Lion Eyes

by Casey Peeler

  He pauses and looks me in the eye. “Did you doubt it?” I’m caught off guard by his question.

  “No, I never doubted you, but the devil did try to get in my head. I knew better. I know you’re an amazing person and that there’s no way you would have lied to me on the phone. Plus, that was one helluva story. You saved her. You’d think that would have made the news. Not a picture of the amazing TD kissing some random girl without a word.”

  He grins and doesn’t say a word before walking to his phone and making a call.

  Chapter 34

  Tyke

  This morning when I woke up and saw the look on Rilla’s face, I was unsure of my decision. I’ve dreamt of this goal my entire life, but I know that it can make living a normal life tough. Each time I go on the road or go out in public, someone could be waiting to try and catch me doing something wrong. I didn’t know if I wanted to expose her to it, but she was right. She’s lived this life and is an amazing person. Was it easy? No. It did, however, make her the strong and fierce woman she is today.

  I’ve been trying to decide if I should go ahead and declare today or wait a few days until I know that this mess is going to blow over. I don’t want to give that girl any reason to skew my future.

  So I call the one person that can help me – Kenton James. The look on Rilla’s face when she realizes it’s her dad is priceless. I tell him what’s going on and he invites us over for a late breakfast.

  Arriving at his house, I open the door for Rilla and we walk hand in hand inside.

  “Daddy!” she yells as she walks in the door.

  “In here,” he says from the kitchen.

  “Pancakes!” she yells but as she goes over to give him a hug, she whispers, “You got something else for Tyke? He doesn’t like the homemade kind.”

  Mr. James looks my way, “You’re kiddin’?”

  “Sorry, sir. I’m a golden arch kinda guy.” He shakes his head as he pulls a can of cinnamon rolls from the refrigerator. “Will these do?”

  “Sure,” I say as I go and help Rilla put them on the baking dish while he finishes frying the bacon.

  We take a seat at the kitchen table and don’t talk about the draft. Instead, we talk about life, what we want for the future, and what happened when I got back last night. Mr. James doesn’t say a lot, but you can tell he’s taking it all in.

  When we finish eating, we stand to put the dishes in the sink. I start to offer to wash them just as Mr. James does something that scares the shit out of me. He asks me to take a walk with him. Rilla looks my way and gives me reassurance. I’m worried, between the wedding, my crazy father, last night’s turn of events and now the indecisiveness of my future, he might be getting ready to rip me a new one.

  I follow him outside and down the front steps toward his barn. He slides the door open and closes it as we enter. He walks to a worn-out wooden swing and begins to work on it. He doesn’t say anything and, quite frankly, I’m a little nervous of the silence. He asks for the sander and I hand it to him. When he finishes with the piece of wood, he turns the sander off. He takes a step back and looks up at me.

  “You going to help me or what?” he asks, and I jump in helping him make this swing look brand new. After about an hour or so, we’re finished.

  “It looks good,” I say.

  “Better than good, son. I got so tired of seeing it look worn and forgotten at the church, I brought it home last week. They were wanting to buy a new one and I thought that was crazy. Bet they won’t think that now, huh?” he says with a smirk as he crosses his arms.

  “You’re right. I’d have never thought to do what you did.”

  The air gets thick again with silence and then he speaks. “Tyke, I know what this decision is like. Mine was a little different situation and the rules were different back then, but I get it. It’s the place where your childhood dream and your future are about to collide. There’s always going to be someone trying to stop you from your dreams. For me, it was myself. I wasn’t sure it was what I truly wanted and I always wondered what would happen with Mackenzie and I. She swore she could handle it, but I knew deep down, football would be what made her walk away. She said it was to live her dream, but I know I was gone too much. The media was crazy and always in our business and she was left to raise Rilla by herself for the majority of the year. You have to take that into account when you decide, but don’t let the what-if’s hinder your decision. Keep your eye on the goal and go for it. If not, the biggest what-if will be what-if I’d gone pro.”

