by Lisa Bilbrey
“Yep, I’m all ready and raring to go!” Penelope cheered.
Travis threw his head back and laughed. “I almost believe you, baby.”
“Eight hours in the car is not my idea of a good time, but I have to admit that I’m excited. Been a long time since I’ve been to a state championship game.”
Travis smiled. “Ten years, and a lot of life.”
“Mom!” Max yelled from outside.
Penelope sighed before she pushed open the screen door. “Dude, I heard ya already. Calm down!”
Travis followed her out, pulling the door closed behind him and making sure it was locked. Max, Russ, and Nadine were standing next to his new, black Chevrolet Suburban. Cal had managed to sell Travis’s Hyundai two weeks after he left Miami, and the moment the money hit his account, he had gone in search of a family vehicle. Penelope had tried to insist that he didn’t need something so big, but Travis had told her, “Max is getting bigger and will becoming more involved in extra-curricular activities, so the extra room will come in handy. Besides, maybe we’ll have another baby.”
At the time he hadn’t meant to insinuate that they’d have more kids. The shocked look on Penelope’s face had made him backtrack fast, but the more he thought about it, the more Travis realized that he did want another baby with her. He wanted a chance to watch her belly swell, to hold her hand while she labored, and the opportunity to watch his child come into the world. Everything that he’d missed out on with Max.
A hearty laugh drew Travis’s attention over to Russ, who was standing with his arm around Nadine. Two days after they’d returned from Miami, Russ had called Travis in a panic. He’d invited Nadine out to the house for dinner and had suddenly lost all ability to make a decision on what to cook, wear, or even talk to her about. Travis had managed to keep his laughter at bay long enough to give him directions, but his father was acting like a teenager again. It was both endearing and frightening.
“Okay, everyone’s gone to the bathroom, right? Because we are not stopping for a while,” Penelope said, looking at Max.
However, it was Russ who sighed, grabbed Travis’s keys, and headed up to the house.
“Russ!”
“Sorry, sweetheart, but I’m an old man,” he said. “Besides, you asked.”
“So I did.” She shook her head. “Okay, while we wait for the elderly to potty, the rest of us can load up.”
When Russ came back out of the house five minutes later, Travis and Penelope were in the front and Max was tucked away in the third seat. Nadine was in the middle, though Penelope had tried to insist that she take the front. The older woman had smiled and refused, and Travis had the sickening feeling that it had more to do with her wanting to be closer to Russ that anything else. He didn’t need to think about his father’s sex life.
Since he had already filled the tank up with gas, once Russ had his seatbelt on, Travis pulled out of the driveway and headed to Austin. For the first time in ten years, the Clarendon Broncos had made it to the state championship game, having narrowly avoided elimination on both the area and regional levels. A mere field goal had prevented them from losing to the Wildcats during the area game. The decision to go for the two-point conversion rather than just kicking for the extra point after a touchdown had made them regional champions and secured them a place in the state finals.
Nine hours later, Travis pulled up in front of their hotel in Austin. Climbing out from behind the wheel, he stretched. They’d only stopped once eat lunch, use the restroom, and get gas. Max had fallen asleep within five minutes of driving away from the house, and Russ and Nadine had whispered to each other — a lot. While Travis was glad his father had found someone who made him happy, he didn’t enjoy having to watch them mooning over each other.
Turning back to his open door, he said, “I’m gonna get our rooms. Be right back.”
“I’ll come with you,” Russ offered, climbing out from the backseat before Travis could say anything.
The two of them walked inside and got in line. With all the games scheduled for the weekend, good rooms had been hard to find, but Travis had been able to reserve three. He just hoped they’d be close to each other. After waiting for a few minutes, it was their turn. They stepped up to the counter.
“Hi,” Travis started. “I have reservations under McCoy.”
“I know who you are, sir,” the young Hispanic man said. His nametag said his name was Craig. “I’ve been a huge fan of yours since you were here at UT.”
