Catching the Pass (Football Fantasies) (2 page)

Chapter Two

“Jennings, your knee looks great,” the doctor said.  “Some of my best work, if I do say so myself.”

Jennings Ashby sat on the exam table, his doctor bending his knee every which way.  There was no pain, for the first time in a little over a decade.  “It feels great, too.  But the question is, do you think I can play football again?”

Dr. Marks sat back and gave the knee a few more pushes before looking up at Jennings.  “Your physical therapist has really got a great flex to these muscles, but you need more conditioning.  I suggest you work with a specialized trainer to strengthen and train the muscles of the knee and help support what you’ve got planned.  If you can do that, then I don’t see why you can’t try.”

A smile stretched across Jennings face.  “I’m probably nuts just thinking about this.  My fool sister put the idea in my head.  I’m almost thirty and haven’t played ball in a decade.”

“It was your dream, right?”

Jennings nodded his head.  “Ever since I was a pee–wee player in elementary school.  I had a free ride scholarship to college and knew it was just a stepping stone to the NFL.  Then it all went to hell with one bad tackle.”

“You’re never too old to follow your dreams,” Doc Marks said.  “If it’s what you want, then go for it.”  The doctor stood and smiled.  “I’ve got the name of a young lady who’s just the kind of trainer you need.  She works with a lot of pro athletes and is the best around.  I can get you her number.”

“My sister found someone for me.  Margaret Anders.  She’s supposed to be coming to my house this afternoon to get started,” Jennings said.  Excitement rippled through him.  It was really happening.

“Maggie Anders is exactly who I was going to refer you to.  She’ll get you back on the field in no time,” Doc Marks said.  “Just promise me one thing.  Listen to your body.  If it tells you you’re pushing too hard, stop.  I don’t want to see you back in here after you destroy all my hard work.” 

“Absolutely, Doc,” Jennings said before the doctor left the room.  He jumped off the exam table and pulled his pants back on, feeling happier than he had in a while.  Quickly making his way out of the office, he headed for his pickup.  Before he could make it, his cell rang.

He fished it out of his pocket and put it against his ear.  “You couldn’t wait until I called you?”

“I know you’ve had plenty of time for your appointment and you’re purposely trying to annoy me by not letting me know what your doctor said,” Jennings’ little sister Taylor said from the other end.  “I worked my ass off making sure you got your second chance, and I deserve an immediate phone call, buster.”

Jennings laughed out loud.  “Well, pain in my ass, I just got out of the appointment and was walking to my truck.”

“And?” she asked excitedly.

“He gave me the green light.”

Taylor’s squeal from the other end made him pull the phone away from his ear for a moment.

“I knew it!  I knew this surgery would work!  I’m so happy for you, Jennings.”

“Yeah, but now the really hard work starts.  I’m an out of shape old man.  Hopefully this Margaret chick you’ve found me will do everything you said she can.”

Taylor scoffed.  “Have I led you wrong yet?”

“No.  No, you haven’t.”  Jennings paused and climbed into his truck.  “And hey, if I haven’t told you recently.  Thank you.”

The line got quiet for a moment.  “You’re my big brother.  Someone’s gotta look out for you,” Taylor said with a softness in her voice he didn’t hear often.

“Yeah, well, I’m a grown man and can look out for myself.  You worry about your boyfriend and the playoffs.  Tell Rhett he better win or I’ll kick his ass.”

“Don’t you worry about Rhett.  He’s playing his ass off,” she said.  “Just worry about getting back in shape and being ready for next season.  I’m trying to find a backdoor way to get you in the combine, although you’re about eight years past your date of entry into the NFL.”

“I can’t be drafted, so I can’t go in the combine.”

“I know, but what better place for you to show your stuff?  You won’t be an official showing, but after the kiddos are done, you can have your chance to shine.  It won’t be telecast, but you can compare your times to the others and get the coaches there thinking about your free agency.”

Jennings knew there was no way she’d pull it off, but if it kept her busy and out of his hair, what was the harm?  “Yeah, sure.”  A smile tugged at his lips.  Taylor was so sure he’d make it, and her confidence was infectious.  The fact she believed so completely in him was humbling.  Yes, he wanted to reach for his dream, but he almost wanted it more for her, so he could be the big brother she seemed to see when she looked at him.

