Page 225 of Tangled with the Tight End

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She smiles. It makes her look far more harmless than she is. “You need to get off the pity pot and start planning how you’re going to get that woman back. She loves you. And I don’t mean admiration or fangirling. She loves you. And if I’m right, I think you love her too.”

I nod. The next time I say those words will be to Winona, if she gives me the chance.

“Get to it, then. Go win your girl back.”

“She might not want me.”

I have a plan, but the truth is, I don’t know how she’ll respond. I hurt her. And this life is not for everyone. Maybe, now that she’s had a reprieve from the reporters, she’s decided I was right.

“That’s true.” Darlene nods. “This life isn’t for everyone. But Winona never struck me as fragile. It’s going to be up to her whether she wants you despite the hubbub online. You need to decide how much she means to you. If you love her, then you ask yourself if you’ll go to any length to have her.”

I already know the answer to that.

I love football. It’s been the great love of my life. But I think I’d consider never playing again if it meant winning Winona back.

“From what I saw in her eyes when she looked at you …” Darlene says with a smile. “... you won’t have to do much groveling.”

“Not much, huh?”

“Well, a little groveling is good for a man.”

I chuckle. I’m going to grovel, alright. I’ll put all other grovelers to shame.

The rest of that day I make phone calls. The first is to Coach Carver. After he gives me the go-ahead, I call Stadium Operations and then I make a few other calls within the Thunder organization. When everything is arranged, I call Patrick and then Cass.

She answers the phone with a bite to her voice. “What?”

“Hi, Cass.”

“Nope. You don’t get to Hi, Cass me.”

“Fair,” I say. “I always respected your loyalty to Winona.”

“Did you need something?”

“Actually, yes.”

I run through my plan, explaining everything I have in place. I end my appeal with, “All I need is for you to get Winona to the game.”

“I can do that.”

“Are you sure?”

“Leave it to me. She’ll be there.”

“Thank you,” I say. “I really appreciate this.”

“Declan?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t mess this up.”

I won’t.

My whole team is focused on Sunday because we’ve got our first playoff game. I’ve done my part to be ready for the game. But I’m focused on Sunday for a far more important reason.

Chapter 38