The Love Playbook

by Suze Winegardner

  She slipped her arm around him, ready to support him if he needed it. He sent a look in her direction, but he still leaned against her and put his arm over her shoulders.

  She sat him in a chair near the door and hurried over to the woman behind the desk.

  “What can I help you with, sugar?” the lady asked.

  “My name is Avery Stone, and—”

  “Why of course you are, sugar. I recognize Coach’s daughter now,” she broke in, grabbing for the glasses swinging on a cord around her neck and putting them on the end of her nose.

  “There was a bad tackle at the game. One of the players, Lucas Black, got hit really bad. My father told me to bring him here. I think he might be concussed or something.” She pointed to Lucas, who was sitting with his head cradled in his hands.

  “All right, sweetheart. You did the right thing. Take these.” She stood and shoved a clipboard with a bunch of forms at her and then called into the office behind the desk. “Dylan. Git the wheelchair.”

  Obviously, her tone inspired Dylan to hustle. In seconds, Lucas was being wheeled away. The woman nodded after Dylan and Lucas. “You can go with him, sugar.”

  Avery didn’t know what to do. She looked at her car parked under the overhang. She wasn’t blocking anything, but she really wanted to park it properly somewhere. Instead, she clicked her remote to lock the doors and scurried after them. Then she stopped and turned back.

  “Is Mrs. Black working tonight? She’s new. A nurse.”

  “Tonight and every night. You want me to call her?” The woman reached for the phone.

  “She’s Lucas’s mom. She probably needs to fill out these.” She held up the clipboard.

  “I’ll have her find you.”

  The doors swung behind her, and an empty corridor stretched before her. “Lucas?” she called softly, not wanting to disturb anyone. “Lucas?”

  She walked slowly past the rooms on either side, trying to peek in without actually peeking in. Then Dylan backed out of a room with the empty wheelchair.

  Avery held the door open for him and double-checked that Lucas was actually in the room. He was. Oh my God, he was.

  The man in the room with him had taken Lucas’s sweatshirt off and put him in a neck brace. He was totally naked from the waist up. His skin was tan and smooth, and…she looked away. Seeing him like that and having weird thoughts about his skin, for God’s sake, felt like she was doing something very wrong. She cleared her throat.

  Lucas turned his head slightly and squinted at her then smiled.

  “Family only,” the doctor said.

  Avery took half a step back, but Lucas interrupted.

  “She’s my sister.”

  “Are your parents coming?” the doctor asked without looking up.

  Lucas closed his eyes.

  “The…um, yeah. The lady at the desk outside said she’d call…our mom.” Avery said. She could see Lucas grin, even though he hadn’t opened his eyes.

  “I’ll be back. He needs an MRI and a CT. I’ll come get you when we can take him up.”

  Suddenly they were alone in the room, and Lucas was half naked. She tried not to notice. “Your sister?” she asked, taking a chair and scooting it over to the bed.

  “Well, you look a little young for me to say you were my mom, don’t you think?” he replied, missing the point. “Anyway, he bought it, and you’re here.” His voice trailed off into a whisper. “You’re beautiful, you know. I’ve never met anyone like you. So good and generous. You’re helping me and”—he swallowed, closed his eyes for a second as if trying to concentrate—“you don’t even know me.”

  Shame prickled her cheeks. She wasn’t helping him out of the goodness of her heart. She was helping him because he was the only one who had a shot at helping her dad. Her reasons were entirely selfishly. Suddenly, it didn’t feel great.

  “You know you’re concussed, right?” she asked. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

  “Yeah, that must be it, I guess.” He half turned on his side and then on his back again. He groaned.

  Avery leaped up. “Can I help you? Do you want me to make the bed flatter? Or more upright? What’s wrong?” she asked as he continued to move around.

  “Can you make it go up? My head is pounding when I’m lying flat like this.”

  Avery looked toward the door, as if a professional would come in and tell her it was okay to move him. No one came. “Okay.” She looked around for the controls and found them on the wall above his head. She leaned right over him and pressed the upward button. Success. The head of the bed slowly elevated.

  As it did, she realized that as she reached for the control, it was bringing his head up to within inches of hers. Why hadn’t she just gone around to the other side? The bed stopped moving.

  “Better?” she asked. “I think that’s as far as it goes.”

  “Much, much better.” His voice was steady. She looked down, and his eyes were clear. For a second, she could see herself as if she were having an out of body experience.

  She, Avery Stone, was virtually on top of a half-naked football player she barely knew. His chest was actually touching her…well, her sweatshirt, but that small detail didn’t account for the way her heart rate had kicked up. The room was silent, but she could swear that there was no way he couldn’t hear her heartbeat the way she could.

  Before she could say something funny to diffuse the sudden weird tension, he reached up and kissed her. A small kiss. An almost imperceptible kiss. On her lips. He pulled back as if waiting for permission or maybe a slap. She could stand up; sure she could. She could make a joke. She could claim he was having a near-death experience.

  In the second she stared at him, her brain went into overdrive.

  Pro: He’s hot, he’s a football player, he’s half naked, did I mention he was hot?

