Chapter 7
Reid
Securing a win for my first home game with the Badgers was more than I could have asked for.
Pre-season may not officially count, but it was always better to start off with a winning record rather than a losing one.
Now we just had to keep that momentum for the next two weeks.
We would be traveling between five different cities, playing a game at each one.
It would be great to learn how my team interacted and adjusted to the travel.
Myself? I hated it. I’d much rather be home, but it was a necessary evil to the job.
At least when we were done with this two weeks, I would be at home for a while.
I hefted my carry-on bag over my shoulder and got onto the private jet the team used for travel.
It wasn’t a luxury jet by any means, but it was one that could fit all of us and our gear comfortably.
I preferred to sit more toward the front of the plane.
I didn’t want my team to think I was keeping an eye on them.
I intended to snag one of the first two seats.
I should have picked a different one, especially when I saw Rowan sitting there.
But against my better judgment, I sat down next to him.
He stiffened when he saw me, his eyes widening in surprise.
“I can move if you want me to.” He pushed on the armrest as if he was going to stand, but I put my hand over his.
“You’re fine. Stay.”
I should have kept my hands off him. His skin was soft to the touch and warm. Reluctantly, I pulled my hand away when all I really wanted to do was lace my fingers into his. It was insanity the way I craved his touch.
Since our talk, I’d done a bit of soul-searching. As subtly as I could, I asked around about him. Not that it was hard. I simply had to mention his name and people’s faces lit up. Rowan was well-loved within the organization. Even the owner and general manager seemed to really like him.
What really showed me that he was not the man I thought he was, was how the team interacted with him.
He was their kid brother, the one they teased and played with, but secretly let win just to boost his confidence.
They relied on him for a morale boost, seeking him out when they were down without even realizing it.
He was always there with a reassuring smile and a pat on the back for them.
Rowan was an important part of the team. And he wasn’t going anywhere.
Clearly the man I met all those years ago was not the man sitting next to me on this plane.
He wasn’t the one who brought in Nix’s favorite donuts last week when he found out that Nix’s parents had to put down their pet cat. He wasn’t the one who picked up Cord’s dry cleaning when he was running late a few days ago.
Evan boarded after me and handed a small cooler bag to Rowan.
“Ice, then heat. Rotate every half-hour, man. And make sure you get up and walk around on this flight. You’ve got two hours of just sitting, and I don’t want that hit bothering you. It’ll feel way worse if you stay sitting.”
Red covered Rowan’s cheeks. “I’m fine,” he said.
Now that I really looked at him, his eyes were glossy like he was tired, and he winced as he moved.
“Yeah right, man. We all saw that bruise on your ass from that fall yesterday.”
That fall hadn’t been part of his routine?
I hadn’t been sure. That was the first mascot show I’d ever watched in all my years of being around the game.
I’d ignored the antics in the past, but these days I was more and more curious about Benny the Badger.
And the man inside the costume. I shot him a look, and he must’ve seen something on my face because he was quick to shake his head.
“It’s fine. I’m fine.”
“Talk to the trainer when we land,” I said.
He shook his head. “I can’t—”
“Don’t argue with Coach, Ro!” Evan pointed at him. “Coach, you tell him. Don’t let him tell you he’s fine. He was hurting yesterday.” He walked toward the back of the plane and took his seat a few rows behind us.
“I won’t bother the trainer. I really am fine,” Rowan said.
“I’m sure you are. It probably wouldn’t hurt to talk to him. They’re very knowledgeable.”
He bit his lip, taking the heating pad that Evan had given him and tucking it next to his hip. He winced as it touched his side.
“That fall yesterday wasn’t a choreographed move?” I asked the question I already knew the answer to.
He shook his head. “No, it was my first time doing that stunt for the crowd. I botched it.”
We were quiet for a while as the rest of the team boarded.
It felt like eternity before the plane departed.
Everyone seemed to be lost in their own little world, headphones on, reading their books, or talking to their seat mates.
On longer flights, Mario and I might talk strategy or review previous games, but for short ones, I liked to relax.
Rowan stared directly ahead.
Being so near him made it impossible for me to relax. I’d done this to myself. The plane was plenty big, and I could have sat in a dozen other seats. I’d failed in my attempt to avoid Rowan. Given the first opportunity, I managed to put myself directly in his presence for two hours for no reason.
He continued to sit straight, never relaxing, only ever staring directly ahead.
I finally pulled out my tablet and began going through some games just so he would hopefully relax.
I debated moving just so I could give us both a reprieve, but I didn’t want him to think…
what? What exactly was I trying to convey to him by sitting next to him?
After twenty minutes he turned off the heating pad and tucked it away.
“Let me know when you want to get up and walk around,” I said.
If possible, he scooched further from me. He had himself smashed against the window. Not that he needed to get farther away, the seats were plenty big. We had room.
“I’m fine,” he said. “Evan’s just a worrywart.”
I nodded. “Yes. It’s what makes him a good captain.”
“Have you thought about who you might name as Alternate?” he asked, looking at me fully for the first time.
The moment I met his gaze, he turned away.
“I’m sorry. That was… I was just curious. You don’t have to—”
I put a hand on his knee. “It’s fine, Rowan. You can ask me questions about the team. I’ve thought about it. Evan, Mario, and I have discussed it, and we’re not quite ready to make a decision yet.”
He nodded and seemed to relax a little.
“You want the job?”
His head whipped around fast as he looked at me, panic in his eyes. I smiled to let him know I was joking, and he let out a laugh.
“I think I’m good where I am,” he said.
“You are. You’re very good at what you do.”
He looked down at his feet, and I couldn’t help but notice the way his long lashes nearly touched his cheeks when his eyes closed. “Thanks,” he said.
“You’re welcome, Rowan,” I said. I pulled my hand away from his knee and leaned back in my seat. Rowan let out a long breath and relaxed.