Kenny glared down at him. “You don’t get all three.”
“What are you talking about?” Gabe finished with his shoe and got to his feet, crossing his arms and holding a defensive stance.
“You don’t get to be the star of the team, and have Carolyn, and have the baby. You don’t get all three.”
Gabe glared back. “Stop this. We’re not getting into this now.”
“I know everyone thinks you’re going to win it for us. And that’s fine. I hope you do. But know that I will stop at nothing to make sure it’s all you win.”
Gabe pushed past him, banging hard into his shoulder.
“I will have her, Gabe. And that baby is mine.”
Gabe shook his head and took several deep breaths. Kenny had gone crazy apparently. How in the world did have balls big enough to confront him like that? The anger churned in his stomach. Good. He would this use against the other team. He would take out all his anger and frustration and anxiety on anyone who got in his way. He would win this game. Then he’d go home to his girl and in a few weeks, his baby. Maybe.
No, he couldn’t think about that now. It was time to focus on the game. The coach called them in for a huddle, they went over the list of plays one last time, so no one would forget what was about to happen. They’d won the coin toss, so they’d gotten to select their starting position. Already, it seemed they were off to a good start.
They hit the field, taking their positions. Gabe stared ahead at the other team. He glared as much as he could from inside his helmet, trying to be intimidating. He took in a few deep breaths and reviewed the plays in his mind. First, he’d go left, then right, look for the ball, catch it, and go.
The whistle blew and the game had officially started. The first play went shakily. The guys fell into proper formation, but there was some hesitation as the other team tried to stop them and get in their way. But they managed to get the ball to Gabe, who ran it and got the first down.
This tiny lead seemed to give the Grizzlies some confidence. They scored quickly after that. A touchdown at Gabe’s hand. The first touchdown of the first Bear Bowl. He couldn’t help grinning ear to ear as he regrouped with his team for their chance at the extra point, and then the next round of plays.
“Great work!” Coach Tucker shouted over the roaring crowd. “Keep hustling out there. Let’s score so fast, they don’t know what hit them.”
The team dispersed and Coach smacked Gabe’s shoulder. “Keep it up.”
Gabe nodded and dashed back onto the field. He thought for a moment of all the people who had just seen his touchdown. His parents, Carolyn, a world of viewers. They all had to be so proud of him right then. He was proud, too. Of his team and their hard work, of the way he was able to stay quick on his feet and avoid being sacked. Slamming that ball down in the end zone gave him such a rush, he was still dancing on a cloud.
But he knew, too, that he had to jump off that cloud. If he didn’t stay grounded, it would be too easy to get cocky and lose focus. He couldn’t go around feeling like the star he was. He had to remember that every point on the scoreboard had to be earned and they were each hard work by him and the team. It was still early and the game could easily be lost. The Grizzlies wanted the win badly, but no worse than their opponents, the Growlers. Now that the Grizzlies had pulled ahead, they could be sure the Growlers would be playing harder than ever. Things were starting to feel very serious down on the field.
They earned their extra point, bringing their score up to seven points. The next play started, and before they could all get into position, two of his team were tackled. The play was blown and they had to quickly regroup and move on to their next plan. This time, the wide receiver made it through. Gabe pushed his way through their defense, jumped to avoid being hit, and caught the ball mid-air. He could hear the crowd screaming as he crossed into the end zone again.
He did a little dance and headed back to his team.
“You guys are on fire,” Coach said. “Let’s not lose that heat. I want to make the Growlers whimper with their lack of points. Let’s sweep this game and leave their heads spinning!”
They cracked helmets together, Gabe received several encouraging pats on the bottom, and they took the field again. They got the point, bringing their total to fourteen. The whistle blew again and they were off on the next play. But it seemed that this time, the Growlers had gotten a bit hungry. They pushed through the Grizzlies defense and scored their first touchdown. Gabe had been secretly hoping to shut them out of scoring completely, but that was probably unrealistic. After all, both teams had made it to the Bear Bowl and had worked hard for it. It meant the Growlers were good, even if they were in second place to the Grizzlies.
This time, their huddle was slightly less enthusiastic.
“Okay,” Coach said. “The got one on us. It was nice of us to let them have one so they’re not too embarrassed. But we don’t need to let them have another.”
