Katie shrugged. “It was a catalyst for him to get out.” Her eyes narrowed. “But I think you’re about to know exactly how it is to have a husband involved in a very dangerous sport.”

Katie’s words…made her mouth go dry. Husband. Tiffany’s heart hammered inside of her. She’d always known they could get hurt. Heck, Roman had gotten hurt. But…it had been different. Roman was not the man she loved.

Shooting to her feet, she rushed toward the door of the box, patting Roman on the shoulder. “Will you help me find Sam?”

46

Sam sat with the team in the locker room. They were waiting for coach to come in and give them the whole ‘get you fired up’ speech that all coaches gave before each game.

But unlike every other game Sam had ever played, Sam didn’t need the talk. He was already keyed up, but it was more than that. He could feel it deep inside of himself—he was ready to break out again. All the doubt and worry from the previous year was gone.

Evaporated.

Not only had going to Wolfe Creek and making amends with Roman changed how he felt about who he was, but he could actually tolerate looking at himself in the mirror now. That was a good feeling.

So he wasn’t here playing to prove something. Of course, he would do that. He would prove that he deserved this spot.

But that wasn’t why he was playing. He was playing because this was what he loved.

He’d forgotten that for a while.

He’d forgotten what he loved. He smiled and he thought of Tiffany. And now he had someone to love. That felt good, too.

“Sam.” One of the managers came in frowning. He motioned him forward. “Someone needs to speak to you real quick. She’s in your training room.”

“Sure.” He jumped up, picking up his helmet and jogging out the door and down the hall.

As Sam rounded the corner to his dressing room, he expected Tiffany. Expected a kiss. Expected a good luck. But he didn’t get what he expected.

He got…Sheena…naked.

47

Roman was jogging next to Tiffany, pointing to a room. “They should be down here somewhere.” They’d gotten past security because most people recognized Roman and weren’t going to stop them. Roman pushed ahead of her. “He’ll be gathered with the team in there.”

It wasn’t easy running in teal boots. But it was even more unbearable, thinking of Sam getting hurt. Even though she knew it was irrational, she had to see him, touch him, and kiss him one more time before he went out onto that field. She just did.

One of the team managers was stationed outside of the locker room.

“We need to talk to Sam real quick.” Roman commanded in a voice that said the guy should obey.

Tiffany was grateful Roman was there.

“Sam is in his training room.” The manager pointed down the hall.

She and Roman turned and went down the hall. Roman smiled at her. “Brings back memories. I even feel nervous for all of them.”

Before they got to the training room, they heard shouting.

Both she and Roman stopped. Then the look on Roman’s face went cold. Stone cold. Killer kind of cold.

“Get away from me!” She heard Sam yell.

“But we were so good together. It could be so much better too. Don’t you remember our tradition before games?”

Hearing a woman’s voice, Tiffany was instantly paralyzed.

But she didn’t have to be for long.

The door flew open, and Sam busted out, huffing and trembling.

Tiffany caught a glimpse of naked flesh behind him.

Seeing her and Roman, Sam’s jaw clenched. He hesitated, dragging in a breath. He looked at Roman. “I don’t know how she got in.”

Roman’s nostril’s widened, and Tiffany thought he looked like a tiger about to pounce. He patted Sam’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, man. I got this.”

Tiffany watched as Roman threw the door open. She saw Sheena, Roman’s ex-wife, and Sam’s ex-girlfriend pulling on her clothes.

“I can’t say I’m surprised you’re trying to claw you’re way to the top, again.”

Every part of Sam was trembling. His forehead was sweating, and he clutched his helmet like he wanted to chuck it and break something.

Tiffany watched as his face turned pale, and he put a hand to his chest. Then he cursed and put his head down, sucking in a breath. “Oh man, not now. Not now.”

Sam couldn’t believe he was having a panic attack.

He let Tiffany take him a little bit down the hall in the other direction. He tried to suck in deep breaths and get his anger under control. “I didn’t know.”

“Shh.” Tiffany rubbed circles into his shoulder. “It’s okay, Sam.” She flashed a grin. “I heard you tell her to get out.”

As he stared into Tiffany’s eyes, it dawned on him that she really did understand, on some level, what he was going through. He remembered the day she’d sent Brett away.

He pulled in another long breath and the pressure in his chest began to ease.

“That’s right.” Tiffany stayed next to him, taking his hand. She stared him straight in the eyes, and he could feel her certainty calming him. “You did it, Sam.” She grinned. “You walked away. You did it.”

It was nice to be able to know that he had done that. To know that Sheena didn’t have any power over him.

The door to his training room flew open, and he saw Sheena moving forward. Anger raged on her face as she tried to get out of the grip Roman had on her. “Let go!” she yelled.

Roman turned to face Sam, his face flashing into a grin. “Nope, Sam and I are going to escort you out of the building and make a very public showing of the fact that you may have fooled us both once, but you won’t come between us again.”

Sam took courage, moving toward Roman. “Good idea,” he said, putting on the face he used on linebackers before the play. He would do this. He could do this.

“Hey!” His coach put his head out into the hall. “Dumont, get in here!”

Both he and Roman took off into a sprint, holding her by each bicep. “I’ll be right there!”

The cameras started flashing as soon as they emerged, obviously thinking it was the team. Sheena didn’t try to get away, but she growled at them. “Let me go.”

Roman took over, waving over a member of the press. He smiled. “As many of you know, this is my ex-wife Sheena.”

Sam was almost blinded by the flashing lights of pictures being taken. But he didn’t flinch.

“Many of you know that Sam dated her for a bit.” He nodded at Sam. “But…” Roman grinned, letting go of Sheena’s arm.

Sheena rushed for the side of the paparazzi.

Roman put an arm around Sam’s shoulders. “Sam and I want to make a public statement that Sheena appeared, seconds ago, in Dumont’s dressing room.” Roman cleared his throat. “I’ll let you all guess what she wanted.”

Murmurs went through the crowd.

“But my buddy and I want everyone to know, she’s not welcome here.” He turned to Sam. “Right?”

“Right.” Sam felt like his insides were going to explode, and he tried to keep his heart rate from pushing him over the edge and making him pass out.

Roman gave a final nod. “Well, if you’ll excuse us, my friend has to get back to leading his team to victory!” He threw his fist into the air.

The press ignited with questions and some roared out. “Go Surf!”

Sam turned back toward the locker room. “Thanks, man.”

Roman gestured for him to go. “You better hurry.”

His manager was waving him to the locker room. “C’mon, Dumont, forget this racket and get in here.”