Page 73 of Cocky Player

Connor

There wasnothing fun about training camp.We showed up on Sunday night, ate in one of the dining halls on campus.Dozens of grown men crammed into a dorm building like we were eighteen all over again with a ten o’clock curfew, eight hours a day of working our asses off.Coaches deemed it necessary for team morale and intense practices right before pre-season started, but fuck I was so sore.And the ice baths in the small private university weren’t enough to stop the aches from overworked muscles.

“Goddamn, I’m getting old,” Powell groaned, taking a seat across from me.

I made a sound of agreement and shoved another bite of food into my mouth.

We were staying on a college campus but the food was catered.We had our choices of a huge variety of meals from Italian and Mexican to Asian and good old comfort American cuisine all proportioned for our weight requirements and body needs.All we had to do was check a box and meals were made specifically tailored to us.

I was shoving down a stir-fry, quinoa and cauliflower rice instead of normal white rice, a mixture of steak and chicken and broccoli, all made to keep my body lean and allow for the most muscle growth.

What I wouldn’t give for a damn juicy burger like Powell was inhaling.

Note: American cuisine for the rest of camp.

“Shannon said the girls had a great time last night.”

“Doing what?”I didn’t quite care about Shannon or the other player’s wives.I’d spoken to Brenna once all week and felt like an ass about it, but I was throwing my all into this camp.I had to.My five-year contract ended this year and I was working my ass off to ensure I’d be able to get a new one.My agent told me there were other teams keeping an eye on me, but I wanted to stay in Raleigh.We had the potential to be one of the greatest teams and I wanted to be a part of it.

Plus there was Brenna.No way would she want to leave.

I only half-listened to Powell as he started talking.Something about Shannon, drinks and wine, but then I caught Brenna’s name.

“What?”She hung out with his wife?How in the hell did that happen?

He had his burger in his hands, frozen right at his open mouth.“You didn’t know she was hanging out with them?Have you talked to her at all?”

“Tuesday?For like five minutes.I’ve been so damn tired I almost fell asleep on the phone.”

“Yeah, no shit, man.I might be getting too old for this crap.”

He was thirty-seven.Hewasgetting old, especially for his body to keep taking a beating as a tight end, but he was still one of the best.

“Serious?”

“Shannon spilled last night, so Brenna knows, but we found out Shannon’s pregnant and it got me thinking.At my age, all this traveling, the beatings.Might be getting close to hanging up the cleats, you know?”

So much information to process.Waytoo much.

“You’re having a kid?”

“Yeah, could you stop looking at me like I’m an alien when you ask that?”

“I’m not...it’s not...wow, man.That’s awesome.”

I’d never considered having kids.Never thought I came from good enough stock to have anything fatherly inside of me.But knowing Shannon was pregnant, my mind immediately went to Brenna.Swollen with a part ofmeinside of her.Her sweetness and grace and sass and strength.

Fuck.

“Thinking about it now, aren’t you?”He had a fork shoved toward my face and when I glared at him, he used that fork to spear a chunk of cauliflower.

“No.”I needed a subject change.Fast.“So what was Brenna doing with them?”

“You want to know, call your girl.”

“She’s not my girl.”

“You’re a shit liar.”He grinned and shoved his burger into his mouth.

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