Love at the 50 Yard Line Series Book 2

“WHERE IS EVERYBODY? The game is about to start!” I holler from the plush family room couch, tossing a football into the air and catching it on its descent.

My family begins to trickle in, starting with Luna, our thirteen-year-old dog, who still has a youthful spring in her arthritic legs.

“Hey girl, come sit next to me.” I pat the space beside me on the couch. Luna jumps up and snuggles into my leg, her wet nose pressing into my skin.

As my dad enters the room, the TV grabs my attention and I start humming my traditional song. I like to think it summons the football gods to help our team win.

“The stars have arrived, time to get up and cheer. The NFL’s best have come to play!”

“The stadium’s rockin’! Time to kick up the sound!” Drew, my brother, joins in, his voice high and mocking. He twerks around the room, mimicking cheerleading moves and shaking his chest as if he has breasts. “I’ve been waiting all day for Sunday night!”

“You’re an idiot.” I roll my eyes at him and hurl the football at his face.

Caught up in his ridiculous dance, Drew doesn’t see it coming. The ball hits the Gatorade bottle in his hand, saving his face from the impact. I double over laughing as Luna starts barking, excited by the commotion. Drew’s Gatorade spills all over the floor and Luna is quick to lap it up.

“Got you good on that one,” I say, pointing at him as he glares at me.

“I didn’t see it coming.” He shrugs, causing me to laugh even harder.

“Sorry bud, she’s got a point there,” Mom says, tossing a wet rag at Drew to clean up his spill. He manages to catch it.

“And all the hot high school cheerleaders you drool over won’t even look at you if you don’t make the cut,” I add, hitting him again where I know it will hurt his ego.

“Hey!”

“She’s also got a point there, too,” Dad chimes in, earning a swift slap to the back of his head from Mom.

“Ouch.” Dad pouts before grabbing Mom’s waist and pulling her into his lap. He plants a giant kiss on her lips.

“Eww! What have I said about the PDA!” Drew whines. I guess it’s weird for most kids to see their parents making out, but I don’t mind it. I envy it, actually.

Unlike Drew, I didn’t grow up seeing a set of parents happy and in love. I remember when it was just Mom and me. She always seemed sad, lonely even, though she never said it. She put me first, always.

My biological dad, John Moore, had broken her heart. She never talked about it or spoke ill of him, but when I was old enough, I googled his name and found out what really happened.

John had lashed out at everyone after a bad football injury ended his career. Colin, my stepdad, was his replacement, and John hated him for it. Things got worse when Colin got injured and went to my mom for physical therapy.

That’s when Colin first entered our lives. I saw my mom change around him. She was happier, and Colin made our lives brighter.

Mom never wanted me involved in football, afraid I would get hurt like the men she cared about. But Colin broke down those barriers. He’s been the best and only dad I could ever want.

The usual family chaos is broken by the doorbell’s ring. My mom extricates herself from my dad’s embrace, announcing, “Pizza’s here.” She heads to the door, Luna barking excitedly at her heels, while Drew finally settles next to me, and we all turn our attention back to the game.

The clock is ticking down, our team clinging to a slim 17-14 lead. I watch intently as the team breaks from a huddle and lines up for a forty-two-yard kick.

“No way! They can’t be serious! A field goal? They should just go for it!” I yell at the TV.

Colin looks at me, surprised. “You’re really worked up. What’s wrong with a field goal?”

“Their placekicker is their weakest link! He couldn’t kick a field goal to save his life!” Just as I finish my rant, my mom walks in, pizza in hand.

“Sydney! Watch your language!” she chides, as she always does. I just roll my eyes and shrug it off.

“It’s true! He always kicks it too low, and it gets blocked.” I defend myself. Even my mom knows that the football world we’re all so deeply involved in is male-dominated, and that comes with a certain level of roughness. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m not some boy-crazy, flaunt-your-assets type of girl. I couldn’t care less about all that. My mind is on the game, always has been, always will be.

“I bet the kick gets blocked,” I say, refocusing on the game.

“Loser does the dishes,” Drew challenges, always playing devil’s advocate.

“You’re on.”

Stetson steps back for the kick and, just as I predicted, it’s low and blocked by the opposing team’s defensive tackle. We all rise from the couch as the ball bounces back into Stetson’s hands and he starts running.

“Go! Go! Go!” I scream, watching as he starts to lose steam. Stetson tries to pass to star running back Aaron Diaz just as he’s tackled. The ball goes straight up and lands in the hands of offensive cornerback Felix Prange.

“No!” we all yell as Prange runs the fumble back for a touchdown, winning the game by three measly points.

