by Kim Koby
He squeezed her hand. “If it means that much to you, we can leave.”
She quietly squealed, “Oh, thank you!”
“Hey guys, I don’t mean to cut out so early, but I’m going to spend some extra time with my girl before I head back to the field. My time is short, and I have a beautiful woman on my arm.”
One of the guys winked. “Can’t say I don’t understand. See you after the season.”
“You’ve got it. The first round is on me. If we win the championship, all of the rounds are on me!”
A cheer went up.
When they got outside, Brandy explained. “What’s happening between us is playing with my head. Things moved so fast. I never expected to see you, then when I did, I never expected you to kiss me, but you did. I’m still getting used to this, and with you going back for practice, is it wrong for me to want you to myself for a little bit? It might seem like the wrong time and circumstance, but this, you and me, this is right. I’m over the moon, but I’m not ready to share you with everyone. I’m still adjusting to the shock of it all.”
He seemed to understand.
She stepped in closer, reached out to him, and stroked his arm. “I love you, Jett. I’ve always loved you. I know it’s silly, so much time has passed, but you were always the love of my life. Nobody compared to you, and that’s when we were kids! Imagine the incredible relationship we can have now. We’ve grown. Matured. We were meant to reconnect. I know you felt it too. We have emotions to sort through of our own first, you especially after just losing Will. Let’s figure out what’s going on between us first, before we drag other people into the equation. Does that make sense?”
She was right, as much as he hated to admit it. There was something there. He could deny it all he wanted, but it didn’t change the fact of the matter. “You’re right. I probably shouldn’t have come to see everyone tonight. I guess I’m trying to do too much, too fast. Why don’t we go spend some quiet time at my place?”
“That would be wonderful. Thank you.”
As smitten as he was, spending time alone with her was hardly punishment. It would allow them more time to connect.
There’d never been a lack of attraction between them, but they each had their own quirks and issues. Hers was usually related to insecurities, his to a one-track mind—football. Even back in school. More so today.
As much as he hated to think about it, the reality was that at some point his career would be over. He’d need to carve a new path. Family hadn’t crossed his mind much, other than Will’s situation, though he did want a wife and kids one day. One day. Not yet.
The lack of knowing where he was headed was overwhelming. Not that he’d admit it to anyone. There was still a little boy in him that wanted guidance, to tell him the right answers—even if he probably wouldn’t listen. He was his own man, but right now he was twisting in the wind, uncertain which direction he’d go when his final years of play ended.
In football, he was aging. There weren’t many older players these days. A younger player was always faster, stronger, or ready to snag your spot. You held your own with experience, dedication, and hard work. Nobody cared about seniority if you weren’t pulling your weight. It meant nothing on the field if you didn’t get the job done. While he was an elite player, he knew it wouldn’t last forever, and truth be told, he probably had more years behind him than in front of him.
As they walked to his truck, Brandy squeezed his hand. “I’ve been thinking about you nonstop. I want to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I can’t believe you’re here beside me.”
“It’s been eye opening,” he said.
She arched a brow. “How so?”
He laughed. “I don’t mean it in a bad way. What impresses me is that after so much time, I still find myself drawn to you like it was yesterday. You know? I’d have thought the pull would lessen, but each time I see you, it draws me back to where we used to be. I think you were always the girl for me, but when you walked away…Anyway, that’s in the past.”
She shrugged. “We needed time to grow and find ourselves. You were a rising star. I needed to find my independence and figure out what I wanted in life.”
He placed his hand over hers. “And here we are now.”
“Here we are.”
They stood beside his truck. He leaned her against the side and tenderly stroked her cheek. She met his gaze. A long, slow, smoldering moment sizzled between them. Jett moved in closer and brushed his lips to hers.
They finally parted. He turned to open her door for her.
A voice called out from behind them. “Brandy?”
She turned to see who it was. “Charlie? What a surprise to see you here.”
He walked up and gave her a hug.
Jett stiffened, suddenly feeling possessive. Who was this guy and why was he hugging his girl? He held his protective nature back for a moment to assess the situation. She seemed comfortable enough.
“It’s great to see you.” The man only had eyes for Brandy. He was oblivious that Jett Warren was standing right next to her.
Brandy waved a hand in front of her nose. “Ugh, you’ve been drinking. You reek of booze.”
Charlie laughed and nodded. He made a sweeping and exaggerated gesture, eyeing her up and down. “Yeah, a little. You look great.”
“Thanks.”
“What brings you here?” he asked.
She stated the obvious. “I’m on a date.”
Jett’s jaw tensed. He didn’t like this bozo.
Charlie finally noticed Jett. “Big stud behind you, huh? Got a new boyfriend? Shame I didn’t ask you out myself. Well, good on you.”
She gave him an awkward smile.
In the blink of an eye, he reached around and swatted her bottom.
She barked at him. “Hey! Don’t do that.”
Jett balled up his hands into fists. He stepped up right against the guy. “You need to apologize, then turn around and leave before I lose my temper.”