The quarter ended with neither team scoring again. Both sides were hitting harder than ever. The crowd loved it, according to the cheers he heard every time the game play stopped. The shouting was likely going on the whole time, but he’d gotten very good at tuning that out while he was playing. He had to, or he’d be too distracted. Early on in their training, Coach had produced all sorts of distractions for them—noise, flashing lights, insults, things thrown at them. They’d learned how to shut it all out and focus on the game. That training paid off big time. The crowd was bigger and louder than ever.
When they started the second quarter, almost immediately, the Growlers scored again. Gabe felt the anger rise. Why had Justin let that guy through? Why hadn’t they closed the hole in their defensive line? They were getting sloppy, and when they huddled after the most recent score, Coach saw it, too.
“What, you think two touchdowns gives you the right to relax the rest of the game? Now it’s a tied score. Do you want to lose this game? Because that’s what’s going to happen if you don’t stay focused and tighten it up out there. I expect some more points on that board real fast.”
They did manage to score. A field goal this time, though. Not as good as a touchdown, but at least they were in the lead again. Barely. They managed to pull it together and scored another touchdown before the half time whistle blew.
They left the field and Gabe glanced at the score board. 24 to 14. It was a respectable lead and a decent score. The bear shifter league had a habit of getting highly scoring games, though. It was common to see numbers into the 40s and 50s. They just moved faster and hit harder than their human counterparts and it allowed more points scored overall. The Growlers could easily take the game back at this point. The Grizzlies would need to score again and hold their lead if they still wanted to win this game.
They headed into the locker room to refuel and get in a small rest. On the field, some musician performed the halftime show. They could hear the music in the background, but Gabe was focused on what Coach Tucker was saying.
“We’re in the lead now, but we’re going to have to work to keep it that way. It’s still anyone’s game. We need to make sure it’s ours in the end. We’re going to keep scoring. As many points as we can get on the board. There will be no sitting around and running out the clock this time. I want impressive numbers up there. Record setting numbers.”
Gabe heard his phone ring in his locker. Weird. Who in the world would be calling him now? No one important. All the most important people in his life knew better. They were all sitting in front of their TVs, watching the performance, celebrating the Grizzlies’ lead, and waiting for the game to resume. The ringing stopped, but by the end of Coach’s speech, it rang again.
He tore open his locker door and snatched up his phone. Whoever this was better have a real good reason for interrupting at a time like this. He saw Carolyn’s name and his stomach dropped. The anger vanished. She’d only call if there was an emergency.
“Care?” he said, his heart pounding.
“Gabe,” she breathed. “I’m so sorry. I’m—” there was a pause as she grunted and breathed hard. “I’m in labor. I thought it would be fine, but things are moving really fast.” She groaned again.
He heard doctors and nurses in the background talking. “In labor? Now?”
“Yes.”
“But I—I can’t just leave.”
“I know. They’re trying to slow things down, but this baby wants out right now.”
His mind spun. What could he do? “Did you call my parents?”
“They’re here.”
“Oh.” So how long had she been in labor and not called him? “Are you okay? I mean, is it going okay?”
“Yes,” she said, and her voice was strained, like she was hurting.
“Are you pain?”
“Yes! Of course.”
He blinked at his locker. Everything he had read about this seemed to have left his brain. “I… I don’t know what to do. How close are you?”
“Halfway, but they said it could be an hour or four from this point. It’s hard to tell, but they think it’ll go fast. Win the game, then get here as quickly as possible.”
“Okay. I will. Carolyn? I love you.”
“Love you. Oh, and Gabe?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re doing awesome.”
He smiled. “Thanks. Can I talk to my mom real quick?”
There was a rustling sound and then his mom said, “Hi honey.”
“I’m going to be there as soon as I can. Is she okay?”
“She’s doing great. And so are you. We have the game on in the delivery room. Everyone cheers when you score.”
He chuckled. “Thanks. Can you…?” He wasn’t sure exactly what to ask. He wasn’t sure exactly what to think or say or do.
“We’ll be right here with her the whole time, I promise.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“We love you. Now go win that game! We’ll see you soon.”
“I will. Yes. Thanks!”
He put his phone down with a shaking hand. He must have been talking louder than he thought. He turned around and Coach and several of his teammates were there, staring at him.
“Carolyn is in labor,” he said. He chuckled nervously because he didn’t know what else to do or say.
“Do you need to go?” Coach asked.
Gabe swallowed hard. His heart tore in two. Carolyn and his parents had both said to stay, to win the game, then come. But he didn’t want to miss the birth of his first child. If it was his. What if he did leave? He’d miss the rest of a history-making game. And possibly to attend the birth of Kenny’s baby, not his own. Where was that jerk, anyway? He saw no sign of him. Did he know what was going on? What if he had decided to go?
