Page 101 of Dirty Player
She rested a soft hand on his forearm. “It’s fine, dear. Honest, he was okay.”
“He looks tired.”
“You worry too much.”
He rolled his eyes and looked at me. I was chewing my bottom lip. In truth, Sean looked exhausted and his skin was a bit pale. I had never met him, but he did seem like a man Oliver had the right to be concerned about. He’d told me frequently over the past few weeks that he thought his dad was constantly overdoing it, not taking into consideration that at nearing seventy, he wasn’t as capable as he used to be.
“Somebody needs to worry,” Oliver muttered, but followed his mom into the restaurant.
When we were seated, his frustration seemed to evaporate while we sat around and ate. His parents were kind and quick to laugh. Sean was boisterous and had no problems criticizing Oliver’s playing to which, shockingly, Oliver took with a quick nod and “yes, sir” even while I knew he was trying not to roll his eyes. In front of me, he seemed to change from superstar, cocky football player to respectful Southern son in the blink of an eye.
Both sides of him had me squirming in my seat. Was there anything he did that didn’t make him sexier to me?
I doubted it.
Grace, on the other hand, was quiet with a serene presence. She added in her two cents in a way where you wanted to lean in and listen more closely. Soft-spoken and mild-mannered, she held a wisdom in her eyes that made you respect her instantly, and at the same time want to sit next to her with a cool glass of lemonade and justbe.
I was in love with the entire family by the time breakfast was done.
“I need to get to the stadium,” Oliver said, kissing me on the cheek after he’d had our bill charged to his room. His parents had excused themselves for the restroom and we were alone at our table. “You sure you and Melissa are okay getting there on your own? I can have a driver pick you up.”
I shook my head. He’d already asked and offered, but Melissa and I wanted to enter the stadium like regular fans. There was always something about the excitement in the air, the hope of victory, and the spark of a new season that made the first home game different from any others.
It’d be a pain in the ass, but worth the experience.
The driver he’d ordered for his parents was going to be there any moment. They would go to the game and enter the stadium through the family and players’ entrance so they didn’t have to deal with the crowds.
“We’ll be fine,” I said, stressing each syllable. “Don’t worry about us, I swear. We’ll be in the box before kickoff and I’ll cheer for you and Beaux every play.”
His lips pulled tight and he frowned. His gaze flickered to his dad’s empty chair before returning to mine and he dropped his voice. “Do me a favor? Make sure Dad doesn’t get too excited. He looks worse today than he did last time I saw him.”
“Okay.”
“I’m probably being stupid,” he said, still whispering. “I just don’t have a good feeling about today. Or the game. Or something.”
I pressed my hands to his cheeks. “It’ll be fine. He’ll be fine. You’ll win, and it’s probably just nerves.”
A line deepened between his brows before he nodded. “You’re probably right.”
“I love you,” I whispered, leaning in and brushing his lips against mine. “Go kick some ass. Score some touchdowns. All that good stuff.”
He laughed softly before he deepened the closed-mouth kiss. “Be good.”
“I will,” I promised and pulled back. “I love you. And tell Beaux I said good luck, too.”
I’d already texted my brother, and he’d responded, but it wasn’t often I didn’t see him before a game I attended. Usually, he was the one driving me.
“Will do. Love you, too.” He pushed back from his chair before leaning over me, kissing me again like he couldn’t leave without the taste of me on his lips.
“Go Rough Riders!” I cheered, pumping my fist in the air.
A few people turned and looked our way but most didn’t hear me. So when Oliver leaned back down and playfully growled, “I’ll show you a rough ride later,” I was thankful no one saw the blush that stained my cheeks when he tugged a lock of my hair before he walked away from me.
***
“I can’t believe this game is so close,” Melissa said, sitting next to me on the chairs just outside the box. Sean and Grace were inside getting more food, because I’d learned that while Grace was soft-spoken and kind earlier, she also really liked to take care of her husband. Making sure he kept his plate and drink filled during the game seemed like her duty.
“I know.” My fingernails had been in between my teeth all game. Two of them were completely gone already. The crowd was insanely loud, and more than once I’d wished we were down at the fifty-yard line, cheering from my usual seats. There was something different about being up so high, in your own little box. It made me feel removed from the excitement and wonder of the game and the anticipation in the crowd.