Charlie patted Jett’s chest. “Whoa, slow down, bulldog. I was just having some fun. Don’t worry, you still get to go home, take her to bed, and—”
“Don’t finish that sentence,” Jett growled. “Show some respect.”
Brandy jumped between them. “Charlie was just leaving, weren’t you? Maybe you should call a cab and head home now. Drinking probably isn’t helping anything.”
“What’s his problem?” Charlie replied, unmoved by the large man towering over him.
Jett’s jaw tensed. Through clenched teeth he warned the stranger. “Get out of my face. Now. I’ll be your worst nightmare if you don’t leave this instant.”
She urged him to leave. “Please, just go.”
“Okay, then…I get the picture.”
Jett continued. “I hear that you even talked to her, touched her again, or even so much as look at her sideways, you and I are going to have some words. Do we understand each other?”
The man threw up his hands in defeat. “No problem. I’m not looking for trouble. I was just having a little fun.”
Jett glared at the drunken man as he stumbled away.
Brandy climbed up into Jett’s truck.
He reached over and kissed her cheek. “If he bothers you again, you tell me.”
When he got into the truck, she turned toward him. “I appreciate you looking out for me. How you jumped to my defense, it was nice. As for Charlie, he can be inappropriate at times. I wish he’d stop drinking. It makes his PTSD worse. He’s a war vet. Came home from overseas and hasn’t been himself. He saw so many things…horrible things. Anyway, one of the other nurses I work with, Charlie is her brother. He stops in to see her time to time, since his therapist has an office next to the hospital. That’s how I know him.”
“Shame he has to go through that stuff, the PTSD, but no man has a right to put his hands on you without your invitation and permission. As for protecting you, I’ll always have your back. He’s lucky I didn’t flatten him
on the pavement.”
She sighed. “It’s kind of nice in a caveman way, all defending my honor. Speaking of therapy, maybe it would be something you should think about, after everything you’ve been through with your brother.”
“Let’s just say I’ll think about it and leave it at that.”
She knew what that meant.
Chapter 14
When they got back to his place, Jett put things front and center. He had to. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them if he didn’t address his schedule. He hated to mention it so soon, but how could he not? “I’m back to practice tomorrow afternoon. While I’m enjoying our time together, I need to focus on the game. I know you think you’ll be fine, but you have a history of getting insecure.”
She looked down, avoiding eye contact, then admitted, “Maybe just a little.”
He continued. “Me being busy doesn’t mean I don’t care, baby. I need to stress this, so you understand. There is no other woman. When I’m busy, it’s because of my job. I can’t stress enough that I don’t have a lot of spare time right now.”
“I’m not as bad as I used to be,” she quickly responded.
He gave her a sideways look, realizing she was trying to save face, but he wasn’t convinced.
“Wow, you have quite the opinion of me.” Her demeanor quickly changed. “That was ten years ago. Don’t worry, I have my own life. I’m sorry that I wanted you all to myself. I can’t help it if I’m not ready to share you quite yet. Everything happened so fast. And soon, you’ll be off bounds while you’re playing.”
He softened. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled you’ve come back into my life. I look forward to seeing what we can build, but I have a three-dimensional life. That means I need to include friends, family, and responsibilities in my free time. It’s not like when we were kids and the only thing that we had was free time.”
Her jaw clenched. “I can entertain myself, thank you very much. I have my own career. You’re not the only one with responsibilities. In fact, I should be helping my mother tonight, but instead I’m here with you.”
He knew he’d hit a nerve even if it wasn’t his intention. “I wanted to be honest and put it out there, before we get too far ahead of ourselves. I need to take things slowly. On top of which, I just lost my brother and need to deal with those emotions.”
Brandy sulked. “Slowly? The rate you move…Never mind. Let’s be honest, for you to work through your grief, you need to deal with your feelings and that’s not exactly your strong point. You’re like a rock when it comes to talking about your emotions. It could take you ages. How slow are you talking?”
He glared at her. “Really? That’s what you get from all of this?”
She shook her head and sighed. “Okay, let’s back up. First, I don’t mean to get defensive. You’re right, I do still have a lot of insecurities, not that I’m proud of it. It’s like I never feel good enough. I shouldn’t take that out on you. Work is work. I get it. To be honest, I’m so happy to have you back in my life that you’re worth waiting for. I didn’t mean to get snarky. I think my mother has me on edge. She’s been difficult this week.”
Was it truly about her mother or was it a taste of the past bubbling to the surface? She’d always been clingy, but it’s true she had a lot on her plate between work and her mother. Add to that, working at the hospital had to be depressing. He couldn’t imagine being around sick people all the time. And then babies who were too weak to survive…How did she accept those kinds of things without anger? He’d be questioning God if he had to watch babies struggle to live.
Brandy looked at Jett. “I know I mentioned it before, but have you considered speaking with a grief counselor? Between your brother’s passing and Terry Jones, you’ve had a lot to deal with emotionally. Holding it in won’t help. You need to work through the stages of grief.”
He grunted in response. “I don’t need that garbage. I’m not into the head junk stuff. I’ll be fine.”
