Page 1 of Stalked By the Linebacker

PROLOGUE

HECTOR ‘CRANK’ DOMINGUEZ

“Ma,”I groaned and lay back on my bed. The wooden frame creaked under my weight.

“Papi, all I am asking you to do is go say hi to her. You know your sister will appreciate you looking after her.” I rolled my eyes. It was the same conversation every fucking time.

“Ma—"

“I raised you better than that.” My mom had a way of cutting to the quick. “She’s been there for almost a year.”

“I know that,” I groaned. It was the same sob story every time we talked.

“And you haven’t stopped by or called her to say hello,” my mom pointed out.

“Have you ever thought that maybe I’m busy?” I asked, knowing very well I wasn’t going to get by with that excuse for much longer.

“And that’s why I didn’t push when the season was going on.” My mom might not have pushed, but she sure had brought it up… a lot. “I respected the fact you had a full course load and trying to figure out your next move. Now you figured it out, and you’re doing what? Two workouts a day?”

“One,” I muttered because I might be twenty-two and a grown man, but I didn’t lie to my mom.

“Libby is family, papi. She’s Blanca’s best friend.”

“I highly doubt she needs me to check on her.”

“Honey, she was here.” Her voice was gentle. My jaw clenched at the reminder. It stung. Everyone had been there when my grandpa got sick.Everyone but me.“Every day. She was always here, and you know why.” I sighed because as much my mom enjoyed being a pain, I got what she was saying.

From what she had shared through the years, Libby’s home life had been a hellhole. Shit, the girl had preferred to be around and help clean up and feed my grandfather during her senior year of high school instead of being home.

That alone said something.

But the girl put my own overachieving ass to shame. Not only had Libby been around and practically lived at my house, she had also taken every online college course she could on top of her already accelerated high school courses. Not only had she been valedictorian but had graduated with junior college standing.

The girl was impressive. It was nothing personal that I didn’t want to reach out. I just remembered the way the nerdy frizzy-haired blonde used to stare up at me with dreamy eyes. Her crush on me hadn’t been subtle. I didn’t want to stop by and have her get the wrong idea.

“Hector—"

“Crank,” I corrected even though I knew better. I could practically feel my mom’s eyes rolling.

“Hector, I am your mom, not your teammate.”

“Ma—"

“Or a coach,” she cut me off. I knew better than try to argue with the woman, but she was a serious pain in my ass sometimes. “Maybe if I were, you’d listen to me.”

“Ma—"

“I not only spent twenty-seven hours in labor to bring you in this world, but I had morning sickness every day for?—"

“Nine months,” I cut her off because I was all too familiar with the story. “Okay. I got it. I will text her or?—“

“She’s working at that burger joint. It’s the one closer to the highway, Towers or something.”

“Stacked,” I corrected gently. “Okay,” I sighed, glancing down at my watch. “I’ll head over now. Say hi, get some food, and catch up.” I would still have time to hit a party my roommate and teammate, Dylan, wanted to make an appearance at. I wasn’t usually one who liked parties, especially with my course and practice schedule, but I needed a break.

“Maybe take her to dinner,” my mom suggested. I rolled my eyes.Dinner?Now this felt a little suspicious. Like a fucking setup. Nope. I was not falling for that.

“Mom,” I muttered in a tone I hardly used but I knew she would understand I wasn’t playing. If she was trying to play matchmaker with my sister’s best friend, she had another thing coming. From what I remembered of her, she was not my type. Not that I had seen her a whole bunch since I had left to college.

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