Page 125 of The Shake Off

“All good. Awesome, in fact. How are you all doing?” He peered around to each of us, before his eyes fixed firmly on me. “Ace, how are you? Feeling good about the game this week? You’re opening tomorrow, right?” he added, like he didn’t know exactly what was going on with his team.

“Yes, sir. All good,” I nodded, matching his narrow-eyed stare with one of my own.

“Sure? Nothing on your mind? Have you talked to Doctor Benedict this week?”

I was still looking at Penn, but felt Tanner and Parker’s stare fix on me.

“Yes, sir.” I nodded again, because it was the truth.

I’d passed the good Lions’ doctor in the hallway this week, and we’d shot the breeze for thirty seconds on the how the Knicks game had gone. I hadn’t seen him in his professional capacity as the Lions’ psychologist, however.

“Glad to hear it. You’re looking good, Watson.”

“Thank you, Mr. Shepherd.”

His focus on me broke as the steward arrived to take our food order, and he looked around at the four of us. “The steak sandwich is really good today.”

He gave us one last toothy smile, and moved out of the way. My eyes stayed trained on his back until he was out of sight, and in the executive section where he always sat. My eyes stayed glued on the spot Penn had disappeared until Parker’s fingers snapped in my face, bringing me back to the present.

“Ace. Food. Waddya want?”

“Whatever you’re having, I don’t care,” I muttered.

Parker ordered me… I’ve no idea what… while I went back to thinking about how weird Penn Shepherd was acting.

“Have you really been to see Benedict this week?”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t need to see a shrink. My problem was fixed.”

“You told Shepherd you had.”

“No, he asked if I’d talked to him, and I have. I saw him and said hello.”

Parker dropped his head with a snort of amusement.

“He asked me where you were the other day. I forgot to tell you he was looking for you.”

I glanced at Tanner. “The doc was looking for me?”

“No, Shepherd. You were in the bullpen with Parker, so I assumed he’d come find you.” He shrugged before his focus shifted once more. “Now what?”

Even Parker turned around as I looked up, my eyes flaring when I spotted Coach Chase making his way down the plane. Shepherd was one thing, but never in the history of any Lions’ plane rides had Coach Chase walked down the aisle.

“Coach.” I nodded at him when he reached us.

“Gentlemen, how are you? Good game tonight. Watson, you ready for starting tomorrow?”

“Sure am.” I tried my best to grin as naturally as possible, which is what I’d normally do, but this was all too weird for me to be natural. “Buzzing for it.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Coach peered around our group, including Lux, who’d fallen asleep. “And the four of you are keeping your heads down?”

Tanner’s eyes flicked to mine, and back to Coach. “Behaving one hundred percent of the time, sir.”

“Good, good,” he nodded. “Come find me if you need anything.”

We all watched him return to his seat, though I was waiting for Parker to turn around.

“Okay, that was weird.”

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