  I help him put the tools away as I think about what he’s said. “I know I’m going to declare, but I want to make sure it’s right for the two of us. I know Rilla was born in a football family and she gets it, but I will always make sure my decisions are right for both of us. I think back on my life before the accident and how that night had to happen to get me to this point. I want to protect her, Mr. James. I don’t want my limelight to hold her back either. She’s one in a million and I’m pretty sure God broke the mold with her. I want her to have her dreams as well.”

  He closes the toolshed door. “Tyke, those words right there prove that you’re the one for her. She loves this sport, but you know her. She’s got a mouth that tells you exactly what she thinks. She doesn’t hold back and she gets what she wants in life. She can handle it; I promise.”

  “Can I ask you a question?” I ask.

  “Shoot.”

  “How’d you know it was time to let it go?”

  “After Mackenzie left, my dad would help with Rilla. Man, they had a blast while I was gone. Eventually, I realized I was missing more of her life than what I was enjoying on the field. I knew it was time. Have you ever asked your grandparents how they knew it was time to retire?” I shake my head no. Retire? That’s like so far away. He chuckles. “Yeah, I forgot you’re young and think sixty is old. I can remember people asking my dad that question. He said, you know when the time is right. You question it and get ready, but when it’s time to bow out, you wake up one morning and know. That’s what happened. One morning I left Rilla with my dad and when I pulled out of the driveway and drove toward the stadium, I knew I was done. She was where I needed to be and I knew that my fans would understand.”

  “But what if they didn’t?”

  “It didn’t matter. My biggest fan was a brown-haired little girl that needed me to take her fishing and read her a story every night.”

  In that moment, I got it. It was time to live out my dreams and make my declaration and then leave it in the league’s hands. We walk back to the house in silence and find Rilla in the kitchen making a cake. Seriously? I didn’t know she could bake.

  “Y’all get everything taken care of?” she questions.

  “Yeah. Your dad is awesome with his hands. You should see that swing we rebuilt.”

  “Swing?”

  “The one from the church playground.”

  “Gotcha,” she says as she pours the cake batter into a round pan and pops it in the oven. “It’ll be ready in an hour.”

  She takes off her apron, walks toward the living room, takes a seat and turns on the TV as we follow her in there. Within a second, she’s flipping through the channels, and when she lands on ESPN she stops and puts the remote on the table. Only my girl would do that. We sit for a few minutes, and then I know I need to go ahead with my declaration. There’s no sense in waiting.

  “Hey, I need to call Coach,” I say, excusing myself. Walking outside, I pull out my cell phone and call him.

  “What’s up, TD? Everything good?” he asks.

  “Yes, sir. I wanted you to be the first to know that I’m declaring today. I didn’t know if you wanted to be there when I made the statement.”

  “Absolutely. Have you talked to anyone yet?”

  “Just Mr. James and Rilla.”

  “Good. Let me put a call in. Is your application ready?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Submit it.We’ll do a press conference this afte
rnoon around three.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you then,” I say as I disconnect and turn to see Rilla standing there with a smile on her face.

  “Let’s get that first round draft pick,” she says as she takes a step closer and wraps her arms around me. I pull her in and kiss the top of her head. Then I briefly kiss her lips.

  Rilla

  Looking up into those eyes, I know he’s making the right decision. I’m glad that my daddy could help him see clearly. That is the one thing he’s best at. That man doesn’t say much at all, but he’s full of wisdom.

  As the timer on my phone goes off, I pull back from Tyke to go check the pound cake. Walking in, I see that Daddy has beat me to it.

  “Get out of there,” I joke.

  “Just trying to make sure there’s a saddie line in it.”

  “I know. The doughy part is my favorite.”

  Daddy takes a step back and I see that it needs a few more minutes. Once I take it from the oven, we slice it and each take a piece to the living room. We talk, eat and enjoy ESPN before we get ready to go.

