4. McKenzie
FOUR
MCKENZIE
“So, what’s your plan for the day?” Coach Danvers asks when I show up at practice.
“Sit and watch. Maybe take a few pictures. Is that alright?”
He looks at me like he wants to say no, but Coach Zach comes up beside him and claps him on the shoulder. “That’s fine, McKenzie. Right, Coach?”
“Yeah, I guess. Just don’t get in the way.”
“Right. I’ll do my best not to run out onto the field and join in. Wouldn’t want anyone to get jealous of my receiver skills.”
Zach laughs. “Might need to add you to my roster.”
I purposely avoid sitting on the bench so I don’t give Coach Danvers a reason to ask me to leave and take a seat on the grass away from the team. It’s basically like I’m not even here.
The team goes through play after play. I watch them run, make adjustments, and move positions. Over and over and over. And I enjoy the hell out of every second.
I use the camera that I checked out from the media department to take a ton of pictures of the team, and I’m looking through them when Hayes walks up to me.
“Get any good ones? I’m told the camera loves me,” he says smugly.
“You know? I don’t actually think you’re in a single one of these. What a shame.”
He laughs because we both know it’s a lie. It would be nearly impossible not to get shots of the quarterback, especially when he’s doing as well as Hayes is.
“You must be a terrible photographer if you missed me in all those plays.”
“I never claimed to be a good one.”
“Touché.”
Coach Zach walks over to us. “Are you two having fun? Might not want Danvers to see that.”
I can’t help but laugh. After I look over his shoulder to make sure Coach Danvers isn’t within earshot, I ask, “He’s a bit serious, isn’t he?”
“This is all really important to him. To all of us, really, but he’s got a lot riding on his shoulders this year.”
I nod. “He’s a good coach, and he’s built a good team.”
“But we gotta be great,” Hayes says, shrugging.
“Come on, McKenzie. I’m dying to see your skills.” Coach Zach tosses me a football.
He doesn’t have to ask me twice, and I’m up and on the field in no time. We stand relatively close to the center of the field while Hayes and a few other players watch from the sidelines.
We toss the ball back and forth before getting further away from each other. He compliments my arm and says I’m a pretty good throw.
“Better watch out, Hayes. She might take your spot!” Coach Zach yells.
“She wishes,” he calls back.
“Danvers,” Zach yells. “You wanna throw a few?” I didn’t even realize Coach Danvers was still here.
To my absolute and complete surprise, he agrees and walks onto the field to take Zach’s place. He’s even kind of smiling when he does it.
“You ready?” he calls to me, then places his fingers correctly on the ball.
“Born ready, Coach!”
The ball spirals through the air and lands in my arms with a thud.
Hayes and Coach Zach cheer from the sideline.
I throw it back to Danvers, and we do that a few more times before he yells, “You ready to run?”
“Hell, yes!” He smiles and shakes his head. He’s clearly expecting me to not catch this, which makes me even more eager to prove him wrong.
He gets into position to throw, and I start running, keeping my eyes on the ball. I follow it through the air just like my brothers taught me before I lift my arms and catch it. Unfortunately for me, I trip over my foot and fall into the dirt. But even a fall and a possible new hole in my jeans can’t keep the excitement from me. I just caught a throw from the Tyler Danvers.
I stand up and make a sad attempt at brushing off the mess on my pants before I walk back to the middle of the field where Coach Danvers, Coach Zach, and Hayes are all standing.
“Marry me,” Hayes says once I reach the group.
I toss the ball to him. “I’m gonna have to pass on that.”
“Come on. Beauty, brains, and you can play football? Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
“How do you know I’m smart?” I ask.
“Well, you didn’t accept his marriage proposal so that’s a pretty good tell,” Coach Zach says. I like him. He’s chill. And even though he’s tough on his players, you can tell they respect him. Plus, he still knows how to have fun.
“Very funny, Coach. Laugh at my broken heart.”
“Somehow, I think you’ll survive,” I tell him before I look at Danvers. He’s actually smiling, almost like he’s (gasp) also having fun.
“Where’d you learn to play ball like that?” he asks me.
“My brothers all played growing up. They showed me a thing or two.”
“At least we know the person who’ll be reporting on us this season actually knows the game,” Coach Zach says before turning to head off the field. “I better get going. The wife will be expecting me home soon. Come on, QB, you need a shower. You’re never gonna impress her smelling like that.”
Hayes starts walking backward toward the locker room. “What’s your favorite scent, McKenzie? I’ll wear whatever you want.”
“My favorite scent is ‘not a football player.’”
He clutches his heart and fakes disappointment before turning and running off, leaving Coach Danvers and me alone on the field. We start walking back slowly.
“I think you might be the first woman to ever reject that boy,” he tells me.
“Well, it had to happen sooner or later.”
“It’ll probably make him even more interested.”
I laugh. “Great.”
Coach Danvers collects his stuff off the bench while I grab my bag and camera. I expected him to be gone before I collected everything, but when I turned around, he’s standing there waiting for me.
“Big plans tonight?” he asks.
“Well, it appears I’ve got to make a trip to the laundry mat.” I gesture down at my grass-smudged pants.
He grimaces, his eyes roaming down the front of my body. Not exactly the reaction I want when a man as attractive as he is looking at me, but I’m hoping it’s due to the stains and not my body.
“Make sure you soak them first. My mom also taught me to use vinegar on grass stains. It’s been working for me for years.”
I’m not sure why, but I find it incredibly adorable that he just talked about his mom so easily like that.
“Good to know. I’ll make sure to pick some up.” Maybe. My car insurance payment is due this week, so my budget is even tighter than normal. “What about you? Big plans?”
As soon as the question is out of my mouth, I hope it’s not inappropriate to ask him that. But he asked me first, so it’s really just making conversation. Which makes me wonder why he’s making conversation with me. We could’ve easily walked back to the field house in silence. He doesn’t seem like the type to talk just for the sake of talking.
He huffs a laugh. “Nah. I’m headed home. Hopefully hanging out with Kylie for a bit before she goes to bed.”
“She mentioned she was making teriyaki chicken for dinner,” I tell him. I only remember because my stomach growled when she told me earlier as we were walking across campus. It’s like my stomach already knew I’d be eating another peanut butter sandwich for dinner.
“She spoils me. It’s nice having her around.”
Kylie has been talking so much to me about her dad. I get the sense that she doesn’t want it broadcast around that she’s his daughter, and since I already know, it’s easier for her to talk to me. I can understand that. It must have been difficult having everyone know who your dad is growing up. It’d be even more difficult here at La Vista, where Tyler Danvers was practically a god.
She’s mentioned that he’s not home as much as she hoped he would be, but she tries to cook him healthy dinners a few times a week. She also called him a workaholic, but I think that maybe she doesn’t understand what goes into coaching a college football team. And like Coach Zach said earlier, Danvers has a lot riding on his shoulders.
Then, as if he suddenly realized he was talking to me, the annoying student reporter who’ll be showing up unannounced at practices, he quickly picks up his pace and says, “Have a good night, McKenzie. Don’t forget to soak those jeans.”
“Yep. Got it. Thanks.”
And then he’s gone, leaving me alone on the sideline.
This afternoon did not go as I expected. From the look on Coach Danvers’ face when I showed up to practice, I thought I’d be kicked off the field. And I certainly did not expect to toss the ball around with a Super Bowl winner. My brothers are going to freak out when I tell them.
The small talk was also unexpected. It wasn’t anything life-altering, but at least he didn’t look at me like I was the gum on the bottom of his shoe.
So, I’ll take what I can get.