Eligible Receiver (Men of Fall Book 3)

by S. R. Grey

  “Elated. So freaking elated.”

  “Good.” I snuggle her into my arms. “Then I’m going to keep doing whatever it takes to keep your heart filled with this kind of joy.”

  “Lars…” she begins, but a yawn escapes her.

  Chuckling, I say, “Sleep, my love. Get some rest. We’ll talk more about all of this good stuff later.”

  Shit, I’m dead tired too.

  So we fall asleep then, contented and in love.

  I wake up first.

  A few hours have passed, and since we have to check out soon, I shower and dress.

  Afterward, I figure I should head out and grab some breakfast for us. My woman can’t live on love alone, and the snacks and candy have pretty much run out.

  Since Becca is still asleep, I write her a quick note on a Post-it pad I find on the table by the door.

  Be right back, Becs.

  Off to find us some food, something more than candy and snacks.

  Love you.

  Lars

  Okay, I need to brush up on my romantic-note-writing skills, but it’s the thought that counts.

  Once I’m outside, I quickly discover there’s more that needs brushing—like literally. My SUV is covered in a mountain of snow.

  “Good thing I keep a snow brush in the back,” I mutter out loud into the crisp cold and silence.

  After grabbing the brush, I get to work.

  A good while later—hey, there was a massive amount of that white crap that needed to be cleared—I’m traveling down the road in search of a fast food restaurant.

  “Ah,” I murmur when I catch sight of the golden arches. “I knew there’d be one of those.”

  I go through the drive-thru, returning to the motel with two different hot breakfast sandwiches, hash browns, and two orange juices.

  Once I’m back, I find Becca is up and about. She’s already showered and dressed too.

  “Someone’s ready to roll,” I say.

  She shrugs. “I know we have to leave soon.”

  She’s seated on the bed, brushing out her damp honey-blonde hair, looking kind of sad.

  “Yeah,” I sigh resignedly as I set the drink holder with the two juices down on the table. ”We probably should check out and get going. But first, let’s eat.” I hold up the bag. “My quest was successful, and though it’s not the most nutritious food in the land, it is nice and warm.”

  Becca smiles as she stands.

  I hand her the bag of fast food.

  As she rummages through it, she says, “I actually am freaking starving.”

  “Guess we worked up an appetite, huh?”

  She stops her digging long enough to smile over at me. “We sure did.”

  I start taking off my coat. “Choose whichever sandwich you like. I’ll eat either one. I got hash browns too.”

  “Mmm, sounds good.”

  Becca opts for a sausage muffin sandwich and a hash brown.

  “This looks so good,” she says.

  My stomach starts growling when I smell the food, reminding me that I am beyond famished.

  Motioning to the bag, I say, “Hey, pass that bag over here.”

  “You got it.”

  Once I have my sandwich and hash brown, Becca and I set up an eating space on the table by the door.

  When I fully open the curtains, her eyes widen. “Holy crap! That’s a lot of snow.”

  “I told you there was a ton.” I jerk my chin to the window, where my SUV is parked just outside. “You should’ve seen how long it took me to dig out the Nav.”

  Becca laughs between bites of her sandwich. “I bet it took a while. Good thing you had a snow brush. I noticed it in the back yesterday but never dreamed we’d need it.”

  “Right?” I take a sip of my juice. “Still, it barely did the job. I was about to go ask the motel lady if she had a broom.”

  Becca smiles. “That would’ve been a sight.”

  I just shake my head.

  We finish our breakfast, straighten up the room a little, and then hit the road.

  Becca was right—things do feel different now.

  But I was right too—they’re different in a really good way.

  I can’t believe how much has changed in such a short amount of time. Becca and I are no longer “just friends.” We’re lovers and officially a couple.

  Who would have ever dreamed this trip could change so much?

  I had no clue.

  I’m glad it turned out this way. I was tiring of keeping my true feelings bottled up. I’ve wanted to date Becca from the beginning. She intrigued me from the moment she walked back to that last row in the theatre and sat down a few seats away.

