Penalty Box: A Second Chance Sports Romance (Love in the Arena Book 1)

by Kayla Tirrell

  A text bubble appeared right away.

  Miriam: Great! We can always use extra players. Btw, I’m a little embarrassed that I haven’t saved you into my phone. Who is this?

  A thick wave of disappointment settled on his shoulders. Apparently Silas wasn’t the only one deleting numbers. He quickly typed his name and hit send. This time, no text bubble appeared. No response came through. He stared at the screen for a few minutes silently willing something to come up.

  He waited for something simple like ‘okay’ or ‘sure.’ Even a flat out no would be better than the silent treatment he was getting because it felt too much like indifference—and Silas wasn’t sure if he could work with that.

  When no answer came, he put his phone away and put himself into the drills.

  Miriam

  Normally, it only took Miriam twenty minutes to get ready.

  Today, she’d been standing in front of the mirror for nearly an hour.

  Everything was wrong. Her waves wouldn’t fall right. She couldn’t get her eyeliner to look the same on both eyes. And she was breaking out. Seriously, it was like that giant zit on her forehead came out of nowhere. She did her best to cover it before putting on her favorite Storm shirt and fluffing her hair one last time.

  Her phone buzzed from its propped up position on her bathroom counter. Allie’s smiling face filled the screen. Her tightly coiled black curls were pulled back by a colorful scarf.

  Miriam put her on speaker phone and continued to examine herself in the mirror. “Hey, girl.”

  “You doing okay?”

  Miriam had filled her best friend in on all the Silas drama, and the two girls had been doing a countdown to the meet and greet that was scheduled for that afternoon. She leaned in close to see if the pimple was visible beneath the concealer. “No, I’m most certainly not doing okay.”

  “Wanna skip and enjoy some much needed retail therapy instead?”

  Miriam let out a wistful sigh. She would have loved to go shopping with Allie, but her bank account wasn’t nearly what it needed to be to hit all the expensive boutiques that Allie loved to shop at. Not to mention that it was literally her job to show up to these events. She couldn’t bail no matter how badly she wanted to. “Can I get a raincheck?”

  “Sure.” There was a long pause before Allie spoke again. “Listen, you know you can always call me if things go bad, right? I’ll be happy to show up at The Sports Emporium and tell Silas what’s up.”

  Miriam snorted. She had no doubt that Allie had quite a few things to say to Silas after listening to Miriam cry about the breakup for months after it first happened. “I’ll let you know.”

  “Good. And Miriam?”

  Miriam let out a non-committal noise as she turned back and forth looking for anything that stood out.

  “Stop obsessing over the way you look and get going.”

  She stilled and mumbled, “I wasn’t obsessing,” under her breath.

  “Uh-huh.” Allie giggled.

  Miriam looked at the time on her phone. She needed to start loading her car with everything for that day’s event if she didn’t want to be late. “But I do need to get going.”

  “Okay. Later, babe.” Allie made a loud kiss sound.

  “Later,” Miriam mumbled before she ended the call.

  With a defeated sigh, she grabbed the pop-up banner, table, and box of table decorations and swag from her closet. When she walked out into the living room of her one-bedroom apartment, her orange tabby looked at her with an accusing stare from his perch on the back of her hot-pink couch that Silas had always teased her about.

  “What?”

  Hobbes’ yellow eyes stayed fixed on her as he cocked his head. Was everyone going to accuse her of trying to impress Silas today?

  “I’m not trying to look nice for him. I want to look nice for the meet and greet since I’m representing the team.”

  Great, now she was the crazy lady who talked to her cat like he was a person.

  It wasn’t entirely her fault though. This past week had been a difficult test of her sanity. The unexpected text from Silas had been, well, unexpected. Had he kept her number this whole time and just never used it? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

  Silas was quickly becoming a distraction that she didn’t need in her life. And now he was showing up for an event she intentionally hadn’t invited him to. She wanted to tell him he wasn’t allowed. She wanted to stomp her feet and yell ‘nuh-uh’ until Silas agreed not to show up at The Sports Emporium. But she was twenty-five years old and a professional. She couldn’t go around acting like an obstinate child just because things were going to be difficult.

  “Wish me luck,” she said to Hobbes before she brought everything out to her car and began a grown-up version of Tetris to try to fit it all. With one last glance in the rearview mirror and a pang of longing to curl up with Hobbes and a book instead of facing the day, she drove to The Sports Emporium.

  The drive took ten minutes longer than usual, which meant she had exactly ten more to get everything set up in time. Her non-primping primping had totally messed with her schedule for the morning. She popped the trunk of her hatchback and started unloading things.

  “Want some help?” a deep, familiar voice said from behind her.

  Miriam closed her eyes and started counting down from ten. Ten…Nine… Eight…

  “Miriam?”

  She spun around, all attempts at trying to calm herself lost. “What are—” The words died on her tongue when she saw Silas. Or more specifically, his chest. He was standing closer than she had realized, only two or three feet in front of her. Close enough to put her hand out and touch those stupid pecs that were visible beneath his shirt. The sleeves hugged his biceps and Miriam had to stop and make sure that her mouth wasn’t hanging open.

