Hello Quarterback (Hello #8)

32. Ford

32

FORD

Once we were done brushing our teeth and doing our skincare routines, we put on our pajamas and slid under the covers in the king bed. It was what I imagined growing old with someone would be like.

Both of us lay under the blankets, on our backs, and met each other’s gaze, bursting out laughing.

Mia rolled to her side, propping her head up on her hand. “So it’s been a long time since I’ve spent the night next to someone. I don’t even know if I snore.”

I chuckled. “I won’t judge.”

She smiled. “I know rest is important, especially with your job, so I really don’t mind getting a different room so you can get your sleep.”

“Oh, come here,” I said, tucking her into me so I was spooning her from behind. I brushed her soft blond hair out of the way and said, “If I can share a room with Hayes sawing logs all night, I can sleep next to you.”

Her eyes crinkled slightly as she smiled. “Okay.”

“Okay.” I reached back, flicking off the lamp, and curled my arm around her soft waist again. Something about lying next to her just felt right.

Until she fidgeted. And then sat up. And then blew her nose. And then lay back down. And then huffed out a sigh.

I stared at her in the dark. “What are you doing?”

“I like to listen to a sleep story,” she said, an embarrassed tinge to her voice.

“Okay...” I laughed. “Are you nervous for me to hear it, bigshot CEO?”

She hit my arm. “I am!”

“I’ve seen you naked!” I laughed. “Sleeping with you should be a cinch.”

She shook her head at me. “Promise you won’t judge?”

I made an X over my chest. “Cross my heart.”

“Okay.” She reached for her phone on the nightstand, and soon, a soothing male voice was talking slowly about lavender fields. It was kind of nice. Comforting.

She curled next to me, and I shifted again so her hair wouldn’t tickle my face.

“Can I tell you something?” I asked her softly.

“Mmm.”

“My mom used to sing ‘Red River Valley’ to us kids every night before we fell asleep. I miss that.”

“I haven’t heard that song before,” she said.

“I could sing it for you,” I offered. My chest felt raw, and I realized I wanted her to hear it. I wanted to share a piece of my mom with someone new. Someone I think my mom would have adored.

“I’d like that,” she said quietly before reaching out to pause her story.

I ran my fingers over her bare arm, mustering the courage to sing. “From this valley they say you are goin’...” I closed my eyes as I poured out the words, hot tears forming along my lashes. As I sang each line, I could feel Mia’s breathing slow, deepen.

And when I hit the last note, a tear dripped down my cheek, just before I heard her soft snore.

I smiled, wiping the moisture from my face. Then I leaned forward and pressed a slow kiss to Mia’s shoulder. “Goodnight, Sunflower,” I whispered.

Then I fell asleep and rested better than I had in a long, long time.

I woke up early in the morning like I usually did. But this time, Mia lay pressed against me, like neither of us had wanted to be apart throughout the night. And even though I could have spent all day like this, listening to her soft snores, watching her body shift with each breath, today was game day, and I had work to do.

Carefully, I untangled myself from the covers and put in a room service order for breakfast before getting in the shower. While the hot water cascaded over my body, I visualized the day to come. I saw Milo defending me beautifully, throwing sharp, crisp passes to Krew, who would run them to the end zone. I pictured making good calls on the field, easily spotting the openings between players, and ultimately winning the game.

When I was done with my visualization routine, I got out of the shower, threw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, and put on my running shoes.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, Mia was already dressed in leggings and a tank top, braiding her hair in the mirror. “Hey,” she said with a smile.

I returned the look. It was so easy to smile around her. “Hey.”

She nodded toward the table where a silver room service tray sat. “Your breakfast arrived.”

“Ours,” I countered, going behind her and hugging her. I loved the way we looked together in the mirror. She was just tall enough for me to rest my chin atop her head. Her arms settled lightly on mine, and she looked just as contented as I felt.

“Shall we?” she said.

I nodded, going to the table. Between the two of us, we picked through the food, eating and talking about the day to come. She asked questions about being a professional football player and how I felt before games. Then she told me she had to get some work in before the game, which was perfect because I had my meditation session.

“I just need to work out first,” she said.

“Me too—what are you doing?”

“I was thinking a bike ride,” she said. “It’s so beautiful here, and I saw rentals in front of the hotel on my way in.”

Grinning, I said, “I’m going for a quick run. Maybe we can go together?”

“That sounds like fun.” She finished a bite of toast and set it down before brushing crumbs from her lips. “Should we go now? I don’t want to eat too much and be uncomfortable.”

“Definitely.” I got up, walking with her to the door and thinking it was crazy how easy it felt to be around her.

I didn’t have to worry about entertaining her or her being bored while I went through my routine. I was actually a little excited to have someone come with me for my pregame jog. I always found it helped loosen me up, especially when traveling to an out-of-town game.

The lobby of the hotel was pretty quiet this early in the morning, so no one really talked to us as we went outside. It helped that I wore a baseball cap low, sunglasses, and nondescript clothing.

Mia quickly rented her bike and said, “I’ll follow you.”

“Great,” I replied. I’d mapped a park nearby, Emerson Trails, so I started heading in the directions I’d memorized while she easily biked alongside me on the sidewalk.

“So, do you talk on these runs?” she asked. “Or is mum the word?”

I chuckled. “We can talk. It’s meant to be an easy pace.”

“Great. Did I snore last night?”

I laughed. “Like an angel.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Is that a yes?”

“Did I?” I countered.

“I didn’t notice if you did. That song put me out like a light. It’s really pretty, by the way,” she said.

“I’m glad you liked it.” I felt like I was bounding on the moon rather than jogging here on planet Earth. Especially because it was so pretty here with golden morning sunlight filtering through leafy trees. The trails were nice and wide and well-maintained, so we both had plenty of room.

We were quiet for a moment, just the gravel crunching beneath us before she said, “Do you get nervous before games?”

“Not anymore,” I said. “At first, I was sick as a dog before every single one. It’s part of why I worked so hard on my pregame routine.”

She nodded. “I get nervous before press conferences.”

I stared at her, stunned, before looking at the trail in front of me. “You do? You work a room so well.”

“Yeah.” She steered around a small rock on the path. “Why do you think I have Tallie in my back pocket all the time?”

“Because she’s brilliant?” I offered.

“Well, that too.” She chuckled. Then she looked around the tree-lined trail. “It’s so pretty out here.”

“It has nothing on the farm,” I said.

“Really?” she asked.

I nodded. “I’ll have to show you sometime.”

Her bike wobbled before she got her balance back. “You mean it?”

“Yeah. We don’t have a game two weeks from now. Maybe you could clear your schedule and come check it out.”

Her smiled formed. “Yeah... I’d like that.”

And I stayed on that cloud the rest of the way back to the hotel. Maybe a relationship with Mia wouldn’t hold me back.

For the first time, I let myself think... maybe I could have it all.