Page 66 of Rookie Season
My stomach drops like a chunk of wet snow falling out of a tree branch and splatting on the ground.
I’ve wanted this girl for as long as I can remember. Always watched her out the corner of my eye. Wanted to make her smile.
Just because I’m young doesn’t mean I don’t know what I want.
The back door of the SUV cracks open. “Hey, Ryan!” Jay hollers. “We’ve got a game to get to.”
I’m still staring at Sierra.
I shut the door again and turn back to the woman who’s completely thrown me. She looks as though she’d rather be anywhere but facing me right now.
“Is there anything I can say to change your mind?”
She wraps her arms around her, her mouth falling open as if the idea of me trying is ludicrous. “No. Have a good Christmas, Ryan.”
It takes everything in me to reach for the door of the SUV and pretend nothing happened.
18
SIERRA
“Merry Christmas, Sierra!” One of our regulars lifts his glass to me.
“You too, Pete.”
Mile High is bustling as the game comes on. Every one of the half dozen TVs is tuned to the stadium right down the road where the Kodiaks are getting ready to host LA.
“Your dad said you might not get back.”
“It was pretty close,” I admit as I refill the ice in the tray in front of me.
Pete laughs. “It’s the holiday, and there’s a game. That’s all I care about. As long as we beat LA.”
Pete turns back to his friends, all wearing jerseys. One of the guys has a Santa hat.
The words remind me of what my dad said. They’re not here for me.
My chest feels hollow.
The past couple of days were amazing, but that’s not my world. Just like I got swept up in the holiday spirit, I got swept up in Ryan.
On the screen, the announcers finish their pregame remarks, and the broadcast cuts to the team intros.
LA is out first, jogging onto the court to hollers from the home crowd I can see but not hear because of the muted TVs.
Next is our team.
The crowd is on its feet—mostly Denver fans wearing purple holiday sweaters. This is everyone’s idea of the best time. I was listening to stories on the radio earlier of how people got tickets and what they did to get them.
The Kodiaks’ starters appear one by one.
Atlas with a one-handed wave to the crowd, his eyes cool and focused.
Miles, running and tilting his head to one side then the other.
Jay, clapping to get him into the headspace.
Ryan.