“And don’t forget Maggie will be there at three.”

“I know, Taylor,” he said.

“Oh, and there’s one part I forgot to tell you,” Taylor piped in.  “She’s going to have to live there with you during training.”

What?
  “Excuse me?”

“I knew you wouldn’t like it, so I figured I wouldn’t tell you until you needed to know.  Now you need to know.  Prep the guest bedroom, Jennings.  You’re gettin’ a house guest.”

* * * *

Maggie rang the doorbell a second time, impatience getting the better of her.  She tapped her toe beside her oversized duffel bag as she stood on the porch of the old Texas farmhouse.  Big lazy clouds hung overhead, the sky robin’s egg blue.  It made her wish she could curl up in one of those rockers on the porch and just enjoy the unseasonable warmth.  No one would believe it was December, but Texas was known for its odd climates at times. 

A beautiful golden retriever stood at the window beside the door, trying to sniff her through the glass.  If only he knew how to open doors and welcome guests. 

Her temperament wasn’t the greatest, as she’d avoided yet another morning of Brian pounding on her door and begging her forgiveness before she’d snuck out through the garage and sped off without speaking to him.  She wasn’t in a forgiving mood, especially as the facts continued to pour in to the media.  Drugs had been found on both Brian and the teenager he’d been caught with, and had been in both of their systems at the time of the crash.  They were lucky they hadn’t died. 

She had realized she’d been engaged to a complete stranger.  Who was this man?

Maggie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.  It wasn’t this guy’s fault that Brian was an SOB.  Shoving the man hate deep, she needed to be professional.  If he ever opened the damned door, that was.  She hit the doorbell a third time and punctuated it with a pound on the door.

Moments later, it finally opened.

And the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on filled up the entire frame.  And by filled, he
filled
it.  He had to be almost seven feet tall, with shoulders to match.  But what caught her attention the most was the gorgeous set of green eyes staring back at her.

All the muscles on show didn’t hurt either.  He wore a snug t-shirt and a pair of running shorts, obviously ready to jump in to his training.  She was used to working with athletes, so a finely honed body was part and parcel on her job, but there was something about his hard body that had hers standing up and taking notice.

“I was starting to think you weren’t home.  I’ve been out here ringing the doorbell,” Maggie said, trying to keep the sarcasm and lust from her voice.  She stuck out a hand.  “I’m Maggie Anders.  You must be Jennings.”

The guy took her hand, not looking all too thrilled to see her.  His gaze went down to her bags and back up to her face.  “Doorbell’s broke.  You gotta knock.”

“Ah,” she said, his dour look throwing her off.  Usually her clients were a little more excited to see her.  “Are you ready to get started?”

Jennings leaned on the doorframe, blocking her way in.  “My sister just told me this morning you were staying here?”

“Is that a problem?” 
Please say no. I really need to be away from my life right now.

“No.  I just wasn’t expecting a house guest,” he said before leaning down to grab her duffle.  “Is this all you’ve got?”

“I travel light,” she said, lifting the strap for the smaller duffle she had thrown over her body.  “Although I do have a massage table in the back of my SUV I’ll need help bringing in later.”

“Massage table?” he asked sharply, one eyebrow rising.

“After our workouts, I’ll be doing some assisted stretching and massaging those leg muscles I plan to put to work.”

Jennings looked very uncomfortable, silence falling between them.  He didn’t move, didn’t let her in, nothing.  He just stood there staring at her.  She lifted a hand to her nose, wondering if she had a booger hanging, a piece of spinach in her teeth, or something else equally embarrassing.  It was the only reason he should be staring like that, as far as she could tell.

“Are you going to let me in or do I need to pack it and head back to Louisiana?”

Jennings took a step back, without a word, and she followed him through the door. 

“Your room’s upstairs.  Follow me,” he said after leaning down to pat his dog’s head. 

The goldie came to sniff her up close and personal, and she gave the friendly pup a good head scrub.  As soon as she hit the stairs, the dog followed behind her. 

