Trick Play: A Quick Snap Novella (Quick Snap Collection)

by Lea Coll

  She must have graduated recently and started looking for a job. I couldn’t blame her for using her brother’s connection. It was a tough sport for women to break into.

  Gavin Keller walked out of the showers, a towel wrapped around his waist. “Don’t forget we’re meeting with the high school team this weekend. They lost in the playoffs so they’re going to need some encouragement.”

  Noah pulled his shirt over his head. “I’ll be there. Do you think Payton could come? I want her to have a good experience and see what we do.”

  Gavin dried off. “Sure. I don’t see why not.”

  Gavin mentored high school football players when he was in college. He’d continued the tradition here, asking us to join him. I’d gone one other time. Things were busy now that we were in the playoffs, but I wanted to see Payton. “I’ll go too, man.”

  “Great. The more the better.”

  “Count me in,” Eric said.

  I admired what Gavin was doing, encouraging athletes to focus on school, conditioning, and their attitude. Having a mentor back then would have meant everything to me when I’d been lost in high school.

  My dad hadn’t supported my decision to choose a college based on the football team and potential to go pro. He wanted me to focus on getting an education, then a degree, so I could land a secure job. I’d navigated things on my own, relying on coaches to guide me.

  I still felt lost at times. I’d achieved my dreams, I made a lot of money, but what else did I have to show for it? Maybe this program could help me as much as the kids.

  Walking out of the locker room, I noticed Will Montgomery, the quarterback leaning against the wall. He pushed off when he saw me. “Hey, I wanted to talk to you.”

  I shouldered my bag as he fell into step with me, wondering if he was going to call me out on my hesitation on the field. “What about?”

  “I want to make sure everything’s okay with you. Your snaps have been a little delayed. You aren’t picking up on my signals as quickly.”

  I stiffened. I hadn’t realized the noise in my head was noticeable. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better.”

  He stopped walking, turning to face me. “Is something going on I should know about?”

  I shook my head, every muscle in my body tensed and knotted. “No.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m feeling the pressure with the playoffs coming up.” I was feeling more than a little pressure but I wasn’t going to tell Will that.

  My dad left a voice mail after the last game, telling me I’d better not choke like I had the last time we were in the playoffs. He rarely called me. He never wanted to talk football. He thought I was getting paid a lot of money to play a game. He didn’t take any of it seriously. So, the fact that he’d gone out of his way to say anything was surprising. It increased the pressure I put on myself. I couldn’t help but wonder, if I won the championship game would he come around and admit he’d been wrong all along.

  “Talk to the strength and conditioning coaches. See what they have to say. If it’s something physical, then they can help you.”

  I let out a breath, grateful that he wasn’t going to push the issue. “Good idea.”

  He briefly touched my shoulder, continuing to walk toward the parking lot. “How are things with your family?”

  “The same. They aren’t coming to the game or anything.”

  “That’s too bad.”

  I didn’t respond because there wasn’t anything to say. Will came from a huge family, both biological and of his own making. I’d mainly existed on my own.

  “Maybe you’ll meet someone one day and her family will become yours. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  His words settled over me, making me think about the future. Maybe it was time to take a chance on someone who was real, someone I could trust, someone who knew me before I was successful.

  Chapter 3

  Clay

  We had the weekend off since we had a bye for the first round of the playoffs. We met in the stadium lot, piling into several cars to head to the high school.

  I ended up in Noah’s car, folded into his SUV’s back seat with Eric.

  “You like your first week on the job, Payton?” Eric leaned forward to ask Payton who was sitting in front of him.

  I couldn’t help but wonder if he was attracted to her.

  She shifted in the seat to address him. “Yes, it’s amazing. I never imagined I’d be getting this kind of experience so soon after graduating.”

  “What do you want to do?” She’d mentioned that it was unlikely she’d get a position with another professional team, but I wanted to know more about her.

  She chewed her lip for a second before answering. “Honestly, I’m not sure.”

  “You won’t offend us if you say you don’t want to work with us,” Eric joked.

  She smiled in his direction, easy and carefree, the way I wanted her to interact with me. “Actually, I’m really excited about meeting the high school team today. Kids have a dream to play football, baseball or whatever, and I could provide an exercise program to build them up. Male, female, it doesn’t matter.” She tilted her head as if thinking about it. “Working with girls is more challenging because there’s this misconception about weight lifting. That they will get too big, when it’s not the case.”

  She shook her head. “No offense to you guys, but it’s different keeping someone in top form versus getting them in shape. Making small changes to improve your game is challenging, but I want to help someone come from nothing if that makes sense.”

  I swallowed over the lump in my throat that her words left. “That makes perfect sense.”

  Something in my tone must have alerted the guys because Noah glanced at me in the rearview mirror and I felt Eric’s gaze on the side of my face. I’d need to be more careful around Payton. I didn’t want her brother to know how much she affected me.

