Hard & Deep: A Football Romance

Even from way up in the club seats, Elsie could see his smile. Her heart reached for him. It was strange and confusing. A few minutes before she had hated the guy and now, after seeing what he'd done for her and her family, she began to love him again. It was an uncomfortable and odd combination of emotions.

I can't cry here, she thought. Not in front of my family. For all they know, everything between Ollie and I is going really well.

She breathed in and exhaled slowly, releasing her tension. When she glanced to her side, she saw that her two nephews had their faces pressed against the glass. They were watching with wide eyes and admiration. The two little league players were seeing their first real game and from the best seats in the entire stadium.

“Are you guys excited?” Elsie asked them.

They both looked over and nodded eagerly. The youngest one spoke up. “This is so awesome, Aunt Elsie!”

“Who do you think is going to win?” Elsie asked.

He shrugged. “The Bandits, of course. Nobody can beat Oliver Lance.”

She couldn't help but to smile in response. The kid was probably right. Nobody could beat the great Oliver Lance. When Elsie looked back out toward the field, she saw a young man in a suit step out onto the grass to begin singing the national anthem.

Ollie was standing on the sidelines with his team, holding his helmet over his heart. He kept his head down for most of the song, except the part when the girl began to sing “...and the rocket's red glare.” It was then that he glanced up toward the club seats, or at least that was where he appeared to be looking. It was difficult to tell, because he was quite a distance away, but Elsie thought she could feel his gaze. She took a step back from the glass and resumed her seat next to her uncle.

I don't want him to know I'm here, she thought. I'm still mad at him.

“Everything okay, Elsie?” Uncle Frank asked, patting her knee.

“Yeah, Uncle Frank. Everything is fine. I'm just still getting over the shock of this,” she said. “Who are you rooting for?”

“You know the Bandit's aren't exactly my team, but I'm rooting for them because if it wasn't for Oliver, I wouldn't be sitting here right now,” he said, with a smile.

“Fair enough.” Elsie smiled back. It was nice to see her uncle happy. “They do have a pretty good quarterback. From what I hear anyway.”

Frank laughed and pulled her in for a one-armed hug. “It's nice to see you again, Elsie. I missed you. I know you've only been gone for a few days but it has been strange not having you around.”

“I missed you, too, Uncle Frank,” she said, with a sigh.

“Aunt Elsie! Aunt Elsie! The game is starting!” Her nephews squealed. “They're about to kick off!”

I guess it's time to find out how well his recovery actually went by how well he plays today, she thought, bringing her attention forward. And time for me to figure out what the hell I'm going to do about my relationship with him.

Chapter 26

Elsie

Although Elsie had made the decision to cheer for the other team, she couldn't stick to it for very long. Her family had instantly become Bandit's biggest fans and the entire room became a riot of celebration with every completed pass that Oliver threw. By the time the second half had started, Elsie was cheering right along with them, rooting for Ollie and his team.

He was playing well, besides the fact that he did seem kind of nervous. Even the commentators had taken notice of it. They'd said several times that he appeared to be distracted and they'd caught him looking up toward the box seats on more than one occasion.

Is he looking for me? She'd asked herself each time they mentioned it. He must be, right?

The game clock continued on and by the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, it was clear that the Bandit's were going to win. With a fourteen point lead, they weren't going to be caught. As the game drew to a close, Elsie was forced to make a decision. She could either head back to Iowa or she could stay there and give Oliver a chance to explain himself.

I'm so torn, she thought wishing that the big clock on the screen would just stop counting down.

Her family and everyone in the stadium in the stadium but her cheered as the game clock went to zero. Ollie had just won the first game of the season, and the first game since his accident. Elsie's nephews ran up to her, each one wrapping their arms around one of her legs.

“They won, Aunt Elsie!” they squealed. “Told you Oliver couldn't be beat.”

“Yeah, you were right.” She ruffled up their hair, chuckling to herself. “I guess he's pretty good, isn't he?”

The door to the club seating opened up behind her and she glanced back to

see a man in a black suit. He was wearing a white dress shirt with a narrow blue tie.