by Jillian Dodd
“Yes.”
“And would you be okay with me going?”
“Sure.”
“When we met, we were open and honest with each other. I know it’s been a long time, Danny, but I hope that still holds true. So, I’m just going to lay it on the line. You broke my heart. And that sounds crazy. We spent a total of about forty-eight hours in each other’s presence over the course of a few weeks and constantly texted each other in between. We tried to be just friends, and you were right to break it off. Now, you’re getting a divorce, and I’m single. I didn’t come here, expecting that we’d kiss and live happily ever after.” She stops, shakes her head, and smiles. “Who am I kidding? That’s exactly what I wished for. Because we only live once. And I think neither one of us has been living the lives we should have been. I want you to kiss me. I want to take things further. But I’m okay with getting to know each other again first.”
“Jadyn suggested we get to be friends.” I lean across the chair and then graze my hand across her cheek, almost like I’m checking to make sure she’s real. “It’s just that my life has gotten a lot more complicated.”
“Dinner’s ready!” Jadyn calls out from the kitchen.
I hear the sound of footsteps running up the stairs.
I hold Jennifer’s gaze. “Will you sit by me at the game?”
She kisses me on the cheek. A slow, purposeful kiss that is surely meant to test my willpower.
“I’d love to,” she says, pulling her lips from my skin. “Although should we be worried about being seen together? Like, does anyone even notice that stuff here?”
“Not really. Besides, we have a box.”
“For a high school game?”
“Yeah, a lot of high schools pull in big crowds, and it’s a way to get additional funding when they build the stadiums.” I stand up and then offer her my hand.
I’m rewarded with the kind of coy smile that makes me want to completely skip the game. We might have changed over the years, but the spark and heat are still there, buried under the ashes.
Jennifer
We quickly eat dinner, then load up in SUVs, and head to the game.
“People are tailgating?”
“We take tailgating seriously here,” Danny tells me as the band marches out of the high school, leading a procession to the stadium.
“I’m going to hang out with my friends,” Damon tells his dad and then quickly ditches us.
“And I’m going with him,” Haley tells Phillip.
“Not so fast, young lady,” Phillip says.
She rolls her eyes and then gives her father an angelic face. “I’m meeting Claire and Molly at the concession stand, and we’re sitting together.”
“That’s fine, but I want you sitting and watching the game. Not running around.” He pulls binoculars from his jacket pocket. “I’ll be watching.”
She huffs. “Fine.”
Danny doesn’t take my hand, but he does that thing again where he puts it across the small of my back and guides me through a private entrance to the suites. The suite is pretty basic, but it’s heated, which is awesome. The wind is chilly, and I bet the metal bleachers would be cold to sit on.
“Jennifer?” a voice calls out. Very quickly, I’m being pulled into a bear hug. “How the heck are you? Saw the stuff you’re going through when I was buying a lottery ticket. That Troy guy really fudged up this time. You leaving him for good?”
“Um,” I say, feeling a little overwhelmed.
He releases me from his hold. “Heck, you probably don’t even remember me. I’m Nick.”
“Nickaloser?” I ask, causing him to turn a shade of red.
Jadyn starts laughing. He’s even more handsome than when I first met him at a Nebraska game years ago.
“I haven’t heard that name for a while—thank goodness,” he says.
Jadyn wraps her arm around Nick’s neck. “Also known as Kicky Nicky since he’s a kicker. He got drafted to St. Louis out of college and then played for Baltimore, Denver, Atlanta, and Indianapolis but retired from football a couple of years ago. He’s married to my sorority sister, Macy, and”—she points toward a couple of adorable children—“those are their twins, Kiley and Riley.”
“Are you are just visiting?” I ask.
“No. Macy’s family is from Oklahoma. Mine is from Nebraska. We decided to settle somewhere in the middle. That this one is here,” he says, rolling his eyes toward Jadyn, “had no effect on our decision whatsoever. In fact, it was on the con side of the equation.” He grins.
She gives him a sloppy kiss on the cheek, lets go of him, and runs off to pick up his children, covering their faces with kisses, much to their delight, based on their squeals.
“How old are they?” I ask.
“They’re five,” Danny replies for him.
Danny and Nick hug, and then Nick introduces me to his wife, Macy, who quickly takes off to deal with a now screaming Riley.
“Why are you at this game?” I blurt out. I mean, it’s a high school game.
“Another reason we chose Kansas City,” Nick says, “is because Macy’s sister lives here.” He points down to the field. “That’s her oldest son, Taylor. Number eight.”
“Is he a kicker like you?”
“Yeah, kicker and punter. Plays soccer, too.”
“That’s awesome.”
“Being around friends and family is what’s awesome,” he says sincerely. “We knew that, when our kids started school, we wanted them to be able to go to the same place and not have to move because of my job. Hey, are you going to be around this weekend? We’re all getting together at the Mackenzies’ on Sunday for a Halloween bash. Rumor has it, she’s hired some local high school girls to keep the kids busy with face-painting and games while we drink.”
Danny expectantly eyes me.
“Yes. I’ll be here.”
“Perfect,” Nick says as the national anthem starts playing.
