The Playmaker (A Big Play Novel Book 1) (6 page)

#9:

Number 27

Tori

The stands are filled to capacity. An excited buzz vibrates the air as the crowd awaits the start of the Nelson High Raiders’ first game of the season. I shuffle past knees and over feet, heading for a couple of seats in the middle of the packed stands. Colt told me to sit front and center if I could. I thought I got here early enough to do it, but obviously not.

I nestle onto the bench and Amy plops down beside me.

“Why am I doing this again?” She scans the green field with a dubious frown.

I nudge her arm with my elbow. “Because you love me.”

Her lips twitch with a small grin.

“And because you’re like the best friend ever.”

The smile on her face spreads wide.

I wrap my arm around her shoulders and squeeze her against my side. “Come on, it’ll be fun. Colt’s helped me understand the game, and it’s actually really interesting. There’s a lot of strategy involved.”

“Are you sure it’s not just the smell of pine trees going to your head?”

A giggle rumbles my tummy. “We’ve only met in the meadow three times.” My cheeks heat when I glance at my friend. “It’s working though, right? I mean, he’s given me his full attention three times in eight days. He’s really into teaching me this stuff, and it’s like the old Colt is coming out again, the one who used to play with me and hang out.”

Amy’s forehead crinkles, so I keep talking before she can open her mouth and ruin it.

“Plus, he always smells really good and he’s so freaking hot. I love the way his lips move when he talks and the shape his muscles make when he moves.”

Amy rolls her eyes.

“I don’t care what you think, Miss Briggs. Even if nothing else comes from this, at least I have three precious afternoons to store in my memory bank.”

Her shoulders relax at my admission that I’m cool if no more comes out of this. There’s no way I can tell her I’d be devastated. My plan has to work. It just has to.

A rumble stirs in the crowd as the cheerleaders start waving their pom-poms and jumping around the edge of the field.

“Raiders! Raiders!” the crowd chants around me, erupting into a mighty cheer as the Nelson High players run onto the field.

I jump up, clapping and cheering with those around me. Amy rises to her feet, giving a few reluctant claps. I won’t let her apathy dampen my spirits. Colt invited me to this game, and I’m going to enjoy every second of it.

I scan shirts for his number and grab Amy’s arm when I spot it.

“There he is! Number 27!”

Amy wriggles free of my death grip and cranes to see him. “Nice,” she murmurs, then takes a seat.

I stay on my tiptoes, watching Colt’s every move. He’s so light and agile on his feet. For such a big guy, he moves like a ballerina running around the field. He puts on a short burst of speed, then tapers off, handing the practice ball over to Finn as they jog to the sideline.

The crowd takes their seat and I finally sit down to watch. My legs are jittering, nervous energy pumping out of me as I finger the hole in my jeans. I bought them on the weekend, pre-holed skinny jeans that hug my butt. I also ditched my usual tie-dye shirt for a plain black tank. Just quietly, I miss the color and feel kind of drab, but it’s the exact outfit that was on display in the window and the sales clerk said I looked hot.

I need to look hot tonight.

Colt told me that, after the game, I should check out the bonfire at Riley’s. They have one after every Friday night game. One of the Raiders’ defensive players—Benson Riley—lives on a farm just out of town and his dad used to be a Nelson High Raider, so he turns a blind eye to his son’s post-game antics. I don’t know what really goes on at these bonfires, but I’ve heard some pretty wicked rumors.

Whether they’re true or not, I’m going to this bonfire tonight. Colt and I have had three amazing afternoons at the meadow near my place. I still don’t know how he feels about me, but the last time we had some really good laughs. That’s got to be good, right?

Play begins and I lose myself in the game. Now that I understand (mostly) what’s going on, I’m able to follow along. I shout explanations to Amy during the exciting parts, but she doesn’t seem to care either way. I feel a little bad for dragging her here when she obviously isn’t interested, but that’s what friends do for each other. I’ve had to suffer through numerous coffees at the cafe next to Briggs Burger House so Amy can get her flirt on with the guy behind the counter. I don’t even like hot drinks, but I sipped away at them, being the friend she needed me to be.

It’s her turn now, and I love her for it.

“Go, go, go, go!” I yell, jumping to my feet as Colt dodges a player and shoots through the gap. A Raider charges in front of him, blocking a tackle from Colt’s right. My number 27 puts on an extra burst of speed and races across the line, scoring an easy touchdown. I cheer with the rest of the Nelson High supporters, my voice going hoarse as I try to be heard above them all.

