Page 5 of Undeniable Love

Rolling his eyes, Jax was ready to point out that they were ready—and had totally been there when he needed them—but kept that to himself.

“You got your shit together, but not as fast as you were supposed to! The defense sent a blitz, but the offensive line held their ground, giving Wylder enough time to make his read. The wide receivers execute their routes with precision.” Another pause. “The opposition was sloppy and it was like they sent in their benchwarmers today, but that doesn’t mean you all shouldn’t be playing at your absolute best!”

More murmurs from the team as the coach went over every step, every move everyone made during the play. It was flawless as far as Jax was concerned. The play had been executed exactly as he intended and they’d scored. Nitpicking on successful plays seems counterproductive, but what did he know? He wasn’t a coach, nor was he ever going to be—not on this level, at least. That wasn’t part of his game plan.

But what exactly is my game plan?

Yeah, he hadn’t worked that out yet, but he needed to. Sooner rather than later because…well…he just should.

“And look at this,” coach Ferraro added several plays later. “With pressure closing in, Wylder spotted his target, released a spiral, perfectly leading the receiver toward the end zone!”

Then, much to Jax’s embarrassment, he applauded and encouraged the team to do the same.

Shit.

Smiling briefly, Jax nodded toward the screen and hoped they could move on to focus on someone else. He loved the praise, but not when it was in the confines of a post-game meeting like this. There were several glares from jealous teammates, and he noted a few smirks. None of it was new, but he hated crap like this. They were a team. They worked together as a team. It wasn’t just him; it was the way he played with the guys around him.

“Then…Jones, tracking the ball over his shoulder, extends his arms and makes a spectacular diving catch, securing the ball just as he crosses the goal line! Well done!” The screen cut to the fans as the crowd erupted into cheers as the offense took the lead with only seconds remaining in the game.

They’d won and it had been great and everyone should have been pleased, but it was almost like the coaches didn’t want to give them too much praise for fear they’d get complacent. Still, by the end of the meeting, everyone was smiling and it was finally time to go. As Jax stood, he groaned quietly. Overall, he felt stiffer than he thought he would and found himself limping a bit.

“Wylder?” Coach Floyd called out. “You okay?”

Nodding, he grinned. “Nothing a good soak won’t cure. Have a good night, Coach. See you Monday.”

Walking out of the team auditorium, he got in step with two of his teammates and closest friends, Travis Reid and Declan James. They made casual conversation as they made their way to their cars.

“Coach needs to do these replays the next day or the day after,” Travis said when they were away from the rest of the team and out in the parking lot. “I get that he thinks it’s helpful doing this while it’s fresh on our minds, but none of us were really concentrating on what he was saying. I’m freaking starving. I’ve been dreaming about a steak since we walked off the field.”

They all nodded in agreement.

“I definitely needed more time to ice my knee, but I wanted to do it at home while no one was shouting at me about being a tenth of a second late with turning my head,” Declan murmured. “Not to sound like a damn cliché, but…I’m getting too old for this shit.”

“I was thinking about how I couldn’t wait to get home and soak in the hot tub,” Jax admitted.

Travis laughed. “Man, what’s happened to us? We used to finish a game, shower, and run to the nearest pub to pick up women! Now listen to us—steaks, ice, and hot tubs. Alone.” He snorted with disgust as they approached his custom Mustang. “You know, there are a ton of guys heading over to Bruno’s. Why go home like a bunch of old men?” Then he shook his head. “I don’t know about you, but I refuse to give in. You guys go home and get some rest,” he teased. “Personally, I’m going to see how many lovely ladies are interested in joining me in my hot tub.” Tossing his duffel bag over his shoulder, he grinned. “After I enjoy a steak. Have a good night.”

Jax and Declan kept walking to the far corner of the lot and it wasn’t until they were standing next to Declan’s SUV that they spoke.

“I don’t care what he thinks,” Declan stated. “A steak, a beer, and just a little peace and quiet. That’s all I want tonight.” Then he paused. “It used to be fun, right? Like…the adrenaline from a game was still pumping and we’d hit up one of the pubs or clubs and never go home alone.”

“Yeah,” Jax said wearily. “And it still does sound like fun, but…I don’t know…lately it also sounds…”

“Exhausting,” Declan finished for him. “And maybe I sound lame, but…I’m out of here. Why don’t you stop by tomorrow and we can hang out? My media room is finally finished and it’s awesome for gaming.”

That made Jax laugh softly. “PS5 or Xbox?”

Declan grinned. “Both. You bring the beer; I’ll grill the burgers.”

“Deal.” He made it all of five steps before he turned around. “We can’t be those guys, Dec! We can’t! We can relax tomorrow! I think a night out celebrating our win—like we used to—could be a great way to end the day!”

His buddy didn’t look so sure, but he did eventually agree. “We’re not doing this because Travis shamed us,” he said firmly. “We’re going out because we want to!”

“Absolutely!” Jax said, suddenly feeling excited about all the possibilities the night could bring. “I’ll meet you over at Bruno’s!” Jogging over to his truck, he tossed his duffel in before getting himself situated and following Declan out of the parking lot. It wasn’t the night he originally thought he wanted, but he knew the importance of hanging out and celebrating with the team. Hell, it’s how he, Travis, and Declan became such good friends, so…

The drive was short, and as soon as they walked through the doors of the upscale bar and restaurant and heard everyone cheer, he knew this was the right decision. He’d deal with the body aches and pains tomorrow. For tonight, he was more than happy to cut loose and have a good time. They deserved to feel good about today’s win, and besides, it wasn’t like anything too crazy was going to happen. It never did.

Only…

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