Page 39 of Tackle

“Will do. I’ll text once I know more.”

“Stay strong.”

He was about to hang up when he heard Linc say, “Oz?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks, again.”

“Any time, bro.”

Oz tossed his cell on the bed, fell to his back, and scrubbed his hands down his face. Fuck. What a blow. His heart ached for Linc, but more so for Sophie. At barely four, losing both her parents was sure to be traumatizing. Linc would have his hands full, once he reached his sister’s.

Sitting back up, he grabbed his phone to check the time. No use trying for more sleep. His alarm would be going off soon. Besides, he was wide awake. He got out of bed, throwing on a pair of sweats before padding into the kitchen to make a protein shake.

What he wanted to do was call Emerson. But it was too fucking early. Hell, it was even too early to call Nora to check in, and she was two time zones away. Linc’s tragic phone call had really hit home the fact he should connect with his sister sooner rather than later.

Pulling the protein powder from the cupboard, he added two scoops to the blender, poured in some water, grabbed ice from the freezer and a banana from the fridge, and blended that shit up. Not bothering with a cup, he drank it straight from the pitcher. Goosebumps sprouted up and down his arms. Damn, it was cold.

As was the weather, he later discovered, stepping out of his complex and into the underground garage. With only a few days until November, it was still technically fall, but damn, if it didn’t feel like the dead of winter.

Yanking up the zip on his jacket, he booked it to the Escalade, turned on the engine, and cranked up the heater. Cold air blasted him in the face, adding insult to injury. It was times like these he didn’t mind traveling for an away game if the destination was a warmer state. He only wished Emerson could go with him. Maybe one of these days.

He realized he was thinking about their future. He’d been doing that a lot lately—little things that popped into his head. He’d already been looking into fixing his SUV to make it easier for Emerson to get in and out of. And there was still the matter of her living arrangements. Even though it had been almost two months since their first date, it was still too soon to ask her to move in with him.

Wasn’t it?

Hell, they hadn’t even had sex yet. Not that he didn’t want it. Fuck, he ached for her, but he wanted to take his time. Build the anticipation so when they did come together it would be something to savor.

He was thinking about the future again when he should be concentrating on the here and now. He had to get to the field. He’d already called Coach and told him he needed to talk to him before practice.

He put the gearshift into reverse and backed out of his spot, his mind circling back to Linc. He’d still be in the air. Oz didn’t expect to hear from him until later that afternoon, possibly even some time that night, and hoped that he was doing okay. He had a rocky road of grief ahead of him and Oz planned to be there for him for whatever he needed. They might give each other shit on a daily basis, but when shit got real, their friendship was solid. And shit didn’t get any more real than that. Oz had Linc’s back.

∞ ∞ ∞

“Well this is a happy surprise. I didn’t expect you for another few hours.” Emerson came over to him as he entered the pub, wrapping her arms around his waist for a hug.

Oz enclosed her in his arms until she practically disappeared into his embrace. Not a bad way to be greeted after a few days away. “Coach called practice early because we got back so late. We only had to watch a few hours of game footage.”

“Sorry I missed your text last night. What time did you finally get home this morning?”

“About five.”

“God, you must be exhausted. Come and sit down.”

“Give me a kiss first. I’ve missed you.”

She obliged, getting up on her toes, him leaning to meet her halfway. They kept the kiss PG-13 for the onlookers. Not that it made much difference to his dick who thought that any contact with Emerson was enough to get excited over. He discreetly adjusted himself as he followed her over to his booth. They both sat and he reached for her hand, entwining their fingers.

“Have you heard anything more from Linc?”

Oz nodded. “Got a text from him last night. He’ll be coming home after the funeral on Friday.”

“And he’s bringing Sophie with him?”

“Yeah. From what Linc said, it’s what Natalie and Jake had wanted.”

“Any word on Jake’s family?”

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