Chapter Eighteen Cash
Chapter Eighteen
August
Cash
Saylor allowed me to take her out on one more date before she left for her internship—the big deal that took her away from me for most of summer.
Of course, I made it count, especially when I spent the night at her place afterward.
The whole spending-the-night thing was way out of character for me this early in a relationship, but I hadn’t been joking when I told her she’d wrecked me the first time we had sex.
Since she was going to be in Denver hanging out with celebrities, I needed to leave an impression, which I did all night long.
While she was away, we texted a couple of times a week.
Her excitement for her work with Olivia Carter nearly leaped out of my phone.
The pics she sent of her hanging out with Balefire had the potential to make me jealous, except it was common knowledge the guys in the band were all blissfully married.
Still, the one with Dakota Perri’s hand resting on her hip gave me pause.
I had to grin at the photo she shared of her with Cristy Valor though.
The two of them looked like they were up to something naughty as they clinked shot glasses at a table in the studio.
My summer alternated between working on grounds crew at the golf course—a job I’d lined up to supplement my scholarship and limited NIL money—and weight training and practice.
The team couldn’t officially practice until the end of July, but I’d continued to show up on the field after lifting and throwing balls to whoever wanted to catch them.
Almost always, Callahan O’Reilly and Danny Chambers were up for it.
Josh Mitchell and a couple of freshmen would also show up, as well as Tarvarius Johnson on occasion because “sometimes you need a running back to catch a pass, show the receivers how it’s done. ”
I loved that guy’s confidence.
Patty and Dally would usually join us as well, giving me plenty of opportunities to work on my timing with our starting center.
Coach Ellis had made it clear when I joined the team that we didn’t have a quarterback controversy, but it didn’t hurt for me to be ready to play with the starters for those long-pass opportunities on third downs that Coach Wiley had implied in spring ball would be coming my way in the fall.
Plus, moving in with Dally had helped him see that I truly was a stand-up guy.
Yes, I wanted to start. Yes, I still harbored a scintilla of hope a pro team might want to pick up a quality backup QB.
No, I had no delusions of either opportunity actually waiting in my future.
I’d play some third downs this season, help Patty with his technique, maybe finish my career with a championship ring, and head to medical school next fall.
Still, my competitive desire demanded I leave everything I had in the weight room and on the field every time I stepped in either place.
We were deep into official practice with two-a-days and hours of film study when Saylor returned to campus, which meant I didn’t have a chance to catch up with her until she’d been home for a few days.
Knowing she was in town yet not being able to see her made me itchy—something Dalton and Taco noticed and didn’t let me up about.
“That last pass today had a bit of a wobble. Almost allowed me to intercept it,” Taco teased as he helped himself to the pizza I’d ordered. Practice had run late, and none of us had wanted to cook after we came home. “Makes a guy wonder if you’re distracted.”
“You sure your head’s in the game?” Dalton chimed in.“That long play is a three-step drop, not five, isn’t it?”
“What are you talking about?” I grumbled. “You special teams guys were on the opposite end of the field through the entire practice tonight.”
Dalton casually tossed our biggest roommate under the bus. “Dally mentioned something about it on the ride back to the house.”
“What did I mention?” Dallas asked as he entered the kitchen. He strode straight to the table to grab a slice without even bothering with a plate.
“How distracted Cash is now Saylor’s back in town,” Taco so helpfully explained.
“I was not distracted in practice today.” Turning to Dally, I said, “Tell ’em. Our timing was impeccable as always.”
“Except for that five-step drop-back on the out route.” Dally’s eyes danced around the half-slice bite of pizza he’d shoved into his mouth.
“Fuck’s sake!” I didn’t hold back on the exasperation. “Somebody missed an assignment, and Bax shot through the ‘B’ gap. I was scrambling.”
Dally shrugged, laughter rumbling in his tone. “Whatever.”
“You’d better call her tonight, make a plan,” Taco said from where he sat across the table. “We need you sharp on those signature long throws of yours.”
After sliding half a large pizza onto a plate, I stood from the table and headed to my room.
“That’s right. Run away,” Dalton teased.
“I’m not running away. I’m going to eat my food in peace,” I growled.
“Make a phone call while you’re at it,” Taco called after me as I walked out of the kitchen.
