Tackling Love: A Sports Romance (Tackling Romance Series Book 1)

by Kathleen Kelly

  Candy puts a tray of food down in front of us. “Here are your meals. Enjoy!”

  “Thanks, babe,” I say offhandedly as she scurries away.

  Shaking my head with a smirk, I look at Blaise, who’s already unwrapped his burger and has it in his mouth.

  “Hungry?” I ask.

  Blaise grins and shrugs.

  “You should still play football, I can help you with it. And I’m going to talk to Miss Carson to see if there is something I can do for the school drama program. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you everything, I promise.”

  “Thanks, Colt.”

  After I drop Blaise at home, I drive by Skye’s house. There are no lights on, so I continue to my home. I walk through the front door, and Beau greets me.

  “Hey, Beau… who’s my good boy?”

  Beau barks and runs toward the kitchen. I follow and find Grayson sitting at my kitchen table eating a sandwich.

  “How the hell did you get in?” I ask.

  “Beau let me in,” Gray says as he takes another bite of his sandwich.

  “No accounting for taste.”

  “Ha! Beau likes me, don’t you, big boy!” Gray laughs as he tosses Beau a bit of his sandwich. Beau wags his tail and barks loudly.

  “Traitor,” I growl as I open the fridge and grab a bottle of water.

  “Where were you?”

  “I took Blaise out to dinner.”

  “What no school teacher tonight?”

  I frown, take a gulp of water and shake my head. “Nope,” I say flatly.

  “You fuck this one up already? This one seemed like a keeper.”

  “I love the way you articulate your feelings, Gray, very mature… insightful even.”

  “Oh… look who’s all upset. Come on, Colt, you know I’m busting your balls. But you might as well tell me.”

  “She’s embarrassed to be seen with me.”

  Gray chokes on his sandwich, and I thump him hard on his back.

  “Wh-What?” asks Gray incredulously.

  “You heard me.”

  “That can’t be it,” replies Gray with a shake of his head.

  “She’s keeping me a secret from her work colleagues.”

  “What?” Gray laughs.

  “Apparently, she told her boss we aren’t seeing each other, and today when I went to see her at the school, she wouldn’t kiss me or anything.”

  “Okay, I’m confused. Why would she tell her boss she isn’t seeing you?”

  “It’s a private school, and after that photo of us went public, the school was embarrassed. So—”

  “You’re an idiot,” states Gray. “She’s not embarrassed by you… she’s trying to save her job. I’m no brain surgeon, but even I can figure that one out.”

  “Fuck you, Gray.”

  “That’s your comeback? Fuck you? Man, are you slipping. And we’re supposed to go out tonight for dinner, it’s why I’m here. The security guard on the gate let me in, so I made myself a sandwich. Guess you forgot?”

  “Shit! Sorry. Yeah, man, I forgot. And I need to talk to the security guards about letting you in.”

  “Colt, I’m your emergency contact. Of course, they let me in.”

  I grin and shake my head. “Right, I forgot.”

  “Dude, get it together, we have a Super Bowl to win.” Gray stands and puts on his jacket. “See you at practice.”

  “Gray, I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, I know. Next time we go out, you’re paying ‘cause you owe me.” He points at me, grins ,and leaves.

  I pull my cell out of my pocket and dial Skye.

  “Colt?”

  “Yeah, sugar, it’s me. Look, I’m sorry. I’m a dick. I overreacted today. It won’t happen again,” I blurt out, but silence greets me. “Skye? Sugar, you there?”

  “I’m here.”

  “Talk to me,” I whisper.

  “You hurt me today.”

  With those few words, my heart instantly hurts because it’s the last thing I wanted to do.

  “I’m sorry, Skye. I lashed out because I thought you were embarrassed by me. It’s stupid, I know, but when you didn’t acknowledge me at the school…” I trial off.

  Skye’s silent for a moment, and I’m about to speak when she says, “You thought I was embarrassed by you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Idiot.”

  I laugh. “That’s the second time tonight someone has called me that.”

