Pass Protection (Quarterback Sneak Book 3)

by Natalie Brock

  Brittany refocused on the game. It was the fourth quarter with under a minute to play, and the Barracudas were way ahead. They just got the ball back and Tony took a knee at the snap. The crowd cheered while the team and coaches congratulated each other on the win and shook hands with their opponents. Meanwhile, Tony ran across the field toward the stands, as if he had a specific destination. All season, Tony had been continuing a tradition Philip Mason started where he’d give a touchdown ball to a fan, usually a child. Only he wasn’t holding a ball this time.

  Fans who’d begun filing out of the stadium stopped and turned their attention toward Tony. The cheerleaders were frozen in formation. Like Brittany, everyone seemed to be wondering what Tony was up to. She followed him with her eyes, watching him climb over the barrier and into the stands. He took off his helmet as he approached an older woman who Brittany presumed was Tony’s grandmother. She handed him a pink flower and something else too small for Brittany to see. Just then, a noise overhead caught everyone’s attention and all eyes turned upward. A prop plane flying over the stadium was trailing a banner that read, MARRY ME ALLISON.

  There was a collective gasp from the crowd. Brittany immediately returned her attention to the stands across the field as Tony handed Allison the flower and dropped to one knee. This time, however, he wasn’t taking a knee to run out the clock. He was holding open a small box and proposing to Allison. Allison covered her mouth with both hands and Brittany could tell she was crying. Tony rose to his feet and whirled Allison around before setting her back on her feet and kissing her.

  Brittany had goose bumps up and down her arms. She smiled, remembering Allison saying Tony asked her out on their first date by putting pink tulips on every table in the restaurant where she worked. Tears formed in her eyes as she vicariously felt Allison and Tony’s joy. At the same time, her heart felt heavy. She glanced at the sidelines and saw Matthew applauding and cheering Tony on, along with the other Barracudas. Not long ago, she thought she found her soul mate in Matthew. And now, she was farther away from finding her own true love than ever.

  »»•««

  The following Monday, Brittany was sitting in the Campus Cafe downing an energy drink. The place was decorated for Thanksgiving, which was only a few days away. Cornucopia baskets were set near the buffet line, paper turkeys hung from the wall, and there were pumpkin gourds on every table.

  Despite the festive atmosphere, Brittany wasn’t at her perkiest today. She couldn’t shake this funk she’d been in all weekend. Visions of Tony proposing to Allison mingled with memories of Bennie pinning her against a wall and Matthew warning him to stay away.

  She sent a congratulations text to both Allison and Tony on Sunday—she couldn’t bring herself to actually phone them. She adored both of them and hated feeling this way, but she was jealous of Tony and Allison. And she was jealous of Philip and Sara. She was jealous of Jamie and her fiancé. Hell, she was jealous of everyone who found lasting love. She gazed out the window, wishing she could feel happier for them—all of them—but she was too busy feeling sorry for herself. She disagreed with whoever said it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. She’d never felt so alone.

  »»•««

  Matthew was glad to see Monday finally dawn. He knew from experience that the first week following a breakup was always the hardest, but he couldn’t remember when it was supposed to start getting easier. He only knew that staying away from Brittany all week was one of the hardest things he’d ever done. Despite the fact their relationship was short-lived, he’d grown so emotionally attached to Brittany that he felt like an addict going through withdrawal. This breakup with Brittany reminded him how painful it was to lose someone you love. He’d done such a good job of protecting his heart these past few years since Michelle, but clearly not good enough, and now he was paying the price.

  He headed for the breakfast section of the Campus Cafe, and his heart instantly dropped into his stomach when he saw Brittany. She was sitting at a table by herself, gazing out the window and looking as sad as he felt. So many times over the past week he’d thought about calling her or going over to her dorm and trying to work things out. But she was so decisive the last time they were together. There was no wiggle room in “Don’t follow me and don’t call me.” Those words rang in his ears over and over. He hurt her deeply by questioning her honesty. She had confided in him about her relationships, including things that were so personal and so painful, and with one offhand question, he made it sound like he doubted her. She’d been through hell in her life and she needed to be believed, especially by him. The thing is, he did believe her and he’d only asked whether there was ever something between her and Bennie out of jealousy, not out of doubt.

  He imagined going over to her table and scooping her in his arms and kissing her until their lips were raw. In her eyes he would see a mixture of confusion and relief, grateful that the rift was over. Watching her now hurt his heart. “I love you, Brittany,” he whispered out loud, within earshot of no one. He turned back toward the food bar and selected a few pieces of fruit.

  ∙•∙

  Brittany jumped nervously at the sound of an apple and two bananas being placed in front of her on the table top. She looked up and blinked several times. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Matthew.”

