Page 3 of I Got You

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m going to enjoy every minute of my time on Sunday. It really is my pleasure.”

He laughs. “I’ve got to get to class. See you later.”

Liv and I go back downstairs to find Gwen cleaning up the kitchen. “Good morning,” I sing.

“Good morning. I would’ve fixed something for dinner so you didn’t have to take time to get it going.” Gwen hugs me, and it never ceases to feel warm and grandmotherly.

“I know, but you already do so much. I can at least throw a mess into the crockpot and turn the knob.”

“Gwenie, can we play princesses today? We have to wash Ariel. Teddy stuck her in the mud last night and got her all dirty.”

“I was hoping we could play princesses. I also thought we’d wash the sheets if you help me gather them. We can make a sheet mountain Elsa can climb.”

“Yay!” Liv claps her hands.

“Ok. Lovely ladies, I’ll leave you to your princesses and mountain climbing. I have dancers to make.” I grab my coffee and thawing smoothie as Gwen side-hugs me on my way out the door.

On my drive to campus, I sort through my mental to-do list. Schedule Garrett’s allergist check-up and Liv’s eye doctor appointment. Sign Teddy up for soccer. Order groceries. Email the other dance instructors about working with the dance team. This list goes on and on, and hopefully, I can fit in a few phone calls during lunch.

I pull into my designated spot outside the gym and swing my bag over my shoulder. The sun is high, and the mountain air is clear and refreshing. It never gets old after spending so many years in the city.

I greet the students at the front desk on my way to my office, the dance studio. I unlock the door and flip the switch. Natural light floods the space from the floor-to-ceiling windows at the far end. The large mirrors and windows make this the best office in the entire world.

I turn on the sound system and pull up my playlist, realizing I have ten minutes to spare before my first class. I settle on the floor to put on my ballet shoes and give myself five minutes to scroll my phone. It’s my reward for making it through another morning.

Two girls filter into the room, dropping their bags and digging for their shoes.

“Morning, ladies.”

These girls are on the dance team and will be fun to work with this semester. I love to see how they incorporate what they’ve learned into their dance routines. What happens on the field is nothing close to ballet, but the fluidity of their movement changes as the semester progresses. It’s like my small contribution to the world of dance.

It’s not the big stage and bright lights I’d imagined, but I love it all the same. I take a sip of my now cold coffee as more students filter in, ready to get moving to the sounds of the classical music that feeds my soul.

Chapter 2

SHANE

The weight bar clangs against the rack. I sit up and wipe the sweat off my face with the bottom of my shirt. I’ve been here for a month, and I think I’m finally getting used to the thinner air. Working out for the past few weeks has been harder than I remember it should be.

Music blares in my ears, and I grab my phone to check my messages. None. I switch to the email account assigned to me as the new Colorado State defensive coach. The Colorado Moose. It seems like it should be Mooses, but it’s Moose. What the hell kind of mascot is a freaking Moose?

I haven’t had a chance to go hiking and probably won’t until the season is over if my knee can handle it, but I’ve heard that if you cross a moose on the trail, it can be unforgiving. So maybe not such a sissy mascot after all.

I turn off the music, punch the button to close the garage door, and head into my rental for the next few months until I decide if this might be a place I want to stay. For now, it’s temporary.

I’ve spent the past nine months trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do now that my professional career is over. I’ve tried to pretend that somehow my injury will heal and I can go back to doing the only thing I love, but here I am, and it’s still over.

I’d spent my days in physical therapy and my nights with a bottle. I was pissing away years of hard work, or that’s what my agent said I was doing. I felt like I was doing just fine trying to come to grips with the fact that I’ll never set foot on the field in pads and a helmet again. The game that’s kept me moving and breathing and out of trouble since I was fifteen.

Now, when I still had years left to play and a Super Bowl ring to earn, I’m helping a bunch of kids play the greatest sport on earth. The shitty thing is, I want to be the one running onto the field and making the tackles.

I set my phone on the counter, looking in the refrigerator. It’s empty except for sports drinks, some beer, milk, and eggs. I pull out the carton of eggs and start scrambling a few in the one pan I own. Until I know if this is a place I want to be and coaching is how I want to spend my time, my stuff will remain in storage, and I’ll live off of the bare necessities.

My phone rings, and I already know it’s my agent. He’s the one that pushed me into accepting this position when I would’ve been content to continue living like a hermit and drinking my days away. Well, that’s not completely true, but I’ll never tell him that.

Rob dragged my sorry ass to the airport, put me on a flight for the interview, and accepted the position on my behalf. Every part of me knows that if I want to stay in the sport, this is an opportunity I can’t pass up, and I need to give it my all.

Colorado State’s team was on fire last year. They’ve got golden boy Cole Matthews. Tim ‘The Rocket’ Matthews's son and a solid offensive line that works like a well-oiled machine. From the tape I’ve seen, the defense needs some work but has a lot going for it this season.

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