  Skye laughs. “They must know you pretty well.”

  “That’s nice, real nice,” I tease. “Let me make it up to you. Can I come over or see you tomorrow?”

  “I don’t know, Colt. Maybe this is as far as this was supposed to go.”

  “No, it’s not. Come on, Skye, we’ll go wherever you want. Please, sugar, let me make it up to you.” I can hear her breathing on the other end of the line, and in my mind, I can picture her face, creased with indecision. “To be honest, love, I’m the one who should be annoyed at you for not telling your boss we are together.”

  “Are we, though? Are we really?”

  “Yes.” And I know I mean it. I’m ready to take this to the next level. I want Skye, and I want her in my life. “Let me prove it to you.”

  “Come over. I’ll make dinner, and we can talk.”

  “There’s my girl.”

  Skye’s laughter causes me to grin.

  “Okay, Mr. Biceps, be here at seven with a good bottle of red.”

  I hang up, grateful I have been given another chance.

  COLT

  It’s late afternoon as I enter the school where Skye works. No kids in the halls making loud noises, only quiet as I head for the office seeing Marion sitting in her usual spot.

  “Hello, Marion, how are you?”

  “Very well, thank you. Miss Carson, Juliette, is down the hall in the auditorium. Do you need me to show you the way?”

  “No, I’ll find it, and thank you for setting this up.”

  Marion blushes and fiddles with her hair. “It was my pleasure.”

  I give her a wink and walk toward the auditorium. When I open the door, I find who I assume is Miss Carson sitting cross-legged on the stage painting a backdrop.

  I walk down the stairs toward her. She hears my approach and looks up at me, so I wave and smile at her.

  “Miss Carson? I’m Colt Anders, thank you so much for meeting with me.”

  Miss Carson is five foot five, dark hair, dark eyes, and as she stands up, I see a figure most women would die for. I’m a lousy judge of age, but I’m thinking she’s the other side of thirty and is wearing no wedding ring.

  Using my best smile, I take the stairs to the stage and extend my hand.

  She smiles and takes my hand in hers. “Please, Colt, call me Juliette. Thank you for reaching out to us.”

  “Oh, that’s fine. You working on the sets for the play?”

  Juliette turns around and looks at her handiwork. “Yes, I am. What can I do for you?”

  “I’m in the Big Brother Program here at the school, my little brother is Blaise Geyser.”

  “Ahh… my handsome prince.” Juliette grins.

  “Yeah, he’s pretty excited.”

  “He wasn’t until this morning, before then, he kept telling me football practice was more important. Did you have a hand in that?”

  “Blaise said he preferred acting to football, and I told him he should do what he loves, but I also said I’d help him with his football.”

  “Good advice. So, why are you here?”

  “Blaise mentioned his mother will have to make the costume for the play. I know this is a wealthy, private school, so I was wondering—”

  “Why we’d need parents to make the costumes?” I nod at her. “In two years, we’ll have the money we need to fully fund the drama department, but right now, all the extra money goes into the sporting programs. The parents and faculty like it when we win championships and have shiny trophies in the glass display cabinets. Hell, even the debate
team gets more funding than we do. It makes other rich parents want to send their children here which means more money. Unfortunately, the school is in the business of making money, just like every other business in town.”

  “Surely, it’s about education?”

  Juliette laughs and slaps my arm. “You’re funny.”

  “How much does the drama department need for the next two years?”

  “Ballpark? I’m thinking two hundred grand and a building dedicated to music, theater, and anything else I can think of.”

  I raise my eyebrows at her and repeat, “Two hundred thousand?”

  “Easily. That includes wages for a seamstress and another drama teacher,” replies Juliette.

  “Okay, I think I can swing the two hundred K, but a building is whole other thing.” Juliette grins at me. “Don’t get too excited, but I have a few friends in this town. Let me make some calls, see if any of them want to help build a new wing.”

  “Yay!” Juliette jumps up and down.

  “Calm down.” I shake my head.

