Chapter 17
BECCA
Vera, who sat beside me, her hand on her belly, smiled. "He didn't like it at first, but it was that or not be part of the team. Well, you know what Conrad is like. He wasn't going to let a bit of superstition stand in his way."
"Now he thinks it's good luck," Brody said. His two-year-old son, Jack, sat on his lap, face turned to the screen, eyes wide at the moving pictures.
"I guess it has been for him." I watched the melee on the field, but I couldn't even see where the ball was. How did the players know? Practice, instinct, or game plan, I supposed.
"Yeah. He's been lucky enough to find you," Vera said. She gave me a sly smile.
"Has he been talking about me?" I asked, only half-teasing. The rest of me was taut, wondering what her answer would be.
"Maybe. Maybe not." Vera winked.
Before I could ask her anything else, Penny shoved a cupcake toward her mother.
"Can you take the paper off?" she asked.
"Can't you just eat the paper?" Brody asked jokingly. At least, I assumed he was joking.
"That's responsible parenting right there, ladies and gentlemen." Vera rolled her eyes and took the cupcake to peel off the paper and set it aside on the table in front of us. Before she handed the cupcake back, she took a bite.
"Hey!" Penny protested. She took the treat and went to eat it in a corner.
"Now who is the responsible parent?" Brody teased.
"Think of the sugar I saved her from," Vera said. "Only Conrad would think of asking the caterers for cupcakes. He's either trying to impress you or Penny."
"Or both," Brody said. He moved the paper out of the way when Jack tried to reach for it.
"They're fancy cupcakes," I said. The neat swirls of red and white icing must have taken hours. If I tried to copy them, I'd end up with a pile of frosting blobs. They wouldn't taste as good either.
"Yummy." Penny had frosting all around her mouth and on her nose. She even had some on her left ear. "Can I have a hotdog now, Mom?"
"Let the cupcake go down first," Vera said.
Penny hopped on one foot to her father. "Daddy, can I have a hotdog now?"
"Yeah," he replied without looking away from the game. A sure sign his attention was all there and he hadn't heard Vera say no already.
"Brody!" Vera scowled, but Penny snagged a hotdog and took a huge bite before her mother could stop her.
"Sometimes I don't know who is worse," Vera said to me. "The kids or their father."
"Huh?" Brody blinked at her. "Is something wrong?"
Vera rolled her eyes and shook her head while I held back a laugh.
"Believe it or not, I wouldn't change a thing," Vera said.
"Family is really important to you all, isn't it?" I asked. "And Conrad?" Calling him that again felt strange, but they never called him Hawk.
"Yeah, it is. Especially after his mom passed." Vera sighed. "Aunt Pauline was the rock of the family, for all of us. He was really cut up when she went. We all were."
I licked my lips and nodded. "I bet it was rough. He doesn't talk about it much, does he?"
"No, but he should," Vera said. "He carries it around like a bag of stones. The rock kind," she added with a smile.
I grinned. "I figured that was the kind you meant." A bag of balls wouldn't be as heavy. Depending on whose they were and…
Penny looked back at us and gave us a funny look, but returned her attention to the game. She didn't seem interested, but sitting how she was ensured no one would take her hotdog.
The other two children, both older than Penny, sat in chairs with their noses to the window, obviously more interested in football than their sibling's antics.
"What do you think it would take to get him to talk about it?" I asked.
"Brute force, probably," Vera replied. I wasn't sure if she was joking or not. "He's stubborn as a bag of rocks too."
"I can see that," I said. Maybe if I wrote the article, he'd have to talk about his mother. I hatched a plan in the back of my mind, then tucked it away for after the game.
"Look, it's Conrad!" the oldest kid, a boy named Hamish, shouted.
"Hey, don't yell in my ear, you butt!" his sister, Gertie, said, almost as loud as him.
"Both of you quiet down," Vera said. "They'll hear you down on the field."
There wasn't much chance of that. The crowd spotted Hawk and went wild with cheers and chanting.
"I think they like him," Brody said. "Goodness only knows why." He grinned.
"Right?" Vera laughed. "If only they knew."
I smiled. I appreciated their joking, but as far as I was concerned, if the crowd knew him, they'd love him even more. Not that I was biased at all. No way.
I leaned forward and watched Hawk trot out onto the field, back straight, helmet in place.
"Do you ever worry he'll get hurt?" I asked without taking my eyes off him.
"All the time," Vera said, "but his head is also as hard as a bag of rocks. He gets bounced around a lot, but he's always okay in the end."
In spite of her words, I heard worry in her tone. I turned to see it on her face. She gave me a brief smile and we both looked back at the field.
The centre threw the ball. Hawk caught it effortlessly and threw it toward number 12. In spite of the opposition trying to grab the ball first, he caught it and tucked it under his elbow.
Number 12 ducked down and ran a few steps before slamming into a row of opposition players.
At that point, I lost sight of the ball. When I saw it again, it was in the arms of the other side and they were sprinting for the end zone.
They threw themselves over the line and the screen flashed with the word 'Touchdown!'
"Awww," Hamish groaned. "It's a tie."
