Page 21

Chapter 20

Tyler

T oday is our season opener and the first game of my eighth season playing in the NFL. I feel blessed that this game is at home and among our fans, and emotional that I’ve made it this long playing a sport that I love.

Most athletes never know when their last day is coming. Yes, plenty out there choose to retire and leave on a high note, but for a lot of people, like my buddy Jack Willett who used to play for our team, a career-ending injury takes us out. An injury that always comes when we least expect it and breaks our hearts. I’m not oblivious to my age or the wear and tear I’ve placed on my body, but deep down in my soul, I know I have a few good years left.

“Ty,” Bryan calls for me. “Stick-in route,” he says, and I move to my place on our lineup. He calls the play, and I take off five yards. The stick route is a short, quick-hitting pass route where a receiver runs slightly outwards and then cuts back. This route is most used when it’s third and four. I have to be able to block the defensive end and catch the ball. A good tight end understands the importance of route running and how to leverage their size and ability to achieve this. It makes us hard to cover. I pivot away from where the defender would be, and Bryan fires the ball to my outside shoulder away from the defender. Easy catch.

“You good?” I ask him as he jogs over, and I toss the ball back to him.

“Yeah, I just wanted a few more passes before the game starts.” He tucks the ball under his arm and wipes his hands on the towel tucked into his waist.

“Nervous?”

“Always. You’d think I wouldn’t be after all these years, but I am.”

“Yeah, me too.”

The first game of the season always brings with it a host of emotions. There’s excitement, as it’s a fresh start to rid ourselves of whatever happened last season. We get to show off new talent like Ryder, and there’s a certain level of electric vibration in the air that comes with the fans. It fuels us, but there’s also nervousness as we as an organization put expectations on ourselves right out of the gate. We want to execute as perfectly as we can, make a statement about our unity as a team, and start the momentum to propel us into the next week.

“You’re only nervous because you have company here.”

“Nah, it’s not like that.”

“You sure about that? Y’all have been playing house now for a while.”

“I know she went and looked at a few places recently, but she didn’t love them. I don’t mind her there. It’s been nice.”

“Ah, is our lone wolf deciding he doesn’t want to be lonely anymore?”

“Shut up.” I shove him in the shoulder, and he laughs. “How’s farm life, chicken daddy?”

He frowns, then smirks at me. “You’ll know soon enough.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shrugs at me while grinning as he jogs backward. “Exactly what I said.”

A roar from some fans in the far end zone catches my attention as Bryan runs over to Titan to run the opposite route of what we just did. The beat of a familiar cadence echoes, and I find the Tarpons drumline that walks through the fans and performs, and people love it. All the drummers wear a hat shaped like a fish, and it’s a spectacle, that’s for sure.

Man, I love this stadium. The teal stadium seats, the flag poles, which are made to look like fishing rods, the fishing boat that’s set up on one end of the stadium to host events, the drumline, and even King Silver, our mascot. The nickname for a tarpon is silver king, so of course our organization flopped the words, and we have a large fish that walks around with a crown on his head. I’ve bled these colors for so long, I’m not even sure I could work elsewhere.

Drifting my eyes to the right, I see the roped-off section for friends and family on the field. I instantly find her. I know she’s here with Camille and Sophie, but it also feels like she’s here for me. At least I’d like to think that she is.

Since I’ve been in the NFL, not once have I had someone stand there for me who wasn’t my parents or Lance. I’m man enough to admit that more times than not, I wish that I did, but never enough to make a change and do something about it. Now, seeing her there, I don’t know, it does something to me. And damn if she doesn’t look good, too. She’s wearing a tiny teal skirt that swishes when she walks, tall silvery-sparkled cowboy boots, and a white Tarpons T-shirt. I have no idea where she got those boots from, and although I shouldn’t, I can’t help but think about what she would look like in only those boots. Damn boot kink. Her hair is pulled back into a high ponytail and sways back and forth as she talks. Her hair, also my kryptonite, would look good wrapped in my fist. My heart thumps hard in my chest as she laughs at something Camille says.

I’m pretty sure I have it bad.

Bad for my best friend’s little sister.

Jogging over to the sideline, I lock my eyes on her, and hers are on me. I veer toward Sophie and Vivi first, attempting not to make myself obvious, as I pull my helmet up so it props on the top of my head. Although I’m not sure if there’s even a way to stop the circus that’s bound to happen.

Last night, over dinner, Lily announced she was coming to the game. I had been mid-chew of the grilled chicken I had made for us and paused to look her in the eye. I don’t know what she expected my response to be, but after the shock of it wore off, all I said was, “Okay. I have a ticket and a pass for you in the truck.”

Did I grab them, hoping she would come? Yes, but I didn’t tell her because I didn’t want her to feel pressured or obligated.

“Hey, squirt,” I say to Vivi, ruffling her hair. She hates it when I do that, but it hasn’t stopped me. She knocks my hand away.

