Page 37 of The Run Option

I go to grab it from him, but he pulls back. “We’re not married yet, but when we are, yourwifecan handle a backpack.”

“Let’s call it practicing for next weekend.” He tightens his grip on my backpack’s strap. “I know what youcando, but I also know that you shouldn’thaveto.”

The stubborn expression he wears irks me. I’m fully aware it’s stupid to be mad at Jason doing a nice thing for me, but the way he’s talking is like he’s laying down some sort of law. And if this is indicative of future situations…then I need to make sure he knows I’m not going to be trifled with.

I grab on to the strap and pull, tugging Jason near a fountain in front of the hotel. Players shoot surreptitious glances as they pass, but I don’t care. They’ll need to get used to this, because I’m not going to be a quiet little wife.

“Are you really mad at me for wanting to carry your bag?” he asks, frustration evident in his tone. He’s usually so amiable that it catches me off guard for a moment, but then I’m throwing that same tone back at him.

“This isn’t about the bag, this is about you speaking as if things are fact. This thing between us isn’t going to work if you try to control me.”

His eyes flash in anger. “Thisthingis marriage, and I’m not trying to control you. Just this morning I asked before I kissed youon the cheek. All I wanted to do was a nice thing for you.” He sighs, raking a hand through his hair. When he looks back at me, his expression has softened. “Willow, I know you have your reasons for not liking me, but I’m never going to control you. I’m not that guy, and I think you know that.”

I stay silent, looking down at my scuffed tennis shoes. My anger comes crashing down like a parachute with a tear in it.

“I think you’re scared,” he murmurs. “And that’s okay. I am too. But I’m not going to hurt you, ever. At least not on purpose.”

Emotion tightens my throat. I’m so foolish. The sting of my embarrassment settles behind my eyes.

“I’m sorry.” I barely manage to get the words out. “I’m stressed and I took it out on you.”

Calloused fingertips brush under my chin, lifting my head. “It’s okay. I just want you to know that we’re a team. I’m not your enemy.”

“Kingsley!” A shout from behind us makes me jump. Jason’s hand falls away. “Are you checked in yet?” Coach Young stands near the hotel doors, his arms crossed over his chest.

“I’m coming, Coach!” he yells back, then looks at me. “Are we good?”

I muster up a smile. “Yeah, we’re all right.”

He returns my smile with a brighter one. “Good. Now let’s go get checked in before Coach benches me.”

I let out a light laugh and follow him to the door. Once we both get checked in to our individual rooms, Jason drops a kiss on the crown of my head and returns my backpack so that he can go talk with Coach Young before the game starts. I watch him walk away, his kiss leaving a wake of tingles that ripple down my spine.

Trouble,I think to myself as Jason glances back and winks at me when he catches me staring.I’m in so much trouble.

Chapter seventeen

Jason Kingsley

It’s halftime and my mind still hasn’t let go of the image of Willow’s eyes. They were shining with tears when I tipped her chin up, like twin rain clouds on the verge of a storm. I wish our conversation could have been longer. I wanted to draw her close and let her know I wasn’t angry, just a little frustrated. Hopefully she understood everything I said before Coach took me away.

I didn’t get a chance to talk to her before the game. She was working, and I needed to focus on the task at hand. I tuned out the world as soon as I stepped on the field, and worked with the team to put up seventeen points, while the Alamanda Alligators only managed six. We should be up more, but their defense is stronger than we anticipated. They may not beat us, but we’re not looking like Super Bowl contenders either.

Now that I’m in the locker room, it’s hard to think of anything but Willow. Coach yelled for a while about missing passes or not reading the field correctly. I listened as intently as I could, and as soon as he finished, I went back to worrying about my future wife. Had anyone given her any problems while I was on thefield? Was she still upset from earlier, or did my words give her some peace of mind? How will she act when she meets Miles and Ellie later? Will they like her?

“You look like you’ve got a lot more than football on your mind,” Calvin says as he sits beside me on the bench. “Everything okay with Willow?”

We’d talked during warmups and he was thankfully not mad at me for keeping the news from him. His acceptance helped me shake off my pre-game nerves, but they’re starting to resurface the more I think about what’s to come.

“Yeah, everything is okay. I’m a little worried someone is going to say something stupid to her when I’m not around.”

“I’ve heard her insults firsthand, and I think she can handle herself,” he says with a chuckle.

The corner of my mouth lifts. He’s not wrong there. My girl isn’t one to back down from a fight. I rake a hand through my hair. There I go again, thinking of her asmine. On one hand, she is and will be even more so soon, but on the other…I think she’d slap me if she heard my thoughts.

“I know she can,” I say, “but I also know that the media and fans can be brutal. I don’t want her going through that because of me.”

He nods in understanding. “I get that, but she chose this, choseyou, knowing that. She’s been in our world long enough to not be surprised.”

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