Page 13 of Make the Play

I’m trying to put all the worries out of my mind when a shadow falls over me. The sun is no longer blazing. Sunglasses cover my eyes, blocking the harsh rays hidden behind my brother, but I still have to squint to see him smiling down at me.

“Damn, I thought you were sleeping. I was going to toss you into the pool.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” I tell him, sitting up straighter in the lounger.

“Nah, not unless I knew you were fully awake.”

“That’s not much better, but thanks… I think,” I say, chuckling. I’ve missed my brother so much.

“What are you getting into the rest of the day? It’s Saturday. Shouldn’t you be out on the town, enjoying the downtime you deserve?”

That’s his way of telling me that being a freeloader is okay with him. I really did get lucky in the big brother department. “Actually, Sloane is on her way over. We’re just going to hang out here if that’s okay. Unless you need me to make myself scarce?”

“What? No. This is your home, Corie. I don’t bring women here. The only women who have been in this house are you and Sloane.” He says that sadly, because he bought it two months after our mom passed away. “You come and go as you please, and don’t you dare ever think you’re not welcome here. I don’t care what’s going on, Corie Reynolds. This is your home.”

Tears prick my eyes. “Thanks, big brother.”

Landry sits on the corner of the lounger and leans in to hug me. “Love you, baby sister.”

“What are you doing? Training camp starts in a couple of weeks. Are you going to be living it up until then?” I tease.

“Nope. Not that Beckett would let me even if I wanted to. I swear, he’s worse than Coach Warner sometimes.”

“So you’re telling me that he takes his position as captain seriously.”

“Is there a stronger word for serious?” he asks.

“That bad?”

“Nah, he rides our asses because we do stupid shit. By we, I mean me, Montgomery, Sinclair, and Vaughn. Beckett keeps us in line.”

I’m thankful that I’m a fan of the Rampage; otherwise, it would be hard for me to keep up when he uses their last names like that. They go back and forth, but it’s a typical conversation for us.

“Ah, I get what you’re trying to tell me.” I’m setting him up, but he doesn’t even realize it.

“What’s that?”

“That you’re living it up a little too much, and you’re depending on Knox Beckett, your quarterback, team captain, and best friend, to keep your asses in line.” I raise my eyebrows, daring him to deny it.

“Pretty much.” He laughs. “It’s not like we’re going hog wild or anything, but Knox, he’s on another level. He lives and breathes the game. He rarely strays from his regimen of working out and eating as the trainers and nutritionists tell us to. He’s got willpower unlike anything I’ve ever seen before in my life. The man can resist anything if they tell him to. It’s not human.”

“Stop.” I push at his arm, and we laugh. “He’s human.” Then again, maybe that’s why he’s so damn sexy. It’s not human for a man to lookthatgood.

“You can hang out with Sloane and me,” I offer.

“Thanks. Knox is coming over. We’re going to watch some game tape.”

“Already?”

“Yeah. The schedule’s out, so we already know who the first game of the regular season will be. Not sure if we’ll play much during preseason, so we’ll go straight to the first team that counts and study our opponent.”

“You’re a lot like him. I think you all are. You, Reid, Baker, and Foster might be a little more relaxed, but all five of you are dedicated to the game and being the best you can be. That must be why the five of you are so close.”

“When you live, eat, and breathe with a group as much as we do, it’s hard not to get close. Besides, it shows on the field, too. We’re the dream team, baby.”

“Careful, big brother, that ego of yours is showing.”

He stands and stretches. “It’s not ego if it’s facts. What time is Sloane going to be here?”

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