Hard & Deep: A Football Romance

Ollie led her to the front of the building. Sure enough, parked next to the sidewalk on Main Street was a giant, front-loading John Deere tractor. It was easily twice the size of Elsie's car.

She chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. “Ollie, you drove this thing here?”

“Yep,” Oliver said. “It took me a few minutes to figure it out, but it's actually kind of fun, once you learn how how to use the brakes. I know, I know, it's ridiculous. But I told you that I'd take you out on a proper date and part of that means that I have to pick you up. I thought you'd find it funny.”

Her smile continued to widened as she approached the metal machine that was parked in front of her physical therapy practice. The seat of it was at the same height as her head and the back wheels were taller than she was.

“I'm not mad at all,” she said, glancing toward him. “This is perfect!”

He grinned. “I thought if anyone would enjoy a unique ride, it would be you.”

“Honestly, I love it,” she said, climbing up into the seat, which looked like it would barely hold the two of them. “Anybody can take a girl on a date in a car. How many guys are willing to drive a tractor?”

Oliver laughed and climbed into the seat beside her. He grabbed the steering wheel and turned the key. The engine roared the life, rumbling underneath them.

“All I need now is a piece of grass sticking out of my mouth and I'll fit right in,” he said, putting the tractor into gear.

Elsie held onto his arm as they pulled away from the curb. She couldn't stop giggling. She sincerely loved the lengths that Ollie was willing to go in order to pick her up. It made her feel so special. Sure, she was being driven across town on an old tractor, but it didn't matter. It could have been an old bicycle for all she cared. What mattered was that he'd worked hard to make it happen and he'd done it all just for her.

“You still aren't going to tell me where we're going?” she asked, having to talk loudly over the firing of the diesel engine.

Oliver looked over. Then he did his best country boy impression. It was terrible. “Well, little lady, I reckon you and I will be moseying on over to the county fair. Last I heard, they're going to have them a merry-go-round and one of them sledge hammer games. What'dya think about that?”

“I think the County Fair sounds like fun!” she said, laughing at his impression. “But I think you'd better work on your country accent a bit. It's a little off. People might realize that you're not from around these parts.”

“I've got something for that,” he said, pulling a ball cap out of his back pocket. He slipped it on over his hair and pulled it down tight. “Or at the very least, they might not recognize me as Oliver Lance.”

r /> “It might work.” Elsie pulled the bill of his cap down a little further onto his forehead. “You better keep that on, though. If word gets out that Mr. Lance is in town, you're going to get swarmed by people who want your autograph.”

The two of them continued their journey on the tractor. Elsie was smiling on the inside as she sat next to him in the small bucket seat, which seemed to bounce up and down regardless of the fact that they weren't going over any bumps.

I haven't been to the county fair in ages, she thought. I think the last time I went was with my Uncle Frank when I was ten.

“Do you know where you're going?” Elsie asked, as Ollie turned the tractor onto a dirt road.

“Not exactly,” he said. “I thought I did, but I'm starting to wonder if this is the correct road.”

Elsie chuckled. “We can take this road. The county fair grounds are just east of town. I'll tell you when to turn.”

“Sounds good,” he said, then paused before adding, “Doc.”

She just smiled and leaned her against against his shoulder. The nickname was really starting to grow on her.

Chapter 15

Ollie

Oliver steered the tractor into the dirt parking lot near the fair. He had to park all the way in the back because it was so busy. It seemed like everybody in town was there.

“I had no idea it would be so popular,” he said, as he turned off the engine. “This must be the thing to do when the weather gets nice.”

“Oh, it is,” Elsie said. “It's a pretty big deal. I'm willing to bet that nearly every single person in town is here. Don't be surprised if I run into people that I know that want to talk my ear off. If anyone asks, you're a friend from college.”

The two of them got off of the tractor and walked hand in hand toward the fair. Ollie smiled as the sounds of the fair became louder. There were children laughing, people talking and the constant drone of the machines that powered the rides. It reminded him of his brother and how they obsessed over the rides when they were kids.

He glanced at Elsie, still shocked at how she'd slowly stolen his heart over the past few months. It hurt to think that he might not see her again after his return home. There was still the ever-lingering possibility that he could land her a job on the team, but he hadn't brought that up to her yet. He didn't want to give her false hope. He didn't want to give himself false hope, either.

“What ride do you want to go on first?” Elsie asked, squeezing his hand. “I should probably tell you right now that I'm not a huge fan of heights. So if you were thinking about doing every ride in the park, I might have to sit some out.”