Page 72 of Penalty Kick

“You are unsure where you stand?”

“Kinda? I know it’s not good. He doesn't approve of any of my life choices, so I’m sure he’ll have plenty to say. And who knows what he’s told Bert and Doug.”

“What can I do to help?”

Dash’s question caught her off guard. She didn’t know what she was expecting him to say, but that question hadn’t been it. Her heart squeezed, her tummy doing flips at his thoughtfulness.

“Come to dinner?”

“You want me to meet your family?” he asked, eyes wide in confusion.

Talia nodded. She did want that.

“Very much. Come with me, hold my hand, be my support. Gunnar and Felicity, Liam and Avery, maybe even Cowboy and Theo, are all coming too, since it’s a ‘family’ dinner, so that should make things less awkward.”

“You do not need my support if they will be there.”

“But I want it.”

Talia saw the light in Dash’s eyes change as she told him, those flips turning into cartwheels. Apparently he liked the idea just as much as she did.

“Then I would not miss it for anything.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

A long trill of the ref’s whistle rang in Dash’s ears as he took a minute to catch his breath, splayed out on the pitch in front of Phoenix’s goal. Movement out of the corner of his eye, paired with those whistles, meant only one thing.

A penalty kick.

Excitement rushed through him. Earning a PK made his crash into the grass worth it. Going down like that had hurt like hell, almost knocking the wind out of him, and he knew he’d need a good stretch after the game to prevent hurting tomorrow. Hell, with a tackle like he’d just taken, even with a good stretch he’d probably still be sore. The ground was hard and dry, despite all the watering the grounds crew had done throughout the day. Sucking in the hot air, Dash pushed to his feet, dusting himself off. The heat here was very different from that in Atlanta. Felicity had tried to warn them, but he’d tuned her out, figuring that heat was heat.

He’d been wrong.

Wiping away the sweat from his brow, he could hear Phoenix’s captain fighting with the ref over the call. He didn’t even have to look to know that his own captain, Parker Michaels, was right there with them, ready to battle on his behalf. It was a dirty tackle, there was no doubt in Dash’s mind. Still, the thought of taking the kick was making his palms sweaty and his stomach churn. And the last thing he needed right now was more sweat.

The ref blew his whistle again, walking away from the Phoenix players, once again signaling to the spot. Parker turned around, pointed at Dash with a nod, letting him know he was up.

“Goalie favors his right,” Mahoney said, coming up behind Dash. “I’d go high and to the left if I were you.”

“High?” he questioned. It was rare anyone shot high on a penalty kick, most preferring to keep the ball on the ground.

“Mahoney’s right. Might be unconventional, but top left corner. Unless Kozar has some acrobatics we don’t know about, he won’t be able to save it,” Chance added in, appearing on Dash’s other side.

“Calm and collected. Just like we practiced,” Elliot reminded him, slapping him on the back.

Just like we practiced…

Dash had used those exact same words with Tanner earlier during the Unified game. Unlike when they played at home, the Unified team had been the opening act today, giving the first team the chance to watch most of the game before they had to prep for their own warm-ups. The kids had been out of their minds excited about the chance to show off for the first team, asking Dash and Talia all sorts of questions about whether certain players would really be there to see them. No doubt they were still abuzz over hearing Elliot, Chance, and the others cheering for them from the sidelines.

The overwhelming pride Dash had felt while watching them dominate against Phoenix had fueled him for his own game. Their performance was almost surreal, each new player to take the field looking better than they ever had. That was, until there was a handball called in the box, earning his players a penalty. That’s when their nerves took over.

The whole group looked at each other, the fear on their faces about having to be the one to take the kick evident.

“Isn’t this something players usually fight over?” Talia whispered, watching her group panic.

“I would not say fight, but there are opinions that get shared. There is usually an understanding though, if certain players are on the pitch, they will be the ones to take the kick.”

“And who is that player for us?”