Kenny (Shifter Football League Book 2)

by Becca Fanning

  After releasing a deep breath, she walked into his room. “Hey there.”

  He looked up at her and glared.

  She stuck her hands out, showing off the coffee cups and the basket slung over her forearm. “I brought a peace offering.”

  “Shouldn’t have bothered.” He turned his gaze from her and hit the button on the remote to turn on the TV.

  “Well, I felt really bad and I wanted to apologize and explain.” Audrey sat in the chair beside him, setting the cups on his bed tray, then the basket. “And I even cooked for you.”

  He glanced over, but quickly returned his attention to the TV.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I lied to you. And I should have said yes.”

  He gritted his jaw and didn’t look at her. She waited. After several long minutes, he turned off the TV and turned to face her.

  “Let’s hear this explanation.” He snatched up one of the coffee cups and sniffed it before taking a sip.

  “Well…” She took the towel off the basket and removed the items one at a time as she talked. “I was scared. I told you that I haven’t dated anyone seriously since I was a teen, and that was true. But the reason I said no to you was the lie.”

  He peeled back the foil wrapping and lifted the bagel to inspect the rest of the sandwich. He must’ve decided it looked okay because he picked it up and took a bite.

  She wanted him to say something, but at least he was facing her and eating. He seemed to be liking it. “I… I said no because I like you so much.”

  He shook his head. “Bull.”

  “No, listen. It’s not bull. I haven’t dated anyone seriously because I’m afraid of where things will go. After… well, my first time, I haven’t been able to… ummm…”

  He set the sandwich down and inspected her face. “Are you trying to say you haven’t had sex since what happened to you happened?”

  She nodded.

  “Oh.” Het let out a long breath. “Okay.”

  “See, I thought that might be an issue for you and I—”

  “It’s not.”

  “But you just—”

  “I’m pissed.”

  “Kenny, I’m trying—”

  “Not at you. At that asshole. For what he did to you. For messing you up like that. Don’t ever tell me anything about him, or I will end up landing myself in jail.”

  She blinked at him. He would go after this person who hurt her so badly? He would really defend her like that? No one had ever stuck up for her or defended her. Not even her own mother in one of the most difficult times of her life.

  Her eyes burned, and she could feel the tears coming. “You would really do that? You’d really go after him? For me?”

  “Of course.” He scrunched his face into a mask of rage. “He deserves to pay.”

  She had nothing to say to that. It was unbelievable that someone would care so much for her to do that. And she had wanted to make him pay, of course. Over the years, she dreamed of ways to kill him, and every time she woke up from a nightmare, she wanted to watch him bleed again and again. She worried it was turning her vengeful to have these thoughts. But now Kenny was having them. And having them in defense of her. It was almost unbelievable that he would care so much about her already. He didn’t even know her.

  “You don’t agree?” he asked.

  “I do, I just…” She took in a fast breath and blew it out hard. “I don’t think anyone’s really ever cared about me like that. Or cared enough to do something like that for me.”

  He shook his head and took another bite of his sandwich. “Then you must’ve been picking some terrible guys. Look at you. You’re so great. How could anyone not want to strangle someone who hurt you?”

  She shrugged. “They just don’t. Or haven’t until you.” She realized she’d been staring at him. Taking in the sparkle in his eyes as the light moved over them, the hint of a smile on his lips. She could sit and stare at him all day.

  He caught her gaze. “What?”

  “Nothing.” She picked up her own sandwich and took a bite.

  “Did I say something wrong?”

  “Not at all. You’re right. I picked some terrible guys, and I’ve been in some horrible relationships. Can’t blame me for wanting to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

  “I’d never hurt you like that. All I want is for someone to give me a chance and let me show them that I can be an awesome husband and father. I’ve never been with anyone who would give me a shot at it.”

  She nodded slowly. Husband and father? She was scared half to death of going on one date and he was already talking about marriage and kids. When she couldn’t even have kids. Maybe this was a mistake after all. She bit her lip and tried to decide if she could make an excuse to slip out, or if that would be too obvious.

  “Now I said something wrong.” He closed his eyes. “After you just said how you didn’t want things to move fast, I said husband and father. It’s freaking you out?”