Soon, the home team runs through a large blow-up jaguar head and out onto the field.
“Oh, look at him!” Jadyn says. “I can’t believe he’s in a high school football uniform.”
“I don’t get it,” I say. “Why is Chase out there? Isn’t he in the eighth grade?”
“Kids have always been able to play up,” Phillip explains. “Due to a couple of injuries, the high school team is short on quarterbacks, so they put him on the roster this week and are making him suit up. He’ll probably never be on the field.”
“Does he practice with them?”
“No, but the high school and middle school run the same offense, so he knows the plays,” Phillip replies.
“It’s a big honor actually,” Nick says.
“Except that he’s going to hate it,” Danny counters.
“Why would he hate it?”
“For an athlete who loves the game, sitting on the bench kills you. Not to mention, he’ll be missing running around with Damon and their friends.”
“Probably making out under the bleachers, like you used to,” Phillip teases.
“You’re one to talk,” Danny teases him back.
Once we’re sitting down next to each other to watch the game, I whisper to Danny, “You know, I’ve never made out under the bleachers before.”
He gives me a grin. “Maybe, someday, we’ll have to change that.”
He takes my phone off the table in front of us, adds himself as a contact, texts himself, and then sends me a smiley face. And not just any smiley face. The one with the hearts in its eyes.
“There’s Devaney,” he says, pointing as the cheerleaders cartwheel their way over to their spot on the sideline. “She always looks so grown up when she’s cheering.”
The team does a choreographed stunt with Dani doing a series of back handsprings across the front of the squad.
“Wow. She’s a good gymnast, too.”
“That’s because her daddy has spent a lot of money on private tumbling lessons,” Danny says. “Compet
itive cheer is really—”
“Competitive?” I ask with a laugh.
“Exactly.” He gives me a little elbow. “Smart-ass.”
“You know it,” I reply.
Nick leans in and whispers, “I’m not sure. Jennifer’s ass seems more hot than smart, but if I tried to verify that, I’d probably get in trouble with my wife.” He flicks Danny on the head as he gets up to get a plate of food. “I’ll leave you to figure out which kind of ass she has, Danny. Report back tomorrow.”
“Nothing is sacred around my friends,” Danny says, shaking his head.
“I know. It’s awesome how you all tease each other. It’s fun but filled with love.”
“They want to see me happy.”
“And do they think I will make you that way?” I ask, trying to whisper so that no one hears this part.
“They already love you,” he says.
And I can’t help but wish he felt the same way.
“Well, the feeling is mutual,” I say. “You’re really lucky.”
He glances back at his friends, all laughing, joking, cheering. “Yeah, I am.”
Danny
It’s intriguing how seamlessly Jennifer fits in with my friends. In fifteen years of marriage, I never felt this relaxed. Lori tended to come off a little bitchy, and it could cause problems. Of course, no one really said anything about it, but now, they all act like they only tolerated her presence because of me, which is probably the case.
When the game is over, we head out to the car to meet up with the kids.
“Dani, you were amazing out there!” Jennifer squeals, giving Devaney a hug.
“Any chance you’d want to meet some of the team?” she asks.
“Devaney—” I start to say, but Jennifer cuts me off, “I’d love to!”
Devaney jumps up in the air. “Yay! Dad, did you remember to bring my bag for the sleepover?”
“Sure. It’s in the car. Do you need a ride?”
“Nope.” She gives me a kiss on the cheek and whispers, “Thanks for letting me go. I promise I won’t disappoint you.”
“Good to hear.”
She grabs Jennifer’s hand and leads her over to where her squad is gathered.
“You should see your face right now, Danny,” Jadyn says, sliding up next to me. She’s patting the back of her youngest, who’s asleep on her shoulder, while Phillip is talking sternly to Haley, who seems to want to go somewhere instead of coming home.
I smile bigger. “Do you think Devaney likes her?”
“She’s a movie star. Her friends are going to go crazy,” she says just as I hear girlie screeches coming from where Jennifer and Devaney are standing. “The more important question is, do you like her? She had fun at the game. Our friends love her.”
“I know. It’s kind of unnerving. Can someone just fit into your life so easily?”
“Maybe they can. So, if you and Jennifer want to ride home with Phillip, I’ll wait for Damon and Chase. I’ll be back. I’m going to put Madden in the car.”
“Hey, Dad,” Damon says, high-fiving me as he walks over. “Pretty good game, huh?”
“You look like you had a little too much fun,” I say, wondering what’s up with his ear-to-ear grin. More than likely, he did spend some time under the bleachers instead of watching the game. I decide to test him. “What was the play call on the passing score in the second quarter?”
“Double Fade from the Power I formation.” He rolls his eyes.
“Where have you been?”
“In the locker room. Trying to talk my way onto the team.”
“Did it work?” I laugh at my son’s boldness.
“Well, I told Coach that he should probably have me suit up, too. Because, if Chase goes in, there’s no one who can catch his passes better than me.”
“Is that true?” Jennifer asks, rejoining us as the cheerleaders have dispersed and are loading into their cars.
“Definitely. I’m going back in the locker room. Chase and I will be back out in a few.” He squints his eyes at Jennifer. “You gonna be here when I get back?”
