Page 19 of Game Changer

The man I swore I’d never see again is working out in my BIL’s building with the Kodiaks.

Scratch that, I realize as he sits up and wipes himself off with a jersey.

He’s one of them.

5

CLAY

“There’s no way you’ll break the points record,” Jay says.

“The only stat line you’ll be breaking is the minutes record because you won’t let Coach drag your ass off the court,” Miles retorts.

“You assholes spotting me?” I grit out at the top of a rep. Sweat rolls off my forehead.

They glance down. “We are,” they chorus in unison.

Three.

Every part of my chest contracts.

Two.

My arms shake.

One.

I exhale hard as the barbell clanks back into its cups. As the sweat rolls down my neck, it doesn’t escape me that we’re the only ones left in the gym.

“Where’s Rookie? And the rest of the team?”

“Cleared out a few minutes ago,” Jay answers. “They put in a solid practice today.”

“Rookie’s better than solid. The one thing you getting hurt last year did was get us a prime pick in the draft.” Miles slaps my chest, grinning.

My lip curls.

Wasn’t my plan to get hurt, for the team to tank. Before that, I thought we’d have a shot here.

It’s a good group of guys. Jay likes to run his mouth, but he’s talented and reliable. We played against each other in the same division in college. He’s had my back through tough spots.

Miles is from Iowa and a couple years younger. We only crossed paths once in the Final Four of March Madness, but he’s solid and loyal to a fault.

“You catch Harlan’s media this morning?” Miles asks.

I sit up and shake my head, and Jay nods.

“He’s playing it close to the vest about his plans for the team,” Jay says.

“Seems pretty obvious to me,” Miles weighs in. “He wants to build around you and Rookie.”

I cut a look at my friend. “He talk to you?”

Jay lifts a shoulder. “Not really.”

Harlan being brought in by ownership to manage the team at the end of last season wasn’t part of the deal.

If I’d known sooner, I would’ve been gone before training camp.

---