Chapter 23
Preston
“You’ve got ten minutes!” Rodney shouted to the locker room before he faced me. “Be back in five. Need to hit the restroom.”
I gave him a dip of my chin as I unplugged the tablet from its charger, making sure it was ready.
The energy in the room was already high. The guys were pumped, even from the long travel day yesterday. We got our first game jitters out last week, and now that they’d had a taste of victory, it was the only thing they were chasing.
I tucked the tablet beneath my arm, adjusting my hat as Julia and Trinity walked by.
Trinity had a bag of supplies hung over her shoulder, her hair tied up in the same bun as the day in the store.
Her glasses sat on her nose, and it still triggered my body to react at how effortlessly beautiful she was.
Even after her hard night. I tossed and turned myself, battling between what the actual fuck I was doing with her and calling up her mother myself.
I hated to see those tears. It gutted me.
As they left the locker room, I heard a low whistle. “Damn, Coach’s daughter is a dime.”
This came from Pike, the kicker from Florida, and I clenched my jaw.
“Keep dreaming, Pike.” Jagger’s cocky tone sailed through the room. “Coach’s daughter already has a seat.”
I should have walked out right then.
Jagger palmed his dick. “Right here.”
“Bullshit,” Pike scoffed.
“Want to bet?” Ross grinned. “Let’s put your money where your mouth is, beach boy. First one to fu—”
“Ross!” My voice boomed, my neck hot with anger. “You might want to think real careful about your next words. Trinity is a part of this team. An authority figure to you at that. You will keep your thoughts to yourself and show some fucking respect.”
The locker room went silent. The only sound was the distant voice of the announcer prepping the microphone. Locker room talk was normal. Hell, it was almost a rite of passage. But not about her. Not on my watch.
Pike cleared his throat. “Sorry, Coach. I didn’t mean to…” He glanced at my expression. “Sorry.”
I cut my eyes to Jagger.
He held up his palms. “My apologies, Coach.”
His smirk showed he wasn’t sorry, and I had to step away before I lost my career for clocking him in the jaw.
I turned on my heel, feeling the eyes of Wesley, Theo, and Shaw.
When I passed Wesley, he caught my arm. “You all right, man?”
“Fine.” I stepped away. “Meet you out there.”
Striding down the hall, I veered to the left, pushing through the door of the bathroom. I needed to get my shit together.
The door practically bounced off the wall as I forged inside, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Rodney, bent at the waist, a deep cough radiating through his chest. His fist rose to his mouth as he attempted to hold in the next cough.
He leaned forward, bracing his forearms on the sink before he expelled a strangled sound from his throat.
Panic laced around my chest when a streak of blood spewed out, coating the white porcelain.
“Rodney.” I reached for the paper towel dispenser, tearing off a piece before handing it to him.
He flipped on the faucet and I watched in confusion as he wet the towel before wiping his mouth.
“What’s going on?” I asked when he met my gaze through the mirror.
He stood, splashing the blood from the sink before he turned to face me.
“Please. Trinity can’t know.” His hoarse voice had my stomach dropping. “It’s…I finally…I just got her back.”
I reached out to squeeze his shoulder. “It’s okay. Just tell me what’s going on.” I searched his eyes, the ones that matched his daughter’s. “This is why you’re retiring?”
He finally managed to get the words out. “Stage three. Lung cancer.”
Shit, Rodney.
“I know I should have told you.” He scrubbed a hand across his face. “It’s just if the press gets wind…”
“I understand.”
I did. I understood all too well about being in the limelight. They thought just because you played pro and were on television, it gave them a free pass to know every detail of your life. Even the painful ones.
“I promise to fill you in later.” He straightened his shoulders before tossing the paper in the trash. “But right now, we have a game to win.”
My fist pumped into the air as soon as the clock ran out. Another win under our belt, and I couldn’t be prouder of this team. Krew threw a fifty-six-yard touchdown, and Lawson ran it through the end zone like he was out for a walk in the park. Clean and wide open.
We headed to the field, shook hands with the other coaches, and made the necessary rounds. Rodney stopped to talk with a reporter, while I spoke with some of the refs.
Once the guys started to filter into the tunnel of the stadium, I made my way back to the bench to grab my headset and my playbook.
“Good game, Coach.”
I slowed my steps at Trinity’s voice, glancing over my shoulder as she approached. “Pretty sharp, right?”
She tossed a towel over her shoulder. “They looked good.” She stifled a laugh. “I think Elroy is a bit of a hypochondriac, though.”
I barked out a laugh. “You noticed?”
The defensive lineman in question hobbled next to Julia, who patted his back.
I took a single stride that landed me closer to her. “To be honest, I think he misses his mom and Julia babies him.”
She chuckled, shaking her head as she smiled. “He’s a big teddy bear.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that.” I winked.
Her cheeks blushed a shade of pretty pink, but a voice cut through our little bubble, causing my spine to stiffen.
“Preston!”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
I turned to see Sierra in four-inch heels, her sights set on me.