Chapter 15 Jackson
eight
JACKSON
Idrop Chess off at the florist where she’s meeting my sister and the girls. She relaxed a little once she hung up from talking with Britt but prior to that, she was tense. Not into my jokes. The fun-loving Francesca that never gets upset, has been borderline OCD since we picked a date.
Shaking the thoughts for now, I head to the field. Practice never ends, even though we’re just coming off another State title win.
Yes, you read that right. Make that three State titles that the Comets have brought home to Christmas.
I lost my top players this past year as they graduated and went onto college.
Jameson and Connor left a big hole to fill, but the boys stepped up and filled it with ease.
And I’ve no doubt we can do it again, as long as we stay focused and don’t get too cocky.
I have a lot of talent this year, and more coming up behind them, so it’s going to be exciting, and with hard work, we’ll get there again. I’m sure of it.
Jameson Winters is a freshman at Texas University and just had his debut game.
He was outstanding and there is a ton of chatter about him going pro already.
Francesca signed him as her first client to LPR the minute he was accepted to the Division I school.
His father, Dashiell "Dash" Winters, was more than happy for us to take the reins alongside his son. He’s smart, but a kid like him will get eaten alive. He’s too trusting and needed someone in his corner.
There’s no one better than my girl. He is there for his education first, even though there is no doubt he’ll go pro.
He wants it, we want it, his dad wants it, but I always use me as an example, that you never know what may happen and always come prepared with a Plan B.
An injury is what ended my career and it came rather quickly into my first few years in the league.
I had no plan, nothing to catch me as I fell.
You just never know where life will take you, and I love that kid like he’s my own, so we are making sure his ducks are in a row.
I run into my office, quickly changing my shirt, throw on a hat, grab my clipboard and whistle and I’m heading back out to the field when I see the boys are already there and in full formation with my assistant coaches all working hard. I check my watch, seeing I am right on time.
I jog up to my assistant Mike, “Hey where’s the fire?” He raises a brow in question. “We were starting at three today. Did I get the time wrong?”
He shakes his head. “They were already here and running drills at two.”
I furrow my brows. “Why?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know, ask them.” He nods to my two captains, Dante and Liam. I take them in, as they circle around the group, talking in hushed tones, then spread into formation ready to call a play.
It’s the one where we left the open hole in the last game.
I cross my arms, a smile tugging at my lips, but I tamp it down, biting on my whistle.
I’m proud of these kids. I hope I have a little bit to do with their fire and love for the game.
To show up early and practice what they know went wrong?
That’s huge. Instead of getting that extra hour playing video games or spending time with their girlfriends, they are here making sure they’re the best team around.
And this is why we’re going to win states again. Mark my words.
I watch as the players fall into their correct slots, this time it’s so incredibly smooth, if you didn’t know what was happening, you’d miss the hand off, which is exactly how it’s designed. The ball is fired down the field and caught, and Liam makes the run easily.
I clap and blow my whistle. “Bring it in!” They gather round and drop to a knee. “You guys want this next title, don’t you?”
A chorus of ‘yes sirs!’ rings out and accompanied with that is the usual barking that surrounds us coaches. I cross my arms, holding my clipboard and nod to the field. “Plays like that will get you there. Keep it up.”
We break into offense and defense drills but I’m only half watching, half coaching.
My mind is wandering, and I need to talk to Adam.
Our meeting at the venue solidified my fear.
I felt a strain between Chess and I and I’m unsure where it’s coming from.
Actually, I shouldn’t say I’m unsure, I do know where it’s coming from, I just don’t know why it’s become a problem.
Francesca and I are meant to be. We’re soulmates.
I know it. She knows it. Our families know it, hell, they knew it before we did.
So, when I proposed it was never a question in my mind of should I or shouldn’t I?
Will we work out? Will we stay the course?
I knew we’d end up together. The answer was 100%. Minds in. Hearts in. All. In.
And once she said yes, and moved across the street and into my house, we continued our lives with each other by our sides like we had always been there.
For me, nothing had changed. I coached and went on to win another Championship.
Her brother and I helped her launch Love PR and she took it and ran with it. Our days fell into a perfect routine.
Then we started getting asked questions. ‘When’s the wedding?’ ‘What are you waiting for?’ And yet, it still didn’t influence any part of how we lived our lives together.
But then I asked myself those questions. What ARE we waiting for? Let’s just go for it! Let’s have a party and celebrate our love with everyone we love. How hard could it be? Pick a hall, choose a menu, find a DJ, order some flowers.
Easy, right?
Wrong.
When I suggested we just go for it, Francesca took that idea and ran.
The next day she had called dozens of places, but her heart was set on the Holiday Star Inn.
We looked at places online and made phone calls.
When no one had availability, I suggested we pick a date further out.
Take some time to plan it. But she was insistent the time was right now; she didn’t want to keep putting it off.
I mentioned going to the courthouse and I ended up sleeping on the couch that night.
Fellas, take note. If your fiancé wants the big wedding, give her the big wedding. The words ‘yes, dear’ in response to anything wedding related, will become your best friends.
So, when my girl hadn’t found anywhere else that compared to those visions of her getting married at The Holiday Star Inn, I made it worth their while to find a date.
They were able to come up with one a week before Christmas, which was exactly three weeks away.
We booked it and then took our crazy group shopping for dresses and suits that same day.
They thought we were crazy but happy for us and they all jumped into action ensuring we’d have the best day ever.
And then I saw a side of Francesca I didn’t know existed. She became anxious, her sleeping patterns are disheveled, she talks about making the day perfect. I understand women dream of this day, her and my sister made plans when they were kids, but it’s just a day.
Again, fellas, learn from my mistakes. Don’t ever say ‘it’s just one day’. That sentence had me riding the couch for two more nights straight.
Weddings are months, sometimes years of planning that, once the day comes, is over in eight hours. Planning in three weeks? Crazy but doable. I hoped the shortened time would take the pressure off.
It only made it worse.
And now she has times where she is distant, borderline obsessive on perfection, and I am concerned she’s second guessing this whole shindig. I’m concerned she is putting more effort into this one day, than she is thinking about our life together. And where we go next.
It’s no surprise, I just want Francesca.
After years of waiting and playing the game, I’ve got her, and she’s got me.
Yes, I can be a romantic but I’m also Jackson fucking Gage.
I enjoyed the spotlight for different reasons way back when, but right now?
Having the day to show off my woman in front of everyone, maybe even making those who thought they had a chance with her jealous? It turns me the fuck on.
Call me a caveman, I don’t care.
But in the end? I only need her.
If I bring this up to Adam, will he side with Francesca and convince her to wait, or worse, leave me?
Would he convince her that her concerns mean she’s not ready to marry me?
No, he wouldn’t do that, he knows we’re happy and I think he’s secretly happy we finally worked our shit out.
I don’t want to keep this from him either, we all know what happened last time I kept a secret from my best friend. I had a shiner for a week.
But something isn’t right between Chess and I and I don’t know how to fix it.