“I’ll stay as long as I can,” Gabe said. If the baby was an hour from being born, he’d miss it for sure. If it was more like four, he could make it. “Let’s just go win this game as fast as possible.”
Coach nodded. “I like that plan.”
After the team went back on the field, Coach Tucker stopped him to talk to him privately. “If you need to go, let me know. I have the medical helicopter on standby for you to take you as fast as possible. Assuming no one gets badly injured and needs it first.”
“Thanks.” The emotion rushed over him. He was about to be a father, they were winning the biggest game of his life, and Coach was going out of his way to help him. So many conflicting feelings at once.
When his feet hit the field, he purposefully left everything behind. He couldn’t afford to get emotional now. He had one thing to do. Win this game. He’d hit as hard as he had to, run faster than ever, and be the best he’d ever been.
When the play started, he rushed forward as if his life depended on it. He slammed his way through, caught the ball, and ran. He saw a Growler coming out of the corner of his eye. He was going to be hit. He glanced around. No way to outrun him, no where else to go. But luckily, there was Justin, ready and waiting. This possibility was part of the play. If Gabe was cornered, he’d pass the ball to Justin, who would then run it into the end zone.
Gabe turned, caught Justin’s eye and threw the ball hard in a perfect spiral. Justin caught it and took off. In seconds, they had scored again.
The third quarter ended without another score, but Gabe still felt good. The Growlers had come close to scoring again, but they’d manage to block them. Their lead was more secure than ever, but the moment the whistle blew, Gabe’s mind snapped back to Carolyn. He begged Coach to call a time out so he could run into the locker room and call for an update.
His mother answered. “Mom, I only have a few seconds. How’s everything going?”
“She’s really close. Eight centimeters, which means it might only be a half hour or so until she starts pushing.”
“Okay. Is it going good though?”
“Yes. Keep scoring. We’re all cheering you on.”
“Gotta go.”
He tossed his phone back in his locker and sprinted back to the field. He had to move this along faster.
When the whistle blew, this time he didn’t move like his life depended on it. He moved like Carolyn’s life depended on it. Like the baby’s life depended on it. He broke the next play, choosing instead to tackle when he should have waited. It was risky, but when they scored and got the extra point, he knew it was worth it.
“Just don’t lose your head now, Gabe,” Coach said. “It paid off, but you’re going to throw everyone off if you pull that shit again.”
Gabe nodded. “Sorry.”
“Do you need to go?”
He shook his head. “We only have a few minutes on the clock. I just want to win this thing so I can take off.”
“Okay then. Let’s do just that.”
In the huddle, Gabe called for a few new plays. Some moves that should allow them to score as fast as possible.
“We can just run the clock now,” one of his teammates said. “Cruise along and take the win.”
“Not an option,” Gabe said. “We’re not just going to win. We’re going to pummel them. I want us scoring into the 50s on this one.”
They broke and took their places on the field. A score of 31 to 14 was a great score. It would be nearly impossible for the Growlers to recover from that. But it wasn’t enough.
With the new plays he’d put in place, and his fresh determination, Gabe was ready to crush them. The whistle blew and things fell into place like a perfect dance. He could kiss every one of his teammates. Even Kenny, who had made his reappearance, comforting Gabe in knowing that he hadn’t, in fact, taken off to go to the hospital. Hopefully he didn’t even know she was in labor. He didn’t need to know.
The game ended with a mind-blowing score of 51 to 14. Not that he wanted to sound too cocky, but Gabe’s new plays and stronger hunger to win had made a huge difference in the last quarter.
When the final buzzer sounded, the roar from the crowd was deafening. His teammates came and tossed Gabe into the air, carrying him for a victory lap. He wanted to enjoy this moment so badly. It was like nothing else he’d ever experienced. And he deserved every moment of celebration. But he couldn’t stop thinking of Carolyn.
Chapter 17
As quickly as he could, Gabe ran over to Coach.
“The helicopter is ready for you. Go!” Coach pointed.
Gabe waved at everyone, then dashed through the locker room, pausing to grab his gym bag and toss in his helmet. He ran to where the helicopter waited just outside. He jumped on, the medic in the back slapped him a high five, and they lifted into the air.
MUNDO (BBW Bear Shifter MC Romance) (MC Bear Mates Book 2) Page 34
