The Play Maker (The Sideline Series Book 1)

by L. M. Carr

  “I know.”

  I scoff. “How do you know?”

  He raises his eyebrows. “Because I donated the money to have the work done.”

  “You’re lying! When did you do that?”

  One of the biggest grins I’ve ever seen spreads across his face. “And you call yourself a journalist! They even named the field after me.”

  “Now I know you’re lying!” I dismiss him with a wave of my hand.

  “Drive around and look.”

  I turn into the parking lot, drive around the back and enter the renovated athletic grounds.

  “No way!” I screech when a huge placard painted in the school colors welcomes all to the MacIntyre Sports Complex. I can’t tear my eyes away from the NFL-grade football field and the stadium seating for thousands. Looking to the left, I notice the new soccer field, the new softball and baseball diamonds beyond that. “How did I not know about this?” I glance at Julian. “When did you do all this?”

  He shrugs, as if trying to shy away from the attention. “It’s not a big deal.”

  “Are you kidding me? This is a huge deal! Think of all the kids who will now have a chance to showcase their skills on the field. For so many, this will be their ticket to a better life.”

  I reach for the door handle, grinning. “I want to go see it.”

  Julian follows my lead and we walk hand in hand toward the white lines of the field.

  “This is nice,” I say. “So flat and even.” A chuckle escapes. “Remember the time you rolled your ankle stepping into that mole hole?”

  Lifting his right leg, Julian nods and rotates his foot. “It’s all good now.”

  I laugh and bump his shoulder. “I would hope so. That was twenty years ago.”

  The tour continues, Julian pointing out how sustainable energy and rainwater will be used to maintain the fields. “It’s part of their science grade. I wanted the kids to feel like they’re a part of this and to realize that life is more than just this field.”

  I roll my eyes. “You were always such a nerd!”

  “One stipulation was that they couldn’t cut down more trees…”

  I look at him, confused. Then I gasp when I see the tree we claimed years ago coming into view. “Is that…”

  He grins. “The one and only.”

  With a smile, I sprint down the field, hop the low fence and stand before the gigantic, hundred-year-old oak tree. A thick trunk serves at the foundation for the long branches that extend like arms in every direction, welcoming children. While many have climbed the tall tree, others, like Julian and me, took shelter beneath her canopy on hot summer afternoons.

  My fingertips graze over the markings on her bark, forever etched for all to see. I outline the jagged heart and the four letters in the middle. “It’s still here,” I sigh, reminiscing about the day Julian carved our initials. I laugh, remembering how we thought we had the tree’s approval because a gentle breeze blew, her leaves swaying. Unlike when Paulie and Lisa left their mark on the utility pole. That afternoon, a violent thunderstorm rolled into town, a bolt of lightning striking the tall log and splitting it in two. Apparently, they were doomed from the start and broke up two weeks later.

  “You ordered them not to cut it, didn’t you?”

  Julian’s lips pinch together as he slowly shakes his head. “I left a mark on this tree, but you left your mark on my heart.”

  I wrap my arms around his neck, my wrists crossing over one another. I sigh into his neck as an insurmountable swell of love rises in my heart.

  “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” I whisper.

  His hold on me tightens and he hums in confirmation.

  “You were always my rock, Julian.”

  “And you mine,” he returns softly, pulling away to look into my eyes. “I don’t think you know how instrumental you were in my recovery process. The day Rence took me down, my life was headed for a path of self-destruction, but that hit…” He pauses, swallowing. “That hit set me straight. I knew I wanted to be a better person for you.”

  Tears fall from my eyes. “I can’t wait to marry you.”

  Julian’s eyes widen slightly, lips tightening into a thin line.

  “What?” I ask, frowning.

  “Why are we waiting?”

  His question catches me off guard. “What?”

  “Let’s get married today!” The hope and happiness shining in his eyes make it difficult to decline.

  “But—”

  “Addison…” He slides his hands to my cheeks, cradling my face. “I don’t want to wait until tomorrow, next month or next year. I want you to be my wife now.”