  Con: He’s a football player, he’s injured, worse—concussed, I don’t want a boyfriend, I don’t have the time, I’m supposed to be helping my father.

  Pro: I really want to kiss him.

  Her mouth dropped open as if to say something, but no words came out. She leaned down a few inches more, and his hand snaked up and stroked her face.

  Her frantic thoughts turned to static as his mouth opened as her face neared his. His eyes closed.

  “—CT scan and a…” The door swung open, and the doctor stopped talking.

  Oh my God.

  Avery jumped up, her hand covering her mouth. The physician stood there with a nurse, both of whom were gaping at her.

  Oh my God. The doctor thinks we’re siblings.

  She couldn’t look back at Lucas. What was wrong with her? What had happened?

  She ran for the door. “Sorry,” she said as she rushed past.

  “See you, sis!” Lucas called before groaning with the exertion.

  She didn’t look back. She just ran.

  …

  “Who was that, Lucas?” his mother said with a slight smile on her face. The first smile he’d seen in months.

  “She’s not your daughter?” The doctor was barely holding it together, which in any other place, in any other situation, would have Lucas bent double with laughing.

  “No, she’s not my daughter. What on earth?” his mom said.

  “Sorry, doc. I just didn’t want to be alone,” Lucas said, closing his eyes again. All that exertion—and blood pumping away from his brain—was making his head ache again.

  The doc took a deep breath and sighed. “I’ve never said this before, but thank God you lied to me.”

  “I apologize for my son, Dr. Palov. He’s obviously got some kind of brain damage,” she said pointedly, obviously aimed at Lucas.

  “Let’s hope not. Would you take him up to radiology? They’re waiting for him. I need a drink.”

  Lucas eyes
flew open, and he looked at the doc.

  “Just kidding, bro,” he said drily, rolling his eyes. The doctor left, holding the door open for Lucas’s mom to wheel Lucas’s bed out.

  She pushed him out of the room and down the corridor. “Sorry, Mom.” God, he was constantly having to apologize to her. When was he going to get his act together?

  “What for? Taking a tackle that you know only too well how to avoid? Lying to one of my doctors? Making out with some girl I’ve never seen before, at my place of work no less? Do you want to get me fired again?” She didn’t sound angry at all, just resigned, and that cut more deeply than ever. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that last one. It wasn’t your fault I got fired in Henderson,” she said, her hand briefly settling on his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Who was she, anyway?”

  “Coach Stone’s daughter,” he replied before he could think about the implications of revealing that information.

  “Of course,” she said quietly. “Of course.”

  He took a breath. “What does that mean?” He knew he sounded snarky, but he couldn’t help himself.

  “You’ve been with the team—what? A week or so? And you’re making out with Coach’s daughter? Of course you are. You persuaded me to let you play football again. You know it’s wrong, but I get that it’s the only way to feel like yourself again—trust me, I get it. But you keep making sketchy decisions when football is involved. And instead of keeping a low profile like you promised me you would, you’re making out with Coach’s daughter. It’s like you can’t help but sabotage yourself. I’m just wondering how long we’ll have in this town before we have to move again. Maybe I shouldn’t unpack any more boxes.”

  She was right. And it pissed him off. He was pissing himself off. He tried to figure out what to say to make it better, but there was nothing. No words had been invented that would make this better.

  But he had never felt before the way he had in that split second after he’d kissed her. When she didn’t jerk away, when she stayed right there, it was as if she filled his whole life with light and goodness. And sweet Jesus, she turned him on like nuts. What was it? What did she have that made him feel so intensely real around her? Like he was connected to her?

  He spread his fingers as he imagined her long, cool, soft hair falling through them.

  “Sorry,” he said to his mom. There wasn’t anything else to say. He was doing all those things, she was right, but somehow, when she said them, they sounded bad. But when he was doing them, they felt good. Except sucking at football.

  His mom sighed. “No. I’m sorry. I’m…tired. And worried about you. I didn’t mean any of that. I’m just venting.” Her voice trailed off, which in some way made it worse. “I feel like I’m responsible for all this. I’m the adult…”

  “No. It was me,” he said, closing his eyes. “You were always having to work. There’s no way you could have known that taking stuff from a college team was illegal. I didn’t even know until just before we were busted. It’s my fault.” How much better would his mom’s life be if he wasn’t around? If he could just get out of town and get a job so she didn’t have to look after him or feel guilty all the time that she was working. “It’s my fault,” he repeated.

  “It’s not.” His mom sighed. “It was high time I changed my name back to my maiden name. You father…well—you know. It’s not like he wanted to be involved with us anymore. And that’s my fault. He didn’t run away from you. He ran away from me.”

  “No. He didn’t. He ran toward Cathy. We don’t even know if he’s still with her. Maybe he’s run from every family he’s ever had. That doesn’t matter, though. I just don’t want to be like him.”

  “Oh my God.” His mom laughed. “You’re nothing like him, sweetheart. Nothing at all. Actually, you’re more like Grandpa, God rest his soul. You father’s dad was a gem. Kind and funny and sporty—just like you.”