  I’ve been enthralled ever since.

  When she catches me smiling, she asks, “What are you thinking about, Lars?”

  Glancing over at her, I say, “I’m thinking about you… me… us.”

  Reaching over the console, she takes my hand. “This all feels so incredibly right, doesn’t it?”

  “It sure does, Becca.” I release a breath. “It sure does.”

  Making Dreams Come True

  When Lars and I return to Columbus, life is better than ever. Nothing changes in terms of our expressed love and upgraded relationship status from our time up at The Love Nest. I initially worried that perhaps reality would creep in and alter our perspective. But it hasn’t. If anything, our relationship has grown stronger every day. Lars and I spend so much time together and get along beautifully.

  One afternoon while Jodi and I are at our shop, catching up on work while seated at our desks, I notice her peering over at me.

  She’s smiling like crazy.

  “What’s up?” I ask. “Are you losing it or something?”

  “Ha.” She snorts. “I’m fine. If anyone is losing it, it’s you.”

  Perplexed, I ask, “Wait. How do you mean?”

  “You are clearly, completely lost in love with Lars.”

  “I can’t argue that,” I admit. “Guilty as charged.”

  My confirmation has Jodi practically bouncing in her chair.

  “Yes!” She pumps her fist in the air. “You’ve finally found the love you deserve. I am so freaking happy for you, Becs. That’s why I’ve been smiling over at you. Ooh, and I must tell you, Caleb is freaking thrilled for you guys too.”

  I laugh. “I knew you’d be happy. I told Lars as much. You and Caleb called it. You two always thought we’d be a good match. That’s why you set us up on that double date in the first place.”

  “True. But we had no clue you’d already met Lars. And—” She grins over at me mischievously. “—you’d totally made out with him.”

  Coyly, I remark, “And now we’ve done sooo much more than that.”

  “Ooh, speaking of which…” Jodi rubs her hands together evilly. “We haven’t had much time to talk. And I need details! You’ve been keeping the goods all to yourself. So tell me. How is that hot hunk of man in the sack?”

  My eyes widen. “You are so bad. Hot hunk of a man, huh? Don’t worry, I won’t tell Caleb you just called his friend and teammate that. But for the record, Lars is ahhhh-mazing in bed. He has a lot of, uh, stamina, shall we say. I swear the man can go all night.”

  Smiling like she’s in on the secret, Jodi says, “I know, right? Football players do seem to have a lot of endurance… and skill.”

  I shrug. “Maybe. But I think we just got good ones.”

  “Yeah,” she concedes, “you’re probably right. Dumbo, the worst quarterback in the world, was a real loser. I bet he sucked in bed.”

  Dumbo, aka Dan, was once the Comets’ quarterback. For a multitude of reasons, he’s long gone from Columbus. Good thing too, as he was not only a terrible QB but an even more awful person.

  “Ugh, enough about him,” I say. “But I do have a question.”

  “Yes?”

  “Regarding the quarterback situation, what’s going on with the search for a new one? Lars mentioned something ab
out an interest in some guy named Graham Tettersaw. Has Caleb heard anything about him?”

  Shaking her head, Jodi says, “Not a whole lot, no. The team seems to be keeping things on the down low for now. Still, Caleb heard a rumor that the Comets started talking to Tettersaw’s agent. He heard if all goes well, Graham may be coming into town for mini-camp next month.”

  “Wow,” I marvel. “I can’t believe it’s almost May.”

  “Yeah, our guys are about to get real busy, real soon.”

  “That makes me a little sad,” I admit. “I kind of like having Lars all to myself.”

  Jodi reminds me that our wedding planning business is also picking up, so we’ll be busy too.

  “We’re entering prime wedding season now,” she states with a flourish of the pen she just picked up.

  “True,” I agree.