Her room was at the front of the house, bright and freshly clean.  It smelled of lavender, one of her favorite scents.  It was a basic bedroom, with some rustic charm, and it was perfect for what she needed—a getaway.  The dog jumped up on the bed and lay down on the lacy bedspread, nuzzling her hand to urge her to pet him.

“He’s usually wary of strangers.  It’s unusual for him to be this friendly.” Jennings lowered her bag to the floor and stared at the pup.  “Max!  Off the bed.”

The dog diligently jumped down and moved to his master’s feet, sitting like a good soldier.  A man as big and intimidating like Jennings was more than likely used to animals, and people, following his orders.  She certainly hoped he could deal with her in the lead while she was there.

“So when will we get started?” he asked.

“If you’re ready, we’ll go ahead and start in a few minutes.  We need to have a discussion first about why I’m here and where you want to go.  Your sister filled me in on some of the story, but I want to hear it from you.  Plus, I need some basic fitness questions answered.  After that, if you’re game, we can go for a run and see how your stamina is.”

Jennings just nodded, silent. 

“Just give me a moment to unpack a couple of things I need and I’ll meet you downstairs,” she said.  “I’m really excited to get started.”

An eyebrow went up, but Jennings spun on his heel.  He whistled for the dog, who followed his master immediately.  They both headed out, Jennings closing the door behind them.  He didn’t talk much, that was for sure. 

Once Maggie was alone, she could breathe fully again.  There was definitely an air about Jennings, and she couldn’t get a read on him yet.  Was he honestly just perturbed she was staying in his house, or was there more to it?  Hopefully he’d calm down the more she was around him.

Because she couldn’t go home yet.  She needed time away from the drama that was her life.  Maybe Brian would take the hint and leave her alone for good.

Running away from her problems had worked so well in the past, of course.

Chapter Three

Jennings sat down on the couch, waiting for Maggie to come down.  He bounced his leg, nervous energy coursing through him.  He stood, pacing the living room.  Maggie’s high energy level had rubbed off on him within a matter of seconds.  Glancing up at the ceiling, he wondered how long she’d be.  She was moving around the room, the old hardwood floors creaking under her steps.  How was he supposed to live in the same house as that woman for the next however few months?

When he’d opened the door, he’d found the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen standing there.  His gut had clenched and he’d lost the ability to speak for a moment.  He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but he sure as hell hadn’t expected Margaret Anders to look like that.

Maggie was tall for a woman, but still dwarfed by his height.  She was slender, but not too skinny.  It was apparent she was an athlete, her arms firm, but her body had been curvy, too, with the womanly shapes some athletic women lacked.  Those curves had immediately tempted him like a man possessed, his hands wanting to trace the lines of her form.

Instead, he’d stared at her face, trying to ignore everything below the neck, but that hadn’t helped much.  Her eyes had been gray.  Jennings had always thought the color was dull, but not when she looked through it.  The shine of intelligence had shone through her eyes and entranced him into silence.  Her lips were soft and full, ready for his kisses.  And he wanted to kiss her.  He wanted to do much more than kiss her.

Jennings felt like he’d been socked in the gut.  He’d heard of love at first sight.  More likely it was lust at first sight, and oh boy did he feel lusty.  His cock had been hard the entire time and still wasn’t calmed.  The control he’d had to exert on himself not to reach out and touch her had been more than he’d been able to handle.

He needed to get ahold of himself.  Sure, it had been a little while since he’d spent any quality time with someone of the fairer sex, but not so long that he felt the need to throw himself on the first woman to come his way.

Maggie was his trainer.  This was a professional relationship, even if she was a guest in his home.  He couldn’t blur the line.  He needed into the NFL, not her bed, no matter how much the idea of the latter intrigued him almost more than the former.

As he heard her heading down the stairs, he sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves and gain some control.  His heart beat wildly in his chest.  He turned and watched her walking down, the sight of her socking him in the gut a second time.  Was he even going to be able to train with her so close?

Maybe she wasn’t the right woman for the job, no matter how highly regarded she was.  If he couldn’t focus, what help would she be?

Maggie smiled at him as she entered the living room, her clipboard and pen in hand.  “I’ve gone through your medical records—”

“And how did you get those?” he asked, snapping more than he wanted to.

