Slinging bullets, p.3
Slinging Bullets, page 3
Davis and Richie fight off the giggles. Sometimes they are like teenage girls. Matt Summers isn’t quite so subtle as beer squirts out of his mouth onto what remains of our shared nachos. “Sorry,” he says quietly.
I figure I had better respond as my mother did teach me to be polite. “Thank you, Skylar. I did get in some extra throwing practice with Davis over the past few months.” Nate Donovan’s eyes may have just rolled completely into the back of his head. I am not completely sure as I bring my attention back to Skylar. “I hope you have been doing well. Did I hear that you have been hanging out with a certain shortstop this summer?”
Skylar makes it clear that the baseball player is no longer in the picture. “Oh, well, I did spend some time around the ballpark but now I am completely ready to focus on football. Maybe you and I could hang out a little. The other guy was young and I appreciate a more mature man.”
Oh no. Not going to happen. Why isn’t she looking at anyone else at the table? Skylar had never shown much interest in me before, although I did have a somewhat steady girlfriend for a while last season. That sort of thing doesn’t usually stop Skylar anyway.
“I have a lot going on with the start of the season. I think Coach has a new offensive scheme to try out so I have a lot to study. In fact, I should be leaving now,” I explain, hoping she will get the hint. She does not. She smiles ever so brightly and says she’ll be patient and will see me around. Then she saunters away with her trail of Skylarettes behind her. Do they ever get a chance to talk?
The guys immediately let me have it. Our tight end, Mikala Kaiwi, laughs, “Ohhhh. You are the chosen one. You will be Skylar’s love. Congratulations on your selection!”
Derek Jefferson, our center, makes sexual gestures and some sort of googly eyes. Richie and Davis continue to giggle. Seriously? They are professional football players. If one of them breaks out into “Luke and Skylar sitting in a tree . . .” there will be violence. Then again, I do have to protect my throwing hand. That waiter’s serving tray would make a handy weapon instead.
That’s enough. “Okay guys, I can take the jokes but I will NOT be Skylar’s boy toy this season,” I declare as I rise from my seat. “And just for that comment, Mikala, you get to pick up my part of the tab. I always tip well so be generous.”
As I walk out of Harry’s, I am pretty sure that Richie breaks out into that song I mentioned. Juveniles! Then again, I thought of it too so I suppose I might have been humming the tune if Skylar was after Richie. He sure is lucky to have Lucy and avoid all of this extracurricular stuff.
Chapter 6
Luke
Training camp is a grind physically but mentally the team is mostly meshing well and hopeful for a great season. We had a few good weeks of practice and everyone is staying healthy aside from one slightly sprained ankle. My one concern is a big one. Our starting quarterback has had a bad attitude and is not looking as sharp as usual. His effort in practice has been lackluster. He was missing receivers and putting all the blame on them for running their routes wrong or being too slow. Nate has gained a few pounds in the wrong places and just seems sluggish. I could tell the coaches are concerned. They have pulled him aside more often than usual, which I am sure he considers an embarrassment.
Coach Phillips pulls me into his office to get my take. He says, “What have you noticed about Donovan? I am not sure he is all in this season.”
I certainly do not want to badmouth a teammate but Coach trusts my opinions. I am basically an assistant coach as much as a backup QB. I hesitate but then say, “I agree that Donovan is not looking sharp but it is early. He has always come through when the season starts. I am sure he will turn things around. With the first preseason game coming up tomorrow I assume he will take things more seriously.”
Coach doesn’t look convinced. “I hope so. You have been looking great in practice, Luke, but you know our goal is to play Donovan. He has the big contract and the experience we need for a playoff run. I am not ruling you out though. Maybe it will help if he knows that too.”
“Thanks, Coach,” I reply with confidence. “I do feel really strong this year. My reps with Davis this summer helped a lot with arm strength and we’ve really clicked in practice.”
He nods, “We noticed that too. Keep up the good work.”
I leave his office thinking a lot about what I didn’t say. The guys had stopped in at Harry’s a few more times and spotted Nate Donovan there each time. He usually sat alone at the bar knocking down beers or whiskey. The amount of alcohol was not a good sign. He kept to himself but did take off last time with one of Skylar’s friends who was eagerly draping herself on him.
Skylar continues to make her presence known to me. She was at Harry’s, in the stands at the practice field, at our team media day and it seemed everywhere that I was. She always demands my attention. The guys continue to harass me about her but even Richie is starting to see that the situation isn’t so funny anymore.
As I make my way through the parking lot after our final practice before the first preseason game, Skylar approaches me in her usual short skirt, high heels and barely-there, sparkly pink excuse for a top. She twirls her blond locks on her finger while trying to pose in what she must believe is a seductive manner. I think I have seen this character in just about every stupid, high school comedy movie.
“Lukey,” she whimpers.
Wait. What? Lukey? This has so got to end.
“Why have you been avoiding me? Let’s go to my place and spend some time together. I am tired of your teammates always being around.”
