“One more thing,” Levi said before he left. “In case you plan to keep calling me old man? My body will recover—faster than you think. When I do, you won’t be quite as smug. If you think I can’t catch you, think again.”
“I’m fast,” she said with an unconcerned sniff.
“My legs are longer,” Levi reminded her.
“Yeah, well…” Frustrated by the kind of logic she couldn’t argue, Piper slammed a pan onto the stove. “You wasted ten minutes yammering. If you aren’t back when the soup is ready, I’ll eat without you.”
Satisfied that he’d shaken Piper’s complacency, Levi hustled to the bathroom. Well, hustled was a bit of an exaggeration. But the fact that he felt better than before she arrived wasn’t a surprise.
Piper was his joy. His sunshine. She was the best part of what made him happy all rolled into one beautiful, brilliant package.
Though she wasn’t ready to hear the words, one day, soon, he’d tell her. Piper, Levi discovered, was the love of his life.
CHAPTER TEN
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“GOOD FOOD MAKES everything better.” Sitting back, Levi patted his full, happy stomach. “A top-notch dinner companion never hurts.”
“The color in your cheeks is back,” Piper said as she cleared away the dishes. “When I first got here you looked like death warmed over.”
“I felt worse.” Cautiously, Levi lifted one arm, then the other. “Not great, but better.”
“You work out like crazy. Eat right. Run a gazillion miles every day.” Piper shook her head. “Why did one little practice session take so much out of you?”
One little practice session. Levi almost laughed at Piper’s gross understatement. Then he remembered she wasn’t a football person. Even if she were, most fans had no idea how much work and energy players, coaches, and staff expended between games—nor did they care.
The people in the seats and those watching at home wanted one thing. They wanted their team to succeed. Most fans went away disappointed—it was the nature of the game. To be a winner, there had to be a loser. Simple. Often heartbreaking. But true.
“My body is in good shape—better than average,” Levi explained. “However, there’s a world of difference between the muscles I use to work out and the way my body responds on a football field. Apples and oranges.”
“I still say that Mac pushed you too hard,” Piper groused. “It would serve him right if you don’t show up for practice because you can’t get out of bed in the morning.”
“I’ll be there,” Levi said. “If I have to get Dylan and some of the other players to carry me, nothing will keep me away.”
“Okay,” Piper said.
“After all you had to say about overextending myself and possible injuries, all you have to say is okay?” Levi shook his head. “Explain your sudden capitulation, please.”
Washing her hands, Piper dried them, carefully getting each drop of moisture from between her fingers. Finally, she turned to Levi with a smile of resignation.
“I’ll never understand the love you have for football. The game is barbaric. If a player is fortunate enough to have a long career, he walks away—or limps—into a retirement filled with chronic pain.” Closing her eyes, Piper shuddered.
Levi had a dozen arguments he could recite but nothing he had to say would change the fact that Piper was right. Athletes in every sport tended to suffer long-term effects from their chosen profession. Everyone was different. Some bodies were better designed to take the physical pounding—on and off the field—that was necessary to remain at the top. But the pain was real.
With a sigh, Levi took Piper’s hand in his and tried to make her understand.
“I’ve loved football since I was a little kid. Everything about the game gets my blood pumping,” he said, smiling at the thought. “Almost thirty years a fan and nothing’s changed.”
“If spending a decade relegated to the sidelines didn’t dampen your enthusiasm, nothing will.” Piper’s fingers tightened on his. “I may not understand the sport you love but I admire your passion, Levi. We all deserve to have a job that makes us jump from our beds each morning. Or in your case, crawl.”
“By morning, I’ll be jumping,” Levi assured her. When she raised a doubtful eyebrow, he chuckled. “Maybe a small hop would be a more accurate description.”
“Agreed.” Piper’s green eyes crinkled at the edges. “Through no fault of your own, you’ve missed out on that feeling of excitement and anticipation. I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I didn’t do my best to support you. Your job. Your passion.”
“You’re a very good friend, Piper,” Levi said as he tried to clear the emotion from his throat without success. “The best.”
“To prove you’re right, I will help to get you back on the field tomorrow with as few lingering aches and pains as possible.” Piper held up a bag. “Claire Thornton’s miracle elixirs. Want a massage?”
Turn down a chance to feel Piper’s hands on his body? Levi scoffed at the thought. It was all he could do not to rip off his clothes, prostrate himself on the kitchen counter, and beg her to begin. Immediately.
“A massage sounds good,” he said, proud of how calm and collected he sounded. “If you sure you don’t mind.”
Levi wanted to kick himself for giving Piper an out. He should have given her a short but firm yes and left his answer at that. Worried he’d blown the chance of a lifetime, he almost melted with relief at her next question.
“Where will you be the most comfortable?” With a thoughtful frown, Piper looked around the room. “A regular table will be too hard on your body. We could pad the floor, but the angle will be awkward.”
“True.” Levi nodded, letting out a silent sigh of relief that the massage was a go.
“I’d suggest we use your bed, but—”
“The bed’s good,” Levi said in a rush. “Great idea. Perfect.”
“What if I spill the lotion? I don’t want to stain your