"I'm sure the Humpbacks will come back," Vera said. To me, she said, "Hamish takes every game very seriously, even the preseason."
"Another pro ball player in the family?" I asked.
Vera looked horrified. "Oh god, I hope not," she said. "It's one thing when your cousin is out there. If it was one of my kids…"
"We won't stop him if that's what he wants," Brody said firmly, although he still seemed to be only half-listening.
"Of course not," Vera said. "But he does so well at anything physical, especially dance. I was hoping…" She sighed through her nose.
I glanced at Brody, wondering if he was the kind of man who thought boys shouldn't dance.
Brody looked regretful. "Yeah. Some boys at school… Damn shame, he really did love it."
I grimaced. It was sad if some bullies stopped a kid from doing something he enjoyed, no matter what it was.
Well, not if he enjoyed torturing animals.
That should definitely be stopped. But dancing, that was a great form of exercise and self expression.
Says the woman with two left feet. That didn't stop me from trying, when the occasion arose.
I hadn't broken any partners’ toes. Yet.
Plus, there were so many famous male dancers; ballroom, contemporary, ballet, even pop.
"If Conrad was a dancer, they'd leave Hamish alone," Vera said. "They'd see a man can be a dancer and a badass."
I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Hawk in a tight leotard, leaping across the stage, graceful and strong. Mostly I thought about the lycra, tight around his groin…
I swallowed and hoped my face wasn't too red.
"I can hear you, y'know," Hamish said over his shoulder. "Dance is hard."
"Life is hard, son," Brody said, sounding like an old man.
Hamish looked back and rolled his eyes. "Sure, Dad." He turned back around.
Brody shrugged. "I tried."
"Conrad has the ball again!" Gertie shouted.
Hamish swatted her. "Don't shout in my ear."
She stuck her mouth right next to his ear and shouted, "Why?" loud enough to make me wince.
"Hey! Mom!"
"That's enough," Vera said. "Don't make Daddy and I take you home."
I wasn't sure who looked more upset at that suggestion, Brody or the kids.
"I'll be good," Brody said.
Vera rolled her eyes at him. "I've heard that before. About nine months ago."
He wiggled his brows at her.
They were so cute together. I envied how comfortable they were with each other. Could Hawk and I be like that some day? Maybe not with four, nearly five, kids. Two or three would do me just fine.
How many would Hawk want? Did he even want children? I had no idea.
He threw the ball. Number eight, the wide receiver, neatly caught it. He started off at a run that reminded me of a gazelle fleeing a lion. He ducked and wove around the opposition players before they knew he was there.
The stadium was on its feet, as well as everyone in the private box. I held my breath until a Boar came almost out of nowhere and made to grab number eight.
With footwork worthy of a ballet dancer, he skirted neatly around, avoiding Boar number six by a hair.
A moment later, the board flashed again, 'Touchdown!' and the crowd went crazy.
"We're winning!" Hamish shouted.
What a difference a few minutes makes.
A few minutes more and the crowd jeered when a Boar tripped Hawk. I couldn't tell if it was deliberate or not, but he went down hard.
The crowd was furious. For a moment I thought they might erupt.
Hawk climbed to his feet and waved to the crowd quickly before he got back in position.
I thought that was the end of it, until he rammed his shoulder into the stomach of the guy who tripped him.
They both went down in a thunder of cheers, but the referee blew his whistle and waved at them to separate.
For a moment, I didn't think they would. The Boar looked ready to swing at Hawk. At the last minute, he stalked away, back to his position.
I let out a soft breath. The crowd might have loved an all-in brawl, but the penalty for getting involved would be high, especially if someone got hurt. Better they get hurt in the course of the game, if they had to be injured at all.
The distraction worked in the Humpbacks’ favour. They scored again a couple of minutes later. Then again after that.
"We're gonna win!" Gertie said.
"It's not over yet," Brody said. Somehow, little Jack was asleep on his father's lap. His long eyelashes lay over his cheek, small mouth twisted slightly sideways. Totally oblivious to the excitement around him.
Those were some sleeping skills he had.
"Might as well be over," Hamish declared.
A couple of minutes later, the Boars scored again.
"Five minutes to go," Brody said. "It could still go their way."
"Naw," Gertie insisted.
My heart sat in my throat as the Boars gained possession of the ball and bolted toward the end zone. A foot from the line, the Humpbacks tight end tackled him and the ball flew out of his arms. It was scooped up by a full safety and thrown back out of play.
The referee blew the whistle and the crowd erupted in cheers.
The screen read, 'Humpbacks win!"
"Told ya," Gertie said to Brody.
He laughed and reached over to tickle her under the chin. She wiggled, giggled and moved away.
My eyes were all for Hawk, waving at the crowd. Even from here I could see his smile of pride and triumph.
"The team will be down at Waves to celebrate in an hour or so," Vera said. "You're welcome to come."
I turned my face and smiled. "I'd love to." Hawk already invited me, but it was nice to know she wanted me there as well.
She smiled. "Great. We need to get these kids home to my mom. This will be the last chance for a night out until this little one comes." She patted her belly.
"I bet you can't wait," I said.
"I really can't," she said wearily. "I really, really can't."