“Uncle Tyler, we’ve talked about this,” she scolds. “I am a young woman, and we don’t like our hair to be messed up.”

“You are a beautiful young woman too. But fair warning, you’re my squirt, and that won’t stop me. Ever.”

She frowns. “Well, then I’ll have to come up with something just as annoying to do to you.” She crosses her arms over her chest.

“I’d like to see you try.” I smile down at her.

“Just you wait.”

“How ’bout you give me a good luck hug in the meantime?” She holds her arms up, and I pick her up and hug her tight. “You know you’re my good luck charm.”

“You should remember that when you mess up my hair. I’d hate to become your bad luck charm,” she sasses.

I laugh and feel Lily’s eyes on me. Not being able to help myself, I glance at her and wink. Pink crawls up her neck and into her cheeks.

Setting Vivi down, I glance at Jonah. This is also the first game that he has someone here for him too, and at this moment, he is completely in Sophie's orbit. It may as well just be the two of them here as they stare at each other. I’m happy for him.

I move over to Camille, who is openly smiling at me. It’s good to see her out here, too. There are dark circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep I’m assuming she’s not getting, but she still has that new-mom glow. I lean in and give her a kiss on the cheek.

“Nice to see you. Feeling okay?” I ask her.

“Every day, it’s a little bit easier. I’m glad this game is at four today instead of eight.”

“Amen to that. I like to be in bed at eight. No shame in admitting that either.”

“Good luck today,” she says, patting me on the shoulders.

“Thanks, but we’ve got this,” I tell her.

“I know you do.”

Behind me, Reid knocks me out of the way so he can get to his wife.

“Lily,” I say as I move to stand in front of her next. “You doing all right?” I scan her face for any signs of discomfort, and while there are lines around her eyes and a few on her forehead, for the most part, she looks resigned.

“Can’t stay hidden forever, right?” She gives me a small smile. “That’s become the motto lately.”

“Right.” I smile back.

I know people are watching us. People have been watching her since she stepped onto the field wearing another team’s colors. I can’t imagine how she’s feeling, but she’s holding her head high, and I’m so damn proud of her.

“I like your outfit,” I tell her, scanning her again now that I’m closer. Yep, I would definitely like to see her in just the boots.

“I thought you might,” she teases, and heat curls through my stomach.

Two can play this game.

“Although for next time, maybe we revisit that conversation where you said you used to wear a Tarpons shirt with my name on it.”

“You want to brand me with the name Quinn?” She gives me a flirty smile.

“Damn straight,” I tell her, no teasing needed.

The air between us thickens just a bit. I wouldn’t say we’ve been flirty with each other before, but we haven’t not been. And having her here, I know she’s with her friends, but she’s also here for me, and I like it. I like it a lot.

“Hmm, we’ll see what I can come up with,” she says.

“Maybe you make it sparkle just like the boots. I like them, by the way.”

She pops a foot out, and while she may be looking at the boot, I’m looking at her smooth muscular thigh. Her hair, her eyes, her hands, her legs . . . I love them all. Everything about this girl is perfect.

“I was thinking, how about I cook for us tonight? You’ve cooked a lot over the past couple of weeks, and it’s my turn.”

Surprise registers on her face. “You want to talk about dinner?”

I shrug. “When am I not talking about food?”

“You know you grilled the chicken last night. You cooked for us.”

“Yeah, but that’s all I did. You made the rest. That risotto had my eyes rolling back in my head.”

She brings her finger up to her chin as she thinks. “I could go for a nice steak with a grilled potato.”

“Done. I’ll pick some up on the way home.”

Home. I like the sound of that when associated with her. Her and me.

Behind her, someone bumps into her, and she takes a step toward me. Instinctively, I wrap my hand under her elbow to help her balance. More people have squeezed into this area, which means more people are probably staring at us.

“I hope you have fun today,” she tells me, my gaze falling to the glossiness of her lips.

“Fun?”

She’s so pretty, she takes my breath away.

“Well, yeah. If it’s not fun, then why do it?” Her turquoise eyes sparkle at me.

“Could be for the very large paying contract, but I like the way you think, Kent,” I tell her, smiling. How could I not smile at her?

“I suppose that contract is nice, but don’t forget you earned it.”

“Never.”

Knowing I need to get going, I make a decision and surprise us both when I hold up my pinky. She looks at it and then at me. I can see the hesitation on her face to touch me in public, but I don’t care. She’s here, and no matter what, I have her back. Slowly, she lifts her hand and wraps her pinky around mine. Our eyes lock, a little of that anxiety ringed around hers recedes, and she smiles back.

I may be on the Tarpons team, but I’m also on hers.

No matter what.

“See you later?” I ask, already looking forward to when we are at home, hanging out just the two of us.

“Can’t wait,” she tells me, and with those two words, part of me falls.