AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I need to know what it is. I’m not into breaking promises.”
The man has to make this difficult. “Fine. I want you to promise me that if I’m a factor in you not staying with the Tigers, you won’t let me be. We can’t be friends if it’s like that. You need to put your job first, and we’ll give it time and see where it all settles.”
“So we are friends. Friends with no benefits.”
I know he’s smiling. I groan. “We’re maybe friends. It’s still up in the air.”
“Hey, it’s progress.”
“You are such a loser.”
He laughs, and it’s a nice sound. The anxiety I had about this conversation has totally dissolved.
“You need to promise me,” I say, meaning it.
“All I can promise is that if you come up as part of that conversation, you and I will talk about it, but I don’t plan on you being any part of any conversation having to do with me and football.”
“I don’t know if I like the sound of that.” I’m starting to see Sean has a stubborn side, and I don’t think I hate it.
“Tough. It’s the only thing I’ll promise.”
“Fine. Stubborn ass.”
“You know I’ve been called a whole lot worse lately, so I’ll take it.”
I bite my lip, fighting a smile. “You suck, but I hope the meeting goes well and you get to stay with your team.”
“I’ll let you know.” His voice is soft and gentle and stirs something in my belly.
“Ok.”
We hang up, and I flop back on my bed. I don’t know what I’m doing or what is going on, but I like it, and at the same time, I’m terrified out of my mind.
I pull a pillow over my face. I’m going to be brave. I’m going to be patient with myself and with Sean as he figures this out, and I’m going to take this one call at a time.
Crap. Who am I kidding?I’m going to freak the hell out because caring even the tiniest bit about this man is opening up my heart to get broken all over again, and I don’t know if I can withstand that.
Chapter 36
SEAN
“Whatexactlydoes that mean?”
Rob stands next to me in a quiet hallway of the practice facility. “It means they’re looking at their options. They’re shopping you around to see who’s interested and what they can get in return. With next season being your last under contract, they’re getting creative. This stuff with Morgan probably didn’t help, but they’re anticipating other organizations actively pursuing you next year anyway.”
He pauses as someone passes. “They’re looking toward next season. They have confidence in the second-string running backs, but the defense needs a significant boost, and they know they’re losing Gibbons. You’re marketable. If they can get a good deal and you’re likely gone anyway, they’re evaluating all options.”
I rub a hand over my face. “Who’s showing interest?”
“So far, Houston, Phoenix, and Miami…Seattle hasn’t gotten back to them. If you have a preference, you need to tell me. Cole is in Miami, but they’re rebuilding.” He lets out a breath. “Doug said he’d be in touch. You’ll be the first to know, but we need to be proactive here. This is business, but they respect you and what you’ve done for this team.”
It sure as hell doesn’t feel like it.“I don’t know what I want.”
Rob leans back against the wall. “If we play this right, you might have a better chance at a division title or maybe even the Super Bowl. Think about it. Get back to me quickly with your thoughts.”
I nod. I don’t know what to think. I don’t know what I want, and my head is spinning.
“They’re impressed with the attention the event got and the fan responses. You did a good thing there. Other teams are paying attention and would be excited to bring that kind of positivity and community involvement to their organization.”