Finn and Colt celebrate together, pounding fists, then slapping each other on the back. Tyler runs over and jumps on Colt’s back, letting out a loud whoop. The crowd cheers even louder and I lose sight of them as the tower in front of me stands and blocks my view. I peek around him and glimpse the trio jogging to the sidelines.

Everyone sits and my view is restored. A smile lights my lips as I watch the coach say something to Colt. He pulls off his helmet and we all get blessed with his stunning smile as he nods at Coach Watson’s words. My heart swells in my chest, the game behind Colt forgotten as I watch him move down the sideline.

He slaps a few high-fives as he ambles past the players who are already seated. I want him to look into the stands so I can wave and give him a thumbs-up, but someone else calls his name.

His head whips in the direction of the cheer squad. A sexy, lopsided grin pulls at his lips and he turns to face the girls. Two of them are leaning against the fence, all flirty, as they call something to him. He shouts something back and one of them tips her head back, her shiny ponytail swinging over her shoulder as she laughs.

I scowl, not immune to the jealousy ripping through me.

“You’re not his girlfriend,” Amy whispers in my ear. “He thinks you’re after Mack, remember?”

I whip around to face her, my scowl deepening.

She raises her hands. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s
your
plan. I’m only stating the obvious.”

My face crumples and I look back at the cheerleaders with their perfect ponytails and little skirts. “Maybe I need to become a cheerleader.”

I glance over my shoulder in time to see Amy’s eyes bulge. “Are you kidding me? No offense, sweetness, but you can’t really dance.”

“Yes, I can.”

“In your pajamas, on your bed when you’re goofing off, but come on, Tori. You…” She sighs, no doubt hindered by my sad expression.

She wraps her arm around my shoulders and gives me a tight smile. “You don’t need to dance to win over Colt Burgess. Forget the cheerleaders. I bet none of them have met him in a meadow this week.”

Her wink and encouraging words wipe the frown off my face. I grin and mouth, “Thank you,” before turning back to the girls. Colt is still calling out to them, looking all flirty and gorgeous.

Doubts scour me while I reassess my plan and wonder how I can become more like the girls he wants to be with.

#10:

Vanilla

Colt

I’m pumped after the game.

42 - 12.

You can’t get a better start to the season than that. The guys are all on a high as we lumber through the grass and set up around the bonfire Benson and his friends are building.

The isolated field at the back of Mr. Riley’s farm will soon be humming with students, all buzzing and excited after such a strong win. I grin at Tyler as he grunts and places the keg down.

I drop the Solo cups next to him and chuckle. “You have to be grateful your uncle owns the liquor store.”

“Dude, it’s the world’s best Christmas present.”

We laugh and pump fists. Mack slaps me on the back, pushing me away from the keg so he can snatch a cup off the ground. “Nice running tonight, Trig.”

I nod at his compliment. “The line found me all the right gaps.”

“Yeah, made easy by sloppy defense.”

“I know, right? They were all over the place.”

“It doesn’t help that their coach is a geriatric.” Finn and two of his linemen, Darius and Will, appear behind me.

We all laugh. I take the cup from Mack and wait until all of us are holding one.

Raising his in the air, Mack shouts, “To a great start for what will be the best season the Nelson Raiders have ever seen!”

“Yeah!” Tyler slaps his cup against mine, spilling beer over my hand.

We gulp back the brew and laugh, still pumped from our triumph. It’s going to be a good night. It’s going to be a good year!

I swallow down another mouthful of amber liquid and try not to think about how quickly it will fly past. Soon, I’ll be facing the inevitable upheaval of the current Nelson Raiders disintegrating as we all go our separate ways. Except for Mack. He’s already had a verbal offer from the Boise State Broncos. He doesn’t have to worry about grades and play time like I do. He had a great season last year and the offer came in over the summer. His dad played quarterback for Boise State back in the day, which no doubt helped. The scouts have been watching him for a long time now. I’m not jealous or anything. Okay, I totally am. If only it came that easy for me. All I can hope is that after the summer, Mack and I will be driving out of here together.

Finn decided in July that he wants to do a building apprenticeship with his dad, which means he won’t be coming to Boise State like we talked about. Tyler is a junior, so he doesn’t have to stress for at least another year. Either way, this time next year, I won’t be standing on Mr. Riley’s field, drinking beer with my boys.

