Chapter Fifteen

Later that week, Micah exited the tunnel and stepped onto the grassy field at Warrior Stadium. Unlike game day, he strolled without the pressure to perform until he reached the fifty-yard line. Surrounding him were tens of thousands of unfilled seats. The chirping of birds echoed through the empty stadium. Four months had passed since he’d been here last. The final game he’d sat and watched from the sidelines.

As he imagined running onto the field for their first preseason game in less than three months, a nervous energy pulsed inside him. Would he hold the same command as before his injury? He’d been the team’s leader and let down everyone. The Warriors had gone from Conference Champions to missing the playoffs. “What if I don’t have what it takes to come back?” he whispered into the empty stadium.

“Son,” a gruff voice sounded. “You’ve got a talent I’ve seen only a few times come through that tunnel.”

Micah turned to the sight of a member of the grounds crew walking toward him, a man well past the normal age of retirement. “Mr. Turf, good to see you.” He shook the older man’s hand.

Mr. Turf was the nickname he’d been given by a few players back in the ’70s, when he’d been promoted to Chief Groundskeeper, and the nickname stuck. “Nice to see you too, Micah. Been awful quiet around here these past few months. Can’t wait until the start of the season.”

“You and me both.” He nodded.

“I hear you’ve been workin’ hard.” Mr. Turf waggled his gray eyebrows. “Got yourself a lady trainer staying at your house.”

Micah laughed at the term “lady trainer” and wondered who else knew about Alice. Her training wasn’t a secret, but he liked the idea of keeping her to himself. “Alice is great. She’s not a typical professional trainer, which is what I need. She thinks outside the box and refuses to take no for an answer. I don’t doubt her skills. I do doubt my own.”

Mr. Turf exhaled a long breath. “You’ve had one tough year, kid. I’ll give you that. I’ve seen many men who possessed great talent fail because they didn’t have the mental toughness to succeed in the game. People make mistakes. They pull themselves back and move on.” He lifted his gaze to meet Micah’s. “You, son, need to have faith in yourself again, and have faith your team will stand behind you when you lead them onto the field. Have faith in your arm and its ability to work magic.”

The kind words touched his heart. Not everyone had given up on him. He glanced down at his right arm and flexed his hand. “And what if I’ve lost the magic?”

“Then you embrace the other parts of your life. You are not defined by how well you play football, no matter what those pinheads in the media say.” Mr. Turf chuckled. “A man can take pride in what’s in his head and heart, as well.” He pointed to Micah’s chest. “That’s what makes you special, son. No one honest will love you more because of your throwing arm or how many decimals in your contract.”

“Thanks for the words of wisdom, Mr. T.” Micah took one last look around the looming stadium. “When my career is all said and done, I want the records to say I gave my all on the field and enjoyed every minute.”

“There may be hope for your generation yet.” A deep laugh sounded from the old man. “Go home to your lady trainer and keep working hard. But don’t forget to have a little fun…if you know what I mean.”

With a wink, Mr. T left him standing alone. He had an appointment with Warrior’s upper management, and then he could head home to his lady trainer for some fun. He was excited to discover what new torture Alice had invented for the day, despite the worry nipping at the back of his brain that his abilities wouldn’t rise to her challenge.

****

“I call this course Shock and Awe.” Alice glanced at Micah, who was not smiling. He crossed his arms securely over his chest and lifted his chin with obvious indignation. The man appeared ready to run.

Early that morning, when he’d been at the Warrior’s offices for meetings, she recruited a local fitness club to help outfit his backyard. Before them lay an obstacle course of biblical proportions—tire runs, barrier wall, net climb, rope climb, and a log ladder made an impressive sight. The course itself didn’t seem extremely intimidating. The extra challenge Alice planned earned Micah’s protest.

“I am not letting you shoot at me while I’m maneuvering through a death trap. Do you want to kill me?” Micah huffed.

He acted like a stubborn child. “Stop being so overdramatic. I’ll use a paintball rifle and be far enough away that you won’t hurt too much if I’m accurate. But if you run fast, I won’t hit you. I’m out of practice shooting at a moving target.”

He snorted. “I saw how well you did at the firing range yesterday.”

“I’m great with a stationary target. If you keep moving, you’ll be fine.” She looked over his clothing. She’d asked him to wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, just in case she got a hit. Since she was the shooter, she’d dressed in a camo tank top and cargo shorts—more appropriate for the sudden heat wave. The Wisconsin weather in May kept her guessing—chilly one day and hot the next.

“You’ll be over there, right? On that rise by the trees?” Micah pointed to a spot about fifty yards away.

“Yes, but I’ll have a clear view. Run through the course once without me shooting then do it for real.” She was enjoying watching him squirm way too much.

Micah completed the course with ease, which was exactly why he needed the extra pressure of serving as target practice.