  “Mind if I sit?” Before Brittany could answer, he slid into a chair next to her and placed a container of Greek yogurt in front of her. He peeled back the foil lid and held out a spoon. She slowly accepted the spoon and stood it up in the yogurt. “What’s—”

  “I hate seeing you sad. If I had anything to do with it—”

  “No, no you didn’t,” she said quickly. “I always get the blues being away from home around the holidays.” She didn’t want him to know the real reason she was upset, or the fact he actually had everything to do with it. She looked down at the table, not sure what to say next. He touched her chin and forced her to look at him. Her lips parted as she looked into his aqua eyes. It was like the first time she ever saw him, when she swore he could read her thoughts. She couldn’t lie to him when he looked at her like that. “Okay, it’s not just the holidays. It’s…it’s…” The lump in her throat was making it hard to get the words out. “I miss you and I wish I didn’t.”

  When he placed his hand on top of hers, everything started to go in slow motion. “Why do wish you didn’t?”

  “Because I’m obviously not the right girl for you since you think I’m not honest. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me.”

  “I do trust you. You’ve never lied to me, not about anything that mattered.”

  “Then why did you ask if I’ve been with Bennie?”

  “Heat of the moment. To be honest, I was jealous. He called you an old girlfriend.”

  “And you believed him instead of me?”

  Matthew shook his head no. “The truth is I couldn’t believe it. But I remembered seeing you at Dos Naranjas with him, so I asked. Is that really such a crime?”

  “Are you saying I overreacted?”

  “No. I’m saying I think we both did. And I get why you’d be sensitive about it. I really do. Can you maybe see my side too?”

  Brittany felt tears pool in her eyes. She actually could see Matthew’s side and if the shoe were on the other foot, if she saw him with another girl, she’d have questions too. So she nodded.

  “Remember when I told you I’m not the right kind of guy for you?”

  She wondered why he was bringing that up now. “I remember.”

  “Remember what you told me? You said not to assume I know what the right kind of guy for you is. Well, it goes both ways. I happen to think you are the right girl for me.”

  Brittany felt her body flush hearing those words. She bit her lip. “Really?”

  “Really. Brit, I’ve been losing my mind without you. Like you said, we had something special going on and it would be a shame to give up on it. I want another chance.
We deserve it. And this time I promise to work on being more open with you. So what do you say?”

  “I want another chance too, more than anything,” she whispered.

  He took a deep breath. “So, how about a do-over tonight?”

  “You still want to go out with me, even after I freaked out on you?”

  He smiled and pushed her hair off her face with his fingertips. “I’m tougher than you think, angel. Don’t forget, I’ve been mowed down by linebackers. The only part of me that’s not so tough is my heart.” He held her gaze for a long moment. “I think the two of us are going to have to come up with a game-plan for fighting so we don’t fumble the ball again.”

  “Or not fighting.”

  “I don’t want to fight either, but I have to face facts—my girlfriend is a little bit fiery and emotional.” When she pouted, he quickly added, “It’s one of the things that makes you unique, and I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

  “Well, when you put it that way.” She looked down at his hand holding hers and placed her other hand on top. “I’m all for coming up with a strategy where we don’t waste days and nights being apart.”

  He lifted her chin again. “So, how about that do-over?”

  “As long as it’s not bowling,” she said with a little smirk.

  “Not bowling. And not a group date. Just us.”

  “I like the sound of that.” She squeezed his hand. All at once, the curtain of sadness she was feeling began to part. “So, where are we going?”

  Laughing, Matthew said, “I have a couple ideas.”

  “Oh?”

  “I’ll pick you up at five.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  He held her hand as their feet crushed the gravel walking from the parking lot to the fair entrance. The Orange County holiday fair was an annual tradition that started Halloween week and ran through New Year’s Day. The fairgrounds were decked out with twinkling lights, fake snow, and roaming pilgrims. It was a warm evening and the fair attracted a large crowd.

  After Matthew paid for admission at the gate, he perused the strip of tickets. “Where to first? Ferris wheel?”

  Brittany turned to look at the Ferris wheel and her gaze lifted upward. “That’s pretty high.”

  Shrugging, he said, “Not really.” He looked at her and grasped her hand. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”

  She scrunched up her face. “Who me? Don’t be ridiculous.” But her expression told the real story.

  “Now that surprises me. I figured you were someone who isn’t afraid of anything.”

  “Just heights. And big ugly linebackers.” Before Matthew could react, she said, “That’s why I like Florida so much. No mountains. Just flatlands and a few non-intimidating hills.”

  Taking her hand, he said, “What if I promise to keep you safe? Would you go on the Ferris wheel with me?”

  Looking at their joined hands, she felt all squishy inside and looked up into his eyes. “Then how can I say no?”

  When they got to the front of the line, the young Ferris wheel attendant held the gondola for them and Matthew handed him the tickets. Brittany went in first. Matthew followed her and lowered his head to keep from hitting it on the cross bar. The attendant closed the door behind them.

  “Ever been to the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel in Chicago?” he asked.

  “No. You?”

  “Yeah. Bunch of times. It’s the best.” He slowly lifted his chin until he was looking straight up. “It climbs one hundred and fifty feet in the air.”

  “Stop.” She covered her eyes with her hand. Matthew peeled her hand away from her face. “You’d love it. I’ll have to take you there one day.”

  That statement caught Brittany by surprise. He was saying he wanted to take her to his hometown and introduce her to his family. She’d been thinking she could never measure up to their high standards, but from the sound of his statement, he wasn’t worried about it. “Just say when. Um. Are you going home for Thanksgiving?”

