Read Online Facing the Music by Andrea Laurence - Free Book Online Page B

flash.
    Perhaps crunch was a better word. He had a shattered knee and fractures in his tibia, fibula, and femur. That earned him a shiny new artificial knee, twenty-three screws, and two titanium rods in his leg. No amount of physical therapy would allow him to play again. Or run again. At least not at the level of a professional athlete. The dream he’d had since peewee football was over.
    Football was a dangerous sport, and he knew that going in. He hadn’t expected to play forever. But he certainly didn’t think he’d be permanently benched at twenty-four.
    Blake dropped the bag onto the grass and pulled out the first ball. He stretched his arms, rotating his shoulder to loosen up, and then picked a target in the distance. He stepped back and fired the ball like a missile, hitting his target with unerring accuracy.
    “Nice throw.”
    Blake spun around, stepping awkwardly on his bad leg and groaning as a spike of pain shot up his thigh. He clutched it, massaging it until the worst of the pain subsided. “Dammit, Grant. Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
    “Sorry. Are you okay?”
    Blake gritted his teeth together and nodded. If there was one thing he hated more than the pain, it was people coddling him about it. He’d gone through months of people looking at him with pity in their eyes. Poor Blake, losing his dream. Poor Blake, limping like that. Like he wasn’t already struggling to find a new purpose in his life without other people reminding him how far it had gone off course.
    “Why are you here?”
    “Missed you at the house. Mom said that you had a ‘prior commitment.’ When I called and you didn’t answer, I figured that meant you were either fishing or out here throwing footballs again.”
    “I’ve been busy and haven’t gotten to throw much lately. And,” he added reluctantly, “I didn’t feel like listening to everyone’s opinion about Ivy and what happened last night.”
    “Actually, we didn’t even mention her name. I know it might seem like a big deal to have her back in town, but she’s only here for two weeks. Make it through that, and then everything will go back to normal.”
    Normal? Blake had been back in Rosewood for nearly a year and a half, and he still didn’t know what that meant anymore. “Yep. I’ll just stay away from her and everything will be fine.”
    He said the words, but even as they left his lips, he knew it wasn’t true. Instead, he bent down, picked up another football, and changed the subject. “Go long.”
    Grant smiled and took off running. Blake waited until just the right moment and passed the ball down the field. His brother turned and reached for it, but botched the pass. Grant fell backward into the grass as the ball fell to the ground.
    Blake tried not to be jealous as Grant popped up and ran back the way he used to be able to. “Try me again. I’ll get it this time.”
    “You’re too tense and worried about catching it,” Blake noted. “Shake it out. When you turn, keep your eye on the ball and let it come to you. Just reach for it and pull it into your chest.”
    Grant nodded and set off downfield again. This time, Blake’s throw hit his target. “That was a great suggestion,” he said as he jogged back. “You’ve really got a gift.”
    Blake scoffed. “Throwing a ball? Yeah. People tell me I could be a quarterback in the NFL.”
    “No, dammit. I mean your leadership skills. Being a quarterback is more than just throwing a ball. You steer the team. You watch and help your fellow players become better. That’s as important as throwing a ball.”
    “At least I have something.”
    Grant frowned at him and tossed the football back. “Seriously, stop making light of this. I know you think that playing football is all you’re good at, but you’ve got more than that. You need to make the most of it. Not begrudgingly. Not as a last resort. Maybe it was fate that your knee got blown out.”
    “Did you really just say that to me? Do you