Alice took a prone position on the hill and raised the red flag over her head, giving Micah the signal to begin. She lifted the paintball rifle and gazed through the scope. He was all confident smiles until she took her first shot then his pleasant expression quickly dissolved. Her shot went wide, hitting the barrier wall beside him.

He glanced over his shoulder at the red splotch before shimmying up the wall.

She took aim and again pressed the trigger, sending another paintball off target. Micah picked up his pace, making hitting him more difficult. She waited until he began the tire run before setting her sights on the last tire. If her timing was on, she’d hit him when he stepped onto the grass.

Steady, aim, fire. He must have heard the pop of the paintball rifle, because he moved his upper body and the shot missed. Micah had the nerve to glance over and grin.

As upset as she was for failing to hit him, she was proud of his instincts—exactly what she’d wanted to develop from the workout. When he held the ball, a quarterback should be aware at all times. On the field, Micah relied on all his senses, as well as pure instinct, to avoid being sacked or throw an interception. Now, he used those same skills to avoid becoming Alice’s personal paint canvas. If she could sell him on the art market, she’d call her creation Man in Motion.

After another run-through, they took a water break under the shade of one of the oak trees dotting Micah’s yard.

“I’ve got a bet for you.” He sprawled on the grass, flushed and sweaty.

Still smelling good. How did he do that? “Oh yeah? What a shocker.” She took a long drink, and the cold water ran smoothly down her parched throat. “You can’t go to the bathroom without making a bet.” With a straight face, he ignored her teasing.

“Every time I make it to the finish line without getting hit, you tell me one fact about your family.”

“No.” She shook her head. She almost admired his persistence, if it wasn’t aimed in her direction.

“Oh, come on.” Micah rose to a sitting position and lightly punched her arm. “Why not? I’m putting my life on the line for your sick pleasure. All I’m asking is for fair play.”

“I’m not doing this exercise for my sick pleasure.” She whacked him on the bicep as payback.

Looking away, he sighed. “Then I’m not doing this anymore.”

“Oh yes, you are.” She worked to keep the humor out of her voice.

“Agree to my terms.” He raised one dark eyebrow.

Alice wanted to grab her paintball gun and shoot him point blank in the back of the head. “You are a pain in the…”

“Now, now, Alice. Deep down, I know you love me.” Micah’s gaze shifted back onto her face.

She turned away and focused on the grass beneath her. His teasing had hit the truth. Ever since the retreat, she’d been falling in love with him. She understood her feelings would never mean anything to him, and he would never know how deeply she cared. Too many obstacles stood between them. Not only her own fears about committed relationships, but Micah’s heart was still with his ex-girlfriend. No way in heaven or hell would she ever agree to share a man’s heart with another woman. Not after she’d seen the damage done to her own mother and the other women in the sect.

In an attempt to ignore her crushed chest, Alice stood. “Okay. You win. But I’ll do my best to hit you, so be prepared.”

He rose to his feet and scanned her body, from her lower legs to her face. “If I get through unscathed, you better be ready to share. And not some insignificant detail. I want information with a bit of meat.”

“You just worry about working the obstacle course.” She rolled her eyes. “I will hit you this time.”

Before she raised the red flag, Alice waited for Micah to get into position. The man moved as quick as a superhero and not in a straight line. She couldn’t keep him in her scope. After letting off five missed shots, she worried he’d win. How had she been sucked into agreeing to his bet? Desperate to keep her personal history private, she poured all her focus into reviving the shooting skills she’d learned in the Army.

Micah finished without a spot of paint on his clothes and wearing a huge smile, meaning she was in so much trouble.

****

Micah raised his hands and jumped around like a champion. After four more times through the course, he’d only been hit once, earning him three facts about Alice and her family. “You ready to talk?” He hobbled alongside her toward his house. Not only did every muscle hurt, he ached to the bone. A dip in the hot tub sounded like a wonderful idea.

She walked with long strides, her paintball rifle slung over her shoulder. “Good grief, you’re relentless…and nosey. Did anyone ever mention you’re annoying?”

“My grandma.” He laughed at the memory of Grandma becoming so flustered by his never-ending questions, she’d banish him to his room. “I have a curious mind. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, if your curiosity is directed at someone else.” She shrugged one shoulder to adjust the gun-strap.

“Sorry, but you are the most fascinating person I’ve ever met, plus the most secretive…an attractive combination.” He found many more things about her attractive, from her pretty eyes to her great legs but kept those thoughts to himself.

“Can we at least cool down before starting the great inquisition? Maybe hop in the pool?”

Right on. Alice in a bathing suit was his favorite sight. The temps hadn’t been warm enough to use the pool, but he’d seen her slip into the hot tub a few times, and the image of her in a sexy, black bikini now burned into his mind.

