Page 124 of On Her Team
I rear back. “Who got a girl pregnant?”
He ignores my question. “If she’s not pregnant, what’s the problem?”
“She doesn’t want to leave Smuggler’s Hideaway.”
“And you aren’t quitting the team.”
I can’t quit the team. Football is what defines me. It’s my life. It’s the thing that saved me when no one else would.
“Fuck, Edwards. You couldn’t find a woman who jumps at the chance to leave this place?”
“Who jumped at the chance to leave?”
He ignores my question again. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.”
“Is she worth it?”
I growl. “She’s worth everything. I love her.”
“But does she love you? Or is she after your fame and fortune?”
My nostrils flare. “Addy isn’t some gold digger. She doesn’t care about my fame or money.”
“Good.” He crosses his arms over his chest and leans back in his chair. “What are you going to do?”
I don’t have a better answer to his question than the first time he posed it. I shrug.
“Let me give you some advice. It’s all about choices. You need to choose her over and over again. Make sure she understands she’s your priority despite football.”
I frown. “How do I make her a priority when I’m several states away?”
“You stay in contact. Phone and message her every chance you get. Fly her to Steel City to visit when you can’t get away. Spend all of your free time here on the island.”
“All of my free time? What about my endorsements? My obligations with the sponsors?”
“Ah. You’re thinking about the photoshoot next week.”
My brow furrows. “How do you know about the photoshoot?”
“I know everything happening with my players. Including a player falling in love with a songwriter.”
He knows about Addy. I’m not surprised. Coach Knox is more than our coach. He’s a father figure. A friend. A sounding board. A problem solver.
“I asked her to come with me next week but she said no.”
“Then, you know what to do.”
“I can’t turn down an opportunity to star in a nationwide campaign.”
I need the money. I need to earn all the extra money I can before my career ends. It’s not as if I can play football until I’m sixty.
“You can’t?” He raises an eyebrow. “I guess you have your answer then. If you can’t make Addy a priority, you’re better off ending the relationship now.”
I swear under my breath. “I’m not ending things with Addy. I love her. She’s the woman I’ve been waiting my entire life for.”
“Is she?” He motions to the door. “Regardless, I expect you to pull your head out of your ass at tomorrow’s practice. I don’t want to bench one of my star players, but I will.”
