Fair Catch (Love and Sports Series) (33 page)

             
“Don’t let it get to you, man. I’m sure it is just graduation getting to her.”

             
“Probably. So back to you. When are you planning on giving up your manhood and strapping yourself to a lady for the rest of your life?”

             
“Real pleasant, you are.” Jake said sarcastically. “I want to propose after graduation. I have everything planned, I just need to get a ring. I want to get her a good one but clearly I can’t afford one right now, well not until I sign with someone.”

             
“Maybe you can do an I.O.U.”

             
“That is so lame. I’m not even going to think about how you just suggested I do that.”

             
“Just trying to help.” They pulled up to the airport and they both got out of the car, pulling Jake’s bags out of the trunk. They set them on the curb and faced each other. Mason held out his hand and pulled Jake in for a hug. “You are going to do awesome man. Go bury some dicks.”

             
Jake chuckled. “Will do. Thanks for the lift.”

             
“No problem. Let me know when you get there.”

             
“OK, mom.”

             
Mason playfully punched Jake’s arm. “Don’t you sass me, boy.”

             
Before Jake left, he eyed Mason trying to gauge his feelings. Mason should be going to the Combine with Jake but didn’t quite make the cut. It didn’t mean the end of the road for him when it came to playing professionally, but he would have to work at it.

             
“Dude, I’m sorry…”

             
Mason cut him off. “Don’t, this is your time, enjoy it. I already have coach working with me. I’m going to make it. I won’t have the same paycheck as you.” He said with a smile, “But I will be giving your sorry ass a run for its money out on the field.

             
Nodding his head, Jake grabbed his bags. He tipped his head at Mason and went into the airport. He was going to miss Mason when they separated. For the past four years they had been attached at the hip and made football history at Cal U. He couldn’t imagine having to pass to someone else on the field or talk about his life issues in the locker room with another guy. It almost felt like he would be cheating.              

             
Getting through security was a breeze and he boarded the plane in record time. When they were waiting to take off, Jake thought about Lexi and whether she made it to Texas safely. He hadn’t been apart from her in quite a long time but it was something he would have to get used to, especially during the season. He would be gone a lot and unfortunately she wouldn’t be able to go everywhere he was going.

             
An older lady boarded the plane at the last minute and took the seat next to Jake’s. She smelled like roses and had a head full or curly short white hair. Jake wanted to touch it out of curiosity but refrained from molesting the old lady’s head. She buckled her seat belt with shaky hands and then turned toward Jake.

             
“My goodness you are a big boy. I bet you drank your milk like a good little boy when you were young.” She pinched Jake’s cheek then patted it while she pulled out a butterscotch candy. “Would you like one?”

             
Jake held up his hand. “No, thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

             
“Oooo, a polite little guy you are. If I weren’t the age of your grandma I would snatch you up all for myself. Does a nice man like yourself have a lady friend?”

             
Jake chuckled to himself. “Yes, I do.”

             
“I bet you do.” She winked at him. “She is one lucky lady.”

             
“No, I’m the lucky one when it comes to her.”

             
“Oh steal my heart.” She started fanning her face. “It’s getting hot in here.” She turned to the lady across the aisle and said, “Do you see this man over here, don’t you just want to bite into him.” His seat companion started giggling and Jake wondered if she was either bat-shit crazy or drunk. The lady across the aisle sized Jake up and agreed with the lady.  “Where you off to sonny?”

             
Jake didn’t want to make a big deal out of where he was going since where he was going was just that, a big deal. “Uh, Indiana.” He wasn’t very good at thinking on his feet while the old lady stared into his soul and licked her lips.

             
“A big, strong guy like you must own a farm.” She grabbed his bicep and squealed. “That’s rock hard!”

             
Jake started to feel uncomfortable now. She was a nice old lady but a little too touchy feely for his liking. She licked her lips again and as she was finishing the last stroke with her tongue when her dentures almost popped out of her mouth.

             
“Oh dear.” She said in a muffled tone while slipping them back in place. “These bloody things never want to stay put. I told the dentist they were too big for my mouth but he didn’t listen. Now they fall out of my mouth all the time.” She pulled them out completely and grabbed her denture cream from her bag. She applied a thick application and then shoved her teeth back in her mouth. Jake tried to not look revolted by watching someone adjust their teeth in their mouth.

“There all
better. Now where were we?” She said while wrapping her boney hands around his bicep again.

             
Jake leaned his head against the headrest and exhaled. This was going to be an extremely long flight he thought.

                                                        ***

              Lexi was sitting next to her coach on the bus that picked her team up from the airport. Lexi was called to the front by her coach and was now waiting for her to get off the phone to talk about whatever was on her coach’s mind. They usually re-hashed the games and talked about what needed to be improved on or what went well.

             
They took second in the tournament which was pretty good since they were down a pitcher due to an injury. Marissa had a sore back and instead her coach pitching her, they gave her a break so she would be ready for the season. It was a smart move because the tournaments they went to were only pre-season games. They needed to make sure everyone was healthy for their conference games, which were of the highest importance. Conference games were what counted toward making the championship tournament.

