Double Daddy Trouble

The entire stadium was hushed in an eerie silence. They were waiting to see what would happen. They were watching for the stretcher or the cart.

I raised my thumb in the air and the stands erupted. I couldn’t use my bad leg, but I balanced all my weight on my right and carefully rose to a standing position. I was glad my helmet was still on. They would have seen the tears seep from the corners of my eyes with every step I took.

Dylan was next to me. “Give me your arm or something. Don’t be a fucking idiot.”

“No,” I barked. “I’m walking to the locker room.”

“Then I’m walking with your stubborn ass.”

“Fine.” I pressed my lips together. He marched beside me, giving me distance as I shuffled off the field.

By the time I reached the locker room I was gripping the wall for support. The pain was searing through me. “Fuck,” I groaned.

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Doc was right behind me. “Get him in the back of that ambulance immediately.” He pointed to his assistants. There were no cameras. No fans.

“I’ve gotta get back out there,” Dylan explained. “The injury time out won’t last forever.”

“Go,” I ordered. “Just win the damn game.”

He jogged back toward the tunnel.

I let them load me into the back of the van. They could have slowed down. My knee was already busted. Getting to the hospital wasn’t going to change that.

I stared at the ceiling as the ambulance whirled out from under the stadium.

Thirty-Four

Vanessa

“Where did they take him?” I was frantic, but I had to keep my composure in front of my grandparents’ friends who now filled the family box.

Steve had stopped by to see if I wanted to release a statement about Isaac before we had a hospital report.

“He’s going to the beset hospital in Austin,” he replied. “He’ll have the best treatment. You can count on that.”

“Text me the address.” I grabbed my bag. “I need to go.”

Grammy’s hand landed on my wrist. “Why would you do that?”

I looked at her. “I-I need to make sure one of our players is ok. He doesn’t have family here.” I would come up with twenty more excuses to get there if I had to.

She turned back to the game, talking to me over her shoulder. “We’re on the ten. Sit down, Vanessa. Someone else from the office can check on Price.”

I glared at the back of her head.

“He’s my player,” I retorted. “Steve, can you have a car take me?”

I was too rattled to drive. I had seen Isaac’s injury replayed on the jumbo-tron. I saw the pain he was in. I had to get there.

“Of course,” Steve responded. He retrieved his cell phone.

“Your fiancé is on the field,” Grammy quipped. “I’d think you’d want to watch him.” She motioned for me to lean down. I bent my ear toward her ear. “It won’t look favorable if you leave during this game. You can check on Isaac Price’s condition later. Steve will update you.”

I felt the walls of my chest tighten. My ribs were strangling my lungs.

In that moment, I felt as if I hated her. Hated what she had become. All the things she never did. Maybe all the things she did.