  I try to think of any excuse, coming up empty. The truth is, I want to marry him today. I want to erase the sadness in my heart and replace it with utter joy.

  “Let’s do it!” I stand on my tiptoes and place my lips on his. “Let’s get married today.”

  Julian laughs. “Think Rence will be my best man?”

  We rush back to the car and drive to the house. When we reveal our plans to my brother, I’m not expecting his displeasure.

  “You’re doing what?” Rence’s voice booms, reverberating throughout the house. “You can’t get married today! Are you fucking insane?”

  Julian and I remain steadfast, standing before him, hands interlocked.

  Mallory steps in close, sliding her hand along his bicep. Her soft touch is calming, making him take a deep breath. The transformation is incredible. Even his green eyes relax when he looks down at her.

  “Rence, I know the timing may seem odd, but as crazy as it seems, I think our parents…” I tip my head to Julian, “especially his mom, would’ve wanted it this way. We’re all back home where our story started.”

  “This is crazy, right?” Rence counters, cutting his eyes to Julian, perhaps hoping to secure an ally.

  Julian smiles. “You know I’ve always been crazy about this girl. It’s about damn time I make her my wife.”

  Realizing we’ll do this with or without him present, my brother huffs and nods, eventually giving us his blessing. “But I’m not renting a tux!”

  I chuckle. “I’m not even getting dressed up!”

  “The hell you’re not!” Mallory chimes in. “This is your wedding day. You have to at least get a pretty dress.”

  Julian throws his hands into the air. “I don’t care what you wear, as long as you meet me at the altar.”

  “You’re getting married in a church?” Rence questions.

  I shake my head, smirking. “The walls would probably come crashing down if I stepped foot inside a church.”

  “Don’t say that,” Mallory murmurs, crossing herself.

  I lift an eyebrow, smirking. “We’re not all saints like you, sweetheart.”

  “Whatever. Is there a mall around here?” she asks Rence. “We need to get her a white dress.”

  I scoff. “I don’t want a white dress.” Red or black would be more suitable.

  “But white is the color of purity.”

  “I’m far from a pure, honorable woman!”

  “AJ, I’m not talking about sex.” She lays a hand over her heart. “I’m talking about what’s in here.”

  I flick my eyes to my brother and wonder where he found this woman who exudes virtue and righteousness.

  “The love between you and Julian is untainted and all-consuming.”

  “But we were apart for so many years—”

  Mallory shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter. Your love never wavered. You both may have given your body to others, but your hearts always belonged to one another.”

  My jaw falls open. It’s as if she’s read my mind and knows what I’ve done. Knows about the images that have now resurfaced to haunt me.

  “She’s right,” Julian says. I turn my eyes toward him as he continues. “She’s right about everything.”

  And so, with only Rence and Mallory as witnesses, Julian holds my hand as we walk down a narrow aisle, stand
before the county judge and exchange vows that bind us together in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  With preseason now over and the season three weeks old, Julian’s team is second in the AFC East with two wins and one loss. Pummeled doesn’t even begin to describe the beating we took from the Patriots, and despite our best efforts, nothing we did could break through their offensive line and get to their quarterback. While Rence blamed himself for not paying attention, which resulted in several penalties for being offsides, Julian took full responsibility and spent long nights developing new, more aggressive plays for our defense.

  “I should be back by Monday morning.” I slide the zipper of my suitcase closed, then unzip it again when I notice my makeup bag still sitting on the bed. Annoyed, I shove it into my suitcase, zip it again and haul it to the floor.

  “Okay,” Julian replies without looking up from his laptop.

  I place my hands on my hips. “And then I’m going to climb a monkey’s back and do the macarena.”

  He nods. “Okay.”

  “Julian! You’re not even listening to me.”

  Dragging his eyes away from the screen, he looks up, finally giving me his full attention. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to figure something out.”