  “I’m declaring today at three o’clock. Mr. James, I’d love for you to be there,” Tyke says and I about choke on my cake.

  “Sure, but stop with that Mr. James stuff. It’s Kenton.”

  I clear our plates and go to my room. What the heck do you wear to something like this? I hear a knock on my door and see my daddy standing there.

  “Rilla, just dress like you do any other day. It’s Tyke on TV, not you. You don’t have to worry about anything until the actual draft, as long as the league chooses him.”

  “What do you mean if they choose him?”

  “There’s always a chance they won’t pick him. I honestly think they’d be stupid not to, but it is a small possibility. You ready for this?” he asks.

  “I am. I’m kinda excited about it.” I pause and look at him.

  “You remind me so much of her,” he says. “There’s one big difference though. You love this game as much as Tyke and I do. Your mother didn’t. She loved me and the idea of the game, but not the game itself. To her it was silly that people got so worked up about this kind of thing. You two will be fine. I promise.”

  I walk over to him and hug him. He really is the best daddy a girl could have. He’s one that understands. He gave up his career for me and, to this day, he still knows exactly what to say.

  Chapter 35

  Tyke

  “Come on, Rilla. I’m gonna be late,” I yell as she comes walking out of the bathroom looking hot as hell in a pair of jeans, some funky sweater and boots. She looks like she does any other day, but for some reason today she’s stunning.

  “What?” she questions.

  “You look beautiful,” I say as I take her hand in mine and walk to the truck.

  Arriving at the athletic center, I can see Coach Porter has done his job. The media is already there as we walk inside the building. I give them a smile as I hold Rilla’s hand and walk toward Coach’s office.

  I knock quickly before going in and find Coach, Kenton and my parents waiting for us. Really? How’d they get here so fast?

  “I’ll give you a few minutes,” Coach says as he, Kenton and Rilla start to exit the room. I take Rilla’s hand and pull her back to my side.

  As the door closes, I wait for my dad to say something. Instead, Mom walks around and hugs me. I know she loves me and is proud, but when he’s around it’s like everything goes sour.

  He takes a step toward me and looks at Rilla. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I overreacted. Hell, I’ve been overreacting since before the accident. It’s not what I wanted my relationship with you to be like. Rilla, I’m sorry for my actions and that you witnessed it. Can you forgive me?”

  When he says those words I want to be mad. I want to yell and scream at him. Rilla squeezes my hand and I know I have to forgive him, because if he can forgive himself it’s only going to hurt me in the long run if I can’t do the same.

  “I forgive you,” I say as Dad’s eyes fill with tears and he tries to hide them. I let go of Rilla’s hand and walk to him with open arms. He takes a step and gives me a quick hug, but Mom’s not having it.

  “Y’all better hug right,” she says as she takes control of the situation. I love her for it. It’s what she does best. She’s held this family together for as long as I can remember, even when I thought that my dad had given up on me.

  After a few minutes there’s a light knock on the door and the others reenter. “It’s about time, Tyke,” Coach says.

  “Great. Can you give Rilla and me a minute? We’ll meet you out there in five.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Everyone follows Coach out of the room and as the door closes, I turn to her. “You ready for this, Mrs. Jamison?”

  A smile escapes her lips. “Absolutely! No matter what, your number one fan will be by your side.” Bending down, I graze my lips with hers and know that this is one of the most perfect moments of my life. “I love you,” she says as we pull apart.

  “I love you more than football,” I reply and she laughs. She rests her head on my shoulder as we walk down the hallway toward my future.

  Chapter 36

  Tyke

  Three Months Later

  It’s hard to believe that three months ago I made a statement that would completely change my life. With my declaration, agents came out of the woodwork. Then I had to balance combines, workouts, practices and online classes with spending time with my wife.