“I told you! That was one of the worst plays in NFL history!” I slump back onto the couch, looking at my half-eaten pizza. Suddenly not hungry, I hand it to Luna, who nearly takes my hand off in her eagerness to eat it.

“I won. Looks like you’re on dish duty.” I push my plate into Drew’s chest.

“You’d make a better coach than Coach Daugherty, Syd,” my dad says, praising my accurate call and critique of the play.

Colin coached my all-girls football team for years until I aged out of the league. His college coaching career really took off when the best players started choosing Duke University, knowing a famous former NFL star was the head coach. They knew being on the Duke Blue Devils team would take their football careers places, and almost all of them were picked up by NFL teams the moment they graduated.

Then it was my turn. I graduated high school knowing I wanted to go to Duke. I hoped Colin, being in the administration, could start an all-girls college team. I was hopeful, but reality hit hard. Football is a man’s sport, and a woman rising to the top is practically unheard of.

But I haven’t given up. Over the years, more female athletes have been trying to break down the gender barriers in the NFL. There’s now a full-contact women’s league in the U.S., but it’s considered child’s play to the rest of the world. All the players still have regular full-time jobs and, instead of being drafted and paid millions like the men, they have to pay to play! It’s unbelievable!

I’m on a mission to break barriers. My goal? To become the first female head coach in the NFL. With Colin, my biggest supporter, by my side, I’m confident I can make a difference. My first year of college is almost over, and I’ve been focusing on sports psychology and sports management.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something…” I say, turning to face Colin.

“What do you think about me being an assistant coach this year?” I can’t read his expression, and I start to stumble over my words. “I mean, I’m at every game anyway, practically standing next to you in the front row. I think it would be good experience if I want to be a football coach someday…”

“Okay,” Colin says, interrupting my rambling, catching me off guard.

“Wh-what?”

“I said okay! I think it would be a great experience for you if that’s what you want to do.”

“Are-are you serious? Would the college administrators have a problem with it? I don’t think it’s been done before—”

“Thanks, Dad,” I say, biting my lip to hide my excited grin.

“You’re going to be a football coach?” Drew teases, using a high-pitched voice. “All the hot college football players won’t even look at you if you’re the coach’s daddy’s girl!”

I grip my football, ready to throw it at Drew, but Colin snatches it from my hand.

“Sorry, not this time. Remember when you used to cradle your brother in your arms instead of aiming a football at his head?” Dad gives me a look of fatherly disappointment.

“I’m just helping him practice,” I say, trying to play it off as a kind gesture, even though I know I won’t get away with it.

“I was ready for it this time.” Drew rolls his eyes.

“All right then. Practice starts now, outside, let’s go!” Colin shouts, and we all jump up from the couch and race to the back door.

Colin hooks up his phone to the speaker, blasting AC/DC’s Thunderstruck to get us pumped up.

My mom bends down to hike the ball, and my dad crouches behind her. He’s not fooling anyone with that view of her ass.

She winks at me, and I know the scrimmage match is on. Mom fakes a pass to Drew, and I grab the ball, sprinting down the yard for a touchdown.

“Damn! You get me every time,” Colin says, catching his breath.

“I would’ve thought after all these years you’d expect it by now,” I say, taking a gulp of water.

“I mean…yeah, I know it’s coming,” Colin says, trying to sound convincing. “I’m just not as fast as I once was.”

“Sure!” I roll my eyes, smirking.

“Well, it’s your trademark move, Syd. Maybe you can teach it to the team this year, coach.” His enthusiasm makes me smile, but I have to correct him.

“Assistant coach.”

“It’s all the same. Just promise me, you’ll keep up your grades and—”

“I know. I will.”

“I wasn’t done,” he says, matching my sass. I roll my eyes, crossing my arms and jutting out my hip.

“Aaand,” he emphasizes, “No fraternizing with the players.” I give him an exaggerated eye roll, but he waits for my response.

“Oookayyy!” I say, laying on the sass. He knows me well enough to know that unlike most girls my age, I couldn’t care less about guys.

“I mean it, Sydney. Those are my only two rules.”

“I promise, Dad. You know I’ve kept up my grades this semester.”

“I know…”

“And please don’t make me talk about boys around you,” I say, nearly gagging at the thought.

“Okay, okay, just promise me you’ll abide by my rules?”

“Yeeees,” I say, rolling my eyes and forming a plan in my head.

“Drew! Go long!”

“You can’t get past me!” Colin says, getting into a blocking position. I smirk, ready to dominate.

“Hey!” Colin says as I dodge him and throw the ball perfectly to Drew.