  Juliette grabs my hand and shakes it up and down vigorously. “Thank you! You’ll need to talk to the school principal and the board, but there’s no way they are going to say no to you.”

  “Okay! Let me see what I can do. But in the meantime, is there some way you could tell me what Blaise needs in the way of a costume? I was thinking I could pay for it, but you could say you found it?”

  “I can do that, leave it with me. Give me your number, and I’ll call you when I’ve got it.”

  Not wanting to give Juliette the wrong idea, I say, “I’m seeing Skye Hadley, but sure give me your phone, and I’ll enter my number.”

  “It was Skye in those photos,” shrieks Juliette.

  “Ahh… yes, but I’d appreciate it if you kept it to yourself?” I ask cautiously.

  Grinning from ear to ear, Juliette replies, “Of course. My lips are sealed.”

  She hands over her phone, and I add my details. “Juliette, please don’t give my number to anyone. The last thing I need is a fan ringing me at three in the morning.”

  “Your digits are safe with me.” She winks, and I smile.

  “Okay, thanks. I look forward to hearing from you soon.”

  We shake hands again, and I head for the exit.

  My teammates are all in the gym at the stadium working out.

  Gray walks in, half an hour late.

  “Slacker,” I yell without stopping on the rowing machine.

  “Some of us don’t need to work out as much when we are this close to perfection,” announces Gray as he turns in a circle.

  His teammates heckle and throw towels at him.

  “Haters are always going to hate,” says Gray as he shakes his head.

  “How are you?” I ask as I continue to work out.

  “Good, Colt. How are you? Fixed things with your girlfriend?”

  The gym erupts into laughter as the attention is moved from Gray to me.

  “Okay, fellas, shut up,” I say over their teasing.

  “Aww… didn’t you want us to know?” asks Dawson Miles, a linebacker.

  Ignoring Dawson, I focus on Gray. “You still got friends in the building industry?”

  “Some, why?” asks Gray as he sits at the machine next to me.

  “The school where Skye works needs two hundred thousand dollars and a new building for its drama department. I thought I could help with the two hundred K, but the building? That’s a big ask.”

  The room has gone quiet as everyone goes back to working out but listening in.

  “You’re going to front the two hundred K?” asks Gray.

  “What?” I ask.

  “You’re serious about this one, aren’t you?”

  “Gray, she doesn’t even know. This is about my little brother, you know the program I’m in? Blaise has got himself the lead role in Snow White. He got a scholarship to go to the school, but he’s not rich. Blaise admitted his mother was going to make the costume, and he wasn’t too thrilled by it, so I went to the school to ask. The head of the department told me in two years they’ll have the funding they need, but right now, there’s a two hundred K shortfall, and they need a designated building. I thought if I could help, I should.”

  “My uncle does construction, I bet he could help,” says the assistant coach.

  I stop what I’m doing and look at him. “Really?”

  “Yeah, and I’m happy to kick in a thousand dollars to the fund.”

  The coaches earn a decent wage, nowhere near what I earn, so I’m stunned he’s willing to help.

  “Thank you, coach!”

  “If you can set up scholarships for underprivileged kids, I’ll kick in, too,” announces Dawson.

  This starts an avalanche of players pledging to help with the school, and then the head coach agrees to help as well. I’m humbled they are all willing to do this.

  I stand, hands on hips, and address the room. “Okay, guys, thank you. I’ll talk to the principal of the school and get you all to write out checks that can go into a special account. If we all chip in, they’ll get the building they need, too.”

  “Pretty sure, my uncle will do it for cost,” interjects the assistant coach.

  “That would be excellent. Please ask him, and I’ll talk to the school. And guys, don’t feel like you’re obligated, it’s cool if you can’t,” I say to the room.

  “All right! Get back to work, you lot. You have a game to win on Sunday,” bellows the coach.

  Sitting back on the rowing machine, I look at Gray.

  “When do I get to meet this teacher?” asks Gray.

  “You tell me when and where, and I’ll make sure she’s there.”

  “She’s good for you, I think I like her already. Why don’t you bring her to dinner at Mom’s? I’m sure she’d like to meet her.”