New sets of headlights appear down the road as a steady stream of partygoers arrives. They park on the verge and clamber out of their vehicles, jumping the fence with various whoops and cheers. Everyone seems more excited than usual. It’s our first real bonfire of the season.

I spot Tori climbing the fence with a grumpy-looking Amy. She holds her friend’s arm as they stumble through the grass together. The twilight casts a glow on Tori’s face. She has her hair tied in this long braid over her left shoulder, but it isn’t enough to tame her wild locks. A few loose curls have broken free and frame her face. She blows one off her cheek, then giggles at something Amy says.

A sharp twang pinches my stomach and I look away. Maybe inviting her was a really bad idea. She looks too cute and innocent to be hanging out with the likes of us. It doesn’t help that she’s covered her body in clothing that once again shows off her curves. The tank hugging her torso looks soft. I can picture my hands running over it, feeling the smooth fabric…and the firm body beneath it.

What the hell?

Why am I even thinking that shit?

She’s here for
Mack
, and I said I’d help her get him. So far, she’s playing this all perfectly. I told her to wear something that would draw the eye and she has. Now all she has to do is strike up a little football talk and she’ll be on her way.

I look across the field again and notice that she’s slowed her approach. The duo lingers by a patch of trees that hides them in the shadows. A frown pushes my eyebrows together. What are they doing? I thought she wanted to flirt with the quarterback.

I narrow my eyes and peer through the growing darkness, convinced she’s watching our group. Checking that the guys aren’t looking, I flick my head at her, beckoning her to move a little closer.

She hesitates then takes a step forward. My lips fight a smile as I get a clear shot of her nervous expression. She wrings her hands then shoves them into her pockets after a whisper from Amy.

I glance at my friends again. They’re engrossed in some post-game convo, so I stare back at Tori and give her a pointed look.

“Get over here,” I mouth and point at the back of Mack’s shirt.

Her face creases with a skittish smile and I jerk my arm, summoning her for the final time. With a little huff, she pulls back her shoulders and strides over to the edge of the fire, which is now roaring behind me. I turn to look down at her. The heat from the flames warms my skin.

“Say hi,” I whisper out the side of my mouth. “Ask for a beer.”

“But I don’t want beer,” she whispers back.

“Doesn’t matter, ask for one anyway. You can dump it in the grass when he’s not looking.”

“Fine.” She flashes me a toothy grin and brushes past me.

She smells like vanilla again.

“Hey, guys.” Her voice quivers with nerves while Amy mutters beside me, “I don’t know if I can watch this.”

I give her a sharp glare before turning my attention back to Tori and her potential train wreck.

“Uh, hey, Pixie Girl.” Finn gives her a confused smile, but it soon turns genuine when she waves her fingers at him.

She clears her throat then starts fidgeting with her long necklace, running the aqua stone pendant up and down the chain. “So, those are big red cups. You must get a lot of beer in those things. You guys must drink a lot of beer after a game. Do you like beer? I mean, is it good for you to drink after a game? I’m guessing it’s okay. You guys wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t, right?” Her laughter is breathy and excited.

Finn gives her a bemused frown while Mack’s confused expression morphs to a
what the hell are you doing here
kind of look.

I swallow and close my eyes, feeling like an asshole for not prepping her better. I forgot how she turns into a blabbermouth when she’s really nervous. I open my eyes and spot her about to start up another verbal cacophony. I step in before she can utter the first syllable.

“Do you want one?” I point to the keg.

My question receives an eye bulge from Tyler and a snicker from Darius. I ignore them both and lift my chin at Mack. “Want to pour the ladies a drink?”

Mack looks at me like I’ve grown two heads, but bends down and delivers.

Tori takes her cup with a jittery thank you, then throws me a silent SOS.

“The game,” I mouth while Mack is busy pouring Amy’s drink. “Talk about the game.”

Surely she can’t screw that conversation up. I’ve met her three times to go over football rules and strategies, lingo, and common plays. Her comments and questions told me she picked it up pretty quickly. I actually had fun teaching her about my favorite sport.

“So.” Tori clears her throat. “Awesome game tonight. You guys were amazing.”

Her eyes skim mine, and I flick my head at Mack. She turns her attention to him and smiles. “That pass you did in the third quarter was a thing of beauty. I thought you were going to go for the handoff, but then you swung around and…” She imitates him throwing the ball, her face glowing with admiration. “It was perfect.”

