AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Keegan!” A familiar gruff voice calls out from behind me.
Of course it fucking is.?
Tom comes striding up the tunnel, his thick hairy legs looking obscenely sexy, and kneels down to look at his kid. Tom wasn’t kidding when he said he and Courtney had done their best to keep Keegan out of the limelight. It's not top secret information that Tom Whitford has a kid, but there’s never been any insta photos, or a birth announcement in a glossy magazine, or anything like that. So I guess in that sense it's really Tom’s fault that I didn’t recognize Keegan when he came up to me.
“Dad, it’s Archie Milligan!” Keegan exclaims, face lit with excitement. “He said I could be his mascot.”
Tom’s face falls a fraction. If I didn’t always stare so intently at the man I probably wouldn’t have noticed. He looks up at me and his face hardens.
“I didn’t know he was your kid.” Shit that is the wrong fucking thing to say. “I just mean, if I knew he was your son, I would have checked with you first.”
“Dad doesn’t mind. He knows you’re my favourite player ever.” Keegan says with confidence.
Kids are harsh.
“Tom-” I start before he cuts me off.
“Milligan is going to be lucky to have you as his mascot. I bet he scores a hat-trick,” Tom says, smiling softly at his son.
I feel like I can’t breathe. Grumpy Tom is flaming hot, but smiley Tom is on a whole other level.
He’s fucking beautiful.
Wait, did he say hat-trick?
“Three goals?” I squeak out in a totally manly way.?
“Of course Milligan,” he says standing up. “You’re not going to disappoint my son and not score anything. Right?”
I look into Keegan’s eyes, the same colour blue as Tom’s and lit up with excitement.
“Right.” I can do this. I can score a shit load of goals and not upset a child.
Piece of piss.
We’re called to get into our lines and I take Keegan’s hand as we start our walk onto the pitch.
“Archie Milligan, you don’t have to score a hat trick like dad says, but I hope I’m lucky enough that you score one goal at least,” Keegan says, smiling up at me.
Tom may be a grumpy bastard but he and his ex are raising a really kind kid.
“Thanks, little Whitford.”
We finish our walk and hit a wall of noise as we walk onto the pitch.
This is a moment that will be seared into my brain for the rest of my life. I’m about to play my first game at The Rock. We line up for our pre-match photo with the mascots in front of us and that’s when I hear it. Singing.
It takes me a moment to make out the tune, and then I realise it’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” the words getting louder and louder as more and more of the home crowd joins in.
And it's not just the song. There are flags, posters, and banners all being waved about—not just the orange and navy of the Pride FC colours, but all the colours of the rainbow.
“Are they being homophobic?” Viz asks from where he stands next to me.
I can’t help the big fucking grin taking over my face. It’s bloody incredible. “Nah, mate. This is them showing their support.” I raise my arms above my head and applaud them, making the song give way to cheers. I look down the line and my gaze catches Tom. He’s looking straight ahead, brow furrowed in thought. I hope this is the tide changing. That players forced in the closet, like Tom, are a thing of the past.
The mascots leave the pitch and we get into our positions, after taking the knee, and wait for the ref to blow the whistle.?
The minute it blows, Tom is all over the ball like I want to be all over his balls. He passes it back to Robbie, who passes it straight back. Everton seem to be stunned because their reactions are all delayed as Tom makes a run into their half while I speed up the wing to get myself in a position where he can pass to me if he doesn’t have a shot on goal.
