She paused for a moment. After debating whether to say anything, she decided to go for it. “Did you see someone after you got hurt? Like a therapist?”

“The League mandates it. If he were here right now, my therapist would say that I’m still taking time to digest dealing with my injury and that it’s okay not to be okay with it just yet.

“But I am okay, Taylor. Really,” he said, which told Taylor that she wasn’t doing a good job of schooling her features. “I didn’t mean to make a big deal out of it, but this is the first time these teams have played since I got hurt and I guess I just wasn’t as prepared as I thought I’d be. It’s still so damn raw.”

“Of course it is,” she said. “Are you sure you don’t want to change the channel?”

He shook his head. “I’m good.”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gathered her close. As she nestled against his chest, Taylor fully processed the surrealness of the moment. Never did she think when she’d blurted those words to Alec Mooney that just weeks later she and Jamar Dixon would be in an actual relationship.

She fought hard to keep thoughts of Chad Lewis from creeping into her head. The only thing Jamar had in common with that asshole was that they had both started out as clients. There was no rational reason for her to think that her relationship with Jamar would turn out the way things had turned out with Chad.

She returned her focus to the game, but then her stomach started to sour for a different reason. This game was violent as hell. She flinched with every noisy collision between the players.

A few minutes later, Taylor twisted around to face Jamar. “Okay, I have a question. It’s a bit intrusive, and even though you have every right to tell me that it’s none of my business, I would really appreciate an answer.”

“What do you want to know?” he asked in a strained voice, as if he would rather be in a cage with actual lions and bears instead of just watching them on TV if it meant he didn’t have to address her question.

“Why are you trying to get back into the NFL? I know you want to take care of Silas’s family, but is football really the only option? Couldn’t you maybe sell this house and move into a place with only five bedrooms and a regular-sized pool? It seems as if football has caused you nothing but pain. I don’t understand why you want to return.”

“The joy football has brought me far outweighs the hurt. Every hard hit, every bruised rib, every piece of skin I’ve left on the turf has been worth it.”

“How can you say that?”