There would be no more running out onto the field with his teammates to do battle as nearly 40,000 people cheered. There would be no more team practices, no more joking around with the guys between plays to keep things light. There would be no more two-minute drills, preparing the team to surge forth to victory when they were losing. The glory was behind him.
He looked at his hands, his best friends for most of his life. They weren’t going to ache or cramp anymore from too many passing drills. They weren’t going to feel electric as he palmed the ball before he launched a fifty-yard pass. God, what was he going to do with himself all day?
His football camp was only going to be one week in July. Sure, there were plenty of preparations to make, but his people would be doing much of the work under his guidance. What else could he do in Dare Valley? He’d risen at six o’clock to start his day for over thirty years. Now, he was up at the crack of dawn with nothing more to do than run ten miles, bike in the mountains, lift weights, and do some yoga. It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t going to be enough.
Even if Natalie… Correction. When Natalie came back to him, he would need to have more of a purpose.
Time.
He’d struggled against the clock for his entire professional career. He knew how long a minute or a second could be. How the action in that tiny speck of time could change an outcome.
He had too much time on his hands in Dare Valley and that had to change. Kelly had sorted through the offers that had come pouring in while he was in Vail, and new proposals continued to arrive by the hour. ESPN, Fox, and CBS had all wanted to meet with him to discuss a future as one of their NFL commentators. He’d turned them down nicely. He knew one thing for sure. He didn’t want to comment on football.
Of course, there had been tons of endorsement offers, some of which he could do without too much hassle. And then there had been the offers to coach. His old high school in Ohio had said they’d love to have him as their head football coach, and while he appreciated that—and the twelve other high school offers—it would mean living somewhere other than Dare Valley.
He’d received offers to serve as an assistant offensive coach in both the college and professional leagues, but again, he’d have to leave Natalie to do it.
Part of him still wasn’t sure he could make it as a coach. He wanted to see how well the camp suited him first—whether the role fit his skin, so to speak. Once he knew, he could face the geography issues.
The most interesting job offer had come in from the Special Olympics. He’d been a long-time contributor, so they already knew a great deal about Adam. After hearing about his camp, they’d asked if he would consider becoming the lead athletic director for flag football for North America, working with the various state chapters. But again, the job was at their headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it would involve a fair amount of travel.
The truth was, he needed more time to see how things would shape out with Natalie. Right now, he wanted, needed to be close to her.
Once camp ended, he would allow himself to look toward the future. Or—and his heart sunk to the floor at the very thought—once it became clear he and Natalie weren’t going to get back together.
He’d told Special Olympics that while he appreciated their offer, he was still trying to settle into his new life. They’d agreed to keep the door open for him and had offered their assistance with his football camp. Their support had meant the world, and he’d agreed to help them out with any smaller projects pro bono, so long as it didn’t involve travel. They’d asked for his feedback on their new flag football manuals, and he was stoked. It was a start.
“All right, Touchdown. I’m finished moping.” He smiled at his dog, who was busy chasing off a few squirrels. “Are you as thirsty as I am?”
The dog barked and scampered back to him. They were about to head inside when a blue Subaru pulled into his driveway. April Hale emerged from the vehicle with a soft smile on her face. Her salt-and-pepper hair was shorter than he remembered it, chopped to her chin, but it looked good on her. She wasn’t wearing her ring, he noticed, and he supposed it was something they had in common now. His own ring sat on the table by his bed, waiting for the moment when Natalie would slide it on his finger once again. He was a firm believer in the power of positive thinking. Most days.
“Hi Blake,” she said as she came across the gravel drive. “And hello Touchdown. Hope it’s okay I came by.” The dog rolled onto his belly immediately, and she gave him a few strokes before standing again.
“Of course, April. It’s always good to see you.”
He’d hoped she would come see him, but he’d realized it might be a pipe dream. April loved her kids first, last, and always, but she’d made room in her heart for Blake as another son.
“Blake, I was so sorry to hear about Adam. There are no words to say how much. He was such a dear man. I’ve been thinking about you and your parents a lot.”
“Thanks,” he said, feeling his throat grow thick. “That means a lot. Mom said you’d called. She and Dad were grateful to hear from you.”