  Matthew shook his head. “No, you?”

  Since Brittany was going home for Christmas, she’d opted to avoid the Thanksgiving travel mania and extra expense and stay put. “No. I’m going home for Christmas break, and I can only afford one trip.”

  “Same here.”

  As the ride climbed higher, the sound of country music coming from the grandstand below grew fainter. Brittany instinctively grasped Matthew’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut. He covered her hand with his other hand. “Hey, Brit, come on, open your eyes. You’re missing the best view.” She slowly opened her eyes. The sun was nearly gone and the sky had an eerie glow. She could see farmland and pockets of suburban neighborhoods, but nothing overly impressive. She turned her head and looked at Matt. “Where’s the great view?”

  He looked into her eyes. “Sorry, I forgot. You can’t see it. Only I can.” Her heart nearly stopped when he leaned closer and kissed her. He released her hand so he could put his arms around her and pull her closer. She slid her hand behind his neck and raked her fingers through his hair as he deepened the kiss.

  “Mmm.” She leaned away and slowly opened her eyes. “I’m starting to see the appeal of Ferris wheels.”

  A sad and serious look came over Matthew.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Twirling a lock of her hair around his finger, he shook his head from side to side. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking that I almost missed this.”

  Her brows knit. “Missed what?”

  “This. You. Us. I knew for a long time you were interested in me, but I’d made up my mind that you weren’t the kind of girl I could go out with. I figured…never mind what I figured,” he said with a wave of his hand. “My point is, I was wrong. My parents and my pastor always taught me to keep an open mind and be accepting of others. They said I can learn so much more by being open to the differences between people than the similarities and I almost forgot that. You don’t judge people, but I do. And because I pre-judged you without knowing you, I could have missed this. I could have missed us. And that would have been tragic…hey, I’m being serious here. What are you smirking about?”

  “I love it when I’m right about something.”

  He smiled and rubbed his nose against hers. “Come home with me tonight.”

  Resting her forehead on his, she felt her body flush at the thought of spending the night with Matthew. “Tonight. And tomorrow.”

  She leaned away to look into his eyes. She gave Matthew a smile and played with the back of his ear. A second later, his lips were on hers again as the Ferris wheel began its descent back to earth.

  »»•««

  It felt so good to be in Matthew’s arms again that evening, to be in his bed, to feel his warm breath on the back of her neck and his lips on her skin. He made her feel loved. He made her feel safe. He felt like home. She turned around to face him and could see his eyes glowing in the darkness of the room. The caring she saw there took her breath away. She stared at his lips and gently ran her thumb over them. “I’m glad we’re back together.”

  “So am I.”

  “Just so you know, I’m never breaking up with you again,” she whispered. He leaned in and kissed her hard, deepening the kiss and pulling her closer to his body. She could feel his erection through his boxers, and even though they weren’t having sex, it was good to know he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  It was the last day of school before Thanksgiving and Brittany was in her design class when she got a surprise text from Matthew. It said, Since u have no plans for Txgiving, join me? Like most people whose hometown was out of state, Brittany was staying on campus over the holiday. She figured she’d just eat a three-partition turkey dinner from her grocer’s freezer and watch Miracle on Thirty-Fourth Street for the fifteenth time. She didn’t know what Matthew had in mind, but it was obviously going to be better than her original plan. She immediately replied with, Luv 2!

  W
hen he later told her they were having Thanksgiving dinner at his church, she was surprised. She knew he attended church regularly, but it didn’t occur to her that would be where they were going. Still, as long as she’d be with Matthew, she looked forward to it.

  She decided to dress conservatively for the event, donning a long-sleeved, satiny, coral-colored, button-down blouse paired with a black skirt. The skirt was on the short, tight side, but it was the only black skirt she owned. Matthew licked his lips when he arrived at her dorm. He took her in his arms and told her she was beautiful.

  Before heading to dinner, a few cheerleaders and athletes stopped at the local hospital’s children’s wing. It was a tradition among the Barracudas to visit with sick children, especially around the holidays. Activities like this made Brittany proud to be associated with the team. They didn’t just talk about it or donate money. They gave of themselves by cheering up sick children, building homes, holding fundraisers, and starting youth centers.

  A long rectangular table had been set up in the church hall, behind the sanctuary. Brittany figured the table must seat between forty and fifty people. “I hope you don’t mind helping,” he told her when they arrived. Brittany looked at him quizzically. “I told Father Bernard we’d help set the table, pour the wine, that kind of thing.”

  She touched his arm. “You had me worried for a second. I’m not big on cooking.”

  Eying her up and down, he said, “We’ll have to rectify that. I like to eat, so I’m going to have to teach you to cook.”

  Even the most innocent of phrases sounded sexy when he said it. If they weren’t in church, she’d have wrapped her arms behind his neck and kissed him senseless.

  He introduced her to Father Bernard and other parishioners as they arrived. As she set each place at the table, Matthew followed closely by pouring the wine, so close in fact that his long legs often brushed against her hips. She smiled at him seductively, knowing the contact was probably intentional.