“Oh, okay,” Travis murmured.
“I have you down for three rooms, all non-smoking.” Craig looked up at him. “Is that correct?”
“Yes,” he said at the same time that Russ mumbled, “No.”
“Dad?” Travis asked, lifting an eyebrow.
Russ developed a sudden interest in something on the floor, but Travis heard him mutter, “Nadine and I will share a room.”
He smirked. “What was that? I didn’t quite hear you.”
Russ huffed and looked up at him. “You damn well did hear me, but let me repeat myself. Nadine and I will be sharing a room, boy.”
“Okay.” Travis laughed and turned back to Craig. “Make that two rooms.”
“Yes, sir,” Craig snickered.
Ten minutes later, Russ and Travis walked out of the hotel with their room keys and climbed back inside the Suburban. Travis drove it around to the rear of the building, finding a parking space. They stumbled out and began pulling out their luggage from the back. With their arms loaded, they headed inside and down to the elevator, taking it up to the third floor to find their rooms, which were next to each other. Penelope gave Travis a look when Russ and Nadine went into the same room together.
“Don’t ask,” Travis muttered and motioned to Max.
“Okay,” Penelope said.
Max dropped his bags in the doorway and jumped onto one of the beds.
“Yo, little man, move this stuff!”
“Fine,” Max grumbled, hopping off the bed and moving everything. “Can we go swimming?”
“Don’t you want to lie down and rest?” Penelope sighed, propping her suitcase against the wall and sprawling out on the other bed.
“Um, no,” Max scoffed. “Please, can we go swimming? Pretty, pretty please?”
“Fine.” Penelope sat up. “But for the record, I’m not a fan of the whining or the begging. It’d be nice not to hear it anymore.”
“I can’t make any promises,” Max teased.
“Ha-ha. Maybe I should reconsider my decision to go swimming, then.”
“Okay, I’ll stop whining,” Max grumbled.
Travis laughed. “That’ll be the day.”
“A woman can dream,” Penelope tittered and stood up. “Okay, let’s go to the pool!”
Max cheered before grabbing his suitcase, digging inside for his swimming suit, and then running into the bathroom to change. He emerged a couple minutes later wearing a pair of red and black trunks, and Travis smiled. Red and black had been the Sharks’ team colors. Grabbing his own suit, he changed inside the bathroom, and then he and Max waited for Penelope to emerge. While they waited, Travis called over to Russ’s room to see if they wanted to join them. He had barely gotten the question out before Russ said no and hung up the phone. Something told Travis he didn’t want to know what his father was doing in the room next to his.
Once Penelope had emerged from the bathroom, they grabbed their room key and headed down to the pool. Max ran through the gate and jumped into the deep end, causing both Travis and Penelope to yell, “Don’t run!”
Of course, seeing as he was already in the water, Travis knew it wouldn’t do any good. He and Penelope chose a table in the corner, setting the key card under their towels. Travis looked over at Max while he pulled his shirt off, laughing when he saw the boy trying to sneak around the edge of the pool. Turning back to warn Penelope to watch out, Travis’s eyes bugged out when he found her standing in front of him in a red bikini that fit her
like a glove. He’d seen her naked plenty of times in the last couple of months since he’d moved back to Clarendon, but the way her ivory skin contrasted with the deep, rich red of her suit had him salivating. For a moment, he considered trying to find a corner or supply closet and having his way with her, but when he felt a spray of water hit him in the back of the head, he diverted his attention to his son.
“I’ll get you for that, little man!” Travis threatened, jumping into the pool.
Max’s boyish laughter echoed around them as his father picked him up and tossed him a few feet away.
Penelope wrapped her arms around Travis; he hadn’t even heard or seen her jump in. “Gotcha.”
He turned in her embrace and pulled her as close to him as he could. “What are you going to do with me now that you’ve got me?”
“Love you forever?” she asked with a smile.
