Huddle Up (11 page)

A quick glance at her friend’s faces told Angel it wasn’t one of their husbands either.

“Our quarterback.” Samantha winced at the TV close-up. “Look at his leg. His career is probably over.”

Angel stared up at the large monitor and watched the replay in horror. That could have been Billy.

B
illy knew from the sound of muzzled gunfire that Todd had just broken his leg.

Baker, the defensive end from the Warriors, leapt up from the pile signaling frantically to the sideline and screaming, “Get somebody out here, get somebody out here now.”

Writhing, Todd grabbed both sides of his helmet then pounded the turf with his fists. Suddenly he went still, so still that Billy prayed it was just shock kicking in. He eyed the bone protruding from Todd’s bloody sock.

“Out of the way.” The medical team from both sides rushed over to the gruesome scene.

The offensive coordinator shouted for Billy, Miller and the backup quarterback, Liam McQueen to get over to the bench to review some plays. The Cougars liked to run a two tight end formation but since Terell never practiced with the second string, Billy would be the McQueen’s main target. If the coach let him throw that is.

Not that the former first round draft pick didn’t have skills, but he squandered them away letting the fame go to his head, skipping practice like he was too good for it and boozing it up to the point of being forced into rehab.

Once his career tanked and hit rock bottom, he found God. Funny how that happens. Clean and sober McQueen rededicated himself to football, but none of the teams were buying it except for the Cougars. He didn’t know if the owner did it for the publicity or because he believed in second chances like he said during the off-season press conference announcing the signing.

For Billy it amounted to one big distraction. Billy knew he had to put that all aside. It was important for him to believe in McQueen, now the leader of the offense. Billy did his best to concentrate on the plays, but an injury like the one Todd sustained could rattled even the toughest of players. Ten minutes went by and the medical team was still working on him.

Once McQueen started throwing warm-up passes along the sidelines, Billy ran back out. A pressure cast surrounded Todd’s leg. Billy and a couple of the guys lifted him onto the stretcher, then to the golf cart.

“I’ll be back,” Todd said.

“Sure you will.” But from the lack of jibes and ribs, everyone knew there would be no comebacks for their teammate.

A roar of cheers rose up for the injured quarterback as he exited the stadium on the back of the cart. Then just as quickly, a flurry of boos rang down as his replacement ran onto the field. McQueen joined the huddle like he didn’t hear a thing.

“Hope you’re feeling the Holy Spirit,” Miller joked.

“Let’s get one thing straight. God doesn’t care who wins this football game,” said McQueen. After a few nods of respect he added, “Burner break at the 10, cut back to the 20, the ball will be there.”

“Coach called for the run.” As a running back, Miller wanted the ball.

“The D, hell, everyone in this stadium, is expecting that.”

McQueen was looking to make a statement with a thirty-yard pass, but Billy didn’t argue; there wasn’t time. The game clock ticked down.

On the snap Billy broke down the field. The defender matched him step for step, but Billy stopped on a dime at the ten and hit the twenty-yard line just as the ball arrived. Just like in practice. But he wasn’t done yet. The defender who tried to scramble back fell at his feet as Billy performed his signature move, the Turn and Burn, and jumped over the prone body of the defender and ran the ball into the end zone.

The crowd erupted.

A couple of teammates joined him in the celebration. He looked back to see McQueen on his knees with his hands in the air as if he were being anointed by the angels. What happened to ‘God doesn’t care who wins this football game’?

Speaking of which, he wondered if his Angel witness the spectacular touchdown.

*

In the locker room Billy watched as frenzied reporters surrounded McQueen. They’d already dubbed the new quarterback’s celebration move the McQuing, McQueen shrugged off the attention, nodding at Billy with a grace so unlike his old ways.

A few reporters made their way to Billy’s locker. After countless times of sticking his own foot in his mouth, Billy kept to his stock answers.

As he left the locker room the adrenaline from the win started to wear off. The bumps and bruises settled in his body. All he wanted right now was his whirlpool tub and an ice-cold beer.

And Angel.

He spotted her easily among the crowd in the greeting room. Despite her average height, she stood out to him. Hot damn, those leather pants hugged her ass. Angel upped her game by wearing pin-up red lipstick instead of her signature purple. His cocked approved. Great, the one body part that hadn’t ached now caused him the most discomfort. He hoped they could sneak in a quickie before picking up Gabby from the neighbors.

Catcalls were directed towards her and he wasted no time marking his territory. Planting a big kiss on her lips, he made it clear to his teammates that Angel belonged to him.

