Hard & Deep: A Football Romance

Pride washed over Oliver. He knew that he was grinning like an idiot, but he couldn't help it. He was so proud of his little brother. In fact, he was more proud of Michael's success than he was of his own.

“That's wonderful, Ollie,” Elsie said, her response so genuine that it caused goose bumps to pop up on Oliver's skin. “It takes a lot of hard work and a special kind of person to be a doctor. And Harvard... wow!”

“He's going to be amazing,” Ollie said. “He's really passionate about it and has a knack for making people feel better.”

“That's fantastic,” she replied, slowly standing up from the floor. “Keep talking while I help you stand. We're going to go to the leg extension machine and do some reps to keep the blood flowing to your injury.”

“I was really hoping that we were done for the day.” Oliver flashed a hopeful smile as he took Elsie's hands and she helped him up.

“Not quite,” she said, wrapping an arm around his waist to help steady him. “Soon, though. One more exercise to get through.”

Oliver had his arm over Elsie's shoulder, letting her help carry some of his weight. They made it to the leg extension machine and he took a seat, putting his leg in the position to use the weights. She'd put him through this exercise before and it was even less fun than the one he had just finished.

“I'm

going to set it at a low weight,” she said. He had a feeling it would still feel like a million pounds.

“Now, keep telling me about your brother,” she continued, making sure to smile at him. She had a great smile. “Does he play any sports? Is he an athlete like you?”

“No,” Oliver said, abruptly. There was a hint of anger in his voice that surprised him, even after all this time.

“No?” Elsie said, looking up to meet his gaze. Her delicate dark brows were raised.

“No, but he should have,” he said, trying to concentrate on the motion of his leg as his mind went to the past. “He was a better runner than I ever was. Kid had speed. And, if a sport had a ball, he could play it and be the best at it. A natural athlete in every way.”

“What happened?” she asked, with a concerned expression.

The memory washed over Oliver, filling his mind and body with emotion. He could still see it like it was yesterday down to the way the grass was cut.

“It was my rookie year playing for the Bandits,” Ollie said. “It was game four. My mom and brother attended all of my home games, but couldn't they make this one because Michael had a doctor's appointment. He'd been feeling sick for a while, and the doctors wanted to run some tests. My mom wasn't sure what was wrong with him, but she was worried. Even I knew something wasn't right.”

He paused for a moment, remembering it like it in real time. The way the bench felt, the sound of the crowd behind him, the feel of his phone hidden in his pocket as he waited for updates.

“I should have gone to the doctor's with them,” he said, shaking his head. “It still eats me up that I wasn't there. I spent the entire game on the bench, not even playing, while my little brother was at the doctor.”

“What happened?” Elsie asked, worry creasing her brow. A strand of hair fell in her eyes, but she didn't notice it. He thought about reaching out and moving it for her, but he stayed still.

“Cancer,” he stated, the word causing him to wince at the pain of the memory. “He was only twelve. He wanted to be the next Jordan or Babe Ruth, but that all came to a crashing halt when he got sick. He could have done it, too. He could have been a pro. He was better than me.”

“I'm so sorry, Ollie,” she said, touching the top of his hand. Oliver looked up at her touch, drawing him out of the memory. Her hand was warm and comforting against his.

She meant her words. He could see it in her eyes. It was genuine, just like every other part of her. She continued to prove to Oliver that she was actually a real person, unlike most of the people he was forced to interact with because of his career. She was the real deal and this felt like actual human interaction. He'd forgotten how good it felt.

“How's your brother now?” she asked after a moment. Her voice was soft. “How did things turn out?”

“He's cancer-free.” Ollie smiled at her. “The doctor says that he's basically cured. We caught it early and he's one of the lucky ones.”

“That's so good to hear,” she replied, relief in her voice.

A smile lit up her face and it caused Oliver's heart to skip a beat. Her lips were so beautiful, the thought of kissing her jumped into his head. He quickly shook it off. She was an ineligible receiver and he shouldn't even think of what her kiss might taste like.

“Yeah, I'm really proud of him,” he said, after a moment of pause. “He fought so hard. In fact, he became my inspiration for when things got rough. I dedicated every one of my games to him while he was in the hospital with chemo and radiation.”

“Wow,” she said. That part always impressed the ladies. She smiled at him and adjusted the knob on the machine again. “I'm sure that was a tough time.”

“It was hard,” Ollie admitted, shaking his head. “Michael was so sick. There were complications with everything. The chemo made his hair fall out and the radiation made him puke. He was almost sicker because of the treatments than he was with the cancer.”

He paused. This part of the story was hard.