Chapter 24
LANEY
“Come with me to the lax house,” Jessa says, waving for me to follow her out of the house. “It’s dinner we don’t have to cook.”
“It’s also for roommates and those dating the roommates,” I say.
Jessa laughs. “I’m only dating one roommate, not the whole house.”
“True, but I don’t think that extends to me. I’ll just make one of those meals I got at the store the other day.”
She turns up her nose and says, “A freezer meal?”
I laugh. “Not a freezer meal. Those things are like cardboard versus everything I had as a kid. It’s like actual food, but I just have to heat it up on the stovetop.”
“Laney, I’m asking you as a friend to come eat dinner at the lacrosse house. Please?” she asks, giving me a pleading smile.
My stomach tightens a little more at the thought of eating with the guys, especially Burton. But I shouldn’t be worried about it, because we’ve already eaten out twice.
I breathe out a long sigh and say, “Okay, but if things get weird, I’m out. Let me change.”
“No time. And roommate night is basically sweats mandatory.”
We put on our shoes and walk across the street.
“Are you ready for FanFest this weekend?” Jessa asks.
I laugh. “Me? Are you ready for it? You’re the one who put most of this together.”
She shakes her head. “Not really, which I know is a surprise. The woman in charge did a great job. I was at the field today as the crews were getting things set up. It’s going to be an epic party.”
“I hope so. The guys can use all the support they can get.” I think of Burton’s words, about the only people who support him are his sister and her family. How hard that would be to have people not there for you, especially as a professional athlete.
Jessa opens the door without ringing the bell and walks in. “Hey, guys.”
“Jessa!” Finny says. “And her roommate.”
I laugh. I didn’t remember his name last time either, so I can’t blame him.
Jessa walks over and kisses Clark on the cheek. “What are we eating tonight, boys?”
“Stack went to get Italian from Vincenzo’s. He and Burton should be back at any time.”
I’m not sure what to do here. There’s stuff everywhere, and it looks like a bachelor’s paradise. Maybe I should go back to the house and have Jessa bring something after.
“Have a seat,” Clark says, waving to the empty spots. There’s one next to him, which Jessa takes, and one on a small loveseat. At least I’ve got it to myself.
The focus is on a lacrosse game on TV, and while I’ve never watched a full game, I’m surprised at how fast it goes. There’s so much action and violence, I can’t look away. A sign I might be too much like my grandpa.
“What happened there?” I ask when the ref blows the whistle.
“The defender pushed him from behind, so it’s a penalty.”
“But I thought you could hit people,” I say, leaning forward to learn more.
Clark nods and gives me a small smile. “You can on the sides and front, just not in the back or on any part of the helmet.”
I nod and watch, trying to take in every bit I can. Clark and Finny explain a few of the plays and what’s happening.
Stack and Burton come back a few minutes later, their arms full of bags of yummy-smelling pasta.
“Let’s eat!” Stack says. He grabs a paper plate from the bag and goes to open one box.
Burton gives him a little shove back and says, “Ladies first, Stack.”
Stack looks apologetically at us and waves. “Sorry about that. It smells so good.”
Jessa nods for me to follow her, and I load up a plate, taking my spot back on the loveseat. There isn’t a lot of room around the table to eat anyway.
A few moments later, Burton walks over with his plate, taking the seat next to me.
“Hey,” he says, giving me a lopsided grin.
“Hey,” I say, grinning back.
“I’m glad you didn’t die in the air,” he says, taking a bite of his fettuccine.
Laughing, I say, “Me too. Although I’ve heard that flying is a lot safer than driving a car.”
He shakes his head. “I could see that. Did you get to see anything fun?”
“Not really,” I say, putting my fork down. “We had a couple of early afternoon games and then a bunch of later ones. I was either exhausted from the night games or had meetings and interviews before the other ones.”
“That’s too bad. Is there a place you would’ve liked to see?”
Shaking my head, I say, “Not on this trip. The Northeast trip I’m hoping to take in a Broadway show and see some of the history up there.”
He grins. “Virginia has a lot of history. Do you get to go to a Washington Nationals game?”
“I’ll have to check the schedule for that one,” I say, twirling my fork in the pasta. “You survived all the practices?”
With a nod, he says, “Yeah, with your help.”
I narrow my eyes, and ask, “I was thousands of miles away. How did I help?”
“Well, you gave me a different look at training. I varied up my workouts, and it helped pay off, especially once we started the two-a-day practices. So, thank you for that.”
I laugh and say, “I’m glad I could help in a small way. Are you excited for tomorrow?”
“I’m excited for the entire weekend. Getting to meet a bunch of the fans will be awesome, and then we’re back to playing. Do you have to work this weekend?”
“Yeah,” I say, using a napkin to wipe the corner of my mouth. “The baseball team plays at home, so I’ll be around. Are you ready for that first game?”
His softer smile undoes me, probably because of all he’s been through. Support and care are all things he’s lacked from most of the people in his life.
He nods. “I kind of wish it wasn’t against the team we lost to last year, but we’ve got to get revenge at some point.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Please tell me that’s not the same intimidation tactic you used at the hockey game? That whole alpha-male warrior call of intimidation.”
He chuckles and says, “Sometimes it is. But we’ve just got to play our game.”
“What’s your role in the FanFest tomorrow?” I ask.
“I’ll be near the fastest shot for some of the day and then at the challenge-a-pro section later. Will you have time to come?” he says.
He doesn’t look at me, focusing on his food, but there’s a certain tone in his words that connects everything he’s ever told me.
He’s putting up a wall that says he doesn’t care whether I’m there, because he’s had to do that for most of his life.
I nod. “I will be tomorrow for sure. Daphne put me in charge as the emcee, so I get to share the prizes and go through all the fun stuff.”
His eyes meet mine, and my stomach flips at the hope there. “You’re the perfect one for that job. You’ll have to come to my station, so I can teach you some lacrosse moves in case you ever get to cover one of our games.”
My cheeks go hot, and I shake my head. “I don’t know about my being perfect for the emcee part. More like the only one available right now. I’d like to learn something from you, though.”
Why is my voice so husky when I say that?
We sit back and finish our food, listening to the banter in the room. It’s chaotic and loud, but I love it. There’s something about feeling accepted in a place that’s foreign and safe. And sitting next to Burton when we don’t have to be anywhere is a rare perk.
Burton explains different calls of the game, looking like a kid who just got a lifetime supply of candy.
“I’ve learned more in the last thirty minutes of watching a sport than I ever did watching football with Grandpa,” I say, grinning at Burton.
“Football is one of those hard ones to learn. There are so many positions, and what do they all do?” Burton says. “Lacrosse can get intricate, but the biggest thing is passing the ball around and taking an open shot.”
The game ends, and the guys turn on a movie. It’s already been a long day, and while I’m tempted to get up and walk across the street, I’m so comfortable right here. My eyelids get heavy, and I fight to keep them open from, but it doesn’t work.
I might be cuddled next to Burton, and I’m not mad about it.