  She pulled her mouth to the side. How could she answer that truthfully?

  “I didn’t mean tomorrow,” he said. “I mean, eventually. I’m not trying to rush you. But I think we could have something. And I want to be a husband and father some day. Doesn’t have to be any time soon.”

  “You sure?” She didn’t know if she’d ever be ready for something like that, or really if she even needed something like that. Her life was great as it was. Adding in someone else would only complicate things.

  “We can go as slow as you need to.”

  “What if I’m never ready for something like that?”

  “Never?”

  “I don’t know. I always thought I’d just be single forever, and that’s fine with me. I have my work and friends.” And of course, her pack, which she couldn’t admit to, but she spent plenty of time with them, just hanging out as a tiger.

  “Single forever? I thought all women wanted to find someone, wanted to have kids and all that.”

  “Not me. I had to give up on the kids dream whether I wanted to or not.”

  “There’s adoption.”

  “Yeah. I guess it’s just not something I need.”

  “Then why didn’t you just say that when I asked you out? Why the lie and the whole thing about having a problem with me being a shifter?”

  She picked up an orange and started picking at the peel. “It seemed like the easiest answer. Something you couldn’t change or talk your way out of. If you’re a shifter, you’re a shifter and nothing can change that.”

  How she’d wished many times she could stop being a shifter and just as many times been glad she was. If she wasn’t a shifter, maybe she’d have something more of a normal life. Maybe she would want those same things a lot of her friends wanted. But if she wasn’t a shifter, she wouldn’t be able to run free with her pack. Wouldn’t be able to open up, let loose, and be wild. And she wouldn’t have the confidence in knowing that next time someone tried to hurt her, she’d use her shifter skills and make sure they didn’t live to hurt someone else or to tell her secret.

  “But it doesn’t actually bother you?” he asked.

  She had thought about what Kara said. Just because she was a shifter didn’t have to mean she wanted to be with someone who was. Would it complicate things? Or maybe they could go off and run around together as bear and tiger and it’d be amazing. He would be able to protect her against almost anything being a bear.

  “It doesn’t bother me. It’s kinda cool, actually.”

  “Really?”

  She nodded.

  “So, this breakfast…” he said, gesturing over the bed tray to the remaining food and crumbled tinfoil.

  “Kind of a peace offering pseudo date?”

  “Pseudo date? So, this is a date? You’re agreeing to go out with me?”

  “No.” But she pulled her mouth into a coy smile. “You can’t exactly go out anywhere right now, can you?” She looked pointedly at his leg.

  “But when I can?”
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br />   His face was so hopeful, she couldn’t help but break into a giggle in her nervousness. Part of her still wanted to say no, but she nodded.

  “Just so long as you don’t expect too much from me,” she said. “I’m no good at dating or relationships.”

  “Apparently I’m not, either.”

  “Then I guess we’ll just have to figure it out together.” She put her hand over his and smiled.

  Chapter 9

  After his breakfast with Audrey, when she’d finally agreed to go out with him, doing his physical therapy didn’t seem as bad anymore. She still took him down to the therapy room and came to get him, but she couldn’t stay with him. Too many other patients to see. And that was fine. It was easier to work hard for her if she wasn’t standing there watching him.

  The day she’d brought him breakfast and they’d had their pseudo date as she called it, Kenny had physical therapy that afternoon. Audrey had wheeled him down there as always and had apologized for having to leave him.

  But when she was gone, he thought about being able to drive over to her house to pick her up, take her some place nice, walk together hand in hand. If he wanted to do any of that, he’d need to get better, and fast. Right now, he couldn’t walk more than a few steps. Today, he was determined to go farther than ever.

  Jeff walked over to him after Audrey disappeared into the elevator. “You ready to work today, or do I need to give you the motivational speech I’ve prepared?”

  Kenny rolled his eyes. “I’m ready.”

  He pushed himself up and stumbled over to the double rails he would walk between. He didn’t wait for Jeff to come over and walk with him. He knew what he had to do. Walk down, walk back. Same boring thing each time. The only way to strength the muscle was to use it, Jeff said. Of course, that was the part that hurt. The using it. He was fine when he just sat there, not moving or putting any pressure on it.