  Kind? His brain fritzed over the conversation he’d had with Colin and LeVonn about college scholarships. She didn’t know that his presence on the team could get the Hammers suspended. She would certainly hog-tie him if she knew. Even if it was a tiny chance. He’d been telling himself Hillside was so small, no one would really care about him playing while banned.

  “I’ll quit the team.”

  “Whatever you say,” she said lightly, as if she didn’t believe him.

  His head starting throbbing again. Thankfully, there were three radiologists in the room he was wheeled into, so his mom didn’t say anything else about…anything. He closed his eyes and thought about Avery again. As soon as she had leaned over him to adjust the bed, he smelled the shampoo she’d used and his headache had disappeared. And all he’d wanted to do was kiss her for real. They’d been so close. She had been about to kiss him; he was sure of it.

  But now he guessed she was worried that the whole hospital would be thinking that she’d been about to kiss her brother.

  He wanted to laugh, but he hurt too much.

  He couldn’t wait to see her again.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Avery couldn’t understand what her mother was saying. She sounded like she was underwater. A familiar feeling of dread poked at her belly as she strained to understand the words that bubbled out of her mom’s mouth. It was useless, but she tried. Talking back, lip reading…over the past year she’d tried everything.

  Tap.

  A long fingernail tapped on the table. Avery tried to see what she was pointing at. Come on, Avery…wake up. She knew she was dreaming, it was a familiar dream, but she could never remember how to escape. Wake up!

  Tap.

  Her mom was tapping her nail loudly on an entry in her planner. Avery strained to see which one, but the letters on the front were as blurred as her mother’s voice.

  Tap.

  Avery squeezed her eyes shut and pinched herself. Her mother was crying now. She hated this part. She had to wake up. Come on!

  Tap.

  She jerked upright, eyes wide, and then took a breath in relief. She was awake. She thought. Everything was where it should have been. She was wearing the same T-shirt she’d gone to sleep in, and the abandoned stale muffin she’d attempted to eat the previous night was still on her nightstand.

  Tap.

  She just about clean jumped out of her skin. It’s okay, Avery. Take a breath. The tapping was coming from the window. If it had been midnight, she’d have been scared shitless, but with the bright morning sunlight hitting the floor and illuminating the dust in her bedroom, she was just curious.

  She yanked open her thin curtains. Lucas stood in her front yard, arm aloft as if he were about to throw another…shit. He threw the stone, and instinctively, she ducked. It didn’t break the window, but she opened it to deflect another stone. “Hey!” she hissed.

  “Avery!” he whispered back in a voice that could have woken the neighborhood.

  She raised her eyebrows, but he said nothing else. She hadn’t been able to sleep for hours after they’d had that moment in the hospital. She’d laid awake tossing and turning, thinking about that long few seconds before the doctor had come in. The moment that had been full of too many thoughts. The moment where she’d basically admitted to both of them that she wanted to kiss him. The moment before she’d kissed him and he’d found out how “vanilla” she was.

  “Well?” she said.

  His mouth dropped open, but no sound came out. He shrugged. “Sorry?” It was a question.

  Avery rolled her eyes. “Wait a minute.” She closed the window and tried to make herself annoyed or difficult to win over after her embarrassment at the hospital. But she couldn’t. She pulled on a pair of cut-off sweat pant shorts and grabbed her toothbrush. She even checked her hair in the mirror, which was something she hadn’t done on a Saturday for a long time. It looked okay—mussed, of course, but her la
yered bits weren’t sticking up on end, so that was something.

  She squeezed some toothpaste on her wet toothbrush and ran down and opened the door, toothbrush already in her mouth. No way was she going to say hello with morning breath. “Hah aw you erring her,” she said with her mouth closed. Crap. She hadn’t really thought this one through.

  He frowned. “Uhh?”

  She held up a finger and then bolted for the kitchen, where she ran the water and spat out the foam. She shoved the toothbrush into the utensil holder on the counter and ran back out.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  He gave her a sheepish grin. “Apologizing?” he asked as if he wasn’t totally sure. He picked up some Krispy Kreme coffee and a white paper bag from the doorstep.

  “Four coffees?”

  Lucas peered inside the house. “I didn’t know how many apologies I’d have to make.”

  Avery tipped her head on one side and ran through her options. Was he apologizing for kissing her? Or for calling her “sis?” “What are you apologizing for?”

  His face fell for a second, and then he grinned. “Well, it’s Saturday morning, and most Saturday mornings I have at least one thing to apologize for. So that, I guess.”

  “Not good enough.” She didn’t open the door any farther than it already was.

  His face fell. “Okay. I wanted to see you. And… No. That’s it. I just wanted to see you.”

  She tried to tamp down the excitement gathering in her belly. “Come in,” she said, taking one of the iced coffee drinks from the tray and sucking up some sweet morning juice. She hated hot coffee, but iced coffee, frappes, anything with sugar and ice was perfect, especially when she didn’t have to go out for it herself.

  She nudged him through the swing doors into the kitchen.