Fourth Down (Portland Pioneers 1)

Thankfully, the room is clear of any team members when I walk in. I change quickly, run a comb through my hair and grab my things. On my way out, I pass a few staff members who greet me, but don’t tell me I had a good game because they know I didn’t and there is zero point in lying to me. I sucked ass and I should’ve been benched. Hell, if I were the coach, I would’ve sat my ass after my first fumble.

The parking lot is empty of cars except for a few. I think I’m in the clear until I hear my name. Elena and the kids are coming toward me. I drop by bag and crouch down, waiting for their tiny arms to wrap around me. They’re my salvation, my reason for living.

“Tough game, Dad.”

“I know, buddy. I’ll do better next time,” I tell Reggie.

“Guess we aren’t going to watch the game film, huh?”

I shake my head. “Miss Peyton is going to have enough to say to me when I see her on Monday, I don’t want to have to live through it more than once.” Reggie nods. For being eight, he gets it.

“How come you guys are still here?” It’s rare that they wait for me after the game. Since Elena left, my parents have taken on the responsibility of taking the kids home after the game.

“Mom said we should wait for you.”

I glance at Elena, who waves. The gesture is off-putting. “Go wait in the car, okay. Reggie, make sure Roxy gets buckled up.” My son reaches for his sister’s hand and takes her toward the SUV. When they’re inside and the door is shut, Elena comes toward me with her arms out as if she’s going to hug me.

I hold my hands up, motioning for her to stop. “What the fuck, Elena?”

“What?” she asks, looking surprised.

“What do you mean ‘what’? What are you doing here? More importantly, why are you still here?”

“Julius, stop.”

“No, I won’t stop. You chose another man over your husband, over your family. And you think it’s okay to show up here, with your family in tow, to what, freeload off of me? How come you’re here but couldn’t make it to Reggie’s game yesterday? Neither could your parents?” Just as I mention her parents, they appear from behind my SUV and walk toward us. “Fucking great,” I mutter. “I don’t have the patience to deal with your shit, Elena. Or this,” I say as I point to her father.

“Julius,” her mother says. “All this fighting isn’t good for the children.”

“No shit,” I say. “But neither is showing up unexpectedly at my game, pretending like we’re all one big happy family. I played like shit today because of you.” I point at Elena who gasps. Her father puts his hand on my arm and I swing my arm up to get him away from me.

He stumbles and goes down onto his knee. Elena and her mother start yelling, and I can hear the kids crying from inside the car.

“I’m done. I’m so fucking done, Elena.” I head to my car, needing to get to my kids. There’s a voice in the back of my head telling me to look over my shoulder, and when I do, I find Weather Girl there, watching everything.

“Just fucking wonderful.”

Nine

Autumn

Despite it being fall, the weather in Portland is gorgeous. The days are unseasonably warm—at least to me—and the colors of the leaves are so vibrant, I feel like I’m looking at a painting. Each morning, I start my day with a run along the harbor and stop at one of the many food trucks I come across for breakfast on my way back. Some days, I sit on one of the many benches and people watch. It’s incredible what kind of stories you can come up with about someone you don’t know just by focusing on what they’re doing.

I’ve created a nice routine for myself. On Tuesdays, I meet Peyton for brunch. It’s her one day off during the season, and we’re taking advantage of it. Every day, I tell Aiden I’m thankful he mentioned her on my first day because she and I have bonded and become really great friends. I’m grateful for her and also for Noah, who is one of the nicest men I’ve met in a long time. That’s not to say the teammates Noah’s introduced me to aren’t lovely. Most are, except that one.

That one, in particular, seems to hate me, and I can’t figure out why. Julius definitely has the wrong idea about me, and from what Peyton has told me, he’s one of the nicest guys out there. I don’t see it, especially after everything I witnessed on Sunday, which I plan to ask Peyton about when I see her.