“I don’t know if I’ll last longer than a season or two, but the next time I leave football, I want to walk away standing tall. Does that make sense?”

She nodded. “It does. Have you talked to your parents about this?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Mom and Dad called before they left for their cruise. I told them about the real reason I hired you as a trainer. I can tell that my mom’s worried about me playing football again, but they both gave me their blessing. They know how much this game means to me.”

“I’ve watched you push yourself to the limit and beyond nearly every day for the past five weeks,” Taylor said. “You deserve to leave football on your own terms. I hope you get the opportunity to make that happen.”

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips. “You’ve given me the best chance. I just have to make sure I don’t mess it up.”

“Have you talked to Micah about scheduling the team workout?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I was going to wait until after the season ended, but he doesn’t think I should wait that long. If I get signed by a team, it’s likely to be one that doesn’t make the playoffs, so what’s the point in waiting. Micah suggested I do it the second week of December.”

“Wow, that soon?” She shrugged. “Well, at least I’ll be back from North Carolina by then.”

He reared back. “You’re going to North Carolina?”

“I didn’t mention that?” Taylor asked. “It’s my dad’s sixtieth birthday. Mom is throwing a huge party for him—which he will absolutely hate every minute of—but he lives to indulge her whims.” She looked up at him. “Do you want to come with me?”

Before he could answer, she shook her head and said, “You know what, forget I said that. Exposing you to my family would be cruel.”

“They can’t be that bad.”

“My brother is an asshole, Jamar. Like, his picture should be in the dictionary next to the word.”

“If that’s the case, I have to come with you. I’ve never met the textbook definition of an asshole before.”

She laughed. “You’re not missing much.”

“Let me come with you.” He ran his fingers along her cheek. “I can use the distraction.”

She frowned. “From what?”

“Next week is the anniversary of Silas’s accident,” he said quietly. “People say it gets easier, but that’s a lie. Every day is a hard day, but there’s something about the milestones that hit differently. His birthday and the day he died are the hardest days of the year for me.”

She cupped his jaw, brushing her thumb across his cheek. “If you think it will help, then yes. I’d love for you to join me.”