Chapter 9
Nine
Will
The stadium is buzzing. Draft week is officially here, and even though it doesn’t start until later in the week, there are people milling around everywhere. Our team has gone over our options to the point of exhaustion.
Every name on the board has been circled, erased, and circled again.
Pros, cons, injury reports, interviews, late-night calls with scouts, we’ve dissected it all.
There’s a whiteboard in the conference room, also referred to as the war room, that looks like it’s been through battle itself, layers of marker ink bleeding into one another, arrows pointing in every direction like some kind of conspiracy map.
If you stare at it too long, it starts to feel like the future of the franchise is hanging by a few dry-erase smudges.
My phone rings. I see McIntosh Garage displayed, so I quietly step out of the room to take the call. “Hello.”
“Is this Will?” a guy asks.
“This is Will.”
“Will, this is Gary from McIntosh Garage. I was able to take a look at the Highlander you had brought in over the weekend, or your son-in-law did. Either way, I took a look, and it’s the alternator. We can have it fixed and back on the road for you today.”
“Thank you, Gary. Do you have time to give it a thorough look-over? Brakes, tires, that kind of thing, while you have it?”
“Sure, we can do that. Do you want a call after?”
“Nah, just take care of it, and I’ll be handling the bill, no matter what anyone else tries to tell you.”
Gary chuckles. “Sounds good. I’ll have the guys check it over, and we’ll start the repair, and any others needed. We’ll call you when it’s ready.”
“That sounds like a plan. Thank you, Gary.” I end the call and pull up Amanda’s contact. I know she’s at work, so I hesitate between calling and texting, but a phone call wins out.
“Good morning,” she answers, the sound of her voice soothing in a way I didn’t expect.
“Mandy,” I rasp, using my nickname for her again.
“I heard back from the garage. It’s your alternator.
It’s a simple fix, and they’ll have you back on the road tonight.
” I don’t tell her about the extra look I’m having them do.
It’s not lying; it’s keeping a secret, a safe one.
A secret where no one gets hurt. No, this secret protects Amanda and Mia, so that’s a good one in my book.
“That’s a relief. I’ll call them to give them my credit card. I’ll see if Bellamy can go with me to get it, then drop your SUV off with you. Thank you again, Will, for everything,” she says, her voice growing soft.
“I took care of it.”
“What?” she asks, as if she didn’t understand what I just said, when we both know she heard me just fine.
“I handled it. What time do you get off work? I thought you and Mia could meet me at my place, and I’d ride with you to get it, and then take my SUV back home with me.”
“What do you mean ‘you took care of it?’”
“Amanda.” I sigh. “I wanted to help. I would have done the same damn thing if it were Bellamy.”
“I can afford to repair my car.”
“So can my daughter, but that wouldn’t stop me from handling it. I wanted to,” I say, my tone softer. “Just say ‘thank you, Will.’”
“I—” She pauses. “Thank you, Will. I’ll make you dinner or clean your house or something to pay you back.”
I laugh. “My intention was not to add strings to the situation, Amanda. I wanted to help you, so I did. Now, if you and that sweetheart, Mia, want to have dinner with me, I’ll take you up on that any day of the week,” I tell her, before clamping my mouth shut.
I’m probably creeping her out. Who wants to hang out with their best friend’s dad?
I wasn’t thinking when I said it, but it doesn’t mean that I didn’t mean it.
I enjoy the times we’ve spent together, no matter how it came about, and I’m lonely in that big ole house.
Amanda needs someone to lean on, and I’m unattached.
There’s no reason I can’t help out where I can.
It hits me that for the first time in my life, I’m seeking more than what football can give me. I want more than the game. The one I’ve devoted my life to. The one that assisted me in ruining my marriage and almost lost me my daughter.
“I’d like that,” she replies softly, and I don’t know if it’s my revelation or her agreement that has my heart tapping a crazy rhythm inside my chest.
“Anytime, you call me,” I tell her, my voice raspy. The idea of having someone to have dinner with here and there settles inside me, and I love the idea more than I should—especially since she’s my daughter’s best friend. “What time do you get off work?”
“I know you’re busy, Will. I can call Bellamy.”
“Mandy, we just talked about this. I’m not too busy to help you. What time should I meet you at my place?”
“I can leave early. What time does the garage close?”
“They’ll leave the keys for us, so we can pick up your car at any time.” I don’t know for sure if that’s the case, but I’ll make sure that it is.