  I’d been surrounded by women who wanted to be attached to a player, a name, the money and fame. To meet a woman who had this opportunity to work with professional athletes, who not only wanted to pay her dues, but wanted to work with younger athletes was impressive.

  What I learned about her the night we met was just the tip of the iceberg with this woman. I couldn’t believe Noah had kept her a secret this long.

  “So, what was it like growing up with Noah?” I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. I wasn’t sure when I’d get another chance to be close to her.

  Payton exchanged a look with Noah, breaking into a laugh. “Noah and I were athletic and into sports like our dad. Our youngest sister was not.”

  “It was kind of like three on two in our family,” Noah added.

  “More like two on two with one in the middle,” Payton said quietly.

  “Were you the one in the middle?” The words were out before my brain could catch up.

  Payton glanced at her brother, then smiled at me. “Yeah, I was too athletic for the girls, not athletic enough for the boys.”

  Noah glanced at her. “That’s not true.”

  “Isn’t it? Dad humored me but only let me play with you guys so much. He’d say girls don’t play football, we’re too small.”

  “You are small. I’m sure he didn’t want you to get hurt.”

  Payton growled. “I’m not small.”

  “Are you growling at me?” Noah asked, humor evident in his voice.

  Payton folded her arms over her chest. “I can handle myself.”

  “I know you can. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that hurt your feelings back then.”

  Payton leaned her head back on the headrest. “I wanted to be just like you.”

  That night she’d said she felt like an oaf next to her smaller, daintier sister. She could never be girly enough for her mother or boyish enough for her father. She was stuck in this weird middle area where she didn’t fit in anywhere. I’d told her she was amazing just being herself. She’d melted into me, becoming more and more respon
sive when I’d told her how beautiful she was, how sexy her body was. Something else seemed to be bothering her that night, but she hadn’t said. It was more than her family, but I was too caught up in the draft and the ongoing battle with my dad to focus on the shadows in her eyes.

  I could kick myself for that inattention now. I wanted to know every secret, every nuance of her personality, because if there was an opening, I wanted to take it. No one had ever intrigued me more.

  When we pulled into the high school parking lot, my anticipation kicked up. I wanted to see if mentoring kids could be something to keep me occupied in the off-season when most of the guys moved back to their hometowns to be with their families.

  Payton curled a hand around Noah’s arm, talking and laughing with him as they strode toward the field. Eric and I stayed a few steps back.

  “Dude, what’s going on?” Eric kept his voice low.

  I shoved my hands into my pockets. “What do you mean?”

  “You were asking a lot of questions. It’s almost as if you’re interested in Noah’s little sister.”

  I wanted to say I wasn’t, but I couldn’t deny it. I sighed. I promised I wouldn’t say anything but I was close with Eric. I trusted him. “We have history.”

  Eric’s eyes widened. “Does Noah know about this history?”

  “Fuck no and it’s going to stay that way.”

  Eric held his hands up. “Don’t worry about me. You need to watch yourself around her. You’re asking questions, looking moved by the shit she says. It won’t take long for Noah to catch on.”

  “Should I be an asshole to her?” I knew I was being unreasonable but I couldn’t help myself. I was so frustrated by the situation. I couldn’t talk to the only girl who’d ever made an impact on me. That night I felt like she saw me, my struggles, my thoughts, my soul.

  “Just don’t be so obvious.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck. “I was asking questions, getting to know her.”

  “Exactly. You’re acting like you’re interested.”

  “I am interested. I’ve never been able to forget that night or her.”

  “Will you listen to yourself? You can’t date Noah’s younger sister, a member of our strength and conditioning team. Do you know how many issues that would cause on the team? The staff?” He emphasized each word.

  There had to be a way. There was a reason she’d dropped back into my life. “Maybe once the playoffs are over. She’s only a temporary employee.”

  “She’s always going to be Noah’s little sister. She’s always going to be off-limits.”

  I swallowed down my arguments because Eric was right. There was no world in which me hooking up with Payton Axworthy made sense. Only when I thought back to that night, when it was only the two of us, did the world right itself. Everything came into focus, our pasts, our futures, our present. I sensed if I gave her a chance, my world would start and end with Payton. I’d never felt stronger about anything. I’d wait until the timing was right, until Noah came around.

  She was worth every trick play in the book to get closer to her.

  Chapter 4

  Payton

  Gavin spoke with Coach Kipp, offering to throw some balls with the kids. There weren’t any girls. Not that I expected one, but I wanted to work with a young girl who wanted to play in a male-dominated sport. There wasn’t any greater challenge.

  When the guys broke off, throwing balls to warm up, I approached Coach Kipp, introduced myself then asked if I could speak with their strength and conditioning coach. I explained how I wanted to shadow him for a day, giving him my card so he could pass it on.

  There were so few strength and conditioning positions, usually one per high school, one in college, breaking into the industry seemed insurmountable. At graduation, my father mentioned opening my own business where I’d take on clients who had specific goals, holding speed classes and other clinics on the side. It could be lucrative if I could bring in business. He was confident I could. I held on to the idea that getting some experience and building my reputation was the first step.

