Read Online Completing the Pass by Jeanette Murray - Free Book Online Page A

that
Daddy
talk,” he said sternly.
    Ew.
Brain bleach, stat.
    â€œI’ll go get Mom.” Backing away, she hurried to get her mother while her father tossed his beloved pizza toppings into the sink one at a time.
    ***
    Josh came back from his self-inflicted run soaking wet and wondering why he’d left the exercise for the most brutal part of the day.
    Right . . . because he was still trying to work out the unfortunate, ill-advised sexual tension he felt every time Carrington Gray entered his thoughts. Which, unfortunately, was way more often than necessary.
    When his phone, still in the arm band around his bicep, rang, he answered it with a breathless, “Yeah?”
    â€œI first want to apologize,” an unfamiliar voice started. “Because you’re about to find yourself in a new world, and it’s mostly my fault.”
    â€œYour . . . Apologize? Who is this?” Josh raised his arm to look at his phone’s screen, but it was an unfamiliar Santa Fe number.
    â€œIt’s Trey.”
    Josh was silent as he processed that.
    â€œTrey Owens, idiot. Who the hell did you think it was?”
    â€œHonestly? No clue.” But now that he’d said it, the voice sounded more familiar, and it clicked. “Okay, now that that’s out of the way, what are you apologizing for again?” He toed off his shoes and left them by the door, a habit he’d taken from his mother’s home and been unable to give up when he moved into his own place.
    â€œFor putting you in the position you’re about to be in.”
    â€œAnd what position is that?” He headed straight for the kitchen and his water bottle he’d left in the fridge. Taking a long gulp, he analyzed the silence. “Not gonna say?”
    â€œMe getting hurt, putting you in the firing range.”
    â€œIt’s my job to step up when you’re out of the game,” Josh reminded him.
    â€œYeah, it is. But usually that’s because we’re up, like, a bazillion points or we don’t have a shot in hell of winning.” Trey paused. “No offense.”
    â€œHey, I pale in comparison.” It wasn’t meant to be snarky . . . it was simple truth. Trey Owens was a franchise player owners dreamed about. Josh had been an outstanding high school QB, and a damn good college quarterback. But in the pros, he was best suited to second string. A spot he was perfectly content with . . . he thought.
    â€œYeah, well, the comparison part will come soon enough. I know you’ll be getting a lot more attention during training camp, so again, sorry about that.”
    â€œWhy are you apologizing? Don’t guys
like
attention?”
    Trey was silent for a moment. “Some guys, sure. Matt Peterson would bask in it. Bathe in attention, if he could.”
    Josh chuckled at that. So very true. Their flashy defensive lineman was all that glittered, and loved being the center of any party.
    â€œBut not everyone relishes the attention. I don’t. A lot of others don’t. I’m guessing, with how easy you’ve been as backup, you won’t really love it, either.”
    â€œI don’t know,” Josh answered honestly. “But this really isn’t relevant anyway. So I’ll play a little more during the preseason games. People will just know they’re saving you for the real deal. Nobody will look twice at me.”
    Trey blew out a breath. “Man, I hope. But I think they’re riding a little too high on expectations for me to get back. This ankle . . . it’s pretty fucked up, man. That’s just between us, you know? I’m a little worried.”
    Josh’s gut clenched. No, please . . . he wasn’t ready to lead a team for an entire season. He wasn’t That Guy. Trey was the clutch player, the one everybody watched to emulate, to take their cues from. He was a natural-born leader. Josh just