Page 68 of Broken Play
In unison, we answer, "Yep."
"Browning can work with him on routes, and then we can have him catch against a defense that can't touch him. But we'll still be able to see if he can slip a defender. Is that the right phrase? I've been studying, but I don't have it all down," Sutton says, and I admire her for being honest. And when she talks football, my pulse races.
I can't help but admire this woman who was thrown intoa job and sport that she knew nothing about but is handling it with class and decisiveness. "Yeah, ba... boss. That's a good phrase." Shit. I almost slipped.
Dad says, "If Parker agrees, I'm good with it, but as punishment, he'll have to chip in for his tuition. He has money in his trust fund. I want him to know that there are consequences to his actions. He'll pay half of his tuition and you boys won't pay a penny. He needs to learn and get a part-time job at night after his internship."
"Damn, Dad."
J.D. puts in his two cents. "That's fair. But what's also fair is that you tell him up front that this doesn't guarantee him a spot on your team."
"If he's as good as we are, he'll get recruited to a higher-profile team. No offense, Dad."
"None taken. Now let's go play some flag football with that cute little girl."
Sutton and I hang back and clear the table. "I'm glad you brought Paulina, but if I had known, I would have asked Frank's kids to come over."
"She's going through a bit of a rough spot, and I was just trying to distract her. Her grandparents are in the hospital."
"Is it bad?"
"I don't have details yet. Hopefully, I'll know more soon."
"Promise me that you'll let me know if there's anything I can do for that little girl."
Sutton's lips flatten as she nods.
"Now tell me why the house is covered in all things green and gold."
She pulls me into the hallway. "Because you're not cheating on me with your ex. I refuse to wear anything ordrink out of anything that says Denver. I've put a few Armadillo T-shirts in your drawer."
I slip my hands around her waist, clasping them behind her back. "Are you planning on staying over more?"
"I am, if you want.”
"Oh, babe, I want you in my bed. Every. Damn. Night."
THIRTY-SIX
SUTTON
Every cell in my body wants to wear the jersey of my guy, number ten, Greyson O'Ryan, but that wouldn't be professional, so instead, I wear a plain jersey with our logo covering the front and back.
Anna, on the other hand, is completely decked out in number ten attire. She says it's to thank him for saving her best friend—me. It's been a busy week, but while I've been at work, she's worked with Paulina and Gabby and hung out with them afterward. She's told them a little too much about our escapades when we lived at the tennis academy in Florida. For some reason, she doesn't tell them that I was always saying, "This isn't a good idea." It seems that every person has that one friend who is their complete opposite. Anna was always willing to risk whatever it was, just so she could have a thrill and a story to repeat for over a decade.
Since Anna wants to meet our head coach, we go to the field. J.D. is proving himself to be no-nonsense on game day, but I'm hoping he'll at least say hello. It's about ten minutes before kickoff, and I see Greyson, helmet on and ready tocompete. Catching a glimpse of us, he jogs over. "Boss, Anna. How ya' feelin'?"
"Fantastic. I just needed to see my bestie. And I'm much better. Back to practicing tennis again," Anna says as she gently pulls me into her side.
"Good, we were all worried about you." His focus slides from my jersey to Anna's. "Well, at least one of you has on the right jersey." He winks and jogs away.
I yell across the turf, "Good luck!"
He turns with a smirk, walking backward to the center of the field. "It's not luck. It's skill." Warmth travels through me at his charm and confidence. It's one of the reasons he's the darling of the NFL—he doesn't come off as cocky, just confident.
Finally, I see Coach and pull Anna's arm until we reach him. I tap him on the shoulder, and he shifts abruptly. "Oh, hey."
"I'll be quick. This is my best friend, Anna."
