Page 85 of Tangled with the Tight End

“Oh, you’ve got her fooled, I see,” Hendricks teases.

“What position do you play?” Winona asks him.

“I’m a tight end.”

She smiles. “Like Declan.”

“O’Connell and I and McBride all play tight end. Do you like football?”

“It’s growing on me,” Winona says honestly.

The whole table cracks up. They’re so used to women fawning over them. The only women who usually give as good as they take are the trainers and massage therapists. They are wholly unimpressed by us. Winona’s like a breath of fresh air. It’s on every one of their expressions.

She smiles at them and then excuses herself to go get her food.

The guys all study me as she walks away. I tuck into my food, ignoring their stares. We’ve all had injuries at various times. No one brings their home health aide to lunch with the guys.

Winona returns with a sandwich and some fruit.

“That’s all you’re eating?” Hendricks asks her.

“I don’t tackle people for a living,” she replies without missing a beat.

He laughs again. “I like you, Winona. You’re alright.”

After lunch, my leg starts to ache a little. Probably from exerting myself in the gym. I walk Winona back to the office and then I head to the therapy room for elevated electrical stimulation. After that, I’m in meetings with the offensive coordinator and position coach. It’s five o’clock by the time I’m knocking on the office door to pick her up so we can leave.

“Did you address envelopes the whole time?” I ask her.

“Yes. I’m going to be seeing addresses and foil stamps in my sleep. But I finished.”

She rolls her neck slightly and shifts the box on her hip.

“I wish I could carry that for you,” I say.

She smiles over at me. “It’s not too heavy.”

“You do a lot for me.”

“It’s my job,” she says, glancing over at me.

“This isn’t,” I point out the obvious. “Today is technically your day off.”

“And I got my other job done in the comfort of that posh office.”

“On the floor,” I say with a soft chuckle.

She laughs too.

“My point is …” I pause, stopping in my tracks. “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure, Declan.” Her words are cordial, but when our eyes meet, I think I might see something more. She moves along, I pick up my pace, but the throbbing in my ankle increases, so I slow.

She turns in time to catch me recalibrating.

“Are you okay?”

“Just sore after today’s workout.”