Mack’s hard expression softens, a smile touching the edge of his mouth. “Thanks.”

Tori’s smile is magnificent. Her lips make such a pretty shape when she flashes her teeth like that. My gut pitches as Mack’s gaze travels her body. I’ve never seen him check out a girl like Tori. But this is good, this is what we want. So why do I feel like I’ve just downed a glass of sour milk?

I clench my jaw as Mack leans into her. “Never knew you were a football fan.”

“Oh, you know.” She shrugs. “I’ve learned a little about the game and I really like it. Watching you is…a pleasure.”

Her cheeks heat with color and I glance away, not willing to witness Mack’s reaction. I should be pleased. Tori is getting what she wants, and it’s taken me less than two weeks to secure it for her.

Job done. Time for me to start working the crowd for my evening’s entertainment.

Amy’s standing beside me, her fingers flying over her screen as she texts someone. I wrinkle my nose and look over her head, wondering where the cheerleaders are. I spot a group of them on the other side of the fire, working their way around to us. I don’t see Layla, but notice Roxy and her friend, Michelle. Those two are always good company. I make a shift toward them, but am stopped by Finn’s deep voice.

“Hey, Mack.” He slaps his friend’s shoulder. The expression on his face is dark enough for me to follow his pointing finger. In fact, our entire group turns to see Mack’s younger sister, Layla, going for it with some guy none of us know.

“Who the hell is that?” Mack’s voice has a razor-sharp edge that makes Tori’s eyes pop. She takes a small step away from him and looks across the field.

“I’ve never seen him before.” Finn narrows his dark eyes. “He’s not from Brownridge, is he?”

“He better not be,” Mack growls.

Tyler tips his head. “His hand’s up her skirt, right? I’m not just imagining that, am I?”

“No, you’re not.” Mack’s voice is flat and resigned. I cringe for him. He has to deal with this kind of thing a lot.

With a heavy huff, he shakes his head and shifts through our crowd, stomping around the fire to confront Mr. Handsy. As usual, Finn and Tyler follow in his wake. If you need a backup crew, Finn and Ty are your men. I swear, if I ever do anything illegal, they’ll be the first two I call to help me out.

I should be striding over there with them to get rid of the strange guy, but I don’t want to leave Tori and Amy alone. This is their first time at a bonfire and since they arrived, the crowd has seriously multiplied. The cheerleaders are lurking to their left and behind them, a mass of testosterone is gathering around the keg.

Shuffling to the side, I park myself next to Tori as she watches the scene unfold. Her eyes are wide, her soft lips parting when Mack yanks the guy off his sister and starts yelling in his face. We can’t hear everything being said, but Layla is slapping her brother on the back.

“Screw you! You’re not my father!” Her high-pitched voice travels across to us.

I wince and Tori covers her mouth with her hand. She looks up at me and all I can do is shrug.

I’ve seen this before—quite a few times, actually. Layla’s pretty easy when it comes to the male population, and it seems to be Mack’s mission in life to beat any guy who tries to take advantage of that. Some would call it overprotective, but they don’t know the whole story. If I had Mack and Layla’s history, I’d be acting exactly the same way.

Mack grabs the guy’s collar and pulls him close. I can’t make out his low growl, but the guy’s skin pales in the firelight. He shakes himself free and shoves Mack away before retreating into the darkness. Mack makes a move to go after him, but Tyler holds him back. Finn stands between the siblings as they start yelling at each other.

One is hollering at Finn’s back while the other hisses in his face. Neither is talking to him directly, but their words can’t breach his thick chest.

Tori shivers beside me, goose bumps rippling over her skin.

“You cold?” I instinctively move to put my arm around her but check myself just in time. I bury my hands in my jacket pockets.

She rubs her arms, shaking her head like she’s in shock or something. “I’m okay. I guess I’ve just never seen this kind of thing before. Only in movies.”

“You don’t get out much, do you?”

She snickers and nudges me with her little elbow. “I don’t get out to places like
this
, that’s all. It’s kind of new territory for me.”

I press my lips together to hide my smile. “You sure you want to join this world?”

Her eyes glance over mine before she dips her head and whispers, “I have to, Colt. It’s the only way I’m going to get what I want.”

The words send a chill through me. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the way she whispered them…or maybe it’s the fact I’m worried she’ll get hurt if the guy she wants doesn’t actually want her back.