  I grin at Gray. “Yeah, I’d like that. But I need you to keep away from my girl.”

  “Oh… look at you being all jealous and shit. I like this woman. I think I’m going to like her a lot!”

  SKYE

  The sound of a car pulling up in the driveway causes me to drop the cake I’d made onto the floor. There is chocolate icing everywhere, then there’s a knock at the front door. Great. Stepping over the mess, I head for the door. I don’t check to see who it is as I assume it’s going to be Colt. Unfortunately, it’s Derek Geyser.

  “Derek, what are you doing here?”

  “Why’d you pick him?” His words are slurred, and he’s leaning heavily on the door frame.

  “How did you get my address? You didn’t drive yourself here, did you?”

  “Answer the fucking question,” bellows Derek.

  “Calm down, okay?” I say soothingly.

  “First you, then my kid. He’s taken everything.”

  A Jeep pulls up out front, and Colt gets out. I’ve never been more relieved to see him. Derek turns, stumbles, and falls flat on his ass into my garden.

  Colt jogs up the path. “What’s going on?”

  “You!” yells Derek.

  “Derek here seems to think you are the source of all his problems. He drove here, like this…” I point at him while disgust fills my voice.

  Colt helps him to his feet. “You drove here drunk? You could have killed someone,” reprimands Colt.

  “The bigger question is what do we do with him? We can’t let him drive home, and there’s no way in hell he’s staying here with me.”

  “What? You too good for me now?” asks Derek as he waves his wonky hand in my direction.

  “Buddy, she was always too good for you.” Derek looks at Colt, and I can see he’s trying to focus on his face. “I’ll take him to a place downtown. It’s a rehab center some of the Warriors go to.” I raise my eyebrows at him questioningly. “We get hurt, they prescribe meds, and sometimes some of us find it hard to give them up.”

  “Wow, really? I’m amazed.”

  “The league takes care of its own.”
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  “Have you ever been there?”

  “No, sugar. Can we put him on your couch while I make a call?”

  I push my front door open wider and motion for Colt to come inside. “Of course.” It’s then I remember the dinner I have cooking and go straight to the kitchen. Colt follows a few moments later.

  “Dinner smells good, Skye, but I think I’ll skip dessert,” teases Colt.

  “Yeah, I dropped it when Derek pulled up out front. I thought it was you.” I step over the mess and turn the stove off. “Make your call, I’ll clean this up, and we can eat when we get back.”

  Colt grins. “I’ll buy you dessert, or maybe you’ll be dessert?”

  “Make your call,” I repeat with a smirk.

  Colt winks, pulls his phone out, and moves back into the living room. I clean up the mess without too many problems and find him sitting next to Derek, talking to him softly.

  “You need to do this for your family. But most of all, Derek, you need to do this for yourself,” advises Colt.

  Derek nods drunkenly, swings his head in my direction, and smiles widely. “Damn, you’re pretty.”

  “She sure is. You ready to go now, Derek?”

  “Okay, is Skye coming with us?” Derek is staring at me like some lovesick puppy.

  “Yes, I am. Will they take him?” I ask Colt.

  “Yes, as a favor to me, but it’s Derek who needs to do the work. If he doesn’t, no amount of treatment will help. He needs to find a reason to do it, if not for his son, then himself.”

  I nod. “I’ll grab my bag, and we can get going.”

  Colt stands and helps Derek to his feet. The three of us get into Colt’s Jeep. We put Derek in the back, he promptly falls over, closes his eyes, and begins to snore.

  “How romantic,” I say sarcastically.

  “Nothing like the soothing sounds of a drunken man to set the mood,” Colt agrees.

  The drive downtown takes about twenty minutes where they have private parking at the back of the facility.

  “I didn’t even realize what this place was. From the front, I thought it was a private medical building.”

  “Well, it is,” teases Colt.

  “Yes, I know, Mr. Biceps. But you’d never know it was a rehab facility.”

  “That’s one of the reasons we use it. It’s discreet.”