Page 2 of The Riskiest Move

“Rogan’s behind center now, so all is well.” He was recently promoted from backup to starting quarterback.

She clasps her hands together in her lap. “Yeah, but that makes me more nervous because I don’t want him to be upset if they lose.”

“The game’s just starting, so let’s watch instead of worrying about what might happen,” I suggest.

“You’re right.”

On the play, Rogan hands the ball off to the running back for a gain of eight yards. I’m expecting them to run the ball again on second down but he drops back and throws a bomb.

“Oh.” Autumn panics, grabbing my hand and squeezing. Her grip tightens as the ball sails through the air, all the way down to the twenty yard line where the tight end, Cooper Grind, breaks free from his defender to make a one-handed catch. And best of all, he runs all the way to the end zone unchallenged.

Autumn’s hold on me disappears as we jump to our feet, along with the rest of the Silverbacks fans in the stands. The roar of the crowd’s approval is deafening as I watch Cooper and his teammates celebrate.

“That was amazing,” Autumn screams, her green eyes shining with excitement.

“It was. Your man did good.”

“He did, and Cooper was a beast shaking off that defender,” she adds.

“I agree. Was that Cooper’s first touchdown?”

“No, he got one last week.”

I find myself feeling regretful that I couldn’t watch the first game of the season. Cooper is one of the rookies on the team. With Rogan and Autumn’s blossoming romance, he and I havegotten to know each other after all of us hanging out together several times. He’s genuinely nice and easy to talk with.

“A touchdown in each of the first two games. That’s quite an accomplishment for a rookie,” I note.

“I bet by the end of this game it’ll be more,” she shouts over the crowd noise all around us.

We silently watch and then cheer as our kicker successfully gets the extra point. “They’re off to an amazing start,” I say.

Autumn nods. “That was Rogan’s biggest concern. He wanted to make sure they came out and got points on the board in their first possession.”

“Well, mission accomplished.” Tipping my head back, I close my eyes for a few seconds, enjoying the sun’s warm rays on my face.

It’s a beautiful September day in Virginia. With the temperature in the mid-seventies, it’s not too humid or too hot. But I’m looking forward to the official arrival of fall, which is my favorite season.

The opposing team manages to score a field goal on their drive, but the Silverbacks come right back and score another touchdown. This time it’s Griffin Moore, the wide receiver, who catches the ball in the end zone.

By the time the end of the game rolls around, the final score is 42-13, with our team on top. And Cooper got two touchdowns.

With the Silverbacks in the lead from the start, it wasn’t the most exciting game I’ve seen. But sometimes it’s nice to have an easier win.

My best friend and I remain seated as the other fans file down the aisles and out of the stadium. Autumn’s busy staring at her phone while she posts on the Silverbacks pages. She became the team’s social media manager a few months ago, and she’s been kicking butt at it ever since.

“I’m done,” she announces, rising. She tucks her cell phone in her back pocket and claps her hands. “Let’s get out of here. Rogan said they’d meet us at the restaurant.”

“They?” I say, standing.

“Yeah, I’m assuming some of his teammates are coming too. When they win, they like to celebrate. You know, all that male bonding stuff is important to them.”

I frown. “Are you sure it’s okay if I’m there? I don’t want to intrude.”

“Why wouldn’t it be okay?”

“You’re Rogan’s girlfriend, so you have a reason to be there. I’m just tagging along.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “You’re Rogan’s friend too. Now, come on, Scar. No more arguing.”

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