“What’s your day look like? When are you able to leave?”
I think about it. “I can make any time work, but late afternoon is fine.”
“Okay. I’ll leave here at four, grab Mia from day care, and be at your place around four-thirty or so, depending on traffic. Is that okay?”
“I’ll see you then. Have a good day, Mandy.”
“You, too, Will,” she replies, ending the call.
Shoving my phone into my pocket, I take a deep breath and head back into the conference room.
It takes me a few minutes to tune back into the conversation, but once I do, I get lost in work, but not for long, not like I would in the past. I have a date with two ladies this evening.
Okay, not a date, but it’s not a lonely night spent at the office either.
Not even draft week could keep me from helping her.
I smile when I think about little Mia and how sweet she is.
“Whoa, what’s that?” Jerry says, pointing to my face. “Did you get abducted by aliens when you stepped out?”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, wiping at my face.
“You’re smiling.” He points at me.
I chuckle. “Is that a crime?”
“Nope, but it’s not something we see often from you, especially during crunch time.”
“The pressure falls on your shoulders, my man,” I tease.
He nods, laughing. “True enough. So, what’s got you all teeth and dimples this morning?”
“Nothing, just a good day.”
“You were not doing that”—he points at me again—“before you stepped out to take a call. You got a new lady friend you haven’t told me about? You know, Beth has been begging me to set you up with her friend, Nina.”
“Tell Beth I appreciate it, but no thanks.”
“Uh-huh.” He grins before turning back to his work.
Jerry has mentioned his wife setting me up with her best friend before, and I’ve never said no, but I’ve never said yes either. However, sitting here now, thinking about it, I can truly say I’m not interested. I don’t know why this time is different. It just is.
Pushing thoughts of dating out of my mind, we get back to work.
I rush out of the stadium at four o’clock on the dot as if my ass is on fire.
I don’t want Amanda and Mia to be sitting around waiting for me.
Not even fifteen minutes later, I’m home.
I pull my truck into the garage and then take a seat on the front step, waiting for them.
I scroll through media coverage of the draft on my phone, but when my SUV pulls into the driveway, I’m on my feet, shoving my phone into my pocket, and rushing to greet them.
Pulling open the back door, I lean in and say hi to Mia. “Hey, sweet Mia.”
She gives me a big smile and a squeal of delight. Bending down, I kiss her nose, and she grips my hair.
“No, Mia, we don’t pull hair,” Amanda says gently from the spot behind the wheel.
“She’s fine, Momma. She’s just saying hello,” I tell her. I look up to find her turned in her seat, as much as the seat belt will allow, watching me. “How was your day?” I ask, still leaning in the back door.
“Good. Yours?”
“Good.” I nod. Something tells me the ending is going to outshine the beginning. I tickle Mia, making her giggle, before closing the door and climbing into the passenger seat.
“Oh, um, you can drive,” Amanda says, a soft blush coating her cheeks.
“Do you feel uncomfortable driving?” I ask her.
“No, I… it’s your car.”
I shrug. “And I lent it to you. I’ll drive if you want me to, but you can drive us to the garage.”
“Are you sure? This feels weird.” She laughs.
“You don’t like being my personal chauffeur?”
“It’s not that. I just—I don’t know.” She laughs.
Reaching over the console, I softly rest my hand on her arm. “Do you want me to drive?”
She nods, biting down on her bottom lip. Have her lips always been so… plump? Clearing my throat, I turn my head and drop my hand from her arm. I need to shut down those thoughts.
“I can drive,” I tell her. Pushing open the door, I climb out, rush to the driver’s side, and offer her my hand when she steps out.
“Thank you,” she says, her face once again turning a light shade of red.
I don’t know why I do it, but I reach out and rest my palm against her cheek.
Her breath hitches as she peers up at me under long lashes.
Those big green eyes could bring a man to his knees.
I open my mouth to speak, but for the life of me, I can’t remember why I stopped her or what I was going to say.
Her skin is soft beneath my palm, and my brain is suddenly a scrambled mess.
“Your eyes are beautiful,” I husk.
More blushing, and I remember. I had to touch her.
There was no other option, and I know that’s a road I can’t travel, but I did it anyway.
With a quick swipe of my thumb across the apple of her cheek, I drop my hand and step out of her way.
She scurries around me to the passenger side, sliding in and quietly shutting the door.
It’s not until we’re on the road that I bring up my completely inappropriate moment.