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Frankie nudged me in the ribs. “Sounds like a cushy gig to me.”
My hands felt clammy around my fork. It was a big change. I’d always worked in hospitals. Besides, I’d been packed shoulder to shoulder in that rowdy stadium before, and it wasn’t my cup of tea. Too many people. Too chaotic. The team always struck me as a rabble. Would they be receptive to this kind of thing?
Elliot scoffed. “You want Reece to do sports psychology? He doesn’t even understand the offside rule.”
Technically, that was unfair. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand it. I just didn’t care enough to understand it. As nice as it was that my family wanted to help me, this idea was a hard pass. Now, I had to get them to move on.
“I help people in distress. Sports psychology is not my area of expertise.” I smoothed a hand over the tablecloth and kept my tone light. “I find my attention span is limited with sports. I prefer more intellectual pursuits.”
Elliot balled up his napkin and threw it at me. “My attention span is limited when I have to listen to your voice.”
“I’m sure you’ll have something to offer,” Miri said.
Nope. How long would we have to go down this road before they gave up? They’d obviously been scheming. This was going to be a long evening, but I wouldn’t back down. Boundaries were important, and unfortunately, my family always delighted in trampling over mine.
Miri rested her hands on her huge belly. “A few of the girls have been getting nervous lately about taking penalties. Even Skylar seems off. If the pressure is getting to the captain, then it’s getting to everyone.” Miri’s lips puckered thoughtfully. “I swear, something weird is going on with Skylar. It would be good if she had someone to talk to… if all the girls had someone to talk to.”
Skylar Marshall.
A curious warmth filled my chest. We hadn’t spoken since school, but I’d crushed on her hard throughout my teenage years. Not that she’d known I was alive. Sean Wallace and Skylar Marshall had ruled the school, and I was the kid eating lunch with the librarian.
I tried to keep my voice from appearing unduly interested. “What do you mean something’s wrong with Skylar?”
“I don’t know. She doesn’t have her head in the game.” Miri studied the chili on her fork before wrinkling her nose and pushing her plate away. “Weren’t the two of you in the same year at school?”
“Were we?” I busied myself rearranging my silverware. “I don’t remember.”
Frankie poured herself another glass of wine. “Ah, Skylar Marshall is so cool. You know she has three million followers on Instagram. That’s more than some of the men’s team. Did you know that? How many have you got, Miri?”
Miri smoothed a smile onto her pale face. Poor Miri. This pregnancy was tough. She’d moved in with Gabe, but when he went away for work, she always came home. She must have liked the comfort, even if we all drove each other up the wall. “I don’t know. I don’t care about that sort of thing.”
“One hundred fifty thousand,” Frankie said, pointing her wine glass at Miri for emphasis. “You’ve got one hundred fifty thousand. That’s embarrassing. You need to pull your finger out.”
A little frown flitted across Miri’s face.
“It’s not a competition, my love. Don’t worry.” Gabe squeezed Miri’s hand and flashed a faux-sympathetic smile. “But if it was. I have ten million followers. Just putting it out there.”
Miri gave an indignant snort, but amusement flashed in her eyes. “Well, you’ve just lost one.”
What was up with Skylar? She’d always been so confident. Every weekend, I’d watched my old crush from the sidelines. I was there to support Miri, but I couldn’t help it if my eyes occasionally drifted to Skylar Marshall. It wasn’t my fault. Whose eyes wouldn’t drift?
During her last match, Skylar had scored a winning penalty but instead of celebrating the victory with her team, she’d dashed to the opposition goalkeeper to console her. Skylar was a beautiful woman, anyone could see that, but it was the things you couldn’t see which held you captivated: Her strength and composure, the way she’d been born to lead, and whatever that quality was that made others want to follow. She had the kind of charisma that commanded everyone’s attention, on and off the pitch.
If Skylar needed something, I wanted to help. The back of my neck itched. Well, not just Skylar. The whole team. I could help the whole team. This wasn’t just about Skylar. Definitely not.
“Fine. I can help you at the football club,” I said.
Miri frowned. “Really?” She exchanged a look with Gabe. “I thought that would be a harder sell.”
I sat a little straighter in the chair. “No. You’re right. I need something else to do. A sabbatical is a great idea. It sounds ideal.”
Yes. This was about taking a break from the hospital for a while. It was the best decision for me. I could help Skylar. Well, the whole team. It wasn’t just about Skylar. It was the right decision for me. In fact, it had very little to do with Skylar Marshall.
“Come by my office when you’re free and we’ll talk.” Gabe held up his wineglass and his eyes locked with mine. “Welcome to the team, Doc. Good to have you on board.” He raised a sardonic eyebrow. “Let’s hope we can hold your attention as much as your… intellectual pursuits.”
Chapter 3
Skylar
