Page 15 of Necessary Roughness

“Hmmpht.” She tossed her head.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m telling my dad.”

“Okay, then.”

She stuck her nose into the air and sashayed over to a shortish, dark-haired guy who probably went a buck fifty after a big meal at the Outback Steakhouse. He couldn’t hear what she said, but she kept pointing in his direction. Her ponytail was quivering with every movement too. Her dad glanced over at Tanner, took his little girl’s hand, and walked up to him.

He had to admit the guy had balls, especially since Tanner was several inches taller and outweighed him by at least a hundred pounds. Maybe he thought it wouldn’t be a problem due to the fact Tanner was on crutches. Whatever.

The guy stuck out his hand. “I’m Luke,” he said.

“Tanner.”

Luke put a protective arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “This is a coed team. My girl has been practicing all spring and summer as the quarterback because Harrison told her that’s the position she’d be playing last season.”

“She might get hurt. Did you talk to her about playing wide receiver?”

“It’s flag football,” Luke said. “She’ll be fine.” He extended a hand to shake Tanner’s again.

Harrison jogged up to them.

“There she is. Ready, tiger? We’re going to have a great season. I know your dad’s been working with you, so we’ll dive right in.”

The little girl pointed at Tanner’s chest. “He says girls can’t be quarterbacks.”

Harrison’s mouth twitched with suppressed laughter. “Don’t listen to what he says. He hit his head in the shower the other day.” He reached out for the little girl’s hand. “Let’s run a bit, and we’ll start the practice.”

The quarterback’s dad walked away from him without another word and found a place to sit in the stands.

Tanner had been bested by a six-year-old girl. He kind of liked her already.

***

JORDAN WAS SURPRISED to get a text earlier that afternoon from Harrison Lane inviting her to his peewee flag football team’s practice, but it might be fun. He’d also said something about getting a drink later so they could talk about places to live she’d be interested in. She wouldn’t turn down a drink. Marco was still out recovering from the car wreck. The physical therapy clinic had had two new patients today. She liked being busy, but this was something else.

She rounded the bleachers and came to a halt as she stared at the broad-shouldered, tousle-haired man sitting twenty feet away from her on the sidelines.

Tanner Cole hadn’t been out of the rehab hospital for two hours and he was at football practice? Instead of going home and resting with his freshly surgically repaired knee elevated, he’d propped his leg onto the bench he sat on. A set of crutches rested next to his opposite hip. Maybe she should have been thankful he hadn’t decided to run laps with the team.

“That was good, but you can do better. Snap the ball and try it again,” he called out to the kids on the field.

Harrison turned to face him. “I’m the coach,” he said. “I had to drag your ass here.”

“Well, I’m here now.” Tanner clapped his hands once. “Let’s see that again.”

Jordan’s legs were carrying her across the distance between them before she realized she was moving. She’d seen her clients do all kinds of crazy things post-injury because they were tired of sitting quietly while everyone else was enjoying a rare sunny day in Seattle, but maybe he could have chosen something that didn’t involve maneuvering around a football field swarming with little kids. She rounded the bench, marched up to him, and rested both hands on her hips.

“Hey. What are you doing here?”

He looked a bit startled but recovered nicely.

“I could ask you the same question,” he said.

“Harrison invited me,” she said. “Weren’t you told to go home and elevate your knee?”

“He drove me here and dragged me out of the car.”

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