Love at the 50 Yard Line Series Book 2
Autor:in
Mel C. Clair
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Assistant Coach
SYDNEY
âWHERE IS EVERYBODY? The game is about to start!â 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.
âHey girl, come sit next to me.â 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.
âThe stars have arrived, time to get up and cheer. The NFLâs best have come to play!â
âThe stadiumâs rockinâ! Time to kick up the sound!â 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. âIâve been waiting all day for Sunday night!â
âYouâre an idiot.â I roll my eyes at him and hurl the football at his face.
Caught up in his ridiculous dance, Drew doesnât 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. Drewâs Gatorade spills all over the floor and Luna is quick to lap it up.
âGot you good on that one,â I say, pointing at him as he glares at me.
âI didnât see it coming.â He shrugs, causing me to laugh even harder.
âReallyâŠIs that what you want to be caught saying in an interview after the game? I didnât see it coming! You need to work on your skills or youâre never going to make the team.â
âSorry bud, sheâs got a point there,â Mom says, tossing a wet rag at Drew to clean up his spill. He manages to catch it.
âAnd all the hot high school cheerleaders you drool over wonât even look at you if you donât make the cut,â I add, hitting him again where I know it will hurt his ego.
âHey!â
âSheâs also got a point there, too,â Dad chimes in, earning a swift slap to the back of his head from Mom.
âOuch.â Dad pouts before grabbing Momâs waist and pulling her into his lap. He plants a giant kiss on her lips.
âEww! What have I said about the PDA!â Drew whines. I guess itâs weird for most kids to see their parents making out, but I donât mind it. I envy it, actually.
Unlike Drew, I didnât 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.
Thatâs 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. Heâs been the best and only dad I could ever want.
The usual family chaos is broken by the doorbellâs ring. My mom extricates herself from my dadâs embrace, announcing, âPizzaâs here.â 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.
âNo way! They canât be serious! A field goal? They should just go for it!â I yell at the TV.
Colin looks at me, surprised. âYouâre really worked up. Whatâs wrong with a field goal?â
âTheir placekicker is their weakest link! He couldnât kick a field goal to save his life!â Just as I finish my rant, my mom walks in, pizza in hand.
âSydney! Watch your language!â she chides, as she always does. I just roll my eyes and shrug it off.
âItâs true! He always kicks it too low, and it gets blocked.â I defend myself. Even my mom knows that the football world weâre all so deeply involved in is male-dominated, and that comes with a certain level of roughness. I wouldnât have it any other way. Iâm not some boy-crazy, flaunt-your-assets type of girl. I couldnât care less about all that. My mind is on the game, always has been, always will be.
âI bet the kick gets blocked,â I say, refocusing on the game.
âLoser does the dishes,â Drew challenges, always playing devilâs advocate.
âYouâre on.â
Stetson steps back for the kick and, just as I predicted, itâs low and blocked by the opposing teamâs defensive tackle. We all rise from the couch as the ball bounces back into Stetsonâs hands and he starts running.
âGo! Go! Go!â I scream, watching as he starts to lose steam. Stetson tries to pass to star running back Aaron Diaz just as heâs tackled. The ball goes straight up and lands in the hands of offensive cornerback Felix Prange.
âNo!â we all yell as Prange runs the fumble back for a touchdown, winning the game by three measly points.
âI told you! That was one of the worst plays in NFL history!â 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.
âI won. Looks like youâre on dish duty.â I push my plate into Drewâs chest.
âYouâd make a better coach than Coach Daugherty, Syd,â 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 manâs sport, and a woman rising to the top is practically unheard of.
But I havenât given up. Over the years, more female athletes have been trying to break down the gender barriers in the NFL. Thereâs now a full-contact womenâs league in the U.S., but itâs considered childâs 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! Itâs unbelievable!
Iâm 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, Iâm confident I can make a difference. My first year of college is almost over, and Iâve been focusing on sports psychology and sports management.
âIâve been meaning to ask you somethingâŠâ I say, turning to face Colin.
âWhat do you think about me being an assistant coach this year?â I canât read his expression, and I start to stumble over my words. âI mean, Iâm 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 somedayâŠâ
âOkay,â Colin says, interrupting my rambling, catching me off guard.
âWh-what?â
âI said okay! I think it would be a great experience for you if thatâs what you want to do.â
âAre-are you serious? Would the college administrators have a problem with it? I donât think itâs been done beforeââ
âYou leave that to me,â he says, smiling reassuringly. âPlus, Iâm still The Colin Scholtz. Iâd like to think I still have some influence.â His arrogance always earns an eye roll from my mom, but I canât help but laugh.
âThanks, Dad,â I say, biting my lip to hide my excited grin.
âYouâre going to be a football coach?â Drew teases, using a high-pitched voice. âAll the hot college football players wonât even look at you if youâre the coachâs daddyâs girl!â
I grip my football, ready to throw it at Drew, but Colin snatches it from my hand.
âSorry, not this time. Remember when you used to cradle your brother in your arms instead of aiming a football at his head?â Dad gives me a look of fatherly disappointment.
âIâm just helping him practice,â I say, trying to play it off as a kind gesture, even though I know I wonât get away with it.
âI was ready for it this time.â Drew rolls his eyes.
âAll right then. Practice starts now, outside, letâs go!â 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/DCâs Thunderstruck to get us pumped up.
My mom bends down to hike the ball, and my dad crouches behind her. Heâs 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.
âDamn! You get me every time,â Colin says, catching his breath.
âI wouldâve thought after all these years youâd expect it by now,â I say, taking a gulp of water.
âI meanâŠyeah, I know itâs coming,â Colin says, trying to sound convincing. âIâm just not as fast as I once was.â
âSure!â I roll my eyes, smirking.
âWell, itâs your trademark move, Syd. Maybe you can teach it to the team this year, coach.â His enthusiasm makes me smile, but I have to correct him.
âAssistant coach.â
âItâs all the same. Just promise me, youâll keep up your grades andââ
âI know. I will.â
âI wasnât done,â he says, matching my sass. I roll my eyes, crossing my arms and jutting out my hip.
âAaand,â he emphasizes, âNo fraternizing with the players.â I give him an exaggerated eye roll, but he waits for my response.
âOookayyy!â I say, laying on the sass. He knows me well enough to know that unlike most girls my age, I couldnât care less about guys.
âI mean it, Sydney. Those are my only two rules.â
âI promise, Dad. You know Iâve kept up my grades this semester.â
âI knowâŠâ
âAnd please donât make me talk about boys around you,â I say, nearly gagging at the thought.
âYeah, I remember a time you used my name to get a certain boyâs attention at school.â
âOh my god! Ewww! We are not having this conversation!â I say, stepping back from my dad.
âOkay, okay, just promise me youâll abide by my rules?â
âYeeees,â I say, rolling my eyes and forming a plan in my head.
âDrew! Go long!â
âYou canât get past me!â Colin says, getting into a blocking position. I smirk, ready to dominate.
âHey!â Colin says as I dodge him and throw the ball perfectly to Drew.