  I watched the guys walk around, giving tips and pointers. Eventually, Gavin asked them to take a knee, their faces long and dejected. Gavin Keller stood in the middle of their half-circle talking about their loss in the playoffs.

  “Your life will be filled with disappointment and failure. It’s how you deal with those roadblocks that define you. Do you quit? Do you give up? Or do you work harder so you go into next season stronger, physically and mentally? Should you evaluate what you’re doing and change it up? My teammates are here, along with our new strength and conditioning intern, Payton Axworthy. Please feel free to ask questions about training, skills to improve during the off-season.”

  I was surprised Gavin mentioned me at all, especially since I was an untested intern. I’d planned to be here to soak in anything I could, get a feel for the strength and conditioning coaches’ role, but instead he’d offered up my services.

  Gavin paused to look at me as if waiting for a response.

  “I’d be happy to. I gave my card to Coach Kipp. If you have any questions about what you should be working on, I can help you with that too.”

  It was unlikely that high schoolers understood the specific things we worked on at the professional level. The tiny things we did that had huge impacts on strength, power, and speed. Opening their minds to the possibilities excited me.

  Gavin nodded in appreciation before continuing.

  I thought this position would be an amazing learning experience for me. I hadn’t planned on getting much practical solo experience. I figured I’d be spotting and assisting, not giving actual advice. Even if it was on the high school level, I was thrilled to be utilizing my degree, doing what I was passionate about.

  When Gavin finished his talk, the guys answered the kids’ questions.

  “Did you know Gavin was going to offer up my services?” I asked Noah on the way back to the car.

  “No. Are you upset?”

  “No. I’m excited. Working with the team is great, but creating specific programs, helping an athlete achieve a specific goal is what motivates me.”

  “Good.”

  “I can’t thank you enough for talking to Coach Ruxton, for the internship. It’s opening up so many amazing opportunities.”

  “I gave Coach your name, but you did the rest. You must have impressed him in the interview.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You know as well as I do you don’t normally have an intern on staff. He created that position as a favor to you.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short. I may have passed on your name, but everything else was you and your passion for what you do.”

  I nodded, wondering if that was true. Would Coach Ruxton have turned me down if he hadn’t liked my interview? The thought that Coach saw something in me sent a renewed sense of confidence surging through me. Even Gavin had offered up my services. He wouldn’t have done it if he hadn’t thought I had potential. Maybe my dream was a possibility.

  Heading back to the city, the guys were talking animatedly about how they could help the kids, things that motivated them after a loss, specific tips they already gave them. It was nice to see these professional athletes who made so much money take the time to mentor high school athletes. Their energy was infectious.

  It was nothing like the ride to the school when Clay was asking me questions that felt a lot like he was trying to dissect me. It was a little disconcerting with my brother next to me even if I secretly enjoyed his interest.

  Noah pulled into the stadium lot, parking next to Eric’s SUV. Eric said goodbye, immediately getting in his SUV and driving away. I kissed Noah’s cheek, then got out. Closing the door, I fell in step with Clay, whose car was next to mine. I felt Noah’s gaze on my back. I knew he wouldn’t leave until I was safely in my car.

  Clay huffed out a breath. “Hey, I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to ask you a lot of questions to make you uncomfortable.”<
br />
  I glanced at him to gauge his sincerity. “It’s okay.”

  He brushed a hand through his hair. “It’s just I’m curious about you.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say about that. I’m curious about you too. I wonder what would have happened if I’d stayed? Most likely he would have gone off to the draft and forgotten all about me. Our timing was terrible. I cleared my throat. “Why’s that?”

  We paused at my driver’s side door, Clay’s larger SUV blocking us from Noah’s view.

  “We work together. You’re my teammate’s sister.”

  He hesitated as if he’d left something out. Did he remember that night? Was I brave enough to find out? I decided to test the waters first, see if he’d take the bait. “We can be friends too.”

  Clay made a noise in his throat at the last sentence, stepping closer as if laser focused on me. “You see, that’s the one thing I can’t do. I can’t seem to forget that night.”

  He remembered. My heart beat faster with each inch of distance he erased between us.

  He leaned down closer, whispering in my ear, “It’s burned in my memory.”

  I closed my eyes, reveling in his nearness, his strength, his scent. All of it reminded me of how tightly he’d gripped my thighs as he devoured me, the power of his hips when he thrust inside, the slide of his slick skin against mine, the sound of his voice coasting over the shell of my ear. I swayed toward him, wanting him to touch me, kiss me.

  He pulled back, lightly touched my cheek before shifting his bag to his shoulder and rounding the hood of his SUV to get into the driver’s side.

  I slowly let out the breath I’d been holding. The words it’s burned in my memory playing on repeat, a promise of something more.

  All those words we’d exchanged about friendship and working together were meaningless.

  Instinctively, I knew we couldn’t be friends, not with the way I felt around him. The way his voice set all my nerves tingling, reminding me of what it was like to be naked with him.