Once again, my mom raised me to be respectful to women so I intend to try my best. “Skylar, I appreciate that you want to spend time with me but I am really not interested in a relationship right now. Maybe there are other guys who would have the time to devote to you but I don’t feel like I could do that. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”
“Oh Luke, I would be happy with whatever time you have. I know you are busy. How about I make you dinner tonight? You do have to eat and fuel that sexy body.”
“I am sorry. I just have to be honest with you. I don’t want to date.” Was that clear enough? Judging from the look on her face, I think it is starting to sink in.
She yells back, “Lucas Bradford, you will regret turning down my offer and don’t expect me to give you a second chance. I think Colton Crawford, that new receiver from Texas, has been looking at me plenty. His accent is kind of sexy too. He will appreciate me.”
Skylar storms off and I make a mental note to warn Colton. He won’t listen because he probably will appreciate her, at least at first.
Chapter 7
Luke
We are down 14-3 in the second quarter against Cincinnati. Nate Donovan had played the first quarter and it was a mess. He fumbled once; it was fortunately recovered by our team. His passes were off. I think he finished two for nine. One of those incompletions went directly to the Cincinnati cornerback. Our receiver tried to play defense and knock it away but there was no luck there. It was such a perfectly thrown ball—to the other team. Nate did get a short pass into the hands of Davis who took it for 42 yards after the catch. I will have to remember to give Davis a hard time about being caught by the safety. The Wheels managed to get a field goal out of the drive.
Coach puts me in near the start of the second quarter as scheduled. We have some good drives. I go eight for eleven in passing for 107 yards, not bad for one quarter. The guys in the huddle seem to appreciate my presence. Their enthusiasm lifts a notch on the sidelines too.
Our other quarterbacks take their turns in the second half. The rookie from Auburn seems a little shaky and throws an interception but the four-year veteran that we brought over from Seattle has a fairly solid game. Our defense keeps it close in the second half giving us a chance.
When the clock hits zero we walk off the field with a 21-17 loss. Preseason wins and losses are not too important although we always prefer the W. The games are more about assessing talent while avoiding injuries. We accomplished both of those goals.
After quick showers, Richie and I make our way toward the family and friends waiting area. Lucy and Richie have a special dinner date set for the Grey Ghost. I am also going out with my parents, brother and sister for dinner.
My parents raised us in a neighborhood just west of Chicago which is why my allegiance to Northwestern made it hard to resist when they offered a scholarship. It is not like a bunch of other offers were flowing in anyway. Last year, Mom’s law firm designated her to open a new office in Lansing and the rest of the family agreed that they could make that work. Dad is a pharmacist so it was easy enough to find a new position. My sister, Tess, is in her sophomore year of college. She started at Triton, a community college, but was more than happy to transfer to Michigan State. It is a beautiful campus and she loves it there. Ryan, who is three years younger than me, is a real estate agent. He could have stayed in Illinois but didn’t feel particularly tied to his company. He was still new enough that he hadn’t made a lot of connections yet which is vital to success in that field. Instead, he found a small agency between East Lansing and Okemos that was hiring and moved this spring.
Chicago was not too far away but I am thrilled that everyone is now in Michigan. I never know when I will get traded elsewhere but I’ll enjoy it while I can.
I enter the family area and immediately my sister attacks me with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Mom is not far behind. Dad throws in a little pat on the shoulder while Mom does her thing. After the release, she literally claps with excitement and exclaims, “Lucas, you played wonderfully today! I am so proud of you.”
Dad chimes in, “That pass to Watkins was amazing. I thought for sure they were going to sack you and then all of the sudden you broke free and launched that pass off one foot for the touchdown. You looked faster than you were in college. Great stuff today!”
I notice Ryan standing back a bit and step over for a handshake. “Hey, Ryan, I am glad you could make it too. It is so nice to have you nearby this season.”
“Thanks,” he says quietly. Then he backs away a bit again.
I suppose it makes sense to save our conversations for the restaurant. I am ready for some food and we do have reservations. “I am starving. Let’s head to dinner so we can settle in and visit there.”
“In just a minute,” Mom replies. “I have to give Richie a hug and say hello to Lucy.” Richie is basically an adopted son to Mom and Dad. He spent almost as much time at the house as I did when we were in college. He is from California so it made sense to hang out at my house during some of the breaks and weekends instead of traveling. Mom was always happy to ensure “her boys” were fed. She and Dad had lots of love to share. Tess liked to hang around as well. I know for a fact that she had a major crush on Richie even though she was much too young to be thinking like that in my opinion.
Richie and Lucy are already making their way through the crowd to see my parents as I notice Ryan moving away even more, suddenly interested in a team memorabilia display in the corner of the room. “Mama Bradford, it is so great to see you! Give me some love,” Richie says warmly as they share a big hug. Lucy got one in too, having met Mom on several previous occasions including the wedding. “How are things going in Lansing?” Richie asks.
Mom answers, “We all love it there. My firm has been happy with the new clients that the other attorneys and I are bringing in. I am trying to cut my hours back to something more reasonable now that we have things running smoothly. But enough about me, when are you two going to give me some babies to spoil? Lucas doesn’t appear to be in any hurry and I don’t think Ryan is even dating.”
