Page 2 of The Comeback

“What?” She laughs and takes a bite of a roll. My mom can be a pushover for my brothers, and I might be a daddy’s girl.

“You guys drive me crazy.” Saylor shakes her head. My brother, Knox’s fiancée, is an only child. Walking into a relationship with a man who has three siblings has been an eye-opening situation for her.

For several minutes, we eat and trade barbs with each other. I love my family more than anything, and I’m thankful for another year where we all live close to each other. The twins are under two hours away, but who knows where they’ll end up after they graduate? And Knox’s rookie contract will be up at the same time.

I sigh and stuff a spoonful of mashed potatoes into my mouth to fight feelings of melancholy. Maybe mom needs to peel some more potatoes.

“Dear, are you going to the stadium tonight?” My mom stands and picks up my dad’s empty plate.

“Yes, I’m meeting Coaches Slater and Rowling at four o’clock. Weston Summers is being announced as a new trade to the team.”

“Weston Summers?” I wrinkle my nose. “Why would they sign him? He’s washed up.” Weston Summers played for a New York team last season, and while he tried to come back from an Achille’s tendon injury, that happened the year prior in California, he’s still slow. Or at least slower than he used to be.

“Charlotte.” My dad pins me in place with a look.

“I’m sorry.” I raise my hands in front of me, palms outward. My dad hates the term washed up. “He appears to have lost a couple of steps.” Or three. Or four. “And doesn’t trust his ankle.”

“I thought you didn’t watch football.” Knox wipes his mouth with a napkin and smirks. Before Saylor, he would’ve been a barbarian and cleaned his face with the back of his hand, proving there’s still some hope for my younger brothers.

I straighten my shoulders. “He played in a game Devin sent me to watch.” Fine. I watch football. A lot of football. But they’ll never know it.

Knox crosses his arms over his chest, clearly pleased with himself for catching me in a lie. “If you were supposed to be watching Devin, why were you watching when the other team was on the field. Devin plays offense.” He arches his eyebrows. “For our team. And Weston played offense for the other team.” He bites his bottom lip, and those eyebrows arch higher toward the sky. “So, when Devin went off the field, Weston came onto the field.”

I hope your face sticks like that. “My remote broke.” I blissfully imagine squishing his head as I sit next to him.

I worked with Devin on strength, speed, and balance. Not as a physical therapist or a personal trainer, but from my dance studio. Ballet isn’t just for girls.

“R-i-i-i-i-ght.” He drags out the word so long that imagining it isn’t enough.

“Asshole.” I pinch him in the upper arm and immediately regret my decision. The asshole used to be a puny prick. Now, he’s a three-hundred-pound defensive lineman, and I might have just broken a nail. Or a finger.

“Kids.” My mom places her free hand on her hip and taps the toe of her flip-flop on the floor. If we keep it up, she’s liable to snatch it off her foot and smack someone upside the head. “Do I need to send you all to your rooms?”

“Or outside.” Ace waggles his eyebrows as he leans across the table, trying to intimidate me. They always ganged up on me. “We can take you.”

“You can’t catch me.” After my knee injury two years ago, I didn’t know if I’d ever get my speed back, but I can run circles around these bozos thanks to intense training.

Knox sobers and studies our father. “Do you think he can make a full comeback?”

“I don’t know. I hope so. He’s only twenty-five. He should have another four to six years left.” Running backs are notorious for short shelf lives because of excessive wear and tear, but most make it until they’re close to thirty. “Even if he doesn’t make a full recovery, there will be someone who wants him.”

I shove back my chair and grab my plate. “Hopefully he’s spent some time in the gym, and on the track this off-season, or his stint on the team will be short-lived.”

“You’re right.” My dad nods as I move around the table grabbing more of the dirty dishes.

“I bet he makes a comeback.” Knox’s eyes widen, and his face lights up with excitement. “Charlotte, I bet you kitchen duty for a month he makes a comeback and sticks on the team.”

“You guys quit it. It’s not right to bet on a person’s livelihood.” Saylor tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Sure.” I grin. “I’ll take you up on that bet.” We started betting on everything when we were teens. I got out of tons of chores that way.

Knox stands “Shake on it?”

“Absolutely.” I juggle the plates in one hand and shake with the other as my dad and Saylor groan.

“You two are ridiculous.” My dad shakes his head.

Damn it. Now, I feel like crap. I love a good underdog story. And overcoming injuries. Smashing through mental blocks.

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