Rookie Move (Playing for Keeps 1)

“Yeah, why the fuck do you care so much?” Cross chimed in next. “I want to win a motherfucking Super Bowl, and we can do that with McRae and Ramsey. Why does it matter if they bone?”

“This is the way it is,” Coach said, his tone brooking no further argument. “Unless it turns out that the Rush organization is better off without one or both of them, Ramsey and McRae will stay on the team just like the rest of you. The only time you’re not all equally safe is if you do something wrong or if a trade is the natural part of the game. Ramsey and McRae have already proven football comes first. I can’t imagine it was easy for Ramsey to play after McRae’s injury, but he did, and that’s what I care about. Now, this conversation is done. If anyone has a problem, they can talk to me privately. Have a good off-season, guys, and get ready to get us a motherfucking ring next season.”

Everyone except Nance and one or two other guys cheered. Nance grabbed his shit and walked out, slamming the door behind him. It sucked, but I wasn’t surprised. I just hoped we could all find a way to play together next season.

Coach eyed Nance as he left, then turned to us. “I’ll talk to him in private,” he assured us, then lingered, arms crossed, as a few people came up to talk to us and offer their support.

And when G and I headed out, we headed out together and proud.

“You know we gotta win next season, right? Shut all the haters up?” Garrett asked.

“Fuck yeah. I’m not accepting any other possibility.”

“If Ramsey wills it so, then it will be.”

I looked at him and laughed. “What the fuck was that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Aww. My boyfriend is such a dork.” I grabbed him right there in the middle of the practice facility parking lot, pulled him into a hug, and kissed him. If someone saw, well, I hoped they enjoyed the show. We were hot as fuck together.

“You like doing that—calling me your boyfriend.”

“Eh, it’s all right.”

“Yeah, right. All I did was give you the look one time, and then I threw out the line, reeled you in, and now you’re in love with me. I’m even better than I thought.”

“Wait…didn’t you say you loved me for years or some shit?”

Garrett pushed me, and we laughed before hugging again. Goddamn, I was so happy. “I love you, G,” I told him, mouth close to his ear.

“I love you too.”

EPILOGUE

GARRETT

“Damn, that’s a lot of meat,” Houston said, then reached out and preemptively covered my mouth with one hand as he tossed the lighter onto the island, where Ramsey and I were in the midst of slathering sauce and seasonings onto trays of chicken, burgers, and ribs.

“I wasn’t going to say anything.”

Houston must have understood my garbled response well enough because he relented, starting to lower his hand only to smack it over my mouth again when I opened it.

Ramsey and I both cracked up, and I shoved Houston’s hand away. “See, this is me not making a dumb meat joke.”

Ramsey eyed me sidelong, a smile playing over his lips. “It’s killing you, though, isn’t it?” He glanced over at Houston. “It’s killing him.”

I pressed my lips firmly together and shook my head.

“It’s definitely killing him.” Houston chuckled. “Your face is turning red from how hard you’re trying to hold back, G.”

My cheeks did feel a little hot. “Nope.” I poured some more barbecue sauce over my tray of chicken. “Just enjoying the simple domestic bliss of grilling for my friends.” I picked up the tray and carried it out to the deck.

Outside, a balmy breeze rushed over the back of my neck, carrying a lush green scent mixed with the tang of the pond below.

Renovations had been completed two weeks before training camp, the dingy carpet gone, everything repainted in the muted hues I loved at Ramsey’s place, new fixtures installed, the kitchen gutted and redone. But the deck was still my favorite spot, and I knew without a doubt I’d made the right decision. I’d been making a lot of those lately, and it felt good.

I set the tray down on the table beside the grill and glanced at Ramsey as he set another beside mine before holding out his phone. “Check it out. They got your good side.”

I studied the images on the screen of me and Ramsey at Lake Havasu. It’d been the last trip we’d taken before camp started. “This is a close-up of your hand on my ass.”

Ramsey grinned. “Like I said, your good side.”

I flipped him off with a laugh and scrolled through the rest of the photos. There were a couple more of us on the boat we’d rented, then of other celeb couples on various vacations. “Huh. We’re in pretty good company here.”