Perfectly Ms. Matched(58)
They agreed on some simple routes to start out. He had a young, tall guy defending him, and the quarterback looked like he was fresh from college. But Chad was a professional, and he’d show his coaches he wasn’t a spoiled diva.
When the whistle blew, Chad took off and then turned when he hit the thirty-yard line as the play called for. But the kid throwing the ball threw way wide. Chad had to dive to catch it. He held on to the ball as his body slammed into the ground.
His defender held out a hand to help him up. “Not bad for an old guy.”
Smack talk. That was the kid’s job.
Chad fisted his hand for knuckle bump instead, then got up on his own. But old guy? He was thirty-two, for God’s sake. But his knee felt like it was eighty. How was he going to last a full hour?
He lined up again and glanced at the sidelines. A few of his coaches were still watching, but others talked amongst themselves. Rick had the head coach’s ear, and they seemed deep in conversation. It made his gut ache again.
After about twenty minutes, Chad was wishing he’d asked for another week to recover, like Jo had told him to do. He couldn’t hide his limp anymore, but he’d done well in the practice, so he was hopeful. When Coach waved him back to the sidelines, he jogged the best he could and plastered on another grin. “So, can I start next week?”
Coach narrowed his eyes. “Why don’t you go get changed, then come to my office for a quick meeting and we’ll discuss that. Rick and I want to talk to you about something else too.”
Dammit! Was Rick stabbing him in the back again?
“Sure thing, Coach. Be there in twenty.” He wanted to crawl back to the locker room but made himself jog again instead. Screw Rick. If the guy threw him under the bus, then it’d be every man for himself.
When he entered the locker room, some of his buddies were there shooting the breeze before the game. These were his real friends, guys who had each other’s backs, so he took a few minutes to greet them, told them he looked forward to the game, and then he quickly hit the shower. He didn’t look forward to standing on the sidelines for three hours, but he couldn’t sit on the bench. That’d look bad.
After he’d cleaned up, he rapped a knuckle on the coach’s office door. He and Rick were huddled over a play sheet. Chad called out, “Hey, guys.”
“Jenks. Come in.” Coach waved him inside. “Have a seat if you’d like.”
Chad stood rather than sit. If they were going to let him go, he’d take it like a man.
Coach leaned back in his chair. “First off, we’re all glad to see the progress you’ve made. Docs all said your PT did a great job, but things can get a little tricky when you’re sleeping with her. We’d like you back here now, to finish up your rehab so we can monitor you closer. Tuesday work with you?”
The smug expression on Rick’s face made Chad want to knock it right off. Heather had been the perfect little spy. He wouldn’t give Rick the satisfaction by commenting on it. “Sure. Tuesday works great.”
He’d just have to fight Linda for Ryan from San Diego. His lawyers and the private detective he’d hired were already on it. The cop he’d talked to said he’d look into Chad’s story, talk to Heather, and then get back with him. But because Chad didn’t have a formal custody agreement, it wasn’t going to be a top priority, unless he thought Ryan was in danger.
“Great.” Coach nodded. “Next we need to clear up a few things about the video and the texts the press got their hands on.”
“Okay.” Chad’s heart pounded as a surge of anger swept through him, but he was a team player first and wouldn’t mention he knew who was behind it, if he could avoid it.
Coach frowned and pulled out some notes. “First off, it’s never good when the public sees things they shouldn’t. Embarrassing for the team. The text you sent the coaching staff said you were almost one hundred percent, and then the video of you limping around showed that was a lie. You should have been truthful about your injuries, son. We have to put the best players out there each week. If you’re not honest with us and we lose, that’s on your head. Is that understood?”
Chad had never been talked to like that. He’d been an exemplary player his whole career. “Yes, sir. Won’t happen again.” He’d better not run into Rick alone anytime soon. He’d let him have it.
Coach continued, “As far as the leak goes, any publicity can be good publicity when spun right. Rick was man enough to confess his daughter had made a mistake by selling that clip to the press because she needed the money. So here’s what we’re going to do. The PR department is going to send out a statement that confirms the video and the texts were generated from a computer in your home and that you take full responsibility for their lack of security. Then you’ll apologize for any embarrassment it caused the team. Are we clear on that?”