“A lot of people talk to therapists. It doesn’t make them weak. It’s a way to work through the layers of grief. We carry more pain than we realized. Do you think that’s smart to ignore all of the tragic circumstances you’ve been through? You can’t wear a mask forever.”
He’d had enough. What happened to their whispering sweet nothings? She was already in his face about therapy? “I think I should drop you off. I’m going to be direct. Yes, I’m attracted to you, and yes, all sorts of feelings have surfaced. But right now, I can’t deal with lectures. I’m not a kid. I did just fine without you all these years.”
“Ouch.” She reached up and slipped off the new earrings she’d put on. “I obviously don’t deserve these. You’ve made it clear. You don’t need my help, and I’m obviously not good enough.”
“Come on, Brandy, don’t do that. I’m not saying I don’t want to see you. I simply want you to understand there’s a lot going on right now. And let’s face it, we’re both different people these days than we were as teenagers.”
“I’m not pretending like we don’t know each other. I’m not restarting at square one. Either we handle this relationship like grownups and step forward, or we don’t do it at all. You decide.”
“Did you just give me an ultimatum? Seriously? So soon? It was great to reconnect, but maybe a short reunion was all it was meant to be.”
She closed her eyes. “I think you should take me home.”
“Fine.” He grunted with frustration and stood up. “Let’s go.”
They silently got back into his truck and drove to her place. When she slipped out, she still had nothing left to say, but when she turned to face him, her face was wet with tears.
Jett’s shoulders tensed. Why now? His armor returned, brick by brick. He didn’t have time for this.
She slammed the door, still not speaking.
He didn’t know whether to chase after her or drive away.
He closed his eyes and groaned. He hated leaving things how they were. Maybe after the season ended, he’d give it a shot.
His heartstrings tugged at him as she walked up to the front door of her home.
She’d been there for him during the hardest week of his life. She consoled him in a way that others wouldn’t have been able to. She understood death and dying. She worked with it daily. She knew him inside and out, and she called him on it when he tried to act like he was fine.
He sat unmoving.
As she entered her home and closed the door behind her, he finally drove away.
The only way he’d get through the next few days was to get angry. Depression and heartache wouldn’t help him in the least bit. He growled, convincing himself he knew best.
Who did she think she was anyway?
Didn’t she know who he was? He was Jett Warren, an elite defensive lineman for the San Antonio Rebels.
He didn’t have time for her antics.
As he drove home, he focused on his teammates to keep his mind off Brandy.
How had the others made out? Had Austin, DJ, Sy, or Emmitt righted their wrong? He wished he could say he had, but there was still so much trapped inside of him. At least his brother was finally at rest. Seeing his lifeless brother was the most difficult thing he’d ever been through. Thank God Brandy had been there for him.
When he pulled into his drive, he refused to get out of his truck. He white-knuckled the steering wheel, wondering what just happened. She’d been his saving grace when everything crumbled around him. And just like that, she was gone.
He’d pushed her away.
He was a fool.
Chapter 15
Jett swam a few laps before bed and tried to shake off his annoyance. It didn’t matter. When it came time to sleep, he still tossed and turned, lost in frustration. He should call her. They needed to fix things. What started as a special evening ended in disaster. It was his doing, plain and simple.
After a rough night of sleep, he jumped on the treadmill and put in an eight-mile run. He had prac
tice later that afternoon, then tomorrow would be a full day of practice. He needed to talk to her before he was too distracted. Monday was an important game. It was today, or it would have to wait a few days…then what? Would the damage run too deep?
He’d figure it out soon enough, but first he wanted to check in on his sister-in-law. He ran over to Eva’s place, making sure she was okay.
Eva’s face was tearstained. “Hey Jett, thanks for coming by. I thought I was ready. Prepared, you know? I knew it was coming. Yet, the grief blindsided me. He’s not coming back. He’s truly gone.”
Jett nodded and placed his hand on her shoulder.
She continued. “It was the right thing to do. I appreciate you standing by my side. I loved him so much.”
“I know you did. Do you need anything?”
“I’m fine, thank you. You were always so good to us. Look at me, only talking about myself. I’m sorry. How amazing that you and Brandy reconnected through all of this—that’s a miracle in itself. You must be so excited to have her back in your life.”
“Yep.” He wasn’t sure what to say.
“I know you’re about to jump back into football mode, but don’t forget to take care of yourself. Don’t get so busy that you forget about your heart and head. Deal with your emotions at some point. We all need to. And as for love,” she said with a sigh, “it doesn’t come around every day. Treasure it while you can.”
He nodded, then gave her a hug. “I’ll check in on you in a couple of days.”
He said his goodbyes, then went to his truck. As he pulled away a wave of emotion hit him like brick wall. His hands trembled as he gripped the steering wheel. Jett pulled over to the shoulder of the road.
He slammed his fist. Pain and anger brewed inside of him. Where was God in all of this? Why hadn’t he watched out for Will? Why wasn’t it him instead? None of it set right. He yelled up at the heavens, “You should have taken me, not him.”