P
ersonally Lexi never played better than she did at the tournament they just played. She made a couple of game saving catches in the outfield and went twelve for sixteen during the tournament with two walks. She also stole three bases which led her team to score some winning runs. She had never felt better after a tournament especially since she was able to talk to Jake before they boarded their plane. He told her the Combine went great and he was able to push himself enough to make a great impression on the scouts. He also thought his in-person interview went well.

Everyone knew he would be playing in the NFL come fall but what kind of contract he was going to sign was up in question. He also talked about how a little old lady hit on him the entire flight to Indiana. Lexi thought it was quite amusing but apparently Jake thought otherwise.

              Her coach hung up her phone and turned toward Lexi. “Great showing this weekend, kid. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you play so well.”

             
“Thanks coach, I’ve been working hard this season.”

             
“It shows.” Her coach sat back in her seat and crossed one of her legs. “So I want to talk to you about what’s going to happen once the season ends.”

             
Not burying her head in her hands and groaning out loud, she held back her obvious dislike for the conversation that was about to take place. She thought they were going to talk about the season but apparently not. She didn’t want to discuss life after college, at least not with anyone other than Jake. Her hands started to clam up and she felt anxiety start to roll through her body. Her coach was a tough lady and she could easily crush someone with only using her words, Lexi was not ready to be that someone.

             
Her coach continued. “I just got off the phone with the head coach over at Texas University.” Her coach paused for affect and Lexi wondered where her coach was going with this. “She wanted to know what your plans were for after graduation.”

             
Lexi groaned out loud and then covered her mouth. Her coach raised an eyebrow at her and Lexi apologized. “Sorry coach, I just don’t understand why people are so worried about my life after college.”

             
“They’re not worried over at Texas, they want to offer you an assistant coaching job when you graduate.”

             
Shock was not a good enough word to describe what encompassed Lexi at that moment. Texas wanted her to be an assistant coach? They saw her play only a couple of times since her team wasn’t in their conference. They only played each other during pre-season, so why they would offer her a job was beyond her.

             
“They want you to move right after graduation and go to scouting tournaments with them this summer. I told them I would talk to you and see what you said. I think this would be a great opportunity for you.”

             
Lexi was so stunned she didn’t know what to do. Her immediate thoughts went straight to Jake. If she worked in Texas, what were the chances that he would get drafted to a team in Texas? Slim to none, she couldn’t risk not being near Jake. They planned on living together and if she was in Texas and he was somewhere else in the country, they would never see each other, especially if she was off at recruiting tournaments. She knew how demanding the tournaments could be because she lived through them. Some days her and her travel ball team would play six games and the college scouts would sit through all of them.

             
Her coach poked her in the shoulder. “Lexi, you would be stupid not to seize this opportunity.” Great, Lexi thought, here it comes, her coach’s so highly regarded opinion. “Tell me this, what do you plan on doing after college.”

             
Lexi bit her bottom lip and contemplated lying to her coach. She knew her coach would never agree with Lexi’s decision to be with Jake but she couldn’t bear to lie right to her coach’s face especially since her coach had always been so supportive and honest with her.

             
“Uh, I planned on moving in with Jake.”

             
Fury laced her coach’s eyes. “Jake Taylor?” Lexi just nodded. Her coach slapped her hand on the seat in front of her. “You have got to be kidding me. Lexi, please tell me you are not giving up your future for a guy.”

             
Her coach’s voice was louder than Lexi wished. She didn’t want the whole team hearing her conversation. “Coach, I’m not giving up my life. I’m making a new one.”

             
“That’s bullshit and you know it. So you’re going to play house with him, is that what you plan on doing?”

             
“Well, no. I was going to find a job wherever he gets drafted.”

             
“Why do you need to find a job when you have one already lined up for you? Lexi, listen to me, you need to take this. You have plenty of time in your life to be in love. If what you have with Jake is meant to be then your relationship will survive a little separation.”

             
Lexi spoke softly, she almost couldn’t hear herself. “But I don’t want to be separated.”

             
Her coach ran a hand over her face. “Jesus. What happened to the tough independent girl I recruited three years ago. Your game might be at its peak right now but you have lost yourself.” Her coach leaned in so only Lexi could hear her. “Do you want to turn out like your mom, who lost herself in a man and wound up in an abusive relationship? I don’t mean to be harsh but don’t rewrite history.”

             
Lexi almost fell out of her chair from her coach’s words. The only reason her coach knew about her family situation was because her sophomore year Lexi asked her coach to extend her stay in the dorms over winter break because she didn’t want to go home. Lexi had to give her coach a reason as to why and Lexi had to tell her the truth. Never in her life did Lexi expect her coach to throw her family life back in her face.

             
Speaking in a firm tone, trying to avoid a hitch in her voice so she didn’t show any weakness, Lexi said. “Jake would never act like my father.”

             
Her coach just shrugged. “I bet your mom thought the same thing.” Lexi was so mad she stood up and started to walk away. Her coach grabbed her arm and said, “Sit down Knox or sit out the rest of the season.”

             
Because softball was extremely important to her, Lexi quickly took the seat next to her coach but avoided eye contact. She didn’t want to look at the witch that was sitting next to her. Her coach could be harsh and tell it like it was but Lexi believed her coach overstepped her boundaries this time.