  Did he pick the tightest tee on purpose?

  “Here. Let me get that.” He bent down and grabbed the handle of the folding table in one hand and reached out to grab the banner with the other.

  She crossed her arms and stuck out her chin. “I’m fully capable of bringing everything in myself.”

  “I know you are.” He looked at her with the faintest quiver of a smile on his lips. “But I want to help.”

  Miriam felt her cheeks warm with his intense eye contact and was the first to look away. She bent down to grab the box that contained everything else and started walking toward the front entrance of the store.

  As soon as the automatic doors opened, Joe instantly appeared in front of them. “I knew it.” The store manager beamed as he looked at Silas and shot Miriam a smug smile. “I knew you were back.”

  Silas instantly put on the charm, and even though Miriam wasn’t looking directly at him, she knew his dimple would appear when he put on his megawatt smile. “Glad to be back.”

  Miriam rolled her eyes and left the guys to their conversation and carried the box to her usual location near the registers. She was happy to set up by herself—she’d planned on it even. But without a table, she was helpless. Miriam walked back over to where Silas and Joe still stood chatting like old college buddies.

  “I’ve been hesitating on pulling the trigger on those season tickets,” Joe said. “But once my wife finds out that she was right about you being back, there’s gonna be no stopping it.”

  “You’ll have to let me know where you’re at so I can wave to her at the season opener.”

  Joe chuckled. “I wouldn’t hear the end of it, you know. She’s your biggest fan, though it broke her heart when you went to Wisconsin.”

  Broke her heart?

  Miriam couldn’t listen to another word. She snatched the folding table from Silas and stomped back to where she was setting up, ignoring the way her wrist burned from the sudden weight of the table in her hand.

  She set it up—alone—and put the tablecloth over it. When she was done, she put all the little trinkets out. Plastic cups, rubber bracelets, and BOGO vouchers decorated the table.


  Miriam stood back, put her hands on her hips, and cast a critical eye over everything. It looked fine, but there was still something missing.

  The pop-up banner that Silas had carried in—and was still carrying while he chatted with Joe in what was surely the longest example of small talk in history. Silas had asked about Joe’s garden, for heaven’s sake.

  Miriam took a deep breath before walking back over to the new BFFs. She tried to grab the banner just as she had the table.

  Silas pulled his hand back. “I’ll bring it over.”

  She gritted her teeth. “Considering the event starts right now, I’d really like to have it up already.”

  Joe cleared his throat and looked down at his watch. “Would you look at that? I guess time flies when you’re having fun. I’ll try to come on over and chat a little later.” He walked off toward the baseball section.

  “It sure does,” Miriam mumbled. She stomped back to the table, not bothering to see if Silas was behind her. She didn’t care about the sign anymore. She was just trying to figure out how she was going to survive the next four hours without her heart getting broken.

  If time flew when you were having fun, then this event would feel like an eternity. It really was a shame that she couldn’t leave the players alone for the event and pop back in when it was over.

  Speaking of the other players…

  Miriam frowned and whirled around to face Silas. “Where is everyone else? I thought Grant and Vinny were supposed to show up too.”

  Silas shrugged, but a suspicious tinge of red appeared on his cheeks. “Maybe they hit bad traffic.”

  That was a possibility, except for the fact that Silas had shown up early. Miriam lifted her brows. “And yet you managed to avoid it?”

  He smiled, his dimple flashing. “I hit all the green lights, what can I say?”

  Miriam gave him another hard look before turning back to the Storm’s table. Without asking, Silas started putting the sign up. It almost felt like old times. The two of them showing up together for an event, putting everything out like a well-oiled machine.

  Her hand gripped the corner of the table, and she took a deep breath to steady herself. This wasn’t old times, they weren’t a well-oiled machine, and Silas shouldn’t have shown up today.

  She turned to face him just as he finished his task. “Why are you here?”

  “Community outreach.”

  Miriam pushed her lips together. She still wasn’t sure how Silas had found out about that day’s event in the first place. “I didn’t invite you.”

  A sheepish smile touched his lips. “You didn’t have to. Grant told me about it.”

  The kid better watch it or he’ll only be invited to the outdoor events in the rain.

  Silas took a step in her direction. “It sounded like the event was for the new players, which I technically am this season.”

  Even that one small step was enough for Silas to completely invade her senses. Unlike their last meeting, he no longer had the underlying scent of hard work and sweat, but he smelled just as masculine.

  She needed to escape it somehow. Miriam leaned back so that her butt was pressed up against the table. “Did you stop to think that maybe me not inviting you was on purpose?”

  All the playfulness left his face. “Of course I did. But you know I have a contractual obligation to show up to at least three of these. What did you think was going to happen? You could just ‘forget’ to invite me, and I wouldn’t get in trouble for breaching my contract?”

  She winced. Well, when he put it that way. Miriam’s gaze went to the linoleum floor. “I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

  Silas cursed under his breath, and Miriam looked up just in time to see him raking a hand through his hair. Little pieces stuck in all different directions when he pulled his hand away. “I would know. The other players would know.” He stopped and shook his head. “I need to show everyone I’m committed to this team.”