  Though I’m thrilled I’ll have many things to occupy my time, I’m sad there’s about to be a big change in my life with Lars. We spend so much time together. I’m always at his place or he’s at mine, and when we’re not hanging out, we’re running around town having fun.

  Lars really has stuck by what he told me at The Love Nest—he’s been trying really hard to make all of my dreams come true.

  I do the same for him too.

  But now I’m afraid things will change and our balance will be upset.

  Later that night, I share my fears with Lars.

  We’re in his bed, which, though it’s not heart-shaped, has seen just as much action lately as The Love Nest bed.

  No, wait, it’s seen much more, the latest session having wrapped up only five minutes ago.

  In fact, I’m still feeling warm and fuzzy from a slew of orgasms as I nuzzle into Lars’s warm, hard, bare body.

  Sighing, I say, “I’m scared things are going to change, especially when you get busy.”

  Holding onto me tightly, he assures, “Becca, nothing is going to change, at least not in any kind of negative way. I’ll just be doing more than working out at the gym all the time once mini-camp gets underway.”

  “I know, I know.” I shake my head. “You’re right. I feel like this shouldn’t bother me so much. You have to get back to your job, right?”

  “I do.”

  Sighing, I concede, “Maybe it’s the fear of the unknown that has me all weirded out. I don’t know, but something is nagging at me. I just can’t put my finger on it.”

  Kissing the top of my head, Lars says, “Don’t worry so much, okay? Change can be scary, yes. But I think it’s actually going to be more fun once I get busier.”

  “Yeah, how so?”

  “You can come to some of my practices and watch me do my thing in person. That’ll be cool, right?”

  “I would like that.” Raising my head, I peer up into his deep brown eyes. “I really would.”

  It’s true that I’m super excited to see my man in action on the field in person. I’ve watched so much game footage, witnessing his amazing talent, but there’s no substitute for watching him in real life.

  I’m looking forward to the games too, the ones that count.

  Too bad the season is so far away.

  Maybe that’s what’s scaring me?

  There’s so much time between now and then, where so many things could happen.

  Ugh, that overwhelming feeling of foreboding rushes back over me, like a wave of despair.

  I feel like there really is something hanging over our happiness, waiting to cut it short.

  I sense it deep in my soul.

  And that’s what has me really worried.

  No matter how irrational, and despite all of Jodi’s and Lars’s reassurances, I have a sense of dread that my world is about to be turned upside down.

  I just don’t know how, why, or when.

  Mini-Camp Surprise

  I’m running my route down the practice field, turning when and where I’m supposed to.

  Yep, there’s the ball.

  It’s a perfect pass that floats right into my hands.

  This is how it’s supposed to work.

  Cradling the football securely, I run into the end zone.

  Touchdown!

  I’m so fast that nobody was on my ass. I mean, a few guys on defense have now caught up to me, but they’re too late.

  That pass, though—perfection.

  That’s all I can think about right now, even as I celebrate with a few of my teammates on our offensive squad.

  Mini-camp is underway, and today is practice scrimmage number four. Yesterday Becca was here, watching me make my moves. I was kicking ass then too. I have to give a lot of credit to this Graham Tettersaw guy. We work well together. I’m glad the Comets brought him in for a tryout to fill the vacant starting quarterback position.

  He’s solid.

  I like him.

  I hope the team hires him.

  We need a quality QB like Tettersaw.

  I guess we’ll see where things land, as I have no say in the decision. That’s why I’m focused on simply being the best receiver I can be.

  There’s another wide receiver on the team—Zane Tinsbury. He’s been giving me some stiff competition for that number one spot. I may have been the star yesterday and today, but he’s been shining like a motherfucker, having had some great receptions earlier this week.

  Today, though, it’s all me.

  After the scrimmage ends, and once we’re on our way to the locker room, Zane catches up to me to give me props for my performance on the field.

  “Good scrimmage, man,” he says. “You looked fast and on the ball out there.”

