

“Hey, beautiful. Thanks for your text.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad I got to use your number for something so positive. How are you feeling?”

“Yeah, pretty good. I’m stoked with the win, especially after my epic fuckup at the beginning.”

Why are you bringing that up, you douche?

I wince and scratch the back of my sweaty head.

She laughs. “It was just one mistake. The way the commentators were talking, you played like an American all-star. Seriously, they couldn’t say enough good things about you in that last quarter.”

Thank fuck for that.

“Yeah, I just took a minute to get my head in the game, I guess.”

“I hope I wasn’t a distraction.”

Yes, you totally were!

But I’m not about to tell her that. I’m desperate for this to work, so I just need to figure out a way of dividing my focus when she’s around. I have to be able to tune her out… just like I did after she left.

I can do it.

I will fucking do it .

Because I can’t go screwing up my NFL chances now that she’s back in my life.

Dad always said Sienna cost me my best shot with Brighton College, and like fuck I’m going to let him prove me right on this.

Sienna and I can be together, and I can still play the best football I ever have.

This will work.

I’ll make it work.

“…and then I was practically screaming at the TV. It’s lucky I didn’t wake Zoey.” Sienna laughs, and I only just register that she’s talking to me.

I press my finger into my ear, trying to hear her better as the guys in the locker room talk and laugh behind me. They’re in celebration mode, and it’s getting a touch wild.

“I missed some of that, sorry.”

“No, that’s okay. I can hear the noise in the background. I should let you go.”

“Can I come over later?”

“Uh…”

That buzz in my chest quickly dies. Why the hesitation?

“I want to say yes, but Russell gets home tonight, and I’m not sure how it will go down if you’re here.”

Anger spikes through me thick and fast. That assface better not get in the way of me and Sienna.

“I just need to talk to him about us first. Give him a heads-up. It’s all going to be okay. He just has a bit of a thing about you, and I need to talk him around.”

“Do you need me to be there for support or anything?”

“That’s really sweet, but no… I think I better field this on e on my own. Maybe Zoey and I can see you tomorrow, though?”

“Yeah, definitely. I’ll try and get all my studying out of the way first thing in the morning, and then we can spend the rest of the day together. Would that work?”

“Yes.” I can hear the smile in her voice, and it makes my lips twitch. “Zoey can always have her afternoon nap in her stroller. We can go for a walk or something.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Looking forward to it already.”

“Me too. Last night was…” I grin down at my sweaty uniform and shake my head with a no doubt dreamy smile.

“It was everything,” she finishes for me, and I can picture her blue eyes sparkling the way I love so much.

“I love you, Sparks.”

“I love you, Hot Lips.”

I’m laughing as we say our final goodbyes and hang up. And then I must be blushing, because Wily walks past me at just the wrong second, and I am toast.

The number of hassles and jeers I have to put up with for the next ten minutes is ridiculous, and I end up giving them all the finger before stripping off my uniform and showering up.

The rest of the afternoon and evening is lost in celebration, but I don’t stay up too late, because I have myself a pretty perfect afternoon lined up for tomorrow, and I want to make sure I’m ready for it.