  Miriam snorted. “Because commitment is your strong suit, isn’t it, Silas?”

  Hurt flashed across his face for the briefest moment before his face became a mask. He grabbed a couple vouchers and cups from the table. “I’m going to step outside for some fresh air and see if I can find some people to talk to.”

  Miriam nodded and watched Silas walk through the automatic doors. Once he was out of sight, she pulled out her phone to send a quick group text to Grant and Vinny.

  Miriam: Where are you?

  She forced a smile at a couple of customers as they walked past while she waited for a response. Thankfully, her phone buzzed right away.

  Grant: On our way.

  Miriam: Did you get stuck in traffic?

  Grant: Nope. It’s pretty good out right now.

  Miriam: Then why are you late?

  She hit send and instantly regretted it. Miriam was mad at Silas, not Grant or Vinny. It was unfair to take out her anger on the new guys just because they were running a little behind. And really, nobody had shown up yet, so there was no real harm done.

  She started to type out an apology when another text came through from Grant.

  Grant: Late? We were told it got pushed back half an hour.

  Why in the world would she push it back half an hour when all the event invites had already been posted online? And more importantly, where would they hear that?

  Silas.

  The realization hit hard, and she barely managed to send a quick response telling them to drive safe before leaving her post at the swag table and walking out of the store. Miriam wasn’t sure what kind of game Silas was playing. All she knew was that she was going to kill him.

  Watching him take a soccer ball to the head sounded particularly wonderful right now. She briefly considered grabbing one from the shelf just for that purpose, but she was already outside and wasn’t going back now.

  Miriam’s arms swung wildly at her sides as she took long, fast strides into the parking lot. She turned her head this way and that looking for where Silas could have wandered off to. She found him talking to a girl.

  Not just any girl, a pretty one who was wearing a dress that showed off arms and legs that Miriam could tell were toned even from several yards away. Dark shiny hair fell perfectly to her waist. A sweet, tinkling laugh rang out at something Silas said as her hand touched his arm in a playful way.

  Miriam’s feet stopped. The image was too similar to what she’d seen time and time again when Silas played for the Storm three seasons ago. Miriam had always felt insecure compared to the gorgeous women who flocked to Silas. He had always reassured Miriam that she was the only girl for him and that he’d never leave her.

  What he’d meant was he’d never leave her for another woman. Another team? All it had taken was the promise of it being a stepping stone to the Premier League, and he was gone in a matter of weeks.

  Silas never did make it across the pond to play ‘football,’ and Miriam found a certain joy knowing that he had his share of disappointment too. It was just a shame he had to come back to Waterfront.

  She marched over. “Silas, there you are. A word?”

  His smile fell when he turned and saw Miriam standing beside him. “Miriam, hi.” His eyes flit back and forth between her and the other woman like he’d been caught cheating. As if Miriam cared who he talked to anymore.

  You care a little.

  Miriam forced the thought down. “Did you tell Grant and Vinny that the event got pushed back to eleven-thirty?”

  “Uh…” His eyes refused to meet hers.

  So, yes. He had lied to his teammates. But why? Just so he’d have some time with Miriam? Her brows crinkled as she once again tried to understand what Silas was up to. Why go through all that trouble only to talk with Joe and flirt with a woman so pretty Miriam couldn’t compete with her? Because he’s not trying to win you back, silly. He wants the spotlight just like he always has.

  Miriam put her hands up as if they could conjure a physical wall between them. “You’re unbel
ievable.”

  The woman who still stood next to Silas finally spoke up. “Who’s this?”

  Miriam was so angry, she didn’t think she could speak, so she turned her face to Silas and lifted her brows. Who am I besides the idiot who fell for your charms three years ago?

  “McKensie, this is Miriam Taylor. She’s the community outreach manager.”

  McKensie looked at Miriam through narrowed eyes. “That’s...interesting.”

  No, interesting was the fact that Miriam was still standing out here having this conversation. “Vinny and Grant are on their way. You can go once they get here. You’ve done your job, now let me do mine.”

  She turned on her heel and walked back inside to her table and waited for the other players to get there. Once they arrived, she was sure everything would get better.

  Or, at least, she hoped it would.

  Silas

  Silas tried not to focus on the way Miriam’s hips swayed as she stomped back into The Sports Emporium. She’d worn a tight pair of jeans that hugged her curves in such a way that he was unable to look away until she disappeared inside the building.

  He’d almost forgotten he was standing next to McKensie until her laugh pulled his eyes from the store. Silas rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry about that.”

  “Sorry that your team’s PR person is a total grouch? You don’t have to apologize for that.”

  Miriam was the opposite of grouchy—most of the time, at least—and he opened his mouth to defend her when McKensie reached out and touched his arm again. It was completely unwelcome, but Silas was in a tough position. He needed to make a good impression on all potential fans, so instead of shoving her away and running after Miriam, he forced a smile.

  Her fingers started rubbing gently across his skin. “It sounds like you get to leave soon?”

  “Not exactly.” He chuckled and took a step back, causing her hand to fall from his arm. “Miriam’s just a little upset with me right now.”