B
illy kissed her in front of everyone. A kiss? It was more like a claiming. What else would you call it when a man pulls you into his arms and lifts you a foot off the ground in a bruising kiss?

Not that she was complaining. Billy could kiss her anywhere, at anytime, and anyway he wanted to. Except in front of Gabby. Perhaps it was time to lift that rule. She hated putting him on the spot when Gabby expected him to kiss Mommy.

Unable to clear her head Angel clung to him for a few moments after he ended the kiss. Billy introduced her to Ryan Terell, Samantha’s husband; Jake Miller, Hannah’s husband; and Liam McQueen, the playboy turned Born Again Christian. She remembered watching him play years ago. You didn’t work in a pub and not see your share of football games.

Hannah and Samantha joined the group. “Jake, I had a little run in with Hayden.”

“Ah, Hannah.”

“It was my fault,” Angel defended her friend.

“No, it was Hayden’s fault.” Samantha directed her gaze at Billy. “She called Angel your baby mama, then implied Gabby was part of a litter.”

“What!” The muscles in Billy’s jaw clenched like a wolf ready to tear into its prey.

“So before Angel could release that fist of hers, I jumped in to deflect Hayden’s wrath to me,” Hannah explained.

Angel received a proud look from Billy. “Next time punch her.”

“What she needs is a good spanking,” piped in McQueen.

Angel thought she saw a gleam in Hannah’s eye and knew the quarterback was in trouble.

“Liam, you’re just the man to give her one.”

“Stop matchmaking, woman,” said her husband.

Samantha, ever the journalist, said, “It would be epic, I can see it now,” She placed her hand in the air like it was a headline. “Sinner and saint go head to head.”

“Hah,” Liam laughed. “Sure, throw the Christian into the lioness’ den.”

Miller smacked Liam on his non-throwing arms shoulder. “Come on, take one for the team.”

“On the field, I’m your man. Off it, I’m my own man.” Liam said goodbye and headed out ahead of the group.

Billy nodded to the exit and Angel followed his lead.

“Hey Burner, five Gs? I’ll even spot you 3 points?” offered Jake.

“Should never bet with your heart, my friend,” said Billy.

Angel heart dropped into her stomach.
A bet?

As they came out of the players exit, three groupies surrounded Billy even though he was holding her hand. Before they could jostle her away, he pulled her closer.

“Billy, pick me,” one pleaded.

“Sorry ladies, I’m taken.”

Angel barely registered his words or the sour looks thrown her way from the other women. How many times had she argued with her father over his gambling addiction? How many had she had to hustle a pool game because her father literally gambled the milk money away?

In the car, Billy tried to engage her in conversation but she kept looking out the window to avoid a confrontation. Not now. She wanted one more night in his arms. One more night before the fairy tale ended with a not so happily ever after.

“Are you mad about those women?”

She wasn’t mad. She wasn’t exactly thrilled about it either, but really did trust Billy when it came to other women.

“It’s going to happen, even when word gets around that I have a girlfriend. Hell, it still happens to the married players.”

“I’m not upset about that.”

Billy blew out a breath. “Can you give me a clue then to what you are upset about?”

She remained silent, unable to express the feelings of disappointment.

“Is it the run in with Hayden?”

“It’s about your gambling,” she blurted.

“Gambling? What the fuck? Wait, you mean that bet I made with Jake?”

She nodded. Looking out the window again, she waited for the explanations. That’s how it starts. Then the denials and soon after that, the outright lies.

“It’s a friendly bet, Angel. Our college teams are playing against each other this weekend, it’s not gambling.”

She let her silence answer for her.

“Jesus, Angel you hustled pool.”

He might as well have taken a cue stick and stabbed her in the heart. She hustled pool for food money, not for the thrill of it, at least not since she became a mom. “It’s not the same thing. Pool is a game of skill,” she argued.

A game of angles and patterns Angel could read a table like a pool shark savant. More importantly, she picked out her marks with the same uncanny ability. Through teary eyes she focused on Billy’s tight grip on the steering wheel.

“I’m not your father Angel. I’m not an addict.”

And there it was. Her heart clenched in agony. How many times had her father uttered those words? Perhaps she was wrong putting Billy in the same category as O’Malley, but Angel had been through it before and she wouldn’t let history repeat itself. Not for her, and certainly not for Gabby.

T
hat Saturday Billy tried to focus on the college football game on his state of the art screen. Miller and Terell joined him while Angel went out to lunch with their wives. He hoped Hannah and Samantha could talk some sense into Angel. She wasn’t jealous over the groupies, or mad about being dissed by Hayden, no, it was all about the stupid bet.