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“They’ll be skeptical when they find out you’re a California girl,” Brody admitted. “But as long as you don’t say anything bad about guns or oil, you’ll be fine. Momma’s gonna love you. She always said I need to find a woman who’s smarter than I am.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said, but the compliment made me blush. So did the idea that his parents would love me. I found myself wanting their approval very much.
“After the season,” I said. “How are you feeling about the first playoff game this weekend? You guys match up well against the Bills, right?”
“Right, but they’re calling for snow in Buffalo,” Brody replied. “Rough weather means my job gets a lot harder. Catching a football in the cold is like smacking your palm against a block of ice. Shit stings.”
I laughed, then asked, “Do you get nervous before playoff games?”
Brody’s eagle-like eyes stared off in thought. “Used to, back in high school. College too, as a matter of fact. Then I learned that frettin’ a bunch doesn’t help anything. So I stopped worrying.”
“You just stopped?” I chuckled and added, “It’s not easy to simply stop feeling something. Emotions can’t be turned off like a light switch.”
“Nope, they can’t,” he replied, lacing his arm around my waist and holding me close. “That’s why I’m distracting myself with you. Because when you’re around, Foxy? All the worries in my life seem to fall away.”
The two of us snuggled together on the walk while Luna pranced and rolled around in the snow.
*
The Stallions played the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the playoffs. Even though it was a road game, the cheerleaders got to travel to the game. There wasn’t room for us on the team’s private jet, however, so we had to fly commercial.
Isabella sat next to me on the plane and talked my ear off. Ever since I publicly humiliated Brody at the Halloween party, she saw me as a valuable ally rather than an adversary. Which I was completely fine letting her believe.
“He’s definitely in a better place now,” she said.
I turned toward her. “Sorry, I missed that. Who?”
“Brody,” she said. “He’s in a better place than he was at the beginning of the season. Don’t know what his problem was back then. I think I’m going to give him another shot with me. Everyone deserves a second chance, right? But if he screws it up again and takes me for granted? He’s done.”
I blinked in surprise. “You think Brody will take you back?”
She laughed smugly. “Of course he will. He’s lucky I ever dated him in the first place. And I’ve seen him glancing at me on the sideline. He pretends like he doesn’t, but I notice. He still wants me.”
I smiled and nodded along. Sometimes it was fun to have a little secret.
Coming from California, I thought Salt Lake City was cold. But I didn’t know anything. Buffalo was so much worse. The wind was unrelenting, and made the bits of snow feel like a million tiny needles stabbing my exposed skin. I huddled in my coat as we got off the shuttle and went into the hotel.
I learned, with disappointment, that it was a different hotel than the one the players were staying at. There was no chance for shenanigans with Brody. Which was probably for the best, since Isabella was around. The last thing I wanted was to get caught so close to the end of the season.
Instead, I sat up in bed and texted him like a lovestruck teenager.
Taylor: I MISS YOUR STUPID FACE
Brody: Damn, Foxy. That ain’t nice at all.
Taylor: You know what I mean. Your face is stupidly-sexy. And I miss it.
Brody: My face misses you too. In fact, it’s real cold right now. It wishes you were sitting on it to keep it warm.
Brody: [Peach emoji]
Taylor: Don’t tempt me. I might just Uber over to your hotel and sneak up into your room.
Brody: Wouldn’t mind it if you did :-)
Brody: All right, I’m heading over to Kincaid’s room. We’re gonna spend a few hours studying the playbook. Making sure our ducks are all in a row.
Taylor: Okay. Good luck tomorrow!
