Page 4 of Catch
“What happened to Tommy?” I asked, hoping my voice sounded normal with just a touch of concern.
“He isn’t interested in starting all over with a new team. He doesn’t feel like uprooting the family and wants to end his career with KC.” Jamal shrugged. I never understood why some players walked away from opportunities after getting this far. I would love to play again, especially for the NFL. Even though I was older, I could still throw a spiral fifty yards.
“Did you call Terry?” Brandon asked.
Terry Scotsman was the general manager of the Cheetahs. I met him once during the interview process and a few times at NFL functions in the past. He was a quiet man with deep pockets and a southern accent.
“He’ll be there. Our reservation is at seven so we have a lot of ground to cover before dinner,” Jamal said.
I spent about twenty minutes with each coach and his players. My adrenaline had worn off, so by lunch, I was ready for carbs. We went back to the conference room and reviewed practice film. It was going to take a lot to get this new team to gel. According to Brandon, the plays were designed around Myers. With him out and no quarterback signed, it was hard to get the offense excited.
I stood next to Brandon and listened to him bark out today’s plans. That was my job, but they were easing me into it. They practiced running plays, trap plays, and our backup quarterback threw several decent passes. The rest of the afternoon was a complete blur. We finally broke at six, but instead of going home and reviewing plays at my leisure, I had to take a quick shower, iron clothes, and head to the steakhouse. Best and worst first day ever.
* * *
A look of complete surprise washed over Grayson’s face when we were introduced. He broke into a grin that highlighted the perfect five o’clock shadow on his square jaw. “Sutton. Wow. Look at you.”
Jamal looked back and forth between us. “You two know each other?”
“You could say we were friendly rivals in high school. It’s good to see you again, Coach McCoy,” Grayson said. There was no animosity in his voice. I wanted to hate him for our history, for his success, but he seemed genuinely nice. He was still handsome with dirty blond hair that was a touch too long and brushed the collar of his white button-down shirt. He’d aged well and filled out.
“Good to see you, Grayson.” The words tasted bitter.
“So, you’re in the NFL. That’s great. You were with the Vikings before, right?” At my curt nod, he smiled and turned to the other coaches. “This woman gave me a run for my money in high school. She beat me, fair and square, and took her team to state. She knows her stuff.”
“Sutton, why didn’t you mention you knew Grayson?” Jamal asked.
I shrugged. “First day. I didn’t want to sway you all one way or the other.” I was amazed my voice sounded so steady.
“Tell us about yourself, Moats,” Jamal said after we placed our orders.
“I’m sure you have all my stats and probably know them better than I do or I wouldn’t be here.”
Joe roared with laughter and slapped his meaty hand on the table. “He’s not wrong. Would moving here be a problem with your family? You have children, right?”
“Yes, my wife and I have two girls. Violet and Rose. They are young enough that we don’t mind moving.”
Grayson looked at me but didn’t bring up the past. I smiled, recalling the sweet blond girls I’d seen cheering on their father. Whenever I saw them on TV, it was hard not to look at Parker, but eventually I got to the point where I could ignore her and focus on the children. They looked so much like her.
We didn’t talk shop until after we all finished dinner. I was surprised I could even swallow food around Grayson, but I ate my steak and salad and even contributed to the conversation. I wanted to hate him, but he acted like we didn’t have a wicked history. He was easygoing and quite charming.
“So, what are you thinking? A year? Two?” Grayson asked.
“A year contract with the possibility of an extension depending on how the season goes, but we’ll get into that with your agent. We just want to see if you’re interested,” Jamal said. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest waiting for Grayson’s response. I needed to find out what kind of deal we were offering. Everything was happening so fast.
“Well, I’m up for the challenge. I’d like to make an impression somewhere and I can’t think of a better place than a fresh team,” Grayson said.
Jamal was beaming. I already knew what he thought. Brandon and Joe both gave me curt nods, and Terry folded his arms across his chest. He was measuring Grayson up, but I could tell he was pleased with Grayson’s answer. Grayson seemed so genuine and not like the smug asshole I remembered from a lifetime ago.
We finished our drinks and on our way out, Grayson pulled me aside. “Hey, Sutton. I wanted to make sure us working together was going to be okay. I mean, because of Parker.”
Hearing him say her name almost made me wince. “Parker was a long time ago, Grayson. I’m fine working with you. We were kidsand we’ve all moved on.” I gave him a soft smile to emphasize my point even though I couldn’t swallow.
“That’s great to hear. Sorry for being such a shit back then. You know, about everything. You were a great quarterback, and I was jealous. I’m glad we’re on the same team now. Or maybe soon to be, you know.” He held out his hand.
A handshake. Years of despising this guy for taking the one thing I treasured most, and he was offering me a handshake to forgive and forget. It was childish of me to harbor the negativity. They had moved on. Truthfully, even I did. I shook his hand. “I look forward to bossing you around,” I said.
He threw his head back and laughed before patting me on the back. “You’re okay, Sutton. I have a feeling we’re in for a wild ride.”
