Play Me

by Kelly Elliott

  With a sigh, I dropped into my chair and rubbed the back of my neck. “This has nothing to do with Ms. Wales and me. If you want to take that to the press, have at it.”

  His expression turned from smug to shocked.

  “So you have a picture of me kissing her. Who gives a fuck? We’re dating and have no issue confirming it. The only thing you’ll be doing is looking like some revenge-seeking crybaby because he’s not the starting quarterback. The press will eat you alive, McEvans. I’m not the coach of this team, Mac is. You’re not going to get your way with this one.”

  Josh looked lost. It was the first real emotion I had seen from this kid since I got here.

  “This is about you, McEvans. You’re a damn good player—why do you think we’ve kept you on the team? Do you know how easy it would be to let your ass go? All the trouble you’ve caused Ms. Wales and this team is enough to fire you. Why the hell do think you’re still here?”

  He gave me a blank stare.

  “You’re still here because we see talent in you. Hell, you should be playing in the NFL as a starting quarterback, but look at you. You’ve made sure that didn’t happen. What I’d like to know is why.”

  “I don't know what you mean.”

  “Cut the shit; you know exactly what I mean. You’ve sabotaged your own career. Why?”

  A few moments passed as Josh seemed to consider his options, and then he sat down in one of the chairs in front of my desk. He inhaled a deep breath, dropped his head back against the chair, and let out a halfhearted laugh. Finally, he looked directly at me, and I swore I saw tears in his eyes.

  “I was never good enough for him.”

  “Your father?” I asked.

  Josh nodded. “Yeah. Do you know how many of my high school games he came to? None. Not one of them. When I went on to college and the cameras were around, he would show up for the important games. He told me I got where I was because of his name. That I didn’t have any real talent.” He paused, shaking his head before going on. “That was all I ever heard from him. So, I started fucking off, playing pranks, getting into trouble. It was the only time I could ever get him to pay me any attention. Then I went too far in college, and I knew an NFL team would never pick me up. My dad makes sure to remind me what a failure I am each time I see him.”

  “So in order to get his attention, you act like an asshole?”

  Josh laughed. “That’s one way of putting it. Football is my life, Coach. Since I can remember, all I’ve wanted to do is play. When I started getting good in middle school, that was when my father started up. For every good thing anyone said about my game, he would say two negative things. I guess it’s gotten to the point where it’s the adrenaline rush I’m looking for. The prank pulling, I mean. It’s almost like I get a high off it, and I can’t stop myself. The last coach threatened to cut me. I was more scared of telling my father I failed than anything else, so I found out the coach was having an affair and told him I’d go public. He kept me on and never said anything about the pranks. Then all of this shit happened with being pushed back to third-string quarterback, and it scared me more than pissed me off. When I saw you kissing Ms. Wales, I figured that was my ticket back into first string.”

  It was my turn to sigh. “That is some fucked-up way of thinking, kid. Listen, I get your dad probably wasn’t going to win father of the year, but do you realize you gave up a promising career just to get some of daddy’s attention? Did it ever enter your mind that if you worked hard and showed him just how damn good you are, he might give you the respect you deserved?”

  He shrugged.

  “Josh, it’s not too late. Get your shit together, be the team leader I know you can be, and show not only your father but everyone else that you are one of the best quarterbacks to play the game.”

  Drawing his brows in tight, Josh looked away and then quickly back at me. “Do you really think that?”

  “Why the hell do you think we’ve kept you on? Mac and I have been trying to teach you a damn lesson, but you won’t stop acting like a juvenile long enough to learn it.”

  He nodded his head but still said nothing.

  “You ever think your father treated you that way for a different reason?”

  “What reason is that?”

  “He was the one who was scared? Josh, your dad was a great football player, but you’re better than he was. You can still turn this around.”

  Josh stood and began to pace across my office. I could tell he had a million thoughts spinning around in that head of his. This kid just needed someone to show him he was worth the time.

  After a few minutes, he stopped pacing and faced me. Arching a brow, I asked, “Why the worried look on your face?”

  “There is no way Ms. Wales is going to let me stay on the team after I just tried to blackmail her.”

  Leaning back in my chair, I smiled. “Let me talk to Ms. Wales. Meanwhile, I want you to pack a bag for a few nights. We’re going to my ranch after the game on Saturday.”

  “Your ranch?”

  “That’s right, my ranch.”

  “What are we going to do there?” he asked.

  “I’m going to teach you a few lessons my father taught me. We’ll leave first thing Sunday morning. Be out front of the stadium at six. This isn’t an option, McEvans. Do you want to fight the right way for your position?”

  He nodded. “Yes, sir. But what about Ms. Wales?”

  “Like I said, I’ll talk to her, but in the end, it will be her and Mac’s decision whether to keep you on the team or not.”

  Josh closed his eyes and blew out a breath.

  “Josh?”

  Quickly looking at me, he replied, “Yes, sir?”

  “Delete those photos off your phone right now and give me your word, man to man, you won’t pull another stupid stunt like that again.”