“Um, maybe.”
“Awesome. Saw you were taking pics with the cheerleaders. You cool with meeting some of the guys? Thought I’d sell tickets.”
“Damon!” I chastise.
“Ah, Dad, I’m just joking. Well, sorta. I happen to know that Coach is a big fan of Jennifer Edwards. There might be a poster of her in his office. I was just thinking …”
“Go get in the car, Damon.”
“I’d love to meet the coach,” Jennifer tells him.
“Sweet!” he says, taking off.
“What did you decide?” Jadyn asks, sticking her head around the car.
“You guys go on home. We’ll bring the boys.”
“You know they’re going to ask you to drive them through somewhere. Tell them I bought a big box of Hot Pockets just for them.”
“We’ll be home in a flash,” Jennifer says, laughing. “I used to love those things.”
When the Mackenzies pull away, Jennifer plops up onto the hood of my SUV like she owns it. “I’m surprised Damon doesn’t play quarterback like you.”
“He doesn’t have the patience for it. He’s fast, he has always loved to run races—well, win races—and he likes the glory of scoring. Even when they were little, Damon always wanted Chase to throw him the ball. Usually, instead of throwing it back, he’d run it back, hand it to Chase, and tell him to throw it again. And it’s sort of how it worked out. They both love it, but they’re young, and you don’t know if they will grow into their positions. Chase is already tall, like Phillip was at his age, and expected to be at least six foot four. So, I think he’ll be fine. The average professional quarterback is six-two. A couple of inches definitely helps with seeing over the offensive line.”
“How tall is Damon supposed to be?”
“Since his mother’s side of the family is shorter, it’s harder to gauge but six foot probably. Six-one, if we’re lucky. He’s really fast, and he has soft hands. We’re working with him this year on body control. He’s actually taking some private ballet lessons.”
“Ballet?”
“Yeah, pro wide receivers have to get two feet inside the field of play. They often go up on their tiptoes and drag them in bounds to make a catch. He won’t be dancing, just working on balance, body control, and flexibility.”
“Will Chase take ballet, too?”
“No, he has a throwing coach. Both boys go to national camps each summer. Colleges are looking at kids earlier than ever before, as are pro scouts.”
“Will they go to Nebraska?”
“I don’t know. They’ve had a string of coaches who haven’t been winning, and recruitment is down. They just hired a former player as their coach, so we’ll have to see how it goes. If your goal is to win things like the Heisman or to go high in the draft, a winning team helps get you attention. Although there are a lot of guys in the league who went to smaller colleges and do great in the combine. We just want them to get through high school with as few injuries as possible.”
“It’s funny how, when you watch a game, you don’t think about how hard the players get hit. But when you got sacked in that Super Bowl game, I was worried.”
“Jadyn always says she wishes Chase didn’t like sports. She made him take piano lessons when he was younger. He hated it. He does like guitar though. He and Damon always say that rock star is their backup plan.”
“I don’t know about him being a rock star,” she says slowly. “It’s a different kind of life.”
“Like being a movie star?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Not really. With acting, you are mostly in a closed set environment. It’s just you and the cast and crew. A rock star performs live in front of a whole bunch of people who are cheering, screaming that they love you, singing the lyrics you wrote. It’s a big ego kick. Like, how could it not be?” She slaps my shoulder and starts cracking up. “Oh, Danny Diamond, what
have I gotten myself into? I pretty much just described your job, too, didn’t I?”
I move to stand in front of her. She instinctively spreads her legs out, giving me space.
“Yes, I perform in front of a lot of people, but then I take off my uniform, put on my suit, and go home. Where I’m just a normal guy.”
“You’ve never been a normal guy,” she says, sliding her hand into the back of my hair. She stares at me, her eyes dropping to my mouth.
I lean forward to kiss her.
“We’re back!” my son yells out, interrupting what should have been a perfect moment.
He and Chase sprint over to us, Coach following behind them, sort of trotting.
“This is Jennifer Edwards,” Damon says as Jennifer jumps off the hood.
After they share niceties and Jennifer offers to autograph the poster in his office next time she’s at a game, we get the boys loaded into the car and head home.
It’s only about a fifteen-minute drive. I have the music on and have my head against the back of the seat, straining to hear what the boys are talking about. I definitely hear the word kissing and the name of a girl in their class. Chase complains about being stuck on the bench.
Once I pull into the garage, the kids jump out of the car. Jennifer and I get out and stand awkwardly, staring at each other.
“What are you doing tonight, Dad?” Damon asks.
He and Chase are standing behind Jennifer, raising their eyebrows up and down at me. I swear, Phillip used to look at me the same way when he knew I was going to get some.
“Watching film probably and then going to bed.”
The last thing I need is for Damon to say something to his mom. I don’t want to give her any reason not to sign the papers on Wednesday.
I walk the three of them to the Mackenzies’ front door and drop them off. “Night.”
Jennifer doesn’t look happy. When Phillip answers the door, before closing it on me, I can tell by the look on his face that he agrees with our sons. That I should be getting some tonight.
I’m not even back to my house when he texts me.