Chapter 29
MILES
“ I can’t get her job back, Miles,” Ronnie says with a sigh, tossing his apple in the trash can.
“You’re buddies with Osterman. You can.”
He blows out a breath. “We already have our people on the whole story this girl is spinning. You need to let it go. I feel bad for Bryce. I liked her, I did, but she knew the rules.”
“So did I.” I point at myself. “What’s going to happen to me?”
He shrugs. Clearly he’s never even thought about punishing me.
“A missed game?”
His eyebrows raise. “We’re not going to bench our best player.”
“But you’ll switch his position?” He sighs, and I wave it off. I need to stop being a baby about that. “I cannot be the reason she loses her job. I cannot be the reason she isn’t as far ahead in her career as she wants to be. It’s everything to her.”
“Why is this so important to you? It’s just one woman.”
I didn’t want to go here and I sure as hell didn’t want Ronnie Michaels to be the first to know, but if it helps Bryce, then that’s what matters. “I love her. ”
His eyes widen, and he leans back in his chair. “Are you sure?”
I nod.
He studies me as though he thinks I’m lying.
“If you can’t get her job back, I’m not going to be the player I am today. I’m going to be a nightmare of a PR problem, not to mention my hands might not be what they used to be. I might start missing those balls and find myself unable to track what direction my opponent’s going in.”
He smirks and clicks his tongue off the roof of his mouth. “Are you suggesting you’re going to play like shit if I can’t get her job back?”
“I’m just sayin’. Things happen. People change when the woman they love walks out on them.”
He laughs, cackles really. “You give too much of a shit what fans think. You think I don’t know you, Miles?
You thrive off the attention you’re getting now.
You’ve always been the underdog, and this is finally your year.
Fans can’t get enough of you. You have more jersey sales than Cooper.
You’re trying to make me believe you’d give all that up for some girl you’ve been banging? ”
“Absolutely. Football isn’t who I am. It doesn’t define me. She’s my future. One day football will just be what I did. And on my tombstone, all I want it to say is MVP of my family.”
He stares at me as though he’s bored.
“I love her, Ronnie, and I’m going to do anything for her. If that means becoming the worst player in the league or the biggest head case, that’s what I’ll do. You can’t change my mind.”
He blows out a breath and stares out his window that overlooks the field.
He stands and walks over, putting his hands in his pockets.
“I’m not sure I understand players like you, Cavanaugh.
Damon, I understand. This should be the time of your life.
” He turns to face me. “Women falling at your feet, sliding their numbers in your pockets. But you only want one woman and she’s so important to you that you’d probably retire on the spot right now if you weren’t contracted to the team for another year. ”
Absolutely, but I don’t tell him that.
He shakes his head. “You have years in the future to be in a serious relationship. Why now, when you’re a fucking icon?”
“I love her,” I say again. “And I’m just not that guy. I’m a football player, not a player.”
He walks back to his desk. “Let me see what I can do. She won’t be able to write a word about you if I get her back here.” He holds the receiver of his office phone but doesn’t dial.
“Fine. I don’t need that.”
He continues to shake his head while he dials. I don’t need him to understand what I’m doing; he just needs to do it.
When he’s done dialing, he sits back in his seat. “Billy Boy. So, I’ve changed my mind. I’d like Bryce Burns back on the Grizzlies. She won’t report a word about Cavanaugh though.” He puts it on speakerphone and hangs up the receiver.
“I don’t know, Ronnie. My rules were clear, and she broke them,” Mr. Osterman says.
“She’s way too talented for you to just give up on her. She covers the team but she can’t report on him. We make that clear and the rest should be fine if she remains objective. I have no doubt she will.”
There’s silence on the other end.
“C’mon, you know she’s better than Grant Thorn,” Ronnie says.
“Why the change of mind?” he asks.
Ronnie looks at me and sighs. “She’s starting out, and I feel bad?”
“And Miles Cavanaugh is sitting across from you right now, I gather? ”
Ronnie laughs. “And he’s quite the bargainer. So what do you say?”
“Jesus… okay.”
“I’m the one who gets to tell her,” I say, interrupting them.
“In other words, he wants to be her white knight,” Ronnie says.
“Fine. But I need an answer by Monday because Grant is covering this week.”
“I’ll get you one. Thank you.”
Ronnie hangs up with Mr. Osterman.
I stand and shake Ronnie’s hand. When I go to pull away, he doesn’t let go. “This is your one. Every player gets one free pass. This is yours. Don’t ever bribe me or threaten me again with your playing performance or we’ll have a serious problem.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
He smiles and releases my hand.
As I walk out of the room, Damon hops off whoever’s desk he’s on. “So?”
“I got her job back. Now I just need her to give me a second chance.”
“Wow, you must’ve been something in there,” Damon says.
We take the elevator down and are about to leave the building when someone calls my name.
Tre Brummer waves and breaks the distance between us. His clothes are drenched in sweat, and he’s wiping more sweat from his face. He’s got a protein shake in his hand. “Hey, Miles.”
“Tre.”
He’s so young. Was I that young when I joined the pros? I don’t remember having that scared expression on my face.
“Can I talk to you for a second?”
Damon pats me on the back. “I’ll get the Uber.”
He leaves us alone, and Tre keeps his eyes on the ground, then looks at me. “I just wanted to say sorry. I know you’re probably pissed about the position shift, and I’m really working hard to get where they want me.”
I smile at the kid. What seemed like life and death two days ago isn’t so important now. And that’s why Bryce means more than any of this shit.
“Don’t sweat it, man. This is the pros. Things change a lot.” I look out toward where Damon went. “I gotta go, but how about next practice, I show you some things that helped me when I started?”
“I’d love that.” He looks around. “I feel a little out of my…”
“Scared as hell?”
He blows out a breath. “Yeah.”
I laugh. “You’re not alone.” I put my hand out between us. “I’ve got you.”
We do a slapping of hands and shake.
“Thanks. I thought for sure you were going to hate me.”
“Ah… take it from me, Brummer, football isn’t everything.” I smile and turn around, rushing out of the stadium.
Damon’s got the Uber already, the door open. “Set for the airport?”
“Yeah.”
I slide in and he slides in next to me.
“Are you coming to Idaho with me?” I ask.
“No, but I got a friend who can help us out.”
I scrunch my eyebrows.
“Get you on a plane,” Damon adds.
“Go,” I say to the Uber driver, and he speeds away.