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Colt deserved the applause. That wasn’t it. But the guy was more than likely about to kick him out of his bed and maybe his life. Did he really have any right to cheer on his success?
After the introductions had been completed, Coach Carr was called to the center of the field. Lorelie walked with him toward the superintendent of the school system and the Quinn High School principal. Coach’s list of accomplishments was impressive, each one more noteworthy than the last. Though Drake only knew him through Colt, he’d heard lots of stories about how the man had been more like a father to some of the kids on his teams than their own fathers. His heart attack last year had hit everyone in town really hard, especially Lorelie, whose mother had apparently died in childbirth. Her and her father had always been super close.
Finally, they directed everyone’s attention to the press box. A large white sheet had been draped above the concession stand, but when the principal gave the signal, the sheet fell away to reveal a brand new sign. They were now sitting in the Nicholas Carr Stadium.
“Aww, look at that,” Paige whispered, awed, clutching her hands in front of her mouth. “They dedicated it to Coach Carr.”
Drake smiled. It was good to see the beloved coach who had given so much to the school, the community, and the players being honored in such a special way.
Eventually Colt rejoined them in the stands, his mood much better. Drake knew how much his best friend loved being the center of attention. Only problem was, in recent years Colt had received more negative attention than good. He’d been subject to some gossip in town, especially speculation that his marriage had ended to his cheating, which Drake knew for a fact was completely untrue. Colt wasn’t a cheater. If he committed to something, he stuck with it. He just wouldn’t commit unless he was absolutely sure it would work.
Drake gave him a sidelong glance from the opposite side of Paige. He was grinning, some of his usual cheer returned. It warmed Drake to see it. He’d vowed to give Colt some time to come around—or not. He couldn’t keep chasing someone who didn’t want him.
Who didn’t want to want him, which was somehow even worse.
He hadn’t imagined the crazy intense connection that had led to them falling on each other like animals the other day in the kitchen. Obviously Colt had been affected by it too. He’d kissed him first. He’d been completely into everything that had come next. God, the way he’d powered into him, ripping apart every fear Drake had
harbored that Colt would never, ever be able to see him that way. The way he’d seen Colt for far too long. Long before they’d ever shared a woman. Being part of a threesome with him had only intensified the feeling until it was nearly unbearable.
But Colt had kicked it right into the end zone, making him hope harder than he ever had in his life. And just as swiftly, he’d crushed Drake’s hopes and turned away.
His arm coiled around Paige between them. She’d been bouncing and cheering ever since halftime, on a one-woman quest to help the team win. And she was about to succeed. The Titans were crushing the Pioneers. It was practically a blowout.
It didn’t take much longer for the blowout status to become definitive. The Titans beat the Pioneers 36-7, and when the three of them walked into the barn at Coach’s for the after party Lorelie was putting on, the mood was euphoric. Almost everyone they passed slapped hands with Colt and commented how it was amazing they finally had a team that who could take it all the way like the old championship team had back in the day. That state trophy was finally in their sights again.
“He’s in his element, isn’t he?” Paige asked, drinking from a red Solo cup as she saw Colt whooping it up with some of his football buddies. He laughed loudly at something Tucker said and pointed at Jackson, getting him involved in the conversation.
“Yeah.” Drake took a drink from her cup. Oakley was at the keg and Sadie was behind the bar, keeping the drinks plentiful and the conversation lively. He’d decided to mostly abstain, since he knew Colt wouldn’t. No matter how cheerful Colt seemed on the surface, Drake knew that underneath, he must be reeling. He was painfully predictable at times.
Get miserable, get drunk.
If he followed his typical pattern tonight, Drake would be there to drive him and Paige home. Just as he had that fateful night several weeks ago.
Might as well have been a lifetime.
Drake returned her cup and she frowned into it. “Is that why he’s ignoring us?”
Aww, shit. He could put up with Colt giving him the silent treatment. What he wouldn’t tolerate was him not being square with Paige. If she’d become collateral damage due to Colt’s situation with him, then Colt damn well better man up and tell her where they stood. Not wander around acting like a big shot with his buddies.
Coach walked over to talk to the old team and the laughter ratcheted up a few notches. There was a lot of fistbumping and jokes and the kind of stuff that Drake didn’t mind not being a part of, because he really wasn’t a big party kind of guy. He was more the loner type, and that suited him just fine. Let Colt have his fun.
But the time of reckoning would come soon enough.
“He’s just reliving his youth.” He kissed Paige’s hair. “You know how it is with those baller types. They can’t admit they’re starting to get bald and couldn’t throw a football across the dining room table anymore, never mind across a field.”
“Hey, hey, hey.” Colt strolled up, drink in hand, and lifted his brows. “You filling her head with lies, Mondell?”
“Sounds like truth to me, Mr. Bennett.” She gave him a sly smile before taking another sip of her drink.
The “Mr. Bennett” stuff was clearly a come-on, the kind Colt normally responded to without fail. But he was already checking out the crowd, as if he hadn’t even heard what Paige had said.
Drake balled his hands into fists. Yeah, that time of reckoning might be coming sooner than he’d anticipated. And the opening bell might consist of him knocking Colt in his stupidly handsome face.
Colt turned back to them after fistbumping yet another old teammate, Carter, as he walked through. “You got a minute?”
Hope surged through Drake’s chest and he debated punching himself. “Sure.”
“Me too?” Paige asked.
