Page 41 of Gridlocked on the Gridiron

“Lucia, join me.”

Lucia followed Landon into an adjacent room. The dining room was massive, with a huge, wooden table and matching chairs. Intricate placemats of red, gold, and blue sat at each setting, though they looked old and worn. A blue table runner lay down the middle of the long table, tying into the decor well. Besides the table, there was little else decorating the room. There were no family photos, pictures of pets, or even paintings. It felt very cold, just like the rest of the house.

“So, you’re the minx who dated Colton’s sworn enemy, right? I can’t tell you how much I’ve heard about Max Clark over the past nine years. I was surprised when I heard you and Colton got together.” She tried to detect any note of suspicion in his tone as she grabbed the plates from the head of the table, setting them out as he laid out silverware and thinking through how best to respond.

“I was working as a Vipers analyst, and it didn’t work out for me there, so I transferred to the Sabertooths to help Colton after the first two preseason games. We didn’t see eye to eye in the beginning, as you can imagine.”

That got a chuckle out of him as he continued around the table.

“We started spending more time together, and we realized that we had a lot of common interests. After that, everything kind of just fell into place, I guess.”

It felt odd lying to Landon, but the last thing she wanted was for him not to believe that they were together. Colton already had to deal with his helicopter parent of a father, he didn’t need his brother teasing him for lying about a girlfriend too. If it meant protecting him from that, she had no qualms about fibbing.

Landon chuckled again. “Well, I’m certainly surprised. Colton’s probably the best of us at holding a grudge. Granted, he’s had to deal with the most shit from our dad, but still, he can be a real dick sometimes. I don’t know how he managed to get his shit together enough to convince you to go out with him.”

Lucia grinned. “He’s very stubborn.”

“That, I knew. But glad to hear he put that particular personality trait to use at something that matters. One thing we have in common is that we are both no good at relationships. I haven’t seen him date someone seriously in years.”

“Do you think he just didn’t have the time before?” She was being nosy, but she really wanted to know why he’d spent so many of his best years alone.

“I’d joke that he has no game with women, but I think we can probably agree that’s not true.”

She shook her head. The perpetual warmth that swept through her when he was near was a good indication that it wasn’t even a little true. Not to mention how she’d nearly come apart in her office.

“Right. Anyway, I think Colt was dealt a tough hand with our dad. He’s got it so deeply ingrained in him that his football stats have to be perfect all the time that he probably never even thought about it. You must’ve really taken him by surprise.”

She laughed as she leaned against one of the chairs. “I think what surprised him was that I didn’t take any of his shit.”

He gave her a genuine smile, not one of his cocky smirks, as he said, “Good. He needs it.”

She thought back to what he’d said about their dad. “Your dad’s pretty hard on all of you, huh?”

“Hard’s an understatement, but like I said, Colton gets the worst of it. He was the first-born son who could do no wrong.” There was that tinge of bitterness. “Unless, of course, he is on the field. No matter how hard Colton works, no matter how he perfects his game at the expense of his life, his relationships, his everything, it has never been enough for dear ol’ Dad.”

The thought made Lucia’s heart hurt for a young Colton. “Why has he pushed you and Colton so hard in football? I mean, I know he played in college and was a first-round favorite for the draft, but it feels like a lot of pressure to put on someone else.”

Her dad had a lot of faults, but even with the small family hardware store he ran, he’d never expected Lucia to follow in his footsteps. The moment he’d learned she was good at math and had an interest in computers, he’d made sure to hire someone to help with her college applications, even when they hadn’t had much money to spare.

Not only had she found Colton’s house online, but she’d also looked into his family. Troy Beaumont's college career had been incredibly promising. He had been predicted to be the first pick in the NFL draft after his senior year of college, but the injury during the national championship had changed everything. She had been surprised to see that he’d quit the football world and moved on to something else. Still, it made no sense for that to be his only reason to push his sons so hard.

Landon leaned against the doorway. “Right after Dad got injured, he met our mom through some friends. She swam at Crestview, and I guess with them both playing NCAA sports, they understood each other. A few months later, she was pregnant with Colton, and my dad had to find a job quickly. I’m not sure either of them were thrilled about it, but they got married right out of college.”

Landon rubbed his jaw, an odd look on his face. “A few months after Colt was born, my dad was offered a coaching job at a college across the country. The offer was only on the table for a week or so, but with a newborn and a recently purchased house, there was no feasible way for them to uproot their life. Plus, Dad would’ve been gone all the time, and Mom didn’t want to have to rely on her parents too much, so they ultimately decided it wasn’t the right path.”

Realization dawned on Lucia as Landon continued. “So Dad put all of his free time into coaching Colton. He wanted to make sure Colt was the next best NFL great, no matter the consequences. Then I was born, and he’d been out of the football world for so long that he couldn’t find professional coaching jobs anywhere. Instead, he threw himself into coaching all our Little League and middle school games. Taught Colt and me everything he knows. Made sure Crestview scouts came out to watch him play in high school and then went to all of his college games.”

Lucia whispered, “And Colton’s believed his whole life that it was his fault? That his father missed out on a career in coaching because of him?”

Landon nodded slowly, lips pressed into a thin line. “Dad made sure he knew that story. Any misstep, and he would remind Colt what he’d given up for him. Mom tried her best to stop it, but there was nothing she could do, short of leaving him. And there was no way he wasn’t going to fight with everything in him to keep Colt, if only to live out his dreams.”

“And what about you?”

“I spent years trying to live up to my dad’s standards, but with Colton as good as he was, it didn’t make sense for me to be a quarterback. Plus, I’m taller, so tight end was the best choice for me.” He grinned. “Let’s just say I’m glad to be across the country. It’s nice being out of Colt’s shadow, but it’s even nicer being away from Dad.”

As horrible as Lucia felt for all of the Beaumont children, her heart ached for Colton. He’d had the weight of his father’s goals and dreams placed on his little shoulders from the moment he was born, his life already planned out for him. No wonder all he cared about was winning. It was all he’d known. He felt he could only get his father’s love if he won, and she was sure that translated to everyone else as well.

“Sorry, I thought you would’ve known this stuff. It’s textbook parental projection. Unfortunately, Colton’s too indebted to him. He’s so consumed with the idea that he must get Dad’s approval that he won’t even say no when Dad berates him for a win during Mom’s memorial dinner.”

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