  I sigh, understanding the stress and pressure he continually faces. I sit beside him on the bed. “Is there something I can help with?” I inquire seductively, sliding my hand up his thigh.

  A roguish grin appears. “Maybe.”

  My hand moves quickly, grasping the laptop so I can see what he’s working on. The surprised expression on his face is followed by a low chuckle.

  “Is sex all you think about?” I purse my lips, raising a brow.

  “I don’t just think about it, baby. I crave your body 24/7.”

  “Well, you can’t have it 24/7 because we both have jobs.” I soften the rejection with a kiss.

  Judging by the number of tabs at the top of the screen, he’s doing a lot of research, but the open page displays numbers and graphs.

  “Whose stats are these?”

  “Alonzo Richie’s. Remember meeting him in Hawaii?”

  My eyes freeze and swallow nervously. “Yeah, I know who he is.”

  “He’s good, but…” Julian shakes his head. “There’s something about him. Something I can’t quite figure out.”

  I remain silent.

  “Maybe you could get a feel for him this weekend.”

  I suck in a breath. “Excuse me?”

  “Aren’t you doing locker room interviews this weekend in LA?” he asks. “Dallas just picked him up.”

  “Oh yeah. But I won’t be with the visiting team until tomorrow.”

  The image of Alonzo kissing me in the hotel stairwell comes to mind, but I smother it.

  “I guess I could always ask Rence to go,” he suggests.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea. He and my brother weren’t exactly close. They were teammates, not friends.”

  “All right. Well, can you at least poke your nose around and see what you can find out? For me?” He smiles.

  I laugh. “I’ll see what I can do.” I glance at the clock and quickly kiss him. “I’ve got to run. I’ll call you when I land.”

  Julian glances at the time. “But you’ve still got twenty minutes!”

  “I know, but I want to go to the apartment and have coffee with Naomi before I leave. She misses me.”

  “But I miss you!” he blurts out. “I’m not going to see you for days.”

  “I think you’ll manage just fine without me,” I retort, adding another kiss before heading for the door, my suitcase in hand.

  “Fuck,” he hisses.

  I glance over my shoulder, seeing him jump off the bed and take long strides to close the gap between us.

  “What are you doing?” I laugh as he gazes at me longingly, his arms encircling my body.

  “Give me ten minutes.”

  “For what?”

  “To fuck you fast and hard.”

  “So romantic,” I shoot back sarcastically.

  “I’m serious. I’ve got a big game this weekend, and if I don’t fuck you now, I won’t be able to focus.”

  “So I’m just a distraction?”

  He lowers his lips and kisses me. “No, baby. You’re my salvation.”

  In less than thirty seconds, I’m face down on the mattress with my ass in the air, taking everything Julian has to offer. His grip on my hips is firm as he finds his release.

  Despite how good it feels, I can’t concentrate. My mind conjures up the racy image of me in this same precarious position with another man. Naomi’s IT guy wasn’t able to identify the sender or trace the IP address. Since no messages ever accompany the photos, I don’t know what the point is. All I know is if Julian finds out, it could ruin my future.

  “Why are you taking another shower?” he asks, yanking the glass door open.

  I toss him a wry look. “I can’t fly to California all wet! That’s gross.”

  “That’s delicious,” he hums.

  I wash, dry and redress myself in record time, then rush to the door, Julian on my heels.

  “Shit!” I cry, snagging my ring on my shirt. “I’ve got to get this fixed.”

  Leaning down, he demands another kiss.

  “Baby! I’ve got to go.” I cup his face and return the kiss, then tilt my head slightly. “Are you trying to make me miss my flight?”

  Guilt and shame taint his face, and I slide my knuckles through his scruff.

  “Ow!” he blurts, flinching back.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He inspects my engagement and wedding rings. “I can’t believe you still haven’t gotten that prong fixed.”

  I shake my head. “I keep forgetting,” I reply, examining the small scratch on his cheek. “I’m sorry, baby.”

