“Not that I don’t appreciate the gesture,” Levi said, his frown deepening. “But why do I need their support? It’s not like I haven’t heard what you have to tell me before.”
“Have you?” Darcy asked.
“More times than I care to remember.” Levi tapped his temple. “Each one is etched into my memory.”
“Sounds painful,” Riley said, her smile filled with sympathy.
Levi shrugged. The first time he lost out on the starting quarterback job, the news was like a red-hot dagger to his gut. The second time, he felt an additional, bitter twist of the knife. Eventually, the bleeding became less severe, the pain slightly less agonizing. He wouldn’t say he’d become numb. But he was close.
“We’re all grateful that Monte Oliver will make a full recovery. And thank the Lord he didn’t’ hurt anyone,” Mac said through gritted teeth. Under his breath, he added, “The inconsiderate, irresponsible, asshole. And where the freaking hell did the jerk get some booze?”
“Must have snuck a bottle onto the plane,” Levi said, kicking himself for not paying more attention to what Monte was up to.
“Exactly. He knows all team flights are dry—to and from. Do you think I wouldn’t like a cold beer after a tough loss?” When Levi gave an understanding nod, Mac continued. “Damn straight, I would. But like everyone—except dickwad Oliver—I follow the rules. In fact—"
“Joshua.” Darcy sent the head coach a warning look. “You’re starting to ramble.”
Darcy—his boss and fiancé—was the only person who called Joshua McClain by his given name. The effect on the tough as nails ex-football player was a sight to see. Smiling, he ducked his head, rubbed the back of his neck, and, if Levi weren’t mistaken, a slight blush stained the surface of Mac’s cheeks.
Somehow, the soon to be a married couple had discovered a way to make their professional and personal lives mesh without letting the inevitable gossip and heightened media coverage come between them or affect their jobs. Truly Amazing.
“As I was saying.” Clearing his throat, Mac’s gaze turned razor-sharp. “Let’s not be hypocrites and pretend the loss of Monte Oliver as QB was a tragedy for the team.”
“One more loss and you would have benched him anyway,” Darcy said, her tone matter of fact.
More of a newsflash than a revelation, Levi couldn’t say he was surprised. However, no team decided to bench a starting QB without a lot of soul searching and plenty of angst. He could only imagine the hours of discussion, debating, and agonizing that went on behind closed doors.
“You aren’t naïve, Levi,” Darcy continued. “You’ve been in the game long enough to understand how things work behind the scenes.”
Here we go, Levi thought. His shoulders stiffened as though anticipating the blow he knew was coming. Then, breathing out, he relaxed. He’d been bruised before, occasionally, bloodied. As always, he would survive.
“I won’t lie and say we haven’t been on the phone exploring our options for some time.” Darcy exchanged looks with Riley and chuckled. “Our owner doesn’t believe any of the talent that’s currently on the market is worth the asking price. Coach McClain and I agree.”
“We’ve tossed around the idea of a trade,” Mac said with a shrug. “At this time of the year, teams are pretty stingy with their quarterbacks.”
“The injury bug can hit at any time. Though you don’t expect your players to shoot themselves in the foot the way Monte did. Metaphorically speaking.” Darcy let out a deep sigh—the first sign she’d shown of how much pressure she was under. “In the end, after some long hours and heated discussions, the solution turned out to be a simple one.”
Levi knew the routine. As a veteran player with a hefty, some might say overly generous salary, he knew what management expected of him. One last time, he would do his duty.
“Whoever you decided to bring in, the team will rally around him,” Levi promised. “I’ll get the players on board and do whatever I can to make the transition smooth and painless.”
Darcy's gaze moved from Levi to Mac. Cocking her head to one side, she smiled at the head coach
“Tell him,” she said.
Rolling to his feet, Mac planted his feet in front of Levi’s chair. His gaze sharp and steady, his expression emotionless.
“Levi Reynolds. As of right now, you are officially the Seattle Knights’ starting quarterback.”
Mac’s words made no sense. Little more than gobbledygook, each syllable bounced off Levi, pinging off the walls and settling somewhere in the corner. Certain he’d suddenly lost his ability to understand the English language, Levi tugged on his ear as he tried to clear away the loud buzzing that suddenly filled his head to the exclusion of everything else.
“Did he faint?” Logan asked.
“No,” Mac said, peering into Levi’s eyes. “He’s conscious. I think.”
“Give the man some air.” Gaige pushed everyone aside. Picking up a folder from Darcy’s desk, he fanned Levi’s face. “Breathe before you pass out. In. Out. In. Out. Understand?”
Yes, he did! He understood every word. Relieved, Levi closed his eyes and concentrated on pulling oxygen into his lungs. Slowly the feeling of lightheadedness receded. The sense he’d entered an NFL sanctioned version of The Twilight Zone, not so much.
Levi nodded his thanks when Logan handed him a bottle of water. He downed the contents in four large gulps. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he looked around the room.
“I don’t mind standing as the butt of the joke from time to time,” he said. “But some subjects just aren’t funny. Not to me.”
“Do you see anyone laughing?” Mac asked. With an exasperated shake of his head, he handed Levi a sheet of paper. “Here’s the official press release. The Knights’ P.R. department sent out the notice fifteen minutes ago.”
The announcement was straightforward. The Seattle Knights are happy to announce… Yada, yada, yada. The usual jargon used by every sports team for as long as anyone could remember. The one glaring
