Page 27 of Personal Foul

“See you later.”

“Bye.”

Chapter 6

Week 6

Reagan

“Ma, can I please go sit in the stadium and watch them practice?”

Nick is at work with me today because I’m a terrible parent and forgot that it was a teacher planning day. Which means I didn’t arrange for someone to watch him. Pops had an appointment in the next town over, so Dad drove him early this morning. Which left me bringing Nick here.

It’s not that I mind having Nick at work. I love the kid and always want him with me. It’s just that I’m the first woman to ever hold a position like mine in the NFL. That means I had to work twice as hard to get here and I’ll have to work even harder to stay. To prove I deserve to be here. It’s not right, but it’s the name of the game.

With that being said, that means when I bring Nick to work, I’m afraid they see me as less than. I know it’s illogical. No one here has ever made me feel like I don’t belong. When I bring Nick, everyone says hi and offers to help with him, just like they would for any other employee. It’s an insecurity of my own that I have to work through and I know it.

“You can’t be down there bothering them, hun. I’m trying to finish as fast as I can.” I glance over my monitor at him.

“Okay,” he whispers, going back to the tablet I gave him.

Most kids love electronics, but not my Nick. While he loves video games, he would prefer to be outside, tinkering with old cars and lawn equipment or throwing a ball around with Pops and Dad. Sitting here, playing with a tablet for most of the day must be killing him.

“Hey, Reagan.” Jerry, one of my recruiters, knocks on the doorframe.

“Hey. What’s going on?” I look up from the report I was working on.

“Practice is almost over and I have that meeting with the Coach about the kid from San Francisco. I heard Nick here was bored. I wanted to see if he could come with me. He can run around the field while I do my meeting, and then I’ll bring him back.”

I look to Nick, who has a pleading look on his face.

“I don’t know.”

“Please, Ma. I will sit at the very top of the stadium until they clear the field. I promise.”

I look back to Jerry. “Fine, but you don’t bother them while they are working. It might look like fun, but it’s a job to them.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replies, jumping out of his seat, leaving the tablet behind.

“Nick,” I warn.

He turns to me. “Yes, Ma?”

“They have fifteen minutes of practice left. You can sit in the stands at the fifty, but until they are done, you do not get on the field. Understand?”

He nods.

“Good. Come give me a hug. I’ll be down in about an hour.”

I watch Nick and Jerry walk away, talking to each other.

God, I love that kid.

I turn back to my computer and plan out my travel schedule. It has to be loose for the time being until season really starts, but there are some guys I want to see early, get a feel for. Plus, it’s better to sneak in now when they won’t be expecting a scout in the stands. I love jumping from stadium to stadium, team to team, but at the same time, I always hate leaving and miss Nick the whole time I’m gone. Before I know it, an hour has passed. I save my schedule and shut down my computer. I gather up our stuff and make my way down to the field.

What I wasn’t expecting was to see Nick and Garrett on the field, laughing and playing catch.

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