  He reached into his back pocket, pulled up the photos, and hit delete. Then he went to his deleted files and permanently deleted them. “I only printed out the two. No one else has seen them.”

  “Good,” I said with a firm nod. “You do realize I wanted to kick your ass when we first walked in here.”

  Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, “I deserve it.”

  “You’ll apologize to Ms. Wales tomorrow.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And, Josh? No more pranks, or I will kick your ass.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted as he said, “No more pranks.”

  When he walked out of my office and shut the door, I let out a deep breath. I knew this kid’s issues went deeper than simply not getting his father’s attention. A few days with him at the ranch would hopefully get him to open up and let me know what the hell was going on with him.

  I took out my phone and sent Kendall a text.

  Me: I’m finished dealing with McEvans.

  Kendall: Please tell me you didn’t hurt him.

  Me: I wanted to, but no, I didn’t. I’ll tell you over dinner.

  Kendall: Okay. Hunter, we need to talk about us as well.

  Me: That is the plan, sweetheart. I’ll pick you up in an hour. Dress casual.

  I smiled as I pulled up another number on my phone. The last words Kendall had said to me before I left to go find McEvans replayed in my mind.

  No matter what happens, I choose you.

  I hit the number and waited.

  “Hello, Hunter. I was expecting your phone call.”

  “Mr. Wales, are you free to meet me quickly?”

  The knock on my office door had me standing up and calling out, “Come in.”

  Kendall’s father, Damien Wales, stepped into my office. He smiled as he shook my hand and sat when I motioned toward the chair in front of my desk.

  “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”

  “Of course.”

  “From prior conversations, you know how I feel about Kendall.”

  He nodded but said nothing. Damn, the man was intimidating.

  “There isn�
�t anything I wouldn’t do for her, but I need to know something.”

  “Go on.”

  “Once Kendall gets this team going and on steady ground, she’ll be going back to Atlanta, correct?”

  “That was the plan.”

  Sighing, I leaned back in my chair. “And I’ll be heading back to Tennessee. I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this, sir. I love Kendall, and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.”

  “Even move to Atlanta?” he asked, his brow arched.

  “If it meant making her happy, then yes.”

  “Would that make you happy, Hunter?”

  I swallowed hard. “That was why I wanted to talk to you. If things keep going the way they are, I honestly can see spending the rest of my life with Kendall. I don’t want her to feel like she has to give up something to be with me, and I don’t want her to think I have to give up something to be with her.”

  “Makes sense. I’m glad to see you’re thinking about the future like this.”

  “If Kendall told me the only way we could make this work was to move to Atlanta, then I’d do it. I just need to know if there are other... options.”

  Damien leaned back in his chair, lifted his foot across his knee, and stared at me. The silence was driving me insane. He was about to kick my ass. Shit, I was going to be late for dinner.

  Finally, he spoke.

  “Kendall and I already had this conversation earlier today.”

  “Really?” I asked, surprise clear in my voice.

  “I’ll tell you what I told her. When it comes to love, you are both going to have to learn to compromise. You’re going to have to find a middle ground that works for both of you. Whether that means living most of the time in Atlanta or in Tennessee. It will all depend on what the future holds for you both. I will tell you this, Hunter. Neither of you has to give up what you love simply because you’ve fallen in love. Take it day to day, talk to each other, and most of all, support one another. But, yes, there are always options.”

  A sense of relief washed over me. The last few days, I had been thinking about Kendall’s and my future. How can we make this work with me living in a completely different state?

  “I hope you know, sir, I would move to Atlanta if that was what she wanted, and I wouldn’t think twice about it.”

  He leaned forward, a wide smile growing on his face. “I know you would, Hunter. And I hope you know how much it means to me to hear you say that. Although, I have a feeling the two of you will work something out.”

  It was my turn to smile. “Yes, sir, we will.”

  Damien sat back, adjusted his tie, and gave me a shit-eating grin. “Now, I want to talk to you about something else.”

  “Something other than Kendall?”

  He nodded. “Yes. I want to talk to you about football.”

  I instantly relaxed. “That is a subject I’m always happy to talk about.”

  When he laughed, I knew we were not going to be talking about our picks for the Super Bowl. What came out of his mouth next, though, took me by complete surprise.

  Before I even had a chance to knock on the door, Kendall threw it open. “Hunter!”

  She looked beautiful, as always. Dressed in jeans and a light blue sweater, Kendall searched my face for the answers I knew she was waiting for.

  I lifted the picnic basket Amber had helped me put together and smiled. “I’ve got us the perfect spot picked out for a late-night picnic.”

  Kendall smiled. “A picnic? That sounds romantic. Am I dressed okay?”

  I let my eyes roam freely over her body before nodding. “You’re perfect. We’ll be outside, so a sweater should be warm enough. Plus, I have a blanket.”

  “Let me grab my keys to lock up.”

  We walked to my truck in silence. I could practically feel her holding back the need to ask me what happened with McEvans. The second I got into the truck and shut the door, she started to fire off questions.

  “What happened? You didn’t hurt him, did you? Did he say why he was doing this? What in the world was he thinking? I could fire him right now and not regret it for a moment. I—p...”