  We’ve decided to keep our marriage quiet for now. Everyone knows that we’re an item, but that’s something we don’t want to share at this point. Between Tiffany’s Tiaras and my undecided future or location, we feel that’s something that is our business and no one else’s. We’ve also been over the current pick order and I can tell that Rilla is a ball of nerves about it. We know that I’ll go in the first or second round for sure, but Cleveland and San Francisco have the top two picks. I know she said she’d move anywhere but she’s got one more year of school, Tiffany’s Tiaras, and I know deep down she’s worried about leaving her dad. Charlotte is number seven on the list, but I’m hoping for a New York pick. That would put her where she needs to be for Tiffany’s Tiaras. Truth be told, Charlotte is in need of a quarterback this year.

  It’s hard to believe that the last week of April is here and it’s time to get ready to go to Philly. Rilla has been the cutest mess I’ve ever seen. She and Laney have gone shopping every weekend for the past month and each time she thinks she’s found the perfect dress, she returns it. It’s almost comical at this point. I, on the other hand, went to the closet and pulled out a suit – a very special suit that only my wife will know the meaning behind. Now we’re both packed and ready to head to the airport.

  Rilla

  Oh dear heavens, I’ve been trying to figure out what to wear to the draft for months. Tyke seems to think it’s only been one month, but I’ve secretly had a Pinterest board full of ideas since he declared. Laney and I have searched all of the Carolinas and even Tennessee trying to find the right dress. Little did I know that during a last-minute trip for Tiffany’s Tiaras over spring break, I’d find exactly what I was looking for. Tyke hasn’t even seen it. Laney and I were having so much fun driving him crazy with our shopping trips that we kept up the charade.

  Tyke’s agent and several other people I have never met meet us at the airport when we land in Philly. We eat lunch with them and then check into the hotel. Daddy and Coach Porter are flying in later today. Daddy was adamant about not being in Tyke’s spotlight, so he didn’t want to fly in with us.

  After we settle in at the hotel, we explore the city and stop by Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Of course Tyke has to go all Rocky on me on those dang steps. I’ve never laughed so hard and you better believe I got it all on video.

  When we return, we meet our families and Coach for dinner at a local favorite. We laugh and enjoy the night. It’s one of those memorable life mom
ents I’ll never forget.

  Chapter 37

  Tyke

  After dinner, I decide I don’t want to go back to the hotel yet. I want to take my wife out on the town. Little does she know that Laney and Jacob are here in town and plan to meet us for a few drinks. When we tell everyone goodbye, I can see that she’s trying to figure out what I’m up to.

  Walking down the streets of Philadelphia, we arrive at our destination, McGillin’s Olde Ale House. I ask Rilla if she wants to go in, but I know she’ll agree - that girl loves a good beer.

  As we walk inside, we head to the bar but when she notices Laney sitting in a booth she looks to me in shock. “Guilty,” I say.

  “I love you. Did you know that?”

  “No doubt in my mind.”

  We take a seat with Laney and Jacob, order a beer to celebrate, and take in the oldest pub in Philly. The food is amazing. Not that we needed to eat any more, but who can resist pub food? The night is exactly how I pictured it. We are in an amazing city for the biggest career move of my life with great food and beer. There is even a sports channel on the TV and all they are talking about is the draft. I’ve got my wife on my arm and great friends by my side. This is what life is about. It’s nice enjoying this without anyone recognizing me.

  We’ve made friends with our waitress and of course she wants to know what has brought us to town. When we tell her we are here for the draft, she stares.

  “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you. You’re TD Jamison, aren’t you?”

  “Guilty!”

  “Can I get a picture? You’re going first round, I know it,” she says. I stand to let Rilla take the photo.

  “Hey, Luke! Check out who’s at my table!” He flips her off and she gives him heck as she grabs our beers. The staff is pretty funny here. She starts telling us about all the people who come in and all the engagements that happen here. I squeeze Rilla’s hand on that one. She makes a crack at Laney and Jacob.