Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
L andon
It’s been over three weeks since Tessa and I had our first date.
Well, not technically a date. I’m still working on that.
However, I like to tease her about it. Every time we share a meal, I chalk it up to another date.
It used to irritate her, and now she’s asking me for a tally, making sure I’m still keeping track.
We’re on date number fifteen, unofficially, of course.
Each one is better than the last. Most of them are me stopping by the shelter after practice, but there have been a few weekends thrown into the mix, as well.
Nothing like the night when we first cuddled, and to be honest, I’m disappointed.
I was sure I would lose interest in her, in the way she makes me feel—breathless, like I’m ten feet tall, and sappy as fuck.
No such luck. If anything, those feelings have intensified beyond what I could ever have imagined.
I want her. Hell, I knew then and should have owned up to it, but what my parents said had merit.
I needed to show her the kind of man I am, not tell her.
She needed to see it with her own eyes, and all I’ve done the last few weeks is try to show her that I’m falling.
Fast and hard, if how much time I spend thinking about her is any indication.
I scan the stands and don’t see her. Tonight is our first preseason game, and Tessa and Autumn are coming.
They both passed on a private suite and opted to sit in the stands.
JJ is staying with the babysitter, so in a way, it’s girls’ night.
Glancing at the clock, I see there are twenty minutes until game time and no sign of them.
I jog down the sidelines to where Jeremy is standing with Thomas.
“Hey, you heard from them?” I ask him, not giving a single fuck that he and Thomas are in the middle of a conversation.
Jeremy glances over at me, and his eyes are dancing with laughter. “They’re on their way.”
“What?” Thomas asks. “Is this the infamous Tessa you won’t stop talking about?”
Yeah, so I might talk about her a little. Okay, a lot. “She’s coming to the game.”
“You nail that down?” he asks me.
“Not yet.”
“What are you waiting on?”
To show her? “Just giving her time to process it. Going from a small-town girl to the girlfriend of a professional athlete is a big deal.”
“Girlfriend?” Jeremy asks, surprised. “Does she know about this?”
“No, and you two are going to keep your traps shut. All in due time,” I say, scanning the crowd again, and that’s when I spot her.
I wave, getting her attention, and a beautiful smile crosses her face as she waves back.
She’s wearing the Cougars jersey I dropped off at her place last night.
At least I think it’s the one I gave her.
She turns to high-five a fan behind her, and that’s when I see it.
My name is across her shoulders. She’s wearing my name and number, and that does something to me.
I know how big a Mavericks fan she is, and even last night, she acted like I’d given her a bottle of poison as a gift.
I was hoping it was an act from the smile playing on her lips.
Now, here she is, wearing it with a smile.
Fuck me, but I want nothing more than to peel it off her.
“He’s a goner, boys,” Thomas boasts. I don’t even bother to try and shut him up. He’s not wrong, and it’s time to do something about it. I need to move us out of the friend zone.
“Lucky Bastard,” Kaden mumbles. “You’re always getting the prime pu—” I hold up my hand, giving him a warning glare to shut his mouth. He grins but doesn’t finish what he was going to say.
“Not her,” I say, my voice stern. We’ve had this conversation, and I don’t want to have it again. If she were mine, he wouldn’t be talking about her like some cleat chaser. I need to do something about that.
Keeping my head in the game while knowing she’s here is harder than I expected it to be.
I glance up at her often, and every time I do, our eyes meet.
She’s here for me. Not for the game or to cheer on either of the teams. Me.
I want nothing more than to kiss the hell out of her, to show her my appreciation, of course.
Shaking out of my thoughts, I get my head back in the game.
First game of the season with my girl and my parents in the stands. I’ve got this.
The clock hits zero, and just like that, it’s halftime. We’re up by fourteen, and the team is on fire. I glance up to the stands and catch her gaze before making my way to the locker room.
“Yo, Barker, you’re hot.” Kaden slaps me on the back. “Every damn time, you lay it right here.” He opens his hand and points to his palm.
I shrug. “We’re all killing it out there.”
“Yeah, but there’s something else going on. You’re laser-focused,” Jack chimes in.
“Except when he’s looking up in the stands,” Case ribs. “You trying to keep an eye on your girl, make sure her eyes aren’t straying to a real man?” he jokes, doing some crazy move that makes him look like he’s trying to fuck thin air.
