“Really?” Piper gasped. “Does Levi know?”
“Mac plans to tell him before the game,” Riley said. “I believe Levi will step up and prove to the football world that he’s a winner. He certainly has the motivation.”
“Because of all the years he was a passed over?” Piper asked.
“That, and the crap the media’s been spewing at him all week.” A glint of steel entered Riley’s blue eyes. “Nothing chaps an athlete’s ass like a slap in the face from a bunch of overrated desk jockeys.”
“I love it when my wife climbs on her high horse.” Sean McBride slipped an arm around Riley’s waist. “How’s the view from up there, beautiful?”
“Grand, handsome. Primo.” Riley kissed Sean’s cheek and winked. “You should know since you spewed a few pithy comments before we left home about the lambasting Levi’s taken.”
“As an ex-player who’s taken my share of hits from the media, I can relate to what Levi’s going through.” As though he could still feel the jabs, Sean rubbed his neck. “Doesn’t matter how careful you are, some of the barbed comments are bound to sneak through.”
Piper knew that Levi watched SportsCenter at least once. She felt a twinge of guilt. If she’d been with him, as he asked, she could have kept him from repeating the same mistake. She was a bad friend, a fact he had to know. Why in the world would he want her as a girlfriend? Was the man a glutton for punishment?
“Don’t worry that you weren’t with him,” Darcy told Piper, reading her mind. “Gaige has practically lived in Levi’s back pocket all week, coaching him and lending moral support. Dylan and some of the other guys have stuck like glue. He’s had plenty of company.”
But Levi wanted her, Piper thought. He hadn’t asked for much. Just her company. Instead of giving in to what they both needed, she stubbornly refused. And why? Because she decided arbitrarily that she knew what was best.
“See my forehead?” Piper demanded of Darcy.
Peering close, Darcy frowned.
“What am I looking for?” she asked.
“Right here.” Piper pointed. “Stamped in big letters. FOOL.”
“Ah.” Darcy smiled. “Now I understand. You feel guilty. Is the word fool your version of a scarlet letter?”
Piper wasn’t in the mood for anything as highfaluting as literary references. The was nothing highbrow about her sin. What she did was plain stupid.
“Levi will forgive you,” Darcy assured her.
“Of course, he will.” Piper had no doubts. “He’s Levi. All I need to do is smile and flirt a little and he’ll forget everything.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Riley asked.
“I can’t forget.” Piper shook her head. “No. I refuse to forget. Levi does everything for me and I’m afraid that I take him for granted.”
“Then stop. Now,” Darcy said. “Let him know how much you appreciate him.”
Nodding, determined to be better, Piper looked down onto the field where the players were warming up. Her gaze found Levi and stuck. His sandy blond hair glistened with touches of gold in the afternoon sunlight as he laughed at something someone said.
Crossing her fingers, praying as she never prayed before, Piper sent her good thoughts to him. Succeed. Win or lose, know that you did your best. Understand that I’m here, cheering you on.
Levi lifted his head, his gaze moving upward. If Piper hadn’t known better, she would have sworn he could see her. Placing her hand on the glass, she gasped in surprise when he waved, a huge grin on his face.
“Levi isn’t psychic,” Sean told Piper with a laugh. “He can see you from where he’s standing?”
“He can?” Piper blushed, feeling foolish. “Why didn’t I know that?”
“Because you never come to the games,” Darcy explained. “Let Levi know you saw him so that he can concentrate and get back to work.”
Piper did as Darcy instructed, delighted when Levi grinned and waved again.
“Women are going to lose their shit over him,” Sean muttered. “Hell, even I’m a little dazzled.”
“Women already love Levi,” Piper said.
“Wait until after the game,” Sean warned. “Even if the Knights lose, the attention he gets is going to double. Triple.”
“What happens if they win?” Piper asked, not certain she wanted to know.
“Levi’s popularity will skyrocket. There’s nothing sports fans love more than a comeback story. Men will want to be his friend; women will fall at his feet.”
“And I’ll kick them to the curb,” Piper said under her breath.
“Don’t be jealous,” Riley said with an understanding smile. “Levi’s head might swell a bit at first. Just keep a few pins around. Burst his ego bubble when it gets too big. He’ll be fine. So, will you.”
Piper hoped Riley was right. Naively, she hadn’t thought about how things would change in Levi’s personal life. Potential fame and glory might be easier to handle at his age, but he was human. He was about to enter uncharted territory. Would he want her by his side? Would success change everything?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲
“PIPER’S HERE,” LEVI said as he tossed another ball to Dylan.
“Did you think she’d miss your starting debut?” his friend asked.
“She promised to come. So, all was good.” Levi glanced up at the skybox again. “Just good to see her.”
“You can think about Piper after the game,” Gaige Benson said. He kicked at Levi’s right foot. “Keep your weight distributed evenly. If you’re off-balance, your throws will be, too.”
“Yes, coach,” Levi said, pulling his thoughts back to where they belonged. “When is the game going to start? I feel like I’m about to crawl out of my freaking skin?”
“Be grateful for every second you have before the first gun,” Gaige advised. “Once the game starts, you’ll barely have time to breathe.”
“What if I forget?” Levi asked, his mind suddenly blank. “Breathing. What if I can’t remember how?”
“Finally.” Gaige let out a sigh of relief. “You’ve been too calm until now. Nerves are healthy. They keep the