  He tried to use the railing as little as possible. The faster he could walk on his own, the faster he’d be out of this wheelchair and able to take Audrey out for real. No way was he going to do some sort of lame thing where she drove him and had to push him around because he was stuck in a chair. He could do this for her. Get better and get back to being himself, even if he wouldn’t be able to play football.

  The thought sent a wave of sadness over him. The pain shot up his leg and he had to stop to breathe through it. What was he going to do now? He’d asked himself this question over and over since the doctor had said he couldn’t play. What was he going to do now? Be some coach or TV commentator? Leave the sports field completely? He could probably sit at a desk or do some other job that didn’t require much physical activity. But what would his life be like then?

  He couldn’t picture it. He’d tried. He’d gone back to the time before football and thought about what he’d been then and what he’d been like. Then, he’d had dreams of being a firefighter or a police officer. He was also about six. But even his childhood dreams, which all changed when he started playing football when he was seven, were all impossible now. He couldn’t climb up and down ladders or chase after criminals any more than he could chase after a ball.

  He had no office skills. He did own a computer and used it, but he didn’t do much besides get on the internet and watch sports videos. What sort of job could he even get without any skills? Nothing he’d be happy doing. Since he was a child, all he’d wanted to do was play football. And that’s about all he’d done aside from being a shifter. His dreams were all gone. He would be miserable the rest of his life.

  “What’s going on?” Jeff asked.

  “Huh?” Kenny looked over at him.

  “You started out great. Better than I’ve seen you do in a long time. But then you just shut down. You almost stopped completely.”

  “I got too much in my head, I guess.” Jeff always warned him of that. Don’t get all in your head, he’d say, that’s where the pain starts.

  Kenny needed to focus on moving and Audrey. She was the important thing now. The one thing he had going for him. If things went well with her, that would change everything. He could have hope again. He might not be a ball player, but he could be a husband and father. Someday. He’d almost messed everything up once talking about that stuff too soon. He couldn’t tell her too fast that he loved her or even move too fast when it came to kissing her. It would be tricky, but it wasn’t like he didn’t have time.

  He’d have to really take his time with her, even if he was ready to jump in right now. If it wouldn’t freak her out, he’d ask her to move in next month. He’d been planning a proposal. He even had the ring and everything. Though, was it weird to give her the ring he’d bought for Carolyn? Maybe he needed to get a new one.

  “Focus,” Jeff said.

  It was enough to bring him back to where he needed to be. He looked at the end of the railings, to his destination. He pictured Audrey standing there, waiting for him to join her. And he walked.

  When he got to the end, shaking with pain, he turned around to Jeff’s applause.

  “That’s the best I’ve seen you do yet,” Jeff said. “Let’s keep it up.”

  When he looked back down the length of the railings, at first it seemed as impossible as it always did. It was too far. He was in too much pain. But again, he pictured Audrey there, and he moved his feet one at a time. His good leg. Easy. Then his bad leg. Not so easy. But manageable.

  When he reached the end, Jeff was beaming. “What’s going on with you today? Got a hot date later or something?”

  Kenny stumbled over and half fell into the wheelchair. “Something like that.”

  “How’d you manage to pick up a woman while you were in the hospital? Guess it pays to be famous, huh?”

  “She’s a nurse.”

  “Wait a minute.” Jeff wheeled him to another section of the therapy room. They’d do some exercises with weights and bands next. “Not Audrey.”

  “Yup.”

  “Wow. She’s easy on the eyes for sure. Good luck, man.”

  “Thanks.”

  “And if she keeps you focused and working hard, then I’m all for it.”

  Weeks after he’d been shot, after several surgeries, after hours and hours of painful physical therapy, Kenny was finally going home. He packed up his things, while still slightly limping. He’d come a long way in physical therapy and Jeff was happy with his progress. He’d still have months of therapy ahead of him, but at least now he was able to walk okay. Now that he was healed enough from his most recent surgery, it was time to finally go home.

  Audrey came into his room with a wheelchair and a grin. “Ready to finally get out of here?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. There was one down side to going home. “I won’t get to see your beautiful face every day when I’m home.”

  “You’ll survive somehow.”