Gee, Mom. Way to go for the personal questions right away. I give Richie and Lucy an apologetic look. I notice Ryan grimacing from his spot.
Lucy laughs, “When it happens I will be sure to let you know, Mama B. My mother has been asking that question all the time too. I finally told her that every time she asks we will hold off trying for another month. The strategy appears to have worked but I could tell she was dying to say something when we saw them two weeks ago.”
Everyone says their goodbyes, which includes more Mom hugs, and we leave for dinner. During the drive I think more about my brother. Ryan always avoided Richie and I. Growing up, my brother and I played and fought a lot as brothers typically do. We got into plenty of mischief around the house. Mom started graying early and completely blamed us. The trees in the backyard, the video games in the basement and the basketball hoop in the driveway entertained us for hours. Eventually I started youth football but Ryan had no interest in that. Once middle school hit, my attention also turned toward the girls, particularly the lovely Ella Mayfield with whom I spent significant after school time when not at practice. Not to brag, but I have those classic good looks that girls swarm over. I thank my parents for their excellent genetics. The bright blue eyes they passed on always garner lots of compliments. Anyway, I eventually became the star quarterback and homecoming king in senior year of high school and Ryan was a few years behind as a freshman with his nose usually in a science fiction book. There is nothing wrong with that but we just didn’t have much in common anymore. By the time Richie was coming home with me so often in college, Ryan did everything he could to be in a different space.
My family and I meet up at Ford’s Garage in Novi as it’s on the way home for them and not too far from my place in Northville. I order a ribeye with green beans and a side salad. Richie would be proud that I stayed away from the other sides that sounded much more fun but much less nutritious.
Tess chats for a while about her classes and roommates. Mom and Dad discuss work a bit but then steer the conversation back to me and the Wheels. They keep going on about how impressed they were by my game today. That is one nice thing about preseason; they can actually see me play.
I can tell that Dad doesn’t want to say anything outrightly negative about Nate Donovan but he does throw in a few comments. “That first quarter sure didn’t go so well. Donovan was not playing his best. Do you think there is any chance you will see more time on the field this year?”
I always pictured that happening. Every backup quarterback does. We fight for the starting job but generally know that is not what we are brought into the organization to do. I admit to Dad, “I always hope for that. I have had really strong practices and today’s game was in my favor. Coach has let me know that it has been noticed. Donovan is struggling a bit right now but I anticipate that he will get it together soon.”
For the first time at dinner, Ryan speaks up. “You will be on the sideline as always. You don’t have the skills to be a starter in the NFL.” That earns him a huge elbow to the ribs from Tess. I love my sister. He also got “the look” from Mom so I assume that there will be a sternly worded conversation during their drive home tonight.
Always the peacemaker when possible, I take the high road. “That may be true, Ryan, but I will fight for the spot.” Then, trying to change the subject, I ask, “How is the real estate business going?”
Oops. By the looks on everyone’s faces it apparently hasn’t been going well for Ryan. I suppose I should have known that already. I will have to ask Tess to keep me more in the loop.
Ryan responds, “It basically sucks. I am still learning the area and trying to meet more people. It takes a while to build up clientele and the best listings always go to the agents that have been in the office longer. I haven’t sold much yet.”
“You made a good point about needing time to make those connections,” I respond, hoping to smooth things over. “I am sure it will turn around soon. You will do great.”
“We can’t all be like you,” he mumbles.
I understand that jealousy has been one of the reasons we have grown apart. Mom and Dad tried spending equal time with Ryan, Tess and I. But with all of my sports practices and games and Tess being the baby of the family with her own slew of activities, Ryan did get lost in the middle. He didn’t have hobbies that demanded attention from the rest of us and seemed happy enough to read or play video games in his room.
Mom takes over the conversation by talking about my grandparents a bit. I miss them too. A short time later, Dad says it is time to hit the road. I grab the check and handle that. We get up and I share hugs with everyone but Ryan who opted to take that moment to go to the restroom.
“Don’t worry about Ryan,” Tess says. “He will come around. He is just going through a rough patch right now and he is taking it out on you.”
“I wish I could help him in some way. If he was working in Detroit I could steer some business his way. There is not much I can do now though.”
Upon Ryan’s return we venture out to our cars. Dad confirms that they plan to attend next week’s game. We then go our separate ways after yet another hug from Mom. I climb into the Bronco and drive home, still pondering how things went wrong with Ryan. I wish I could rewind the years and work harder at spending time with him.
Chapter 8
Luke
Today was preseason Game 2 against the Salt Lake City Cougars. They are projected to be a top team in the league this year and defend last year’s championship. The oddsmakers in Vegas have them picked as the probable Super Bowl winners again. The Cougars were a new expansion team not long ago but took off like wildfire, surprising everyone in the league.
We played at home again so my family was back in the stands as promised. I was able to get in a brief hello before the game but Skylar lingered in the same hallway so I made a quick exit. She still appears very focused on me when we are in the same place, which is more often than I would like, but I have noticed her clinging to Colton Crawford after practice on a few occasions. That is good for me. The jury is still out on whether it is good for Colton.
