Chapter 9
NATE
My heart was pounding, and I was out of breath.
Jax peered down at me with amusement in his eyes. He held out his hand to help me off the bench.
“Hey, old man. Your friend is waiting for you, but you might want to slap some deodorant on first, or you’ll lose whatever chance you have with her.”
I glanced to where Becca stood off on the sidelines.
We had another interview session scheduled, but practice was brutal, and I was exhausted.
Two of our starters got injured, and a fight broke out between Hudson James, a defensive tackle, and cornerback Dan Wiggins.
It started out as chirping at each other, then quickly escalated to pushing and shoving.
The competitiveness, especially during drills, often got out of hand at times.
I laughed as he pulled me up. “She’s just here to ask a few questions. I’ll keep my distance, so I don’t scare her off.”
He threw me a clean hand towel and slapped me on the back. “Wipe that bod off and go charm the reporter.”
I rolled my eyes and wiped the sweat off my face and neck before heading over to her.
As I got closer, that easy smile of hers hit me square in the chest.
“Sorry,” I said, slowing to a stop in front of her. “Practice got a little crazy today. I lost track of time.”
“That’s okay. I wish I had come earlier. I heard I missed all the fun.”
I laughed, which surprised me, considering how exhausted I was. “Just another day at the office, I guess.”
“Does that happen often?”
“The trash talk, yes. The pushing and shoving, sometimes. We’re all teammates, but we’re also competitors, too.”
She looked at me with interest. “Have you ever gotten into a fight with one of your teammates?”
I shrugged. “I’ve been involved in some pushing and shoving, but nothing too crazy. I wouldn’t want to risk damage to this pretty face.”
The comment earned me a brief smile.
I looked across the field to where everyone was running toward the locker room. “I hate to do this to you, but do you mind if we reschedule our interview? I’m probably going to be another hour.”
“I don’t mind sticking around.” She shifted her bag on her shoulder.
I raised a brow. “You sure?”
“Yeah, unless you have somewhere to go after this.”
“Not really.” I ran a hand through my sweaty hair. Now I was hyperaware that I was still in my practice gear and probably smelled like a wet dog. “I’ll need to take a quick shower too. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to put clothes on before we start the interview.”
She looked at me with a scolding stare. “After watching you practice, I think I have more of an appreciation for what you do.”
I smirked. “Oh, yeah. You have a thing for watching me sweat?”
Shit, what the hell was I doing? Flirting?
Her mouth twitched, trying to fight back a laugh. “A professional appreciation, of course.”
“Whatever you say,” I said, feeling the air between us grow into something heavier. I shifted on my feet and glanced away from her before I said something stupid. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
Jax was leaning against his locker as soon as I walked in. “You two are getting cozy?”
I pushed past him. “Knock it off.”
“You should invite her to dinner.”
“And you should mind your own business.”
He grinned and walked away to take a shower—something I needed to do as well.
About an hour later, I was walking back out onto the field. I was showered, threw on a gray T-shirt, and jeans. My hair was still damp, but at least I smelled better.
Becca was sitting on the bench, talking on her phone. As soon as she saw me, she hung up.
There was something about seeing her waiting for me that made my chest stir in a way that had nothing to do with this interview.
“You clean up nice,” she said, with that smile of hers that seemed to do weird things to me.
“Do you want to grab a bite to eat?” I asked, surprising myself.
She hesitated for a minute. “You mean like dinner?”
I shrugged, trying to sound casual. “Yeah. I’m usually starving after practice. I figured I’d be less cranky answering your questions if I had a little food in me.”
She tucked her phone into her bag. “Did you have some place in mind?”
“Actually, I do. There is a quiet cafe, not too far from here. They’ve got great sandwiches, plus a good selection of pasta and flatbreads. It’s private, so if you’re up to it, then I’m down. Unless you already have plans.”
She shook her head. “Nope. Just a leftover pot pie I picked up from Costco last weekend.”
I grinned. “Perfect. Follow me.”
Becca and I drove separately, but I kept checking my rearview mirror to make sure she was still behind me.
The cafe was a short ride away. The owners, Adam and Kelly, were good people and knew how to keep things low-key.
