Page 7 of When to Call a Blitz

Emmett Gardner. Linebacker for the Baltimore Cobras, and America’s scary teddy bear after this last season.

Quiet. Weirdly allusive for such a large, terrifying man. Keeps to himself. Hates the press. Loves his daughter, though only a select few people even knows he has one. I’m pretty sure I knew about her before half his teammates, including Owen.

Emmett Gardner is a weirdo.

But he’s a weirdo that I’ve wanted to sink my claws into since the first day I saw him run out onto the field at that first game Isla took me to. There’s just something about a man in uniform—the sporty kind—out on that field tackling other grown men that apparently does something for me, which, if we’re honest, was a huge wake up call for me because what?

I was never raised with football. Never really had it on at home, never really paid attention until Isla and I became close, and even then, I wasn’t really one to take her up on her invitations to join her in the family’s private suite at the stadium on game days. I wasn’t ever against it or really judgmental at all, it just simply wasn’t my idea of fun.

And it wasn’t until I started nannying for Briar that I started getting to know the man standing in front of me.

It wasn’t until our tropical vacation when the season ended that I really got to know him in any real capacity. One magical night of watching a sunset and spilling our guts later, and we were texting almost every day.

And then it was done. I didn’t know why. Nothing had changed. It wasn’t even like we were talking about anything big and important ever, either. We exchanged memes and updatedeach other with news. I wished him luck when he told me Elara was over and challenging him to a video game.

Nothing really prepared me for him ghosting me, and I was shocked with how hurt I was by it.

And now he’s here and the big dude is practically shielding himself with Leo, who’s just a few inches shorter.

Behind him is Cooper Henry, who I haven’t exactly nailed down just yet.

As Isla makes her way over to the men, I watch as Leo looks everywhere but her, inching away slowly as if wanting to disappear into the crowd.

“What are you doing here?” she hisses, grabbing his arm.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, I’m just a citizen of this fine city attempting to buy some art,” he bristles, dipping his head even more to shield his eyes.

“Leo come on, please?” her arms drop.

There’s not much I can do other than stand behind her ready to kick him out if I need to, but my eyes are stuck on Emmett, who bites his lip and whispers something to Cooper.

“Does this look like a showing that I want my brother at?” Isla gestures around the room, and I can see the exact moment Leo realizes just what the subject of her gallery was tonight.

Women’s anatomy.

“Okay, well, yeah I may have fucked up,” he looks up at the ceiling as if he’s seen enough. “Meet at Lulu’s later?”

“Is Briar going to be there?” I ask.

“She’s watching the girls,” Leo responds, gesturing to Emmett.

“You were supposed to be getting coffee creamer, Leo. Go back to Briar.”

With a sigh, Leo agrees and retreats. “I feel like I need a drink after that,” I say under my breath.

“What do you mean?”

“That was awkward, wasn’t it?”

She shrugs with a slight purse of her lips.

Suddenly a man in a meticulous black suit walks up to us, asking politely to speak to Isla about a piece.

I use it as my queue to find Mila, who’s been walking around taking people’s information for Isla.

“Hey,” she says as she takes a check, smiling at the woman as she walks away. “Isla doing okay?”

“Yeah. Leo snuck in.”

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