“Good enough for me.” Travis leaned down and kissed her, moaning when she slipped her tongue into his mouth.
“Get a room,” Max laughed, leaping onto his back. “I’m a young, innocent boy!”
“Pssh,” Penelope scoffed. “You may be young and a boy, but you are not innocent.”
“Am too,” Max muttered, trying his hardest to dunk Travis under the water. “I’ve almost got you.”
Travis turned, grabbed Max, and pushed him under the water. Max came back up, coughing and laughing at the same time.
“You’re such a cheater!” he claimed.
Travis swooped Max up in his arms. “A cheater? I’m not a cheater,” he chuckled, tickling his son’s sides and making him laugh even harder.
“Stop!” Max pleaded, breathless.
“Not until you admit that I’m not a cheater,” he said.
“Fine, whatever!” Max gasped for air when Travis stopped tickling him. Leaping from his father’s arms, he began to swim away from him. “Maybe you’re not a cheater, but you don’t play fair.”
Travis looked at Penelope and winked before he said, “Never said I did, little man.”
~*~*~*~
Just after eleven o’clock the next morning, Travis, Penelope, Max, Russ, and Nadine walked through the Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. Max was trembling with excitement and had the same sparkle in his eye that Travis had once had. Travis led them toward their seats, having used his influence to get them seats behind the team and right on the fifty yard line. Being a University of Texas alumnus came in handy every once in a while. Travis didn’t want Max to miss one second of the game.
“This is so cool!” the boy exclaimed, leaning over the barrier that separated their seats from the field. Travis reached out and grabbed the waistband of his jeans, pulling him back before he could fall over. A fall wouldn’t hurt him since it was just a couple of feet to the ground, but he didn’t want Max to miss the game because of a bump on the head or a hurt arm.
“When Gramps brought me here for my first game,” Travis said, turning and gesturing to a section of seats to his left and about halfway up, “we sat up there. It was cold, and a light rain had been falling all night. Gramps and I wrapped ourselves up in our blankets, took small sips of hot cocoa, and tried everything we could think of to stay warm.”
“Almost ended up with pneumonia,” Russ added from his seat on Max’s other side. “Your grandmother was so upset with us when we got home and we were sniffling all over the place. Your dad ended up missing almost a week of school, and the doc threatened to put him in the hospital.”
“But it was worth it,” Travis said, shifting his eyes up to Russ. “This is where I was when I began to love the game. Right here, in this stadium, watching the Broncos win the title with my dad.”
“Just like me,” Max murmured. Travis looked down at him. “The first time you were here was with your dad. And now, the first time I’m here is with my dad. It’s a family tradition, isn’t it?”
Travis nodded. “That’s right.”
Max smiled, turned back to the field, and watched the Broncos warming up. Placing his hand on Max’s shoulder, Travis tried to blink back the tears that were burning the corners of his eyes. To think, he’d almost missed being here with his son. Just the thought caused his heart to ache.
Penelope slipped her arm in with Travis’s, pulling his attention over to her. “The last time I was here was when you won your state title.” She gestured to where the cheerleaders were gathered. “My skirt was a little longer, and nowhere near as tight as theirs, but I remember being so excited to get to see you play. Do you remember how we celebrated that night?”
Travis smiled. “Our first time.”
“Yes,” Penelope breathed. “I was so nervous.”
“Me, too,” Travis whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You didn’t,” she murmured. “You made it perfect. I never regretted giving myself to you that night, Travis.”
“I regret letting you go,” Travis admitted. “I was such a fool.”
“We both made mistakes, but we can’t change the past. We have to look toward the future and our life together.”
Both team captains met on the middle of the fifty yard line for the coin toss. The Broncos won the toss and elected to receive the ball, which meant that they’d kick off at the start of the second half. As the captains rejoined their teams at the edge of the field, Travis murmured, “Here we go, boys.”
