Page 137 of When You Wish Upon a Wideout

But this year, after a few whirlwind months with Sienna, he was dreading it.

Damien sat on the ground, putting his feet together in a butterfly position and leaning forward. “You really hanging up your cleats after this season?”

Beau nodded. “I’m old, man. Can’t keep up with fast young ones like you as much as I used to.”Apart from him and Giles and a few veteran linemen, the Sparks were stacked with young, fresh talent. That could go one of two ways—amazingly right or terribly wrong.

And I don’t know what I’m chasing anymore. A Super Bowl ring? The impossible high that moment the game is called when I drop to the turf on my knees, and then what?

A Super Bowl might have been an impossible high. But Beau knew what a high felt like with Sienna, and there was nothing he could imagine or dream of that could compare.

“Alright, I need to run and meet my mom. Her shift ends soon.” Damien stood, throwing his water bottle and gloves into his bag.

Pushing off the grass, Beau wiped his hands on his shorts. “She at the hospital? I’ll give you a lift. It’s not far from me.”

The truth was Beau didn’t want to be anywhere near Texas Children’s Hospital. It wasn’t for fear of running into Sienna since Grace had been discharged. But somehow, the building that housed sick kids had grown even more distressing to Beau. He had left that day with a smile on his face and a skip in his step after losing to both Grace and Molly at Scrabble, heading to his apartment to steal some time with Sienna.

It had been the last time he had really smiled.

He and Damien gathered their things, leaving the park as it grew more crowded. Beau wanted to ignore echoes of his name that seemed to swarm him, and Damien awkwardly looked around, pretending not to notice, until a young boy stopped in front of them.

“AreyouBeau Walker?” There was a timidness in the little boy’s voice but stars in his eyes.

Beau ruffled his baseball hat and looked at Damien. “I think so. Who are you?”

“Bryce Roberts,” the boy said, holding out a hand. Beau smiled at his parents standing a few feet away before giving Bryce a shake. “Hey, do you want to play?”

“I can walk,” Damien said, holding a hand up.

“No, no, it’s alright. Listen, Bryce.” Beau paused, squatting down, trying to get as close to eye level with him as possible. “I can’t play now, I’ve got to give Damien a ride home, and then I have some meetings. But this guy right here, me and him, will be at this park next Saturday at 9:00 AM.” He spoke loud enough for Bryce’s parents to hear. “And I don’t know ifyouknow, but his name is Damien Holdings. He happens to be the best wideout I’ve ever coached. And he’s going to be the best college receiver recruited in Texas next year, you’ll see. So, how about you come play with us next week? Bring some of your friends. Maybe I’ll bring some of mine.”

Bryce nodded eagerly. “Can we take a picture so everyone at school believes me?” He looked at his mother and then back at Beau, his smile as wide as his face.

Can I really say no to that?

“For sure.”

Beau stood, putting a hand on Bryce’s shoulder for the picture before reiterating his message to his parents and telling them he’ll be there next Saturday.

Damien and Beau continued toward the parking lot where Beau had left his truck. “I’m theonlywideout you’ve ever coached,” Damien reminded him.

Beau threw his bag into the bed of the truck. “The first,” Beau said, glancing over his shoulder at little Bryce who was running across the grass. “But I’m not sure you’ll be the last.”

* * *

“So next Saturday at nine?” Damien said a few minutes later as Beau pulled into the hospital parking lot.

Beau shook his head. “Eight for you. We’ll get a workout in first. How old do you think that kid was?”

Damien shrugged, unclipping his seatbelt. “Seven? Eight? Looked like he was my little brother’s age.”

“Didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Two of them. Both younger.”

Beau pulled up at the front entrance, sliding his truck into park. “They into football?”

“One of them is,” Damien said before he reached for the door. “BecauseIam.”

“I know how that goes.”

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