I grinned down at her, the ache disappearing as I realized just how much faith she had in me. This woman breathed football. She could spot, in an instant, the good players from the bad. I knew she thought I was good enough to go pro. But the words about Coach building a team good enough for me…it left me sort of breathless.
“When do you have to decide?” Dad asked.
“New Year’s,” I said.
“So, we have a few days to think about it?” Mama asked, but I think she knew we really didn’t. I think she knew it was going to take a mountain to move me like it normally did. I wasn’t trying to be a stubborn asshole this time. I was just trying to make my dreams happen.
Grandma clapped her hands together. “And on that note, time to move on. We have a lot of trees to take down.”
She led the family out of the house. Dad, Maleena, and I were the last ones to leave. He shoved his hands into his front pockets, in a stance that usually meant he was thinking. He looked good for a man of fifty. His fans still ate him up like he was chocolate cake.
I drew Maleena’s hand into mine, and Dad noticed. He took in our joined fingers before looking at our faces with a wry smile.
“This is a pretty big decision. I wish you’d told us about it earlier,” he finally said, and I heard the hurt behind his words. I’d hurt my family, which was almost as bad as disappointing Coach.
“Yeah. I should have,” I said.
“All I want, for each one of you, is for you to follow your dreams.”
“But?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Not so much a but…a precaution. Having a degree would give you something to fall back on if things don’t pan out. If I had my degree in music, I could’ve used it if I’d needed it.”
“I’m not going to need it,” I said, sure of that with every fiber of my being.
“I hope to God you don’t. I hope you don’t ever get seriously hurt. I hope you play until you’re in your forties like Peyton Manning. But those aren’t your odds, and you know it.”
We reached Uncle Lonnie’s porch, and our feet slowed. The air became quiet once more as the others went into the house, leaving the three of us outside in the weather that had been screaming snow for days.
“You act like I can’t go back to school when I’m in my thirties,” I said with a shrug.
“You’re not going to want to go back when you’re thirty,” he said.
I couldn’t argue with him. I probably wouldn’t. I pretty much hated it now.
“Look, following your heart is the most important thing to do in this world. If you’re passionate and willing to work hard for your dreams, they’ll happen. Just make sure you’ve also thought through the consequences before you jump.”
I nodded. “Thanks for not pushing me to stay.”
“You kids are all about to step into a future we can’t protect you from. It’s hard, as a parent, to let you make these huge choices on your own. For better or worse.”
“I know what I’m doing.”
Dad nodded, staring in the window at the family. “You do. It’s actually Ginny I worry about the most.”
His words surprised me, because my twin was the the most put-together of all of us kids.
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“She’s the most like your mom. Making sure everyone else is okay. Living the smaller life because she doesn’t want to let anyone down.”
“Mom didn’t live a small life,” I said, believing that with every inch of me.
“Because I pushed her out of it. Ginny won’t hear it from me. She needs her own person to push her out of her comfort zone,” he said, as we watched the family start to dismantle the flocked tree Aunt Wynn had up. Then, he switched back to me. “We need to get you a good agent. I’m sure Blake could put out feelers.”
“I have one that’s been trying to get me to sign, but I’d love for Blake to find out what people say about him.”
“Are you talking about Harding?” Maleena asked, because she knew, more than anyone, the agents who’d been hounding me since my freshman year.
I nodded.
“He’s okay. Not as good as Baldwin, in my opinion, but I know you pretty much hate Baldwin.”
Dad took her in and smiled.
“Maybe you don’t need Blake after all.”
I returned his smile, pulling Maleena into my chest and kissing the top of her head. My heart about soared out of my body when she didn’t resist me. The fact that she didn’t care when I was declaring our relationship as much more than friendship filled my heart to the brim once more.
“She’s pretty much the only thing I need,” I spoke the truth.
Dad’s smile widened until it about split his face in two. “That’s probably the best thing you’ve told me all day.”
♫ ♫ ♫
We’d made our rounds to the Brennan’s, Swayne’s, and Phillips’ houses before we ended at Aunt Cam and Uncle Blake’s. The ranch was the place we’d all gathered more than any other growing up. When we were younger, after we’d finished with the Christmas trees and eaten our fill of the desserts, we’d go out and play in the barn or ride the horses that had made the ranch famous.
These days, the kids usually congregated with beers, cocktails, or hot cider around the pool table. There were plenty of us who still weren’t twenty-one, but no one seemed to make a fuss as long as we weren’t driving.
While my chest had eased from the weight of telling my family about the draft, it tightened back up at each stop with the strangled looks and hushed talk that Eliza and Brett were exchanging. I’d liked Brett every time I’d met him back at UTK. He’d been a gentleman to Eliza and seemed to truly care for her. Like he was looking out for her.
Now I wasn’t sure what to feel, because Eliza was more wound up than usual.
Mayson eased up next to me, watching Brett and Eliza’s exchange. “We need to kick someone’s ass?”
I shrugged. “Not sure yet. He’s always been good to her.”
Maleena pulled at my hand. “You are not going to insert yourself into her business.”
“I won’t. Not yet. But if it looks like he’s going to break her heart, I’ll be threatening his balls, his dick, and his brains.”
“Isn’t that exactly what you told that skinny-ass kid who was harassing her in high school?” Mayson asked.
“And every other sick little shit who tried to mess with Ginny, Eliza, or Khiley,” I said.
Mayson laughed. “We never really had to worry about Khiley.”
We both looked over to where the lovebirds were sitting, tangled together on the windowseat, each with a protective hand over Khiley’s belly.
“True. She had a built-in shield.”
“We could plunge Brett into the ice-cold lake like we did the guy who’d dated Edie and slept with her best friend on the side.”