Page 56 of The Anaconda Downstairs

The players took the field. There they were—Chris, Declan, Hayes, and Everett. Four brothers, all on the same professional team. It was like something out of a movie. I only had eyes for number forty-seven though. There was even a moment when I was sure he looked up to the suite windows right at me.

“Go get ’em, boys,” Jules shouted, her enthusiasm infectious.

The game was a blur of action. I'd never been much of a football fan before Kelsey met Declan, and I still wouldn't say I even understood much of the game. But today I found myself caught up in the action. Every time Everett ran or blocked a man, and especially when he caught a pass, my heart did a little flip. I had no idea whether it was just me or not, but I swear he was playing better today than ever before.

During halftime, we feasted on a holiday spread that would put most Christmas dinners to shame.

We ate, and nobody commented on how much or little was on anyone else's plate. No one was judged or even looked at funny for going back for a second piece of pie. Everything was fun and family and all about sharing this meal and holiday together.

Isak drew me into a conversation with Flynn and Gryffen about which of them was the better Mario Kart driver and whether I was coming to the New Year’s stream-a-thon or not. Jules and I talked about how she'd already been accepted to Denver State and that she planned to major in sports psychology. Zaddy Kingman called me Pen, like I'd known him my whole life, when he asked if I'd ever actually seen snow before.

It was surreal, chatting and laughing with the Kingmans, with Everett's family like I belonged here. Like this could be my future. This family could be mine.

And that was just too weird to even think about. Best not to get my hopes up.

The perfect Christmas lasted right up until the fourth quarter.

It happened so fast. One moment, Hayes was sprinting down the field, the ball tucked securely under his arm. The next, he was in the endzone, on the ground under a huge pile of Cleveland Dawgs. We were all cheering, watching, and waiting while the entire Dawgs defense that had piled on him slowly got up.

There, lying in the grass, was Hayes, still clutching the ball to his chest. The announcer declared the touchdown, but I don't think anyone even heard him, even though the whole suite had gone silent.

Hayes wasn't getting up. He wasn't moving,and he wasn't getting up.

Chris and Everett jogged over to him, and Chris knelt beside him while Everett frantically motioned to the sideline for the medical personnel to hurry over to them.

My throat tightened as I watched the medical team rush onto the field.

“No, no, no,” Jules muttered beside me, her earlier cheer replaced by fear.

I reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. She looked at me, eyes wide and scared, suddenly seeming much younger than her seventeen years.

“He'll be okay,” I said, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt. “Hayes is tough.”

But as the minutes ticked by and Hayes was carefully loaded onto a stretcher, the gravity of the situation sank in. This wasn't just a minor injury.

“They're taking him to the hospital,” Mr. Kingman announced, his face grim as he hung up his phone. “We need to?—”

“I've got it,” I heard myself say, standing up. All eyes turned to me, and I looked at their worried faces. Faces of the people who meant more to me than my own family. Something clicked into place. This was what I did. I organized. I managed. I fixed things.

“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Mr. Kingman, you should go to the hospital now. Give me five minutes and I'll have Kelsey's car waiting at the VIP entrance. I'll call ahead and make sure they're expecting you.”

I turned to the other boys. “Flynn, Gryffen, Isak, I don't want you driving under this stress either. I can get a second SUV here in about twenty minutes. Can you wait, or do I need to give you a task to distract you?”

The twins said in unison, “Task.”

“Okay. Gather up all the presents to take to the hospital. Hayes is going to want to hear all about the Christmas shenanigans.”

They nodded, looking relieved to have a task. Isak held his hands up. “I'm good. I'll just go look up concussion protocols.”

I gave him a side-eye but let him go when he pulled out his phone with the League's page pulled up. Well, at least he'd be well-informed by the time they got to the hospital.

“Marie, can you help me coordinate with the team's PR department? We need to manage any media inquiries so speculation doesn't get out of hand.”

Sara Jayne Jerry raised her hand and gave her husband a shove forward. “Mac can help with that too.”

“What about Willa?” Jules asked, her voice small. “She'll be freaking out.”

Shit. Hayes's girlfriend. If it was me, I'd be more than freaking out. “You're right, she will be. Do you feel okay enough to message her? Give her the details of where to go? She's as new to this as I am and won't know.”

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