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She held her hand up. “Are you trying to get me kicked off the officiating crew?”
“Calm down. I’m not going to tackle you or anything. I’m just looking.” He smiled, and she put her hands on her hips.
“I look like a zebra.”
“A pretty hot zebra.”
“Hud.”
“Listen, Iris.” He lowered his voice. “This might be my last game. And I don’t know what’s going to happen after this, but I’d really love it if maybe we could have dinner together after the game. Maybe try and live happily ever after?”
He got a smile out of her.
“Fine. But between now and then, we’re not friends, okay?”
“Not even barely friends?”
“Keep it up, pretty boy, and you’ll get ejected from the game.” She walked past him. Lowered her voice. “Try and stay out of trouble.”
“Not on your life,” he said.
She shook her head and ran out onto the field.
The sun was shining, the stadium was surprisingly full.
And Hud knew it was going to be the best game of his life.
Twelve
The Admirals had come to play football.
Maybe after sixteen years trying to resurrect their club, they wanted some blood, but whatever it was, “It’s the like Wild West out here,” Iris said as she picked up another defensive pass interference flag and ran over to confer with Yannick.
“I can’t decide which penalty to call—the defensive holding or the pass interference.”
“Both.”
“They’ll be backed up all the way to their end zone.”
“Get ready for another punt.” She ran to the backfield, past Hudson, who glanced at her. She spotted him watching her out of the corner of her eye but didn’t slow.
Maybe try and live happily ever after.
Oh, she had to stop thinking about that. Or the way he ran passing routes, or even took to the air, almost flying, grabbing one-handed passes.
The Vikings would be out of their minds to not renew his contract.
Especially when he pulled in a whopper over-the-shoulder pass in the far corner of the end zone, got both feet down, and dragged them over the white line. A small puff of black smoke confirmed her touchdown call.
Tight end Tobias West ran in the second TD, and by the start of the second quarter, they were up fourteen, zip.
But it wasn’t without injury. One of the guards suffered a high ankle sprain, the new RB, Berker Rennich, dislocated his shoulder, and Hud had taken at least two hard tackles, his bell rung so hard he took his time getting off the field.
“No flag on that one?” Jakub said as he ran by her. “Unnecessary roughness?”
“Borderline,” she said, but yes, she’d seen it.
Shoot. Had she hesitated? She refused to look back, took her position.