  Leaning over, I pulled her to me and kissed her. She instantly opened to me.

  “I missed you,” I whispered against her lips.

  “I missed you, too.”

  “Let’s get to where we’re going and then we can talk. Okay?”

  She nodded and softly replied, “Okay.”

  A few minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot at the stadium.

  “What are we doing here?” Kendall asked, hopping out of the truck.

  “Did anyone ever tell you that you ask too many questions?”

  She gave me a sweet smile as she wrapped her arm around mine. “I’m sorry. My mind has just been racing since McEvans showed me those pictures.”

  I stopped walking and looked into her eyes. “There is nothing to worry about. I promise. Now will you try to relax and let me do this picnic?”

  With a giggle, she nodded.

  As we walked through the gates and toward the field, I took in a few deep breaths. I wasn’t sure how she was going to handle what I was about to tell her, but I was tired of worrying about scaring her away. If she loved me the way I loved her, I knew we would be okay.

  “We’re eating out on the field?” Kendall asked.

  “Yep.”

  She chewed on her lower lip as I spread the blanket out and started to take everything out of the basket.

  “Hunter? I’m not really getting your choice in venue.”

  I reached for her hand and gently tugged her down to sit next to me.

  “Think about it—if it hadn’t been for this team, we would never have met.”

  Kendall tilted her head and regarded me for a few moments before she gave me the most brilliant smile.

  “That’s true.”

  “Before we talk about us, let me tell you what happened with McEvans.”

  Her lips flattened, and the anger flared in her eyes. “If he thinks for one—”

  I shook my head, placing my finger against her lips. “Baby, let me talk.”

  Kendall exhaled and relaxed while I dropped my hand and finished taking everything out of the basket.

  “I think the problem with McEvans goes deeper than his excuse of not getting enough attention from his father.”

  “So his excuse for all this is daddy issues? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Exactly. He told me it started after middle school. Apparently, Josh was a star football player in middle school, but his father told him it was because of his name. That he didn’t really have the talent there.”

  Kendall gasped. “What a horrible thing to say to a child.”

  “I know. Burned me up a bit when he told me. All through high school, his father never came to a single football game. Once he got to college and the national media was there, his dad showed up for the important games. But it sounds to me like his dad was jealous his son showed a hell of a lot more talent than he had, and his way of dealing with it was to tell Josh he wasn’t that good. He started pulling pranks to get his father’s attention. I don’t believe that, though. I think he was trying to self-destruct his own career because deep down the kid doesn’t know what the hell to do. He panicked about getting kicked off the team. Said his father would really throw it in his face that he failed.”

  “So why keep pranking? That doesn’t make any sense, Hunter.”

  I nodded, getting lost for a moment in the memory of the pain in Josh’s eyes as he talked to me.

  “Exactly. That’s why I think we’re dealing with a deeper issue here. He destroyed the photos and will be apologizing to you tomorrow.”

  “I have to tell you, every ounce of me is screaming to cut him from the team. I’m so angry that he had the nerve to try to blackmail me.”

  I squeezed her hands. “I was pissed—still am pissed—but give me a few days alone with him at the ranch. We’re leaving the
morning after the game.”

  “You think I should keep him on the team?”

  “I do. I’m asking you to trust me on this one, Kendall. There is something telling me there’s more to this than what he is telling me, and I feel like I need to be the one to figure this out with him.”

  Kendall gave me the most loving and trusting look I’d ever seen before. She understood this was important to me and that I needed to see this through. “I’ll trust you on this one, but, Hunter, if he ever comes to me again and crosses the line, he’s gone.”

  “Agreed. Now, why don’t you pour the wine, and I’ll get the food on our plates.”

  She smiled and took the bottle of wine from me. “How in the world did you get all this planned in such a short period of time?”

  “I’d love to take credit, but Amber helped me out on this one.”

  Her brow lifted. “Really? I’m not surprised, though. She is pretty amazing.”

  “She certainly came through for me. I mean, look at these.” I held up the skewers that had cheese and fruit on them. Next, I put some marinated tomatoes, onion, basil, and garlic on the plates with a slice of toasted Italian bread Amber had added with a note that said for bruschetta. Then came the best part. Tiny egg-salad sandwiches cut into heart shapes.

  “Did she seriously cut those into hearts?” Kendall asked with a giggle.

  I laughed. “Well, I did tell her I needed a fast, romantic picnic.”

  Kendall covered her mouth and laughed harder. “Does she know you were going with me?”

  “No. I didn’t tell her, although I think she has her suspicions.”

  Kendall handed me a glass of wine and then popped a strawberry into her mouth.

  “So, let’s talk about us, Kendall. If it’s okay, can I go first?”

  “Okay,” she said softly.

  “I know when we started this relationship, I told you I would never do anything to hurt your career, and I meant that. When you told me you wanted to keep things between us quiet longer than I thought, I will admit I was pissed. I didn’t handle it the way I should have, and for that I’m sorry.”

  “Hunter...”

  “Please, let me keep going.”