Page 107 of Offside Rules

On my way out, I pass Haynes talking to one of the assistant coaches. He lifts a hand, and I return it before pushing through the doors to the parking lot.

I’ve walked out of this building after wins, losses, practices, and meetings I wanted no part of. Most of the time, I’m thinking about the next game before I reach my car.

Today, I stop beside it and look back.

I know exactly where I’m going tonight.

I just don’t know how many more times I’ll get to leave this place and call it home.

Chapter Eighteen

Baylor

It’s been a few days since Wolf worked on Sprinkles, and she’s started on the first try every morning. I’ve stopped holding my breath when I turn the key, which is a nice change. She still grumbles a little here and there, but it’s a big improvement.

This morning, he left tickets beside my coffee and asked if I wanted to come.

No rule to collect on. No bet.

I said yes.

Now I’m meeting Ellie outside the stadium, wearing his jersey again. Fans in Hawkeyes gear crowd the entrance, and the smell of cooked hot dogs drifts from a vendor near the curb. A car honks behind a rideshare that's taking too long.

Ellie spots me near the entrance and waves, then looks me over when I reach her.

"Look at you. Wearing it voluntarily."

"It would be weird to sit in his seats without wearing it," I tell her.

"Sure. Okay, we’ll go with denial today. It’s on brand, at least."

"It’s only for another week and a half. This was your idea for me to date him until my kitchen renovation was done, remember?"

"Because I figured once that man got you in his bed, you’d come to your senses about dating him." She gestures toward my jersey. "You two have off-the-charts chemistry. Everyone else in the room can see it."

She’s not wrong. I want to be here. I want to wear his jersey and go home with him afterward. None of that changes what’ll happen when my parents and Beau come to town. But a future with Wolf isn’t exactly a clear, steady path when it comes to my family. It’s a rickety bridge over sharp rocks and hungry alligators.

And that’s just getting him to Thanksgiving dinner at my parents’ house later this year. Keeping Beau from stabbing him with the serving fork would be a separate problem.