I flipped him the bird over my head, and my roommates’ guffaws followed me down the hall to my room.
Settling back against my headboard, I balanced my plate on my thighs, shoving pizza into my mouth with one hand while toying with my phone with the other. I hadn’t lost focus on the field, but my mind strayed to Saylor every time I stepped off it. My roommates weren’t wrong about that part.
“Fuck it.”
I scrolled down to her name in my contacts and hit “call.” After four rings, I was contemplating hanging up when she answered.
“Hey! I thought you’d still be at practice.” She sounded out of breath.
“Been home for an hour. How long have you been in town?”
After another panted intake of breath, she said, “I flew in the day before yesterday.”
“Who picked you up from the airport?” It wasn’t any of my business, but I didn’t give a shit.
“Piper.”
“I would have been happy to pick you up, kiss you ‘welcome home.’” When she didn’t respond, I asked, “Are you working out or something?”
“Raced my brother to my car.”
In the background, I heard the metallic sound of her switching her phone over to Bluetooth.
“Got it. You’re busy tonight.”
“My parents are in town doing a college visit with Mason. The Wildcats are on his list of potential teams for next year. Hang on.” After a few staticky seconds, she was back on.
“They were in the stands during your morning practice today. He mentioned something about the cannon that is your throwing arm.”
Was it wishful thinking, or did she sound kinda proud of her brother’s observation?
“I appreciate the compliment.” I set my plate of food beside me on the bed and settled deeper into the pillows stacked against the headboard. “When am I going to see you?”
“In ten minutes. Does that work for you?” From the laughter in her voice, I couldn’t tell if she was messing with me.
“Works awesome—if you’re not playing me.”
“I was planning to catch up with you after I got home from having dinner with the fam, but then your name lit up my phone, and I decided to change the plan. Unless you don’t want me to come over.”
“Can’t wait to see you.”
With another rippling laugh, she hung up, and I scrambled to make my room more presentable.
I wasn’t a messy person, but after I arrived home from practice, I’d tossed a pair of shorts and boxer briefs at the clothes basket in the corner of my room and missed.
I put those away and wolfed down another slice of pizza as I returned the plate to the kitchen.
“What’s on fire?” Dalton asked from my favorite chair in the living room.
I shot him a glare, but before I could call him out, from the other chair in front of the TV Taco piped up, “Bet he made a phone call.”
After stuffing the two slices of pizza I hadn’t eaten yet into a plastic bag and hiding them at the back of the fridge, I wandered back into the living room. “I did, actually. And you two Nosy Nellies can keep your commentary to yourselves when Saylor gets here.”
Right then the doorbell chimed through the house, announcing her arrival.
“Nosy Nellies?” Taco snorted. “What are you—ninety?” He leaned over his chair to touch his game controller to Dalton’s as though he’d said something funny.
Still shaking my head at my idiot roommates, I stepped over to the front door and almost lost my breath.
Saylor was always effortlessly gorgeous, but this sun-kissed vision in front of me left me speechless.
Her bright pink sundress showed off her golden-tanned skin to perfection.
Sunlight sparkled and highlighted her blonde hair.
When she lowered her movie-star-glamorous sunglasses, her amber eyes danced with mischief.
“Hello, Cash. Were you going to invite me in?”
Swallowing hard in a desperate attempt to keep my tongue in my mouth, I stepped to the side, opening the door wider. When she sailed by me, her floral and musk perfume rolled over me like an invisible mist, drawing me to follow her.
“Hi, Taco! Hey, Dalton! You guys have a good summer?” she asked as she strode into the living room.
“Same ol’,” Dalton said as he stood to give her a hug, his arms lingering around her waist way too long for my comfort. “Not nearly as exciting as hanging out with rock stars like some people I know,” he teased.
“You didn’t happen to get a signed T-shirt from Balefire, did you?” The hope in Taco’s voice as he took his turn hugging her would have been pathetic, except for the fact she’d given my roommates some sugar while I’d gone without. Something was seriously wrong with this picture.
“Actually, I managed to snag a few signed T-shirts from Balefire, Cristy Valor, and a couple other big names. Thought the house could auction them for one of our charity events this year.”
That right there.