***
Chapter Ten
Going for the Title
As the Broncos ran onto the field, Max jumped to his feet and started cheering. Travis and Penelope stood up next to him and clapped to the sound of the band playing the fight song. Moments later, the Seymour Panthers rushed onto the field, their forty-five players seeming more intimidating than the thirty Broncos standing on the opposite sideline. The sheer size difference alone made it seem like the Broncos were the clear underdogs, and Travis could almost feel the nerves rolling off of each player.
Once the National Anthem had been played, the two teams filed onto the field. Travis held his breath as the Panthers kicked the ball to one of the receivers: number four, Andy Hobbs. Andy started to run to the left, but then spun to the right when a defender came at him. He was finally brought down at the thirty-three yard line.
“Damn, those boys are quick,” Russ hissed.
“That they are,” Travis agreed, sitting on the edge of his seat.
As the teams set up on the line of scrimmage, Travis couldn’t help but notice the size difference between the Broncos’ offensive linemen and those on the Panthers’ defensive line. Out of the six boys making up the opposing team’s linemen or linebackers, there wasn’t one who was under six-two, according to the program. Plus, the smallest guy weighed in at just less than two hundred pounds; the biggest at almost three-fifty. Compared to the two-seventy-five that Trey Williams, the Broncos’ right tackle, carried, they were giants.
The Broncos’ quarterback, Cody Holland, caught the snap from the center and took a few steps back, searching for an open receiver. However, there weren’t any, and one of the linebackers from the Panthers was rushing up on his left side. Tucking the ball under his arm, he took off to the right, spinning away from a tackle at the last minute. He managed five yards before he was brought down. Scrambling to his feet, Cody called his team back into a huddle.
“He’s got some good reflexes,” Travis murmured and looked down at Max. “He saw that he didn’t have the pass, made a decision, and then acted on it.”
“How’s he able to know he doesn’t have a pass in just a few seconds?” Max asked.
“I don’t know about Cody, but for me, it was almost like I saw the field like a grid. You know what those are?”
Max nodded. “Like in battleship. Always have to know where your ships are.”
“Exactly.” Travis smiled. “For me, the field was like that, and my teammates were my ships. I knew where each person was going to be before they were able to get there — most of the time, at least. Sometim
es, there would be a breach on one side or the other. When that happened, I’d find myself flat on my back, but most of the time, we worked like clockwork. I’d see the pass and throw it. The ball would get there just when the receiver’s hands did.”
“But how do you know that he’ll be there? What if he’s off by a step?”
Travis laughed. “Then the ball hits the ground, and we try again. When you practice with a team every day for weeks, months, or heck, even years, you learn how they move. Think about your team. By the end of the season, couldn’t you figure out where they’d be?”
“Just Matthew,” Max stated. “He was always in front of me because he told me he had one job: to protect me.”
“And he did,” Travis said. “The more you boys play together, the more you’ll be able to read each other, like Cody is able to read his teammates.” Travis shrugged his shoulders. “In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if in eight years we’re back right here, and I’m watching you play on this field.”
“That’d be so cool.” Max grinned. “Then I could be just like you.”
“You just be yourself, little man. You’re perfect just how you are.”
“But feel free to start picking up your underwear off the floor,” Penelope added, looking past Travis at Max. “Seriously, the hamper is right there.”
“Mom!” Max looked around like he was afraid someone had heard her. “You’re so embarrassing!”
“Sorry,” Penelope snickered.
“Whatever.” Max began to sulk and leaned back in his seat.
Travis turned to Penelope and shook his head. “You never bring up a man’s drawers in public, woman. Never.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize that was a part of the ‘man code’ or anything,” Penelope replied, rolling her eyes. “But for the record, it wouldn’t kill you to pick up your underwear, too.”
“Mom,” Travis feigned a whine and looked down at Max, who had started laughing. “Girls!”
“I know, right?” Max snorted. “They just don’t understand us men.”
“No, little man, they don’t,” Travis agreed, but he winked at Penelope to show that he was kidding.