“Your sister sent them over,” she said defensively, a slight frown working over her features.  “As I was saying, I’ve worked with patients who’ve gone through this type of surgery, and I’m confident we can work together to get you where you want to go.  And where is that, Jennings?”

“The NFL.”

“At your age?” she asked.

Her speaking the doubt he often heard in his own head gave him pause.  Did she think his dream was as stupid as he often wondered it was?  “If I only get a couple of years of play, it will be enough for me.”

Maggie looked at him closely.  “That’s another thing.  Center.  You’re small for a center.”

“The extra pounds were too much for me to carry with the knee injury,” he said.  “But I can start bulking up.”

“No,” she said as she looked him over.  “Added weight to your knee still isn’t a good idea.  Have you ever played wide receiver?”

Jennings laughed.  “When I was eleven.”

“You’re extremely tall.  You’re lithe like a swimmer.  And if we can make you run like the wind, then you’d be unstoppable.  That is, if you can catch worth a damn.”

“I played center from late middle school through college.  It’s my spot—protecting the QB.”  Was she daft?

“And I’m here to tell you that if you truly want that dream of yours, you need to shift it.  Your knee can’t take the added weight
and
having it pushed to the level of activity you plan to push it to.  Life delivers a curve ball and you either roll with it or strike out,” she said, scribbling something on her clipboard.

No, not daft.  Crazy.  “You want me to not only prepare for professional play, but also learn a whole new position to boot?”

“It’s not new.  You’ve played it before.  When you were eleven, right?”

Jennings laughed manically, staring at the crazy woman sitting in his living room.  “You’re insane.”

“I’ve got a lot of pro-athletes who thought the same when they started working with me and they can now attest that I’m not,” she answered.  “All of them returned to the game they loved.  If you want a chance to make it into the NFL, it’s through me.  My methods are different.  I’m going to make you run your heart out.  Then we’ll work out twice a day, once for muscle building, the other for stretching.  You’ll do yoga, Pilates, and I’ll even make you do some meditation.  It’s all about muscle memory, and we’re going to hone your body into a finely tuned instrument.  As a wide receiver.”

Yoga?  Pilates?  Meditation?  What the hell madness was this?  Jennings wasn’t sure if he should be angry with her or completely turned on by her cockiness.  His dick sure knew which one, though, as it raged in his shorts.  He saw her gaze drop, her eyes widen slightly, and then pop back up to his.  Embarrassment reddened his face a little, but he wasn’t going to let it bother him too much.  He was enjoying the flush on her face too much.  Her lips opened slightly, that cocky attitude lowered a peg by his attraction.

“So which is it, Jennings?  By the way, what kind of name is Jennings?  I’ve never heard it before.”

She’d spoken so quickly, he’d barely been able to catch what she’d said.   He chuckled inwardly, liking that she was apparently nervous.  “It’s my mother’s maiden name.”

“Ah.”

“And yeah,” he added.

Her gray gaze lifted to his once more.  “Yeah?”

“I’ll give your insane idea a chance,” he said.  “As long as you know I don’t know that I like it.”

A bright smile lit her face.  “Ready for that run?”

* * * *

A mile into their first run and Maggie had to say she was impressed.  She’d started at a slower pace, not sure how fit he was at this stage of the game, but he’d kept up with no problem.  At the half-mile, she’d picked it up a little, and he’d stepped up without complaint.  Now it was time to push him harder.  She surged forward, creating another tempo change, and rounded a large oak to begin the run back to his house.

Jennings caught up with her and then passed her.

He wanted a race, hmm?  She dug in and caught back up to him and passed him slightly, a wicked grin on her face.

Of course, the man had to best her again, easily passing her, the stoic expression he wore not giving her anything to work with.  Just like a man, though.  They had to be first.

Maggie increased the pace again, pulling ahead of Jennings.  When he started to catch up, she began sprinting.  For some reason she felt this inane desire to beat him, if only to get some kind of response from him.

He was right on her tail, sprinting at high speed as they rounded the corner onto his dirt lane.  Maggie dug deep, but was at her limit as he leveled off beside her and then started to pull ahead.  His legs came up to her waist, but then she had a smaller body to compete with those legs.  He was fast, pulling ahead of her and leaving her in his dust.