“Hey, handsome,” Kelly called out when I walked in. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She had on a pair of skinny jeans with a simple black T-shirt. You would never know that she and her husband, Adam, were basically billionaires.
They owned almost every restaurant in Harbor Bay. Adam made his money in the scrap metal business. All the proceeds from the restaurants he owned here in town went to various charities. He was also a huge Hawks fan and did a lot for the community.
I leaned across the counter and glanced over my shoulder. “It’s good to see you. Do you mind if we sit in one of the back rooms?”
“Of course not. Follow me.”
Becca looked around as we made our way to one of the private rooms. “This is really cute,” she said, admiring the mural along the wall.
“Kelly’s daughter drew it. Ashlyn is very talented.”
“I forgot to tell you that she got into Pratt.” Kelly smiled and handed us both a menu as we sat down.
“That’s great. Tell her I said congratulations.” I scooted my chair forward and looked up at her with a smirk. “I’m going to need to commission something before she gets too famous, and her pieces get too expensive for me.”
“You can afford it.” She smacked my shoulder playfully before walking away. “I’ll be right back with the specials.”
“Do you come here often?” Becca asked, reaching for her water glass.
“It’s one of the few places I can eat in peace.”
She looked over the menu, and we both ordered one of the specials. The turkey club for me and the Caprese panini for her. Becca didn’t waste any time as she pulled out her notebook. “Seeing that you had a long day today, I’ll keep the questions short.”
“Sounds good to me.”
She clicked her pen while looking down at the notes in front of her. “I saw an article online that your family is in town for the Hear and Now benefit this weekend. How hard is it to balance bringing attention to the charity while trying to keep your family out of the spotlight?”
I thought about that for a second. “Honestly, sometimes it doesn’t feel like I’m balancing it very well at all.”
Becca looked at me with those big, bluish-green eyes. “I’m sure it’s hard to keep up with everything. Between football, obligations, training, and the charity. That’s a lot to manage.”
Kelly brought a few appetizers over. We both started digging in.
“The charity is something my family’s been involved with for a while.
” I dipped a mozzarella stick in the marinara sauce and wiped my mouth with my napkin.
“It’s a known fact that my sister is hearing impaired.
We started this foundation as a way to support programs that will help those who need it.
The funding is about access. Awareness. Making sure kids don’t fall through the cracks just because they can’t hear.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people treat Callie differently because she didn’t respond correctly or hear them at all. It can be really tough.”
She nodded. “I can tell this is important to you.”
“It is. My sister has been hard of hearing since she was in third grade.”
“That must have been hard for her growing up.”
I thought back to all the doctor visits and second opinions. The first time Callie had to wear hearing aids to school, she cried. She hated feeling different, but she adapted quickly. She was strong in ways she shouldn’t have had to be.
“It was hard for her in the beginning. She would have to read our lips instead of hearing our words. But in a way, it made her tougher. She can read a room and pick up on things we might miss. When you lose one of your senses, you rely more on the others.”
“Can she function without a hearing device?”
I shrugged. “For the most part. There are some frequencies she hears fine, others not so much.”
She scribbled something down in her notes. “Gotcha. I’ve always admired how athletes can use their platform to bring attention to something meaningful.”
I shrugged. “It’s the least we can do. If I can use my platform to do something good and help my sister, I’m all in, but I don’t do it for the recognition.”
Her smile softened. “I think people sometimes forget that you’re a human being.”
“All the damn time,” I admitted. “But honestly, volunteering my time keeps me grounded. Football is only temporary. Organizing the annual fundraiser and seeing how much of an impact it makes reminds me why I’m doing it.”
Our food arrived, so she closed her notebook. We chatted while we ate, but nothing too heavy. I was starving, so I finished my sandwich before she was done with her panini.
“You know,” she said, wiping the corner of her mouth off with a napkin. “I actually looked up the charity online. I’m impressed with what your family has done. I’d like to make a donation. I hope that’s okay.”
I blinked at her. “You don’t have to do that.”
Her lips turned up slightly at the corners. “I want to. Your sister sounds like an amazing young woman. I hope to meet her someday.”
This version of her was going to take some getting used to. I was used to that confident, hard-ass reporter who liked to bust my balls in public. This soft, considerate side was messing with my head because I wasn’t sure which one I liked more.