  “Thanks.” I take off my helmet and rake my fingers through my sweat-damp hair. “I can’t take all the credit, though. This quarterback prospect the Comets brought in, Graham, is really fucking good.”

  “He is, man,” Zane agrees, nodding. “He is.”

  “I sure hope the Comets sign him.”

  We sit down on a bench and start taking off our gear when Zane replies, “Yeah, I do too. They may… or they may not.”

  “Why do you say that?” I ask.

  He shrugs. “It’s just that I’ve been hearing there are a lot of changes in store for the whole team, including a few key trades.”

  “Whoa, that’s news to me.” I swallow hard.

  This could be good… or this could be bad.

  One thing for sure, I don’t want to be traded to another team. I like it here. Hell, I bought a house not all that long ago. That’s why I stayed for the off-season, for fuck’s sake.

  But bigger than all that, what would a trade mean for me and Becca?

  Her life is here. She has her own business with Jodi, and it’s successful. It’s not like she’d give all that up for me.

  I couldn’t ask her to.

  Running a hand down my face, I ask Zane, “Have you heard of anyone specifically that’s on the trading block? Our wide receiver jobs aren’t in danger, are they?”

  He shakes his head. “Shit, man, I don’t think so. I sure as fuck hope not. But I really don’t know. My impression is pretty much any of us could be traded.”

  Fuck!

  I rake my fingers through my hair, frustrated. “Man, I can’t believe this is the first I’m hearing any of this.”

  “I assure you, it’s not the last,” Zane says. “There’s chatter that the Comets are making these decisions soon too.”

  “Crap.”

  Once I’m undressed and in a towel, I seek out Caleb before I hit the showers. I need to ask if he’s heard anything about this trade talk.

  When I find him, I express my concerns, finishing with, “Is this news to you too?”

  He tells me, “Yes, it is. I haven’t heard anything about any trades.”

  Since he’s clearly as out of the loop as I am, I fill him in on what else Zane had to say.

  Caleb blows out a breath. “We had such a horrible inaugural season. I really wouldn’t be surprised if this is all true.”

  “That’s
not exactly reassuring,” I state sourly. “But unfortunately, I think you’re right.”

  I finally hit the showers, feeling like crap.

  Becca and I have plans tonight, like we do almost every night. We’re going to have a nice, quiet dinner over at her house.

  We’ll probably hang out on her back porch afterward. The weather’s been so nice lately; perfect for lazing around on the wooden Adirondack chairs she has out there.

  Man, I love sipping iced tea with her and talking about whatever comes to mind.

  We’ve been so happy lately; we get along beautifully.

  I’m sure tonight will unfold in the same peaceful manner.

  Everything is perfection.

  Er, maybe not.

  Now that there’s trade talk hanging over my head, threatening our idyllic life, our happiness is in jeopardy.

  Do I mention what I heard today to Becca?

  Or should I keep it quiet for now?

  What to do, what to do…

  Fuck, I hate this.

  A Potential Disaster

  After Lars and I eat dinner, we head out to the porch in the back of my house to chill for a while.

  Since I live off the beaten path, down a long country road, I have only two neighbors. Neither is close. That means my back porch is private and perfect for enjoying evenings like the one tonight, with no one looking on.

  I breathe it all in when we step outside. The spring air is warm, and the smell of blossoms permeates the air.

  It’s so relaxed out back, just like Lars and I are these days.

  I can’t believe I’ve found such true happiness.

  Life is just so good.

  And, bonus, I haven’t felt uneasy lately like I did early on in our relationship. I think peace has finally found me. I’m no longer worried something will tear us apart.

  Before Lars and I sit down on the Adirondack chairs, I move mine a little closer to his. They’re already side by side, but I can never be too close to my wonderful man.

  I sigh as I take a seat, content with how our relationship is progressing. I guess my earlier concerns were for nothing.

  There’s a small table on the other side of my chair, and I set my tall glass of iced tea there. Lars has a table on his side as well and does the same, letting out a long sigh.