He began to slow as the house neared and she almost caught him.  He made it onto the porch before her, starting to walk to slow his heart as she finally landed beside him.

“You win,” she said, disgruntled.

Jennings didn’t answer her.  He pulled off his t-shirt and started wiping the sweat from his brow.  She got a great look at his tight abs and muscular chest. 
No, I win.
  Maggie turned in the opposite direction to stop her wayward thoughts.  He was a fine specimen of masculine beauty, that was for sure, and her body reacted to him.

“Are you always that competitive?” she asked him once her lungs stopped burning.

“I had to show you I’m no old man,” he answered, sitting on one of the rockers and breathing deeply.  He gazed at her.  “Since you questioned my age earlier.”

“I only asked what other people are going to.  I wanted to see how serious you are about this.”

He stared at her intently.  “I’m serious.”

“I can see that,” she answered, sitting down on the top porch step.  Maggie drew in a deep breath, her lungs finally coming back to normal.  “It’s so peaceful here.  Almost too quiet.”

“I like the quiet,” he answered.

No shit.
  “I can tell.”

Maggie watched Jennings for a moment.  He wasn’t what she’d expected.  Most of the guys she knew in the NFL were mouthy, cocky men.  Jennings reminded her a little of her brothers, and that was high praise indeed. 

Her thoughts drifted to Brian and the predicament he was in.  A mouthy, cocky football player in all his glory—and look where it had landed him.  As if on cue, her phone vibrated in her hoodie pocket.  She fished it out and stared at the screen.  Brian.  He must have known she was thinking about him and taken that moment to bug her again.  She ignored the call and thrust the phone back in her pocket.

“Avoiding someone?”

Maggie looked up at Jennings.  How had he known?  She definitely didn’t want to talk about Brian.  She was here to forget.  “Something like that.”  She rose from the seat.  “I’m famished.  What have you got in your fridge?  We need to completely overhaul your diet while I’m here, too.”

Jennings groaned and followed her inside.

She looked over her shoulder, his massive size making her feel overly feminine.  Maggie was used to working around big, strong men, but Jennings was bigger and potentially stronger.  Even at her height of five foot eleven, she felt dainty and petite when he was nearby.  Her size usually intimidated other people.  She often felt ostracized and as if people saw her as something untouchable.  Loneliness had overcome her at times.  Had it not been for her family, a whole pack of giants, she would’ve felt even worse.  They seemed to understand her sense of isolation and because of it, they’d all been incredibly close.

Working in the field she did, she surrounded herself with people like herself and it helped keep her sane.

Being around Jennings was threatening that sanity for the first time.

There was something about the man that was different than the others.  She felt more vulnerable in his presence than safe, and she’d only just met him.  The next few weeks were going to be a struggle, more so than any other job she’d been on before.  Of that, she was sure.

After opening his fridge, she leaned in to peer at the vast amounts of junk food he had.  For a man who seemed in such good shape, he sure did have a penchant for foods he should avoid.  She pulled out a large tub of potato salad and tossed it into the garbage.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Garbage in, garbage out,” she said as she pitched his packs of bologna and processed lunch meats. When she grabbed his pack of hotdogs, he groaned again.  She paused as she held her hand over the trash, the pack in her fingers.  “You need to eat whole foods, none of this processed crap.  You’ll be making a switch.  High protein, high fiber whole foods.”  She dropped the food and watched his face contort in pain.  It was the most emotion he’d shown since she’d arrived.

“Kill me now,” he growled and sat down at the island, glaring at her.

Maggie stepped closer and closed the refrigerator.  “I’m here to get you where you need to be.  Together, we’re going to find your dream.  If you’re ready for it.”

Jennings stared up at her, a fire lighting in his eyes.  “I’ve been ready my whole life.”

Chills raced up Maggie’s spine as she saw the raw determination in his gaze.  There was absolutely something different about Jennings Ashby and it scared her. 

And excited her.

Maggie had just walked away from one bad relationship and she was here to train Jennings, that was all.  But she felt the stirrings of something, something she shouldn’t feel.  He made her feel on edge.

She needed to focus on the job.  It was the reason she was here.

Not to drool over Jennings.