By the time he changed and returned outside, she swam laps. He took a running start and cannon-balled into the water.

“You just splashed half the water out of the pool.” Alice swam over to the side and hung onto the edge.

“I’m done with the stall tactics, Alice. Time to pay up.” He glided across the pool then stopped behind her and treaded water.

“Okay.” She groaned. “I’m originally from northern Arizona but haven’t been back since I was sixteen.”

Good start. “Did you move with your family?”

“You don’t get to ask the questions.” The muscles in her jaw twitched.

He edged a little closer but remained silent.

“I ran away,” she whispered.

He didn’t find the information surprising. Alice was strong and independent, personality traits that might have put her in conflict with controlling parents. “Where did you go?”

“I lived with my cousin, Kate, until I was eighteen, and then I enlisted in the Army. I haven't seen or talked to my parents since I left.”

“Do you miss them?”

“No.” She bit out the reply. “And no more questions. Fact two… Joshua and Maddy are only two of many siblings.”

“They are very nice, by the way.” He’d liked the two teens and Kate when he’d briefly met them at the retreat. He’d also noted Alice’s fierce protectiveness of all three.

“Yes, they are good people.” A flash of a grin crossed Alice’s face. “Fact three, and this information is all you’re getting…Joshua and Maddy have asked to move in with me.”

“What was your answer?” Micah asked, surprised by the news. What had caused the teens to seek a life away from their parent’s home?

“I told them I’d think about it. I’m not made for motherhood, and Maddy especially will need someone with a nurturing spirit.”

He disagreed. Alice might be harsh at times but never unkind, and he detected a gentle soul under her hard shell. “You’d make a wonderful mother, someday. You were great with the Harrison children.”

“I’ve never been responsible for anyone but myself.” She floated on her back and lightly kicked the water. “I’ve never even had a pet fish to care for.”

“What about on missions? Don’t tell me you only watched out for your own safety?”

“Of course not.” Raising her chin, she huffed. “I was pulling security when I was injured by the IED.”

“So, you have been responsible for the lives of others. Caring for Joshua and Maddy would be a little different but down to the core, the same concept.” His heart pounded so hard, he could hear it reverberating in his eardrums. Being near Alice left him with the desire to pull her in and claim her with a kiss. The feeling grew too overwhelming, and he released his hold on the edge of the pool wall and dove underwater.

He couldn’t confuse the deep bond of friendship with falling in love. If Alice knew the thoughts going through his mind, she’d pack up her suitcase and leave. And as he moved closer to the beginning of training camp, he’d be devastated without her.

“I said I’d think about it when I get home,” she said once he resurfaced. “After all my crazy training ideas, I bet you can’t wait for the day I’m out of your hair.”

Micah’s gut clenched. “I like you in my hair. It’s never looked better.”

A ringing sounded from under Alice’s towel. She pulled herself out of the pool and strode over to grab her phone.

He studied the multitude of scars covering the right side of her body. They didn’t detract from how smoking hot she looked in a bikini. Her scars were part of what made her special. The pain lingering from her injuries was the one thing he wished he had the ability to take away.

Alice lifted the phone to her ear. “Hello.” After a brief silence, she lowered slowly onto the deck chair, her body stiffened, and her face paled. “Where did it happen? Yes, email me the details. I’ll be there,” she said. “Thanks for letting me know. Stay safe. Bye.” When the call ended, Alice set down her phone and looked past Micah.

Her eyes looked flat and expressionless. “What’s the matter?” He exited the pool and sat on the chair beside her. “Who was that?”

“A friend who’s still in the service. She called from a base overseas to tell me one of our CST sisters was KIA yesterday. Gail was on a mission, and the team came under fire. She took five bullets.” A sob escaped her mouth.

“I’m so sorry.” Meaningless words were not enough, but he had no idea what else to say. Her pain ripped through him. After a minute of crying, Alice pulled back her emotions.

“Her body will be flown back to the States for burial.” She leaned forward and cupped her head in her hands. “I’ll need time off to go to the funeral.”

“Take all the time you need.” He had no problem with her leaving but didn’t want her going alone. “I’ll come with you.”

Straightening, she shook her head. “You don’t have to do that. Gail’s won’t be my first military funeral.”

He firmly held her hand, which felt like ice. “You’ve done so much for me. Let me do something for you.”

“You don’t have to…”

“I want to.”

She lifted her gaze, and a single tear fell, landing on his hand covering hers. Micah used his thumb to wipe off the dampness from her cheek. Seeing her hurting gave rise to a fierce protectiveness—a feeling stronger than anything he’d ever felt. Unfortunately, his physical strength couldn’t fight off her grief. He’d need to dig deeper. “I know you’re capable of taking on the world, but what I’m saying is, from now on, you don’t have to do it alone.”