  He blinks lazily, begging for additional sympathy. “I think you should stay and make sure I don’t bleed out.”

  “Julian, it’s a tiny scratch. You can hardly even see it.” I draw his mouth in for a kiss. “I have to go.”

  A deep groan escapes from his throat, causing my eyebrows to wrinkle.

  I drop my suitcase. “Okay… What’s going on with you?”

  He sighs. “I hate the thought of you in the locker room with all those half-naked guys. I know how they look at you. And I can’t say as I blame them.” Turning me around to face the hallway mirror, he drops his chin onto my shoulder, his hands on my hips, and stares at me. “You’re gorgeous, but you’re my wife.”

  I angle my head to meet his lips. “I’ve always been yours.”

  §

  Several hours later, I arrive at LAX and slide into the waiting limo. I am greeted by Dez, an older man wearing a black suit and matching cap, who reminds me very much of Morgan Freeman in Driving Miss Daisy. I wipe my brow and run my fingers through my hair. Whoever said California has dry heat is a liar.

  Glancing into the mirror, Dez smiles. “Memorial Coliseum?”

  “Actually, do you mind if we stop at the hotel first? I don’t want to lug my bags around. I’m staying at the Westin Bonaventure.”

  “Sure thing, miss.”

  I chuckle, refraining from the correction that I’m actually a missus. Looking at his reflection in the rearview mirror, I nod, then sit back and text Julian as we exit the airport and head for the 110.

  When our vehicle comes to a standstill, I lean forward. “I don’t know how you deal with this traffic, Dez.”

  “They’re filming a movie, so they’ve detoured the whole city,” Dez pronounces with a hint of a Southern accent. “You know how those Hollywood actors are.” He winks and smiles.

  I laugh. “What’s the film about?”

  Brown eyes crinkle when their owner smiles in the mirror again. “I don’t really know. Maybe it’s another Mission: Impossible.”

  “God, let’s hope not!”

  I
occupy the time answering emails and skimming social media. The network wants us to engage with fans as much as possible before games.

  With the traffic, the ride is prolonged, my patience growing thin. I remove the elastic from my hair and let my long waves cascade over my shoulders

  “Are you a model or something?” Dez asks.

  Snickering, I shake my head. “I’m actually a sports reporter for FOX. I’m covering the Rams-Cowboys game.”

  Dez nods, then drawls, “Gotta love them boys from Texas.”

  “Is that where you’re from?”

  “Born and raised just outside of Houston, ma’am,” he shares, tipping his black hat. “You?”

  “I’m originally from New England, but I live in Houston now. I root for the local boys these days.”

  “What do you think about them hiring that kid?” Dez sighs, voicing concern about the man leading the team.

  “MacIntyre?”

  He nods. “That’s him. I don’t know about that boy.”

  “That ‘boy’,” I say, using air quotes, “is quite a talented man.” I rattle off Julian’s impressive qualifications and accolades over the years. “He’s something else.”

  Dez smiles. “Dang it! You like him.”

  I fight the grin from overtaking my face. “I should hope so. After all, I am married to him.”

  A roar of laughter fills the car. “You’re kiddin’ me?”

  I wiggle my left hand and show him my rings.

  “I like you. You’re real people. Not like some others around here.”

  A picture of Julian pouting appears in a text message.

  Miss you.

  I chuckle and reply quickly.

  Muah! I miss you, too.

  Then I look at Dez. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Well, some people make it big and forget where they came from. My sister’s son played football, but he went and forgot his roots. That boy caused so much trouble. He ain’t listen to nobody until he got locked up. He’s done some stupid things.”

  Haven’t we all? “Wow. Sounds like he’s had a rough go of it, huh?”

  “I guess,” he replies as traffic begins to move. “He’s lucky he got a chance to make something of himself. But he don’t never visit my sister. Guess he’s too good for her now.”

  I sigh sadly, realizing this conversation is too close to home for me. One might assume my success was the reason I never went home or kept in touch with my parents, even though that was the furthest thing from the truth.