Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 382(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
And then the dogpile receded, and Garrett’s fist punched into the air, the ball still clutched tightly to his gut.
The crowd erupted all over again, and all around me, the Canyon High football team whooped as they jumped up and down, cheering in the section Cullen had reserved for them.
I homed in on Cullen as he and Garrett high-fived and bumped chests. I could see his blinding smile from where I was, and it made my chest swell with pride. They were killing it this game. Had been the whole season, and I loved seeing the joy on Cullen’s face. I loved even more that I got to witness it from the stands instead of on TV since it was the Royals’ bye week.
As if he could sense me watching him, Cullen’s gaze cut toward me, and he lifted two fingers into the air with a smile, an acknowledgment that I returned immediately.
“Look at McRae cheesing over his man.” Jacob cackled as I socked him in the shoulder. “But seriously, that play was amazing. You think they’re gonna go all the way to the bowl this year?” He had to shout to be heard over the crowd.
“I think they have a good shot at it.” I always said that, but it felt especially true this time. Garrett and Cullen were a dream team on the field, and when combined with Ramsey, they seemed to have some sort of ESP about positioning that defied explanation.
“Isn’t that gonna be weird if the Royals go to the Super Bowl, too?”
That was the other thing. The Royals were also having an amazing season, which I wasn’t about to take credit for in any way, even if Cullen liked to blow smoke up my ass about it all the time. But it was an undeniable possibility. “Maybe a little, I don’t know. But if that’s the case, I’m gonna be happy no matter who goes to the bowl, and I know Cullen will be the same.”
Jacob grinned. “Damn, I hope I get to go to the Super Bowl someday.”
“Keep doing what you’re doing this season, then,” I said and clapped him on the shoulder affectionately.
Since I was spending the Royals’ bye week back in Denver, I’d also been able to catch Canyon High’s Friday night game before today’s Rush home game.
Jacob was definitely a contender to go pro, and as I dropped back into my seat during halftime and glanced around at the raucous team around me, a pang of wistfulness hit me in the chest. These high school boys had helped me after my injury more than they’d ever possibly know.
Coach Beam nudged my shoulder and offered me some popcorn, which I waved off.
“You heard anything from Jericho lately?” I asked. He and Vic had both been recruited to Boulder U. and had been open about their relationship, which had surprised me a little and induced a sense of envy and pride. But more than that, I’d been happy for them.
“It’s all going well. He and Vic are still a thing.”
“Any pushback from the team or coaches?”
Coach shrugged. “Not that I’ve heard. Kinda hard to say shit when they’re out there kicking ass on field. Speaking of…” He set his popcorn between his thighs. “What’s this I hear about you leaving the Royals after this year? You bust your head along with your knee or something?”
I chuckled and shrugged. I’d told the Royals earlier in the season that I wouldn’t be coming back, but they’d not announced it to the public until recently. Most of the management understood my reasoning, though not all, and I couldn’t blame them. Not many people would turn down a three-year contract for one of the winningest teams in the league. Even I would have thought I was crazy a year ago. But as I cast a gaze toward the Rush sidelines, the warm feeling in my gut told me I was right. I wanted to be here with Cullen and my family more than I wanted some illustrious second career as a coach for a pro team. I wanted to be able to travel with Cullen on occasion, be home when he returned. The intervening months of FaceTime sex, sneaking in overnight visits when we could, hadn’t been as difficult as I’d anticipated; it just wasn’t enough for me, and no amount of money or secondary fame was going to change that at this point.
“Turns out there are more important things to me,” I said. “Though I did take a pretty hard blow to the head when my knee got fucked up, so maybe that’s playing a small part.” I winked.
“I got a proposition for you, then,” Coach said, waggling his brows. “Come coach at Canyon with me. I got the board to approve an assistant coach. Official title. Even comes with a salary and some benefits. And you can take time off whenever you need to.”