knees for Mike.
“Don’t go there, Raine,” Mikey warned.
“Sorry,” I muttered. “I just…”
“You’re bored. And you’re turning your own life into a telenovela. I get it.”
I reached for an apple and bit into it. “I think we should fly to Florida for the game.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Coach already told you you’re not welcome. Maybe if you weren’t a controlling bastard who can’t stop trying to wave his injured arm around while yelling at poor Brent Little, he wouldn’t have taken such a strong stand. It took four days for you to get your voice back after that, and you’re lucky you didn’t damage your shoulder again with all that wild gesturing.”
“His feet were stuck in molasses,” I countered. “He finally gets to start against the Denver Broncos and he can’t even get off the starting block.”
“You’re not the coach,” he tried reminding me.
“Mpfh.” I took another bite out of the apple. “Fine. We’ll throw a game-watching party here instead.”
Mikey handed me a glass of icy-cold lemonade. It tasted amazing. After growing up in Colorado, I still hadn’t gotten used to Houston “winters.” Heat in early December was just plain wrong.
“All of your friends are going to be in Florida. It would just be the three of us, and Sam probably has to work. Tell me what you want for sushi and I’ll put in the order.”
He ripped a sheet out of his notebook and passed it to me with his pen. While I jotted down the stuff I wanted, he disappeared down the hall toward his bedroom. I took the menu and paper to Sam. When I got back to the kitchen with our orders, Mikey had a folder sitting by my seat at the island.
“Pick one of these. We’re spending Christmas in Colorado.”
I blinked up at him. “We’re what?”
“Your mom and dad want to see you.” He didn’t look up at me as his fingers flew over the meal-ordering app on his phone.
“Too bad. I don’t want to see them. Do you have any idea how many times my father has asked me why I haven’t just sucked it up and gotten back to work?”
Mikey looked up, his soft brown eyes twinkling with knowing humor. “That’s why we’re not staying with them. We’re going to rent one of these cabins and hole up for the rest of the month.”
My heart started racing. “A month? Are you serious? I’m not leaving for a month during the season. I can’t. I’m the Rigger’s starting wide receiver.”
“You can and you will. And right now, Brent Little is the Rigger’s starting wide receiver.”
The reality of his words hit me in the gut. I hated letting Coach down. If I could have sold my soul for a working arm, I would have.
Clearly Mikey was being ridiculous. “I still have to go to the games.”
His eyes bored through me again. “You’ve been banned until your arm is better.”
I sputtered. “Not true. That was one game. One. And… and it’s just taking me some time to get used to sitting the bench, that’s all. I’ll be fine for the game against Jacksonville.”
He shook his head and nudged the folder closer to me. “Nope. Coach said to get you the hell out of town and out of his face before your shoulder is, and I quote, not the only injured part of your anatomy. So pick one.”
I firmed my jaw and tried returning his laser stare. “I will not.”
Mikey laughed and stepped closer to me, leaning in until our noses were almost touching. “You will. You and I both know what Coach says goes, and you and I also both know I run your schedule. Where I tell you to be, you go. And I’m telling you to go to the mountains.”
Mikey stepped back and pointed to the folder. “You’ll get to see snow. You’ll get some peace and quiet. Hell, maybe you can even get some reading in. There’s a new John Meadows novel out, and I asked your friend Julian to send me a list of the ones he’s read recently. Besides, all the places I picked have a gym, a sauna, and a hot tub. You can keep in shape while we’re there. We can even call in a trainer if you want. Coach gave me someone to call in Denver for a physical therapy referral.”
I grumbled and opened the folder. He kind of had me at the mention of snow. Other than away games in colder locations and the odd short visit to my