Page 41 of Ruck Me Harder

The protein options at the arena are rather lacking, so we both settle for chicken sandwiches and agree to split a soft pretzel as our cheat treat. He waves off my offer to pay, settling his hand on my lower back as we walk back to our seats.

“Are you a big basketball fan?” I ask as we get comfortable.

Tony laughs. “Not really. I watch a few games here and there.”

“And yet you brought me here?”

He grins. “I mean, I like it. The guys and I will shoot hoops after training. It’s more I think other sports are more fun to watch.”

“I haven’t been to a game in forever. Not since… maybe three years ago?” I try to recall. “Perry was still here, he dragged me.”

“Who’s Perry?” There’s a little furrow above his brow that I want to smooth away with my thumb. Somehow, I resist. Touching people without their consent is bad.

“My brother. One of them,” I explain. “He was signed with New England for a few years when I first moved here, then he got traded to Raleigh.”

“This is the football player?”

My eyes narrow, but I can’t keep my smile off my face. “Did you Google me?”

Like he’s playing at nonchalant, he shrugs, but he can’t hide the smile on his lips. “Maybe.”

A warm shiver of happiness runs through me. He cared enough to look me up. He wanted to know more about me.

“Yeah. Perry’s the football player. Chuck does hockey.”

“For Denver,” he says slowly, like he’s trying to remember.

I nod.

“And the rest?”

“Janine is a swimmer at the national training facility out in Colorado, Frankie is a volleyball player at Clemson, and Bradley… he doesn’t do sports.” I take a bite of the pretzel. It’s soft and doughy and so not on my diet plan. I take a second bite. “My mom coaches the Clemson volleyball team and my dad works for USA Tennis. That’s it. That’s my family.”

Tony laughs. “It sounds like a lot to keep track of.”

“It can be,” I allow. “They’re overwhelmingly supportive. Sometimes too much.”

“My parents are the same way.”

“Do they live here? You live with your siblings, right?”

He nods. “They’re in Florida, taking care of my abuela. The winters here are too harsh for her. After I graduated from college, I came back here. Cari moved in after she graduated last spring, and I keep expecting Al to find his own place, he can afford it, but he seems to like staying with us.”

“My brother lived with me when he was here. Well, I lived with him. When he got traded, I found a new place.” I shrug. “We’re never going to have all six of us under one roof again. Even for things like Thanksgiving and the holidays, we stay in hotels. My parents’ three bedroom house can’t handle all of us, but outside of one or two weeks a year, they don’t need to keep the space. Only the youngest two are still in school. The rest of us are all self-supporting.”

Thank goodness for social media endorsements. I earn a comfortable salary from the Revolution, but the majority of my income comes from paid promotion. I don’t know what I’ll do once I retire next summer, but the pay probably won’t be anywhere near enough on its own. And the farther I get from my rugby career, the less draw I’ll have for potential advertisers. I’ll have to find something else to bring the money in.

“Do you have plans for after retirement?” Tony asks.

I shrug. “Not so much. I still have this upcoming season and next year’s Olympics to figure it out.”

If we place well at the Games, I can try to go back on the talk show circuit, maybe get on a reality TV show… but it all feels so exhausting. I’m not ready to think about it yet. That’s Alycia’s job.

“I’m sure you’ll have tons of offers.”

“Here’s hoping.” I manage a smile, but it feels forced. “What vet schools are you applying to?”

His face flushes. “I, um, haven’t decided yet.”