Page 16 of Going for Two

That melodic laugh rang in my head as I righted myself and continued down the trail. It was rich and showed a completely different side from the standoffish Nolan Hill I’d grown used to over the past week.

“How come you act so gruff with everyone in the facility?”

My question must have struck some kind of a nerve with Nolan because I watched that muscle jump in his jaw as he thought about how to answer.

“I’m not sure I have a valid reason. But I’m trying to get better.”

Nolan pushed himself a few strides ahead of me and I noted the tension in his back. Maybe this season was about more than just winning a Super Bowl for Nolan. Maybe it was about righting some wrongs he’d done to his teammates these past few years and making some new memories to leave them with.

Slowly, the tension eased in Nolan’s back and he fell back into stride with me. “How has someone so young managed to become a physical therapist for an NFL team so quickly?”

By giving up everything I should have been doing.

“I sacrificed a lot.” It was Nolan’s turn to side-eye my simple response. I sighed before expanding. “I stopped hanging out with my friends from college to the point I eventually stopped being invited to things. I went on dates with people, but it neverwent anywhere because nobody wanted to date a workaholic. I missed out on a lot of life.”

Nolan was quiet for a few more minutes as we reached the turning point on our jog to start heading back toward the practice facility.

“You aren’t a workaholic. You just have ambition.” His voice was strong as he corrected me. It almost caught me more off guard than his laugh. I had never expected him to say anything so nice to me.

“Maybe so. I did end up here, after all.” The repetition of running had my mind wandering off toward the bucket list stuck to my fridge at home. “But hopefully I can make up for lost time.”

“How so?”

“It’s silly,” I told him. It was my turn to evade a question. I had already said too much. There was no reason to give him the full truth of my pathetic life. He had everything he ever wanted, and if he found out all I wanted for New Year’s was to be kissed, I was sure he’d laugh at me. Not to mention he was a player. Admitting that I was venturing off on a quest I’d been convinced to go on full of experiences I felt I missed out on felt too personal. Something I shouldn’t disclose.

The practice facility finally came back into view. But before we got any closer to it, Nolan reached out a hand and wrapped it around my wrist to pull me to a stop.

“I’d like to know what you think is silly about making up for lost time.” I noticed how serious he was, and I realized that this was his olive branch to me. This was his way of trying to form some semblance of a relationship between us so he could meet me halfway. The hesitation still stopped me for only a moment. But now I wondered how unprofessional it really was to tell him that I was just trying to live life now instead of existing only to work.

Maybe he’d understand, a voice whispered in my head.

I wasn’t sure if it was the nice gesture from him, but I found myself opening my mouth and letting some of the truth spill out. “My little sister came up with a bucket list for me. It’s got stupid stuff on it. Like going out on dates, since I haven’t really done that seriously in years, and watching the sunrise from the best view. Like I said, it’s silly.”

Nolan removed his hand from my wrist. “It’s not silly,” he replied fiercely. I shifted uncomfortably, unsure if I’d rather have Nolan’s gruffness than this sincerity.

“Come on. Let’s get going on the rest of what I have planned today so we can get out of here. I don’t want to take up all of your day off.” I started back up at a jog. A few seconds passed before I heard Nolan begin to follow me.

The two of us walked into the empty practice facility together and made our way toward the training room. I had stayed up all last night after the game coming up with the perfect routine that would not only help strengthen his knee in a way that would allow him to have a successful season, but also give him back some confidence in his body. Nolan’s body was never going to be like it was when he was younger, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t invent a new version of himself.

“Here’s what we’re going to do.” I started grabbing tape and wrap for Nolan’s knee. “I’m going to do the same tape job I did at the half yesterday. Then we are going to go out onto the practice field.”

Today I had more access to Nolan’s entire leg without him in his football pants. I warmed my hands again before pushing up the hem of his shorts a little further to expose more skin. Nolan tensed on the table, and I pulled my hands back as quickly as I could.

“Are my hands still too cold?” I asked. Nolan kept his eyes on his feet as he shook his head no.

“Just took me by surprise.” Nolan’s voice sounded strained as he shifted on the table.

“Is anything sore?”

Another head shake.

I remembered what he told me earlier on our run,I don’t particularly like therapy.

It wasn’t the first time I’d ever had an athlete tell me something along those same lines. Everyone had a different reason for why, but I was going to make it my mission to change Nolan’s mind.

I stared at him for a second longer before I put my hands back on his thigh and began to work the muscle. This time his muscles stayed relaxed. Once I finished the short massage, I made quick work of the tape support and wrap cover.

“Let’s go to the field.”