Page 84 of Hell or High Water
“Sure,” Nate said.
Sterling frowned. “Bishop, you know we can’t let him get out of control.”
Oh, he knew. It was annoying that Sterling was now chastising him like this was his first fucking professional game.
“I got it,” Nate said testily.
“I checked in with him last night, after the walk-through. Wanted to make sure that after that incident at practice this week there isn’t going to be any more bullshit.”
Nate wished Sterling hadn’t done that.
He’d kept an eye out for Jordan this morning, the way he always did. Thought he’d been perhaps a bit quieter than normal. Withdrawn. Not laughing with the other guys the way he usually did before a game to stay loose.
He hadn’t seen enough to be worried, necessarily, but now that observation coupled with Sterling’s admission made something unsettled spike in his stomach.
“What did he say?” Nate asked.
He’d been annoyed since the first time Sterling had asked him to keep an eye out for the guy. But the more he got to know Jordan, the more he’d realized that Sterling would’ve been the worst choice. Nate didn’t know if he was agoodchoice, necessarily, but he had to be better. There was something about Sterling—his stern, overly serious demeanor or the authority that he wore like a cape?—that seemed to set Jordan on edge even more.
“He said he was fine.” Sterling didn’t look all that happy about it though. Clearly, it had not been a particularly productive conversation.
Nate internally sighed, eyes already scanning the sideline, because he was going to have to make time in the next five minutes to check in with Jordan and somehow defuse the bomb that Sterling had inadvertently set.
“Yeah, he can be full of it when that’s the answer,” Nate agreed.
“Well, watch out for him,” Sterling warned, like he hadn’t just created an additional problem that Nate was now going to have to fix.
“Will do,” Nate said, between gritted teeth.
He spotted Jordan over by the bench and headed over the moment Sterling gave him a dismissive nod.
“Feeling good?” Nate asked, as he approached where Jordan had both hands braced on the back of the bench. He looked like he was stretching his calves.
He’d learned, through plenty of mistakes, not to ask Jordan if he was okay.
Asking Jordan if he was okay only made Jordan assume that Nate thought he wasnotokay and always made him additionally prickly. A lesson that Sterling had unfortunately not learned yet.
“Yeah,” Jordan said.
Nate wasn’t sure what else to say, because he couldn’t talk to the guy if he didn’t let him in, but then Jordan added, “I wish you’d tell Sterling to mind his own fucking business.”
“You could always do that,” Nate suggested.
But Jordan just laughed. “Yeah, right,” he said, but at least he sounded a little lighter than he had a moment ago. He was smiling now. Not quite to the normal level of bullshit joking he’d do with the guys before a game, but close.
A total fucking win and Nate would take it.
“Youcould,” Nate joked. “You could also walk barefoot over some glass. I wouldn’t exactly recommend it.”
“That’s why you should tell him,” Jordan said.
Nate just rolled his eyes, though. “I think you’re overestimating the difference between how Sterling feels about you and how he feels about me.”
“Dude, no,” Jordan said, and his voice was more serious than Nate had anticipated. “He respects you so much. You’re like, in his good books forever.”
Nate wasn’t sure that was true, but he was more than a little pleased Jordan actually seemed to think so.
“Well, thanks,” Nate said, shrugging. “But I’m still not bailing your ass out if he wants it in a sling. So keep that in mind, okay?”