“Don’t ever do that again.” I laugh.
“What? You don’t think she’d want this? I’m two hundred and ninety-five pounds of steel and sex appeal, baby.” He runs his hands up the side of his body, trying to channel his inner Vanna White.
“Fuck off.” I push at his shoulder good-naturedly.
“All right, listen up.” Coach Neil goes on to give us his halftime locker room speech.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows just because we’re up at the half.
We may be on fire, but he wants to keep that fire lit to bring home the win.
I want that, too. With Tessa here watching, I want to bring this one home.
Oh, and my parents, too, but they’ve seen me play a thousand times.
Tessa’s seen me, too, but this time is different.
This time she’s here to see me. That’s a game-changer.
Taking the field, my eyes instantly go to her.
Expecting to find her watching for me, I’m surprised when I see Case’s brother, Corey, chatting with her and Autumn.
He’s sitting in front of them and holding her attention.
I try not to get annoyed, but it’s hard.
The whistle blows, and we take the field for the second half.
Defense takes the field first, which means I’m on the sidelines watching in between glances at Tessa.
Tessa, who’s still talking to Corey. I want to toss the football and knock his ass out.
I could do it, but then it would be on national television, and I’m sure it would not only piss off Coach but the higher-ups, as well.
Not to mention, it would look bad on me and the team.
Maybe they’d understand when I tell them that some man, a guy I’ve met and had a beer with multiple times, is moving in on my girl. Then it hits me like a ton of bricks. She’s not mine.
Not yet, but she will be.
It feels like we’re fourth and goal and down by two. It’s time for me to do what I do best and pull off a win. Not on the field, but with her. No more waiting. No more watching from the sidelines.
The second half of the game was a blur for me.
I kept glancing up in the stands to see Tessa, chatting with Corey like she was there for him.
With him. Lucky for me, football is like second nature, like breathing in a sense, and I was able to keep the game moving.
By the time the clock hits zero at the end of the fourth quarter, we’ve won by three touchdowns.
The locker room is hyped with the guys cheering and laughing.
It’s a big boost for morale to win the preseason game.
Stopping at my locker, I waste no time stripping out of my gear, grabbing a towel, and hitting the showers.
The guys pull me into the celebration conversation as they recount a play I can’t remember.
I bullshit my way through it, like I did the second half of the game.
This isn’t like me, and I can’t keep letting it happen. Next time, I might not be so lucky.
My hair is still dripping wet when I leave the locker room, my bag thrown over my shoulder.
“Where’s the fire?” Case asks, catching up with me.
“No fire. Just excited to see my girl.”
“Wow, that’s different.”
“Yeah, lots of changes,” I say as I spot Tessa and Autumn, and with them is his brother, Corey. My feet carry me faster, my long strides burning up the space between us.
“I’ll call you,” Corey tells Tessa. My eyes zero in on where his hand is on her arm. He drops it when he sees us. “Good game, brother.” He pats Case on the shoulder.
“Hey, Tess.” I place my focus on Tessa. I have to or I might punch Corey, and he’s a good guy. He’s chill, and we’ve hung out a lot, but all I can see is his hand on her arm and him telling her that he’s going to call her. My attention is better focused on her.
“Good game, Number Eighteen.” She smiles up at me.
“You ready?” I offer her my arm.
“Ready? Where are we going?”
“Date number sixteen.”
She throws her head back and laughs. “What am I going to do with you, Barker?”
“Keep me?” I bat my eyelashes all innocently. She’s not buying it, which makes us both laugh.
“Where are you guys headed?” Autumn asks.
Tessa looks up at me to answer. She’s not fighting this, and that gives me hope. “Whatever you want, babe.” Her eyes widen at the endearment, but she looks to Autumn and answers.
“Henry’s. The burgers are amazing. You have to try them.” She looks back up at me. “I’ve been telling her about the burger we got there for weeks. Is that okay with you?”
“Yeah. Henry’s sounds good.”
“We’ll meet you there,” Case says as he and Corey walk away. Not before Corey waves at Tessa over his shoulder.
With Tessa on my arm, we make our way out to my SUV. “Did you drive?” I ask her.
“No, Autumn picked me up. She’s going to take me home.”
“I’